#976 Student Success – Scott in the Photo Studio

Posted on July 25, 2013 by admin

Years ago I got a message from Scott Martin who was looking to advance his photo skills and get into some photo work.

His photos at the time were mere snapshots.
After a couple of years on the ProProgram his work blossomed.

What happened?
He worked hard.
And he took many of our photography courses lead by accomplished working photographers like David Trattles (award-winning, veteran social documentary photographer) and Blair Gable (leading Reuters photojournalist.)

There are a lot of photo workshops offered nowadays. Learning from experienced veterans goes a long way, just saying!

Scott now runs ScottMartinVisuals.com and SpotlightOttawa.com. He recently shot Liam Lloyd at our photo studio for a feature.

We’re proud of what he’s accomplished!!
Well done Scott.

#975 Exposed! Photo Newsletter – Photo Tips = Better Pictures

Posted on July 23, 2013 by admin

Photos are easy to make – aim and click. Almost everybody has a camera device and there are trillions of, erm, bad photos out there.

Good photos take time and patience and learning…

How would you:
• make white snow white? (most people produce gray snow)
• make a waterfall turn into a milky smooth masterpiece?
• showing a hint of motion in the water and oars while keeping the boat and background crisp?

Regular photo tips can help!

In this edition of Exposed! we offer some of the most important (and fun) tips.

Read the tips.

Photo Tip #201 – Anticipate your subject’s actions.

#974 Adobe Lightroom Seminar with Peter Handley, RGD

Posted on July 21, 2013 by admin

Photos lacking punch?
Can’t find your favourite photos?
Looking for more from your photography?

Learn the post processing power of Adobe Lightroom.

Before Lightroom: post precessing with Adobe Lightroom class

After Lightroom: post precessing with Adobe Lightroom class

Join one of Ottawa’s most sought-after graphic designers – Peter Handley – as he guide’s a lucky group through the powerful Adobe software that has quickly become the leading software for batch processing and archiving.

What about Adobe’s Photoshop?!
Photoshop is another powerful and amazing tool with some key differences.

Peter will lead you through the Lightroom modules over two weekends. You can join one session or both!

Join the Lightroom Seminar…

#973 Traditional Technical Training for Modern Industrial Applications

Posted on July 19, 2013 by admin

This spring we were contacted by Ontario Power Generation in Southern Ontario about some specialized technical training for their staff. We developed a Custom Course to meet their needs.

Specialized Photo Training – Old technology for modern testing.
They needed training in traditional dark room skills to perform the (almost) 100 year old test that involves traditional photography. Steve explains it better himself:

“We work in a Performance and Testing department with Ontario Power Generation. Our group provides experienced engineering and skilled technical personnel to consistently provide high quality services in data analysis, performance verification, regulatory environmental emission data, and to support aspects of operation and projects.

The Gibson Test
The Gibson Test is one example of a performance test that our group offers. It is a method that was developed almost 100 years ago, that uses a pressure-time graph to determine water flow through a pipe.

Interestingly, the pressure-time graph that is produced during a Gibson Test is done through photographic means. A large piece of photographic film is wrapped around a column inside a canister. The narrow slit along the side of the canister allows light to strike the film.

Gibson Photography Graph

Technically…
A column of mercury is used that rises and falls as the pressure inside the penstock changes; this mercury blocks a portion of the light entering the canister. The canister rotates slowly, and the mercury rises and falls, creating a pressure-time graph on the photographic film.

The film is developed on site in a darkroom built and set up by our technicians. Since these Gibson Tests can occur at any of the remote hydroelectric stations across Ontario, creating an adequate darkroom setting can be challenging at times.

Results!
Thanks to Harry and Marie-Helene, we now have more of an expertise to create a darkroom and the skills necessary to develop this photographic film in the non-traditional settings we encounter with our work. Thanks guys!!”

And thank-you for coming from Southern Ontario for your taining!

1923 Gibson Photography - Film Canister for 20x24

1923 Gibson Photography – Film Canister for 20×24″ film – capture on an iPhone!

#972 Travel and Documentary Workshop Announced!

