If you are a regular reader you will know about our ProProgram – a long term course in photography to help people get their photo aspirations into a real business.
Hagen Hohn joined the program last fall and has made great progress – photo classes, networking, work experience and now, after significant work he has launched his new website:
Please visit and cheer him on!
Hagen in action on our studio photo workshop in January, 2010. (He's on the right - photographing a father and son.)
Tonight Christine Denis started teaching her “Photographing Children” Photo workshop in Ottawa. There was an enthusiastic group of parents ready to soak up tips for better photos of their young families.
We are offering the session again in the fall – September 14, 18, 21, 2010. It’ll be posted soon on the workshops page.
I also got asked by a former workshop student about the possibility of running a film photography workshop. Prasad discovered the wondefulness of film – especially B&W on recent photo workshops in the fall and winter.
Those of you who know me are sure to remember my love of film – it has many very desireable attributes!
Anyone else interested in a film photo workshop? Please let us know. We may run an experimental workshop this summer!
Christine Denis - photographing children workshop
This weekend is the New Art Festival in the Glebe which will be attended by many artists and some photographer acquaintances:
Louis Helbig – renowned for his aerial photos of the Alberta Tar Sands (see below)
Helene Anne Fortin – traditional B&W portraits
Worth a visit!
Louis Helbig: "This abstract image details oily tar floating on Suncor’s most recently created tar pond (lake)."
I got an email from one of our photo course students, Prasad. He is looking at film cameras and is wondering about the future of film. He said:
“Hey Harry- what do you think is the future of film in cameras? Will I still be able to buy a roll of film say 10 years from now? Is there a chance people will revert back to film or are we on this out-of-control digital train ride for ever…”
My answer?
I believe film will always be available and used although it will be a small niche market. Film has qualities that digital does not and will always have an artistic market. Some photographers like Helene Anne Fortin still work exclusively in film.
I draw parallels between the digital-film transition and the colour-B&W transition when colour film became prominent years ago. When colour film became widespread B&W did not disappear. It has remained a prominent, although small, product. I believe the same will happen for film.
From a business perspective I believe digital rocketed to success partly because of camera manufacturer’s foresight and sales projections…
I’ll use Nikon as an example – Nikon developed their prominent ‘professional’ grade F series film cameras starting in 1959 with the F1.
The F2 came out in 1972.
F3 – 1980
F4 – 1988
F5 – 1996
F6 – 2004
That’s six camera redesigns in 45 years.
Cameras were made so well that people did not replace cameras very often. Fast forward to digital and Nikon has produced three ‘pro’ digital cameras (D1, D2, D3) in ten years and that number at least triples if you include all the versions: D1, D1H, D1x, etc.
Digital camera development allowed manufacturers to sell far more cameras… and what has that done to profits? Read this article from 2006 – “Canon and Nikon Profits Rise“:
It’s no wonder digital camera sales rocketed! I believe manufacturers saw dollar signs and set their sales and marketing machines to sell the ‘best new tools‘ in photography. “Gotta have one!” They were billed as money saving tools – “no film and processing!!”
In reality, most photographers now recognize digital costs more when you include depreciation, increased expectations from clients, increased peripherals, etc.
Ok, ok, I am way off topic. What about the future of film?!
I believe that once digital camera sales taper off – I’d expect that in the next three to ten years as digital technology growth eases up – camera manufacturers will ‘rediscover’ film and there will be a renaissance in film cameras, film and processing partly because a market will be created to replace slowing digital sales.
What do you think? Visit Prasad’s Facebook page – Harry Nowell’s Alumni Photo club – Facebook log-in may be required – to see more ideas.
Photographed with a Nikon FM2 (film camera) that was produced from 1982-2001. Shot on film with minimal post processing - colours are enhanced slightly - that's it!
It was a good weekend for running the National Capital Marathon events. Cool and good weather.
My assignment at the Ottawa Marathon event was head of cheering for my wife and friends. I used to shoot more sports events as part of my work. Times have changed and many people offer photo work for free or almost free – prices plummetted and I now do other photo work (as well as jobs like head cheerleader for my wife). Times change – you’ve gotta keep moving.
While cheering for my wife, I shot parts of the marathon and half marathon on Sunday.
Congratulations everyone and thanks to the volunteers and organizers!
Some excerpts, below:
Ottawa Half Marathon start photo 05/10
Ottawa Half Marathon Winner 2010 - Lawton Redman (6960)
Ottawa Half Marathon photo - working hard!
