#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!

#970 Online Photo Challenge Review

Posted on July 10, 2013 by admin

Our online photo program roars along with a new photo challenge every month. Members receive video lessons, tips, links and share ideas as they produce their best shots for the photo challenge.

June’s challenge was photojournalistic storytelling and members were guided as they created single photos that told stories within themselves.

Photojournalism Challenge – “One Photo Stories” Love – © Gina R

The creative challenges are often tougher than the technical challenges because there are fewer “recipes for success!” Still, participants rose to the challenge with some amazing photos.

Photojournalistic storytelling – Online Photo Challenge – © Maisie I

And they continue to enjoy the process!
Comments from the past month:
• “[My photos improved over the last year…] It’s all thanks to you, the course and the forum! I know that I wouldn’t have learnt as much just taking a class here and there. For this, I can’t thank you enough!”

• “Harry, you always keep me on my toes and throw in extra food for thought. I love it, thank you!”

Photojournalistic Storytelling – Online Challenge – © Lynn G

“I found this challenge to be very challenging. I got out shooting and I tried a new style that should help improve my images going forward. It was a good exercise and (as always) it was helpful to see what others were shooting”

Photojournalistic Storytelling – Online Photo Challenge – © John D.

“Thanks for another great challenge!”

“Photojournalism, a very good challenge… it makes you think about taking just a photo vs. a photo story. Gives the photo taking purpose and helps with composition.”

Photojournalistic Storytelling – Online Photo Challenge – © Allan C.

“This was my first challenge and I found it consumed a lot of my thoughts; I was excited, scared and felt hungry for the challenge … I do feel a little sad that it’s over but I will continue to use the story telling in all my photos in the future. I look forward to the July challenge.”

Photojournalistic Storytelling – Online Photo Challenge
– © Marcel M.

Want better photos?
Looking to boost your skills?
The online photo program helps you get the experience for better pictures.

How?
Weekly content with lessons, videos, links, critique and a member forum.
Join us…

#967 Custom Photo Course Review – Macro & Fundamentals

Posted on July 2, 2013 by admin

So last week we ran a custom course for Christine who wanted a refresher on photography and an intro to macro photography. We met at a public ornamental garden and covered elements of Creative Fundamentals and Macro work.

How’d she do?
Her photos improved and her confidence grew!

Custom Photography Course – © Christine Payant

And it sounds like she loved it…
(Ok, ok… now, I know I am a good teacher and photographer but comments like these make my teaching worthwhile!):

“Thank you so much for the great Creative Fundamentals custom course yesterday. It was absolutely worth every penny.

I learned so much in just one day and can’t believe I never learned or knew about these skills before. This proves to me just how important it is to continuously upgrade and maintain photography skills in order to get better and better.

Better Photos © Christine P.

You are a wonderful and very patient teacher and obviously a gifted photographer.
Thanks so much for the great custom course.

I will definitely be taking some more courses this summer and fall. I will probably start with the on-line course, to keep me pushing to take more pictures and improve my skills.

Thanks again so much.”

Thank-YOU Christine! I love teaching and I love creating beautiful pictures. I feel so lucky to do what I do!

Better photos through HarryNowell.com! © Christine P.

UPDATE: Christine just sent us an email – she’s been enjoying her new skills! Nice work Christine!:

Macro Custom Photography Course © Christine P.

#966 – Rowing Photo Safari

Posted on June 30, 2013 by admin

Ottawa Rowing Photography – © HarryNowell.com

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…

Rowing photography © Kelly McKean

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.

#894 Pro Photo Program – Student Success

Posted on January 10, 2013 by admin

Yep, we’ve got another graduate from the ProProgram that we’re cheering!!

I first met Morina Reece on our Natural Light Portraits photo class. She was keen to learn as much as possible about photography and people. She then joined the ProProgram which accelerated her learning – not only from a photo aspect but also from a post processing, business, and client aspect.

But enough from me. Hear what Morina has to say:

“The ProProgram has been a delightful, adventure!! Harry’s mantras of “get it as right as possible in the camera” and “do something different” has guided all my photography work and to some extent my personal and professional life!

The ProProgram offered me technical, creative, and business resources, advice, guidelines and encouragement. Most importantly, it provided me with a network of photographers (friends) who were and still are exceedingly generous with their time, guidance, and support. They cheer, motivate and provide me with much needed honest and critical critiques of all aspects of my photography business, not to say anything of the many fun times we have together!