Posted on July 17, 2013 by admin

Travel & Documentary Photography Course with David Trattles (above)

That’s right…

David Trattles is offering his Travel and Documentary Photo Workshop in Ottawa in mid-September!

Some of you may remember David’s past workshops. He brought laughter, passion and a new way of seeing to his students:
“Harry – thank you for introducing me to David. This course has changed the way I take photographs. More importantly it has changed the way I see myself and the world around me.” Prasad J. (photo below)

Travel and documentary photography course

Photo from past course – © Prasad J.

Well, we’re lucky to have him back. David travels extensively and has offered us the dates (below) in early September.

Dave does things differently – “I have not seen anything even close to this offered in Ottawa.” Sue S.

His workshops will change the way you think of photography. With a big heart and passion David will lead you on a new adventure in your photo adventures.

Dates:
September 12-15, 2013.

Location:
Ottawa Studio Works
160 Preston St.; Ottawa

Cost:
$375 + tax

Join us.
Details and registration.

#971 Photo Contest!!

Posted on July 14, 2013 by admin

Photo Contest!!

Last year four lucky (and talented) workshop graduates had their photos featured on our workshop poster and brochures:

Photography Course Poster

This year we are looking for four new photos! You’ll get:
• Bragging rights
• Beatured on the blog and get a chance to promote your photography
• Three free months on our Online Photo Program!

Contest rules:
• Photos must be from graduates of one of our workshops, classes, safaris or programs.
• Photos may be taken anytime in the last year – they do not have to be from a workshop.
• You must have permission from any recognizable person/people in the photo to have their face in our promotions.
• You grant HarryNowell.com the right to use your photo in posters, brochures, websites and other ways to promote what we do. You, the photographer, retain copyright (that’s a good idea!)
• Final photos must be available at 6″x9″ @300dpi, unwatermarked. This is a 14mb uncompressed file.
• We will credit you as the photographer and list your website, if applicable/appropriate, in promotions.

How to submit:
• Please send a maximum of three jpeg photos to Harry@HarryNowell.com.
• Send photos for consideration as 1024×768 pixels at 72 dpi or similar – this is 2mb or less.
We will only be asking the winning photographers for printable files – 6″x9″ @300dpi, un-watermarked.

Deadline for entires?
Monday, July 29th; 9pm.
We’ll be contacting the winners by early August.

Send us your best!

#968 Prime Photo Tips for Better Pictures!

Posted on July 4, 2013 by admin

For about a year now we have been posting photo tips on our Facebook page to help you take better pictures.

People keep asking “Where can we see all the tips?!”
Why PrimePhotoTips.com of course!
Here’s a sample of tips:

Photo Tip #1
Turn the camera on.

Photo Tip #32
Take one photo at a time. 11 frames a second creates huge editing workloads and, with a little practice, clicking once will get you your shot.

Photo Tip #32 – One photo at a time…

Photo Tip #34
(Thanks to Quinton Gordon) Edit your photos before you take them.

Photo Tip #49
Cut a rectangle out of a piece of paper or cardboard and start looking at the world as if you were looking through a camera. It’s amazing how different things look through a rectangle – and it’ll help you engage your photo brain.

Photo Tip # 64
When photographing in a new city – travel light and by bike – you’ll see way more!

Photo Tip # 71 – Stay warm while winter shooting in the winter!

Photo Tip #71
When shooting in the cold have two clothing systems:
• When moving where enough clothes to be warm but DO NOT SWEAT! (it’ll make you very cold later.)
• Once you’ve stopped for some shooting add lots of warm – extra hat (sheepskin = ahhhh!) and a big poofy jacket or two.

More tips @ PrimePhotoTips.com!

Photo Tip #92
Try something photographically that scares you – just a bit.

Photo Tip #107
Always keep balloons in the photo studio for the kids – instant smiles when you pull them out.

Photo Tip #115
Big aperture (like f4) for moody portraits.
Small aperture (like f16) for landscapes.

Photo Tip #128
Shoot with a wide angle lens from the hip for an unusual portrait experience. It takes some practice…

Better pictures through prime photo tips

Photo Tip # 128 – Shoot from the hip with a wide angle lens for fun portraits.