Ottawa Marathon Photo
Ottawa Half Marathon Photo 2010
Ottawa Marathon Photo 2010
Ottawa Half Marathon Pace Bunny Photo 2010
Ottawa Half Marathon Photo 2010
Police support - Ottawa Race Weekend 2010
Ottawa Race Weekend photo 2010
Ottawa Half Marathon Smiles - 2010
We ran out of time in the last post about Lee Kraemer’s Ottawa Photography course – Innerscapes.
To summarize:
People said:
“Different than many courses out there! Using the camera to explore the ‘innerscape’ is very useful. A good way to grow inside… if you allow that growth to happen!”
“The opportunity to use my photography to try to tell a story about an issue I’m grappling with – it helped open up some new insights for me… Lee creates a very supportive environment for this exploration.”
“Very helpful – a way to find various ways to look at the work around me can only improve creativity. I am very glad I took it.”
Yay!
Thanks Lee and for all participants for sharing!
Lee Kraemer - Ottawa Photo Course
If you’ve been reading for a while you know I like dogs.
A lot.
So it made me smile when a fine artist friend emailed me a National Geographic video of a dog and an orangutan being best friends. That was my smile for the day!
Oh dogs…
Tigger on the Photo Blog
Biscuit on the photo blog
We just finished two sessions of the popular David Trattles Social Documentary Photo Workshop. It’s popular for good reason.
We heard directly from many of the students:
• “Thank you for a great course. I really enjoyed the time with David and learned a lot! He is a very colorful and inspiring personality.”
• “He is an awesome story teller and his pictures were inspiring. His perspective is so different and it served to remind me that the reason behind wanting to pursue this is to enjoy and build on something that I love.”
• “The course was great. Dave just further proved that there are no rules to photography. I was very intrigued by his shooting technique.
Everything I have ever read said avoid the ‘hail mary’ shot. Use the view finder and be very careful framing your image. Dave seems to have shot blind so much that he a great sense of the picture he will capture knowing the angles of his camera.
He had me laughing all weekend. Too many great stories. It was well worth the time and I am glad I took it.”
And there are some blog posts that tell more:
We hope to have Dave back for a session in the early fall.
Below are a couple of photos from the workshop (Thanks Diane and France!):
David Trattles photo workshop - Ottawa
A couple of weeks ago we ran a Custom Photo Course just north of Ottawa at Eleveage Catarqui. Valerie wanted better photographs for the farm and her dogs.
She worked well and learned lots:
“I am happy to report that I remember what you taught me and that I am using it on a daily basis. I find that my photos are getting better and I rarely have to fix them in Photoshop. I put more thought into it and it seems to be paying off.”
Thanks Valerie! See her photos below.
She also sent a couple of her favourite photo websites – related to DOGS!:
Elevage Cataraqui
Elevage Catarqui
Coming up this week is a photo workshop in Ottawa with David Trattles. Two participants are from Combat Camera.
“Who?”
That’s what I asked. And today we have a guest blogger – I asked Master Corporal Cribb some questions…
Sit back and soak up stories from Combat Camera:
Harry Nowell: “What is Combat Camera?”
Master Corporal David Cribb: Combat Camera is a Canadian Forces Unit attatched to the Assistant Deputy Minister of Public Affairs (ADM PA) for the Department of National Defence. It employs 5 Public Affairs Officers, 13 imagery technicians (photographers and videographers), and 3 civillian editors (1 still 2 video). Our mandate is to inform the Canadian Public of Canadian Forces operations around the world and at home.
HN: “What is your role?”
MCDC: “Typically (but not always) we cover events to which media cannot easily access; examples being foot patrols in Afghanistan, or a soveriegnty patrol with the Canadian Rangers in the high arctic.”
HN: “How long have you been photographing?”
MCDC: “I have been an airforce photographer for 7 years and with Combat Camera for the last 2.”
HN: “Your most challenging assignment?”
MCDC: “My most challenging assignment was probably covering the Nijmeggen Marches in the Netherlands in 2009. It was a deluge of rain for 4 solid days. We were averageing 22 hours a day and by day 4 we were almost hip deep in mud, trying to keep our gear dry, and scrounging to find somewhere dry with power for our post production work. It was a definite challenge.”
HN: “What interested you in David Trattles’ photo workshop?”
MCDC: “What interested me in the course was the opportunity to work with someone like Mr Trattles who has such a wealth of story telling experience, and a wider focus of subject than we currently shoot. I’m hoping to get a broader perspective from this workshop, which in turn will translate to better stortelling for my imagery.”
HN: “Thanks!”
Some of Master Corporal Cribb’s work:
Combat Camera
Combat Camera
Combat Camera