"Do something different" - © Morina Reece

The ProProgram brought me from a fledgling amateur to a confident, competent photographer. Although I am graduating, the ProProgram will always be a part of my life, building and reinforcing my photography skills and passion for photography.

Thanks Harry and the gang!”

Thanks Morina! I am proud of you!!
Please join us in cheering for Morina’s work and success in photography.

#872 – Student Success! Another ProProgram Photo Course Graduate.

Posted on November 11, 2012 by admin

Please join me in congratulating Sarah Ruest as she graduates from her ProProgram. I first met Sarah when she enrolled in a bike race safari in 2011 and she quickly decided photography was something she wanted to pursue!

She worked hard to explore many facets of photography from technical proficiencies to underlying style and story behind each photo project.

Sarah progressed well over her year in the program and we’re excited to see where she takes photography next! Keep an eye out for her work!

The Program helped Sarah take some big steps in photography. Hear what she has to say:
“I entered the ProProgram with a love of photography, but feeling quite uncertain of how to grow my skills and vision for what was a fun hobby and outlet for me. I found Harry’s Bike Race Photo Safari and had a blast shooting something different. I was amazed at how much I learned in this short evening safari, and was impressed with Harry’s transparent teaching style. I took a few more workshops, and in the fall joined the ProProgram officially.

Student success - ProProgram course graduate

The ProProgram allowed me to gain technical skills and build creative business sense. Harry’s constant encouragement and advice guided me toward building my vision for how photography fit into my life. It is the ideal program for anyone, because it is customized to your interests and needs instead of being a boilerplate.

I have a long list of projects to pursue, and hope to have a show someday. Harry shared all of his experiences and lessons learned in this field, which gave me the confidence I needed to know that I can do anything I want to in photography. Burned in my mind forever are Harry’s words “Do something different”!“

We’re cheering for Sarah’s next steps in photography.
Congratulations, Sarah!

We’ll keep you posted with tales from ProProgram grad successes!

Interested in taking a giant leap in your photography? Ask us about the ProProgram!

#869 Online Photo Course – Backlighting Successes and New Silhouette Challenge

Posted on November 4, 2012 by admin

Last month we challenged the Online Photo Program Members with the tough technical challenge of backlighting – the tricky scenario of bringing MORE attention to the main subject by blasting the background with light.

But they performed! I was pleased at how the group progressed. It was a tough challenge for many but I was pleased with the results!

Online photo program - beautiful pictures

And Online member, Scott, sent us this comment about his experience on the program:

“Loving the on-line program. I like that it pushes me to think about how I want to capture the image before me. At last weekend’s cyclocross race I sought out shooting locations that allowed me to blow-out the background and highlight the cyclists. I’d say I’m feeling more involved with the picture taking process.”

Online Photo Class - take better pictures!

We’ve just started this month’s online photo challenge with an introduction to silhouettes and what they are.

Better photos through online learning!

Later this week we give technical tips on silhouettes and how to achieve them. We also outline participant’s specific challenge for the month.

Join us to learn about silhouettes and challenge yourself!

#865 Night Light Photo Class Review – Student Successes!!

Posted on October 25, 2012 by admin

Ok, so Night Light is not our longest running workshop and it’s not our most popular (Creative Fundamentals and Natural Light Portraits attract more people over the year) but it’s currently my favourite and most fun workshop that I teach. This fall it was a full workshop.

Why?

There’s magic to be captured at night. I see people’s faces shine as they see their pictures appear on their screens…

And they say…
“But where do those amazing colours come from?”
“How do those lights make that affect?”
“Why do the ghosts appear?”
Magic, I say.

Ok, it’s NOT really magic, just some advanced photo techniques to help get magical results.

See some of the student photos from the weekend we spent in central Ottawa. They made me smile!

And what did students say?

“Excellent; night photography has always been intimidating and frustrating. No longer!” JM
“Harry was patient & challenging – love it.” JK
“You do a great job, Harry. Don’t change.” Anon.

The photo course is travelling this fall. We’ve been invited to present Night Light in Victoria by Quinton Gordon’s Luz Gallery. Stay tuned for reports from western Canada.

Finally, this photo was presented at the end of the night by one of the students to express her feelings for the workshop! Thank-YOU, Murielle and students for the fun, fun, fun!