Photo Tip #142
Shoot in RAW.
Store as TIFFs.
Send as JPEG.
…JPEG files will lose data when you save any changes.

Photo Tip #177
Be playful & allow mistakes to let the fun out of your camera!

Photo Tip # 177 – Be playful!

Photo Tip #195
That little flash built into the camera?
Leave it off. It’s anemic (underpowered), causes red-eye and pushes out a harsh burst of nasty light.
… Sorry, little flash but it’s true!

Photo Tip #200
Stop reading photo tips and go take some photos!!!

Photo Tip #200 – Stop reading photo tips and go take some photos!

See more photo tips at PrimePhotoTips.com. We’re posting 3-5 tips per week.

#966 – Rowing Photo Safari

Posted on June 30, 2013 by admin

We hosted a custom Rowing Photo Safari last week with Kelly McKean who works as a performance analyst with “Own the Podium” an organization working with athletes to achieve greater success at international events.

Want the same photo coaching experience? See below.

Kelly wanted to learn some hands-on practical experience shooting sports – photographing a rowing crew from metres away with the support of a veteran photographer (I’ve shot rowing for stock and editorial use…)

The Ottawa Rowing Club deserve a big thank-you for allowing us access to the action – THANKS!

Kelly: “The workshop helped bring my photography skill to the next level allowing me to capture precise skills of athletes in motion. This is key for providing our olympians with feedback on their performance.”

How did the shooting go? We spent the evening reviewing some important photo elements for shooting sports and then following a rowing crew for their evening training session. She did well…

Kelly: “Learning in the uncontrolled environment of a rowing coach boat was really valuable for me. There was a constant need to adapt the camera settings and composition of the photo to the changing environment (light, water, waves, motion of the coach boat, speed of the rowers, etc.).

Harry taught techniques that were specific to capturing the movement of the rowers and to telling a story. I was given several assignments during the photo shoot and Harry provided feedback on the spot.

It was a great learning experience.”

Congratulations, Kelly!

Want the same experience?
The Ottawa Rowing Club is allowing us privileged access to offer this experience to others!

Dates possible are Thursday evenings – July 18, 25, and August 1st.The cost for three hours of one-on-one photo coaching alongside rowing crews is $275 + taxes. One person joins me per evening.

Interested? Let us know…

#965 Photo Student Wins Int’l Credit! + Fall Photo Class Planning

Posted on June 28, 2013 by admin

Summer has just arrived (yay!) but that means we are busy planning our fall photography classes. And we want YOUR help! See below.

…But first we’d like to congratulate Morina, a graduate of our photo program!
This morning I received an email from Morina, a ProProgram graduate. She has taken many photo courses within her program. This morning she sent a message and a page from Photography Week:

“Harry, you’ve taught me well! You are the first person I want to thank – highly commended for my photo in the international magazine Photography Week. You said “Do something different” – I did and look what has happened. So excited….”

Really, we just kept feeding Morina photo skills. She worked hard over 2 or 3 years to turn that knowledge into award winning photography!

Congratulations, Morina!

Student Success – Morina Reece’s photo “Highly Commended” in Photography Week Magazine. Good work Morina!

Preliminary Fall Line-up
We’ve started to load some photography courses on the fall’s agenda:
• Creative Fundamentals (Sept/Oct) – A classic course (that’s already a quarter full.)
• Night Light (Oct) – Popular course chasing the magic light of the night.
• On Location Lighting with Blair Gable (Oct) – Learn lighting from a leading photojournalist.
• Photography for Communications Professionals (Nov) – We help you get better workplace pictures!
• Mastering Lightroom with Peter Handley (RGD) (Fall – dates to be set) – Improve your post processing guided by a prominent graphic designer.
• Online Photo Program (start anytime!) – Our monthly challenges keep you consistently engaged and help you improve your photography!

Photo Class Help!
But we need YOUR HELP. Most of our courses are developed because YOU requested them.

What do you want to learn!?
Let us know via email or in the comments, below.