Understand Photography
Please check our meetup calendar for the updated schedules:
http://www.meetup.com/UnderstandPhotography/#calendar
General Photography Classes
DSLR Operation and Exposure Basics – This is the first class you should take when you purchase a DSLR. We’ll get you shooting in the manual setting in two hours! This is our most popular class and we hold it monthly.
Composition - The Most Important Class you’ll take to Improve Your Photography! Everyone thinks they understand the Rule of Thirds but we find that they really don’t. Learn where your eye naturally goes and how to use leading lines and power points to make a more pleasing image. This is a very in-depth class so it’s good for beginners to advanced photographers.
The Outdoor Portrait - Flash Basics - We start in the studio learning about basic flash photography and beginner speedlight techniques - on camera and off camera. Then we head outside to practice with models. It’s our second most popular class!! We often hold this class at sunset on the beach.
DSLR Two - Metering Modes, White Balance, Drive Modes, Focal point, focus modes and more! We do our best to make the technical stuff easy to understand!
Four weeks to proficiency - Register for the above four classes in advance and receive a 10% discount. Email for more info: NaplesPortraits@gmail.com
Basic Studio Lighting - If you hope to photograph corporate headshots, senior high school students, children or models, you’ll want to learn the basics of studio lighting. In this hands-on class you’ll learn how to set up and measure the lights for the effects you hope to achieve.
- Studio Lights - Go over the parts of the studio light and what each button/lever means.
- Light meter - how to use. What type to buy for your specific needs. Should you use your in camera meter?
- We’ll start with a single light setup and add to it.
- Simple posing techniques will also be introduced in this class.
Speedlight- Basics and Beyond - Learn on and off camera speedlight techniques. Guide numbers, manual, TTL, high speed sync, multiple and more! This is a more advanced workshop for those who really want to learn about the oh-so-powerful speedlites!
Point and Shoot - This is a tough class to teach, due to all of the different cameras out there. We highly recommend a private lesson to help you with your specific camera. We do offer a talk about point and shoot cameras. We go over the different settings that are standard to most cameras, how and what to use each setting for. We also give a basic overview on getting your pictures on to your computer. Again, this is very specific to your camera and your computer so a private class is encouraged.
Photography Basics Bootcamp – Join us for a weekend for beginner to intermediate DSLR photographers. You will get all the basics down and have lots of time for practice! Fstops, Shutter speeds, ISO, white balance, flash, sunset portraiture, basic photo editing, intro to studio lighting, setting up a home studio and much more!
Smart Phone Photography - buttons and technical info, also a bit on composition.
Go over a few of the most popular aps, how to download them.
Nature and Travel
Macro Photography - This workshop will demonstrate that you don’t need to find new subject matter to photograph, you only need a new way of photographing it. We will discuss simple, yet effective, lighting techniques using natural light as well as your camera’s portable flash. Your understanding of optics and how they relate to exposure will be enhanced.
Successful Bird Photography - What is the best camera mode? How do you photograph white birds without blowing out the highlights? How do you isolate backgrounds or bring them out to showcase the bird? How do you deal with backlight? Become a better bird photographer in this hands-on workshop!
Simple HDR - We have had a couple different instructors teaching HDR and have decided we are sticking with Gavin! He really simplifies the process - from learning your camera settings to how to process your HDR pictures. HDR can be used for artistic images, and also for real estate or other tough pictures that have multiple exposures. Bring a tripod - you’ll come home with very cool pictures!
Landscape Photography
Night Photography - Streaking Lights
Travel Photography - We have different travel photographers come in to our training center to give lectures and teach. We also offer private lessons to help you prepare for your trip. We have one instructor who specifically teaches “How to prepare for your trip to Africa”.
Ask about our fun excursions!
Everglades Excursions
Birding on Sanibel Excursions
Street photography Downtown Naples
Street photography River District Fort Myers
Portrait and Wedding Photography
Wedding Photography- “REAL FAKE WEDDING” Intro to wedding photography will cover licensing in Collier/Lee County, pricing, marketing, managing expectations, ceremony do’s and don’ts, post processing, and up selling. After the ceremony, we’ll split into teams with our brides and grooms for formal sunset portraits!
The Business of Making Money in Portrait Photography - stop spinning your wheels and bring in $10K a month or more. This is a workshop Peggy Farren has taught through Professional Photographers of America’s Super Monday program. So many new photographers really under value their work and end up quitting due to burn out. Learn to make a living with your passion! Your clients don’t mind spending money on quality work and good service. Take this workshop to learn what you are doing wrong and what you could be doing right!
For practice: Studio Model Shoots - No experience is necessary to come to the studio photo practice sessions. You just need a DSLR with a standard hotshoe (most dslrs have them). We will help you with your settings. Each one will be a little bit different. We have a mix of beginners who don’t know how to get out of automatic, to working professional photographers. We help each other! This is a safe zone - even many professionals need studio experience. We are all here to learn and have fun!
Baby, Child and Family Photographers - Get Started Right! Lighting, posing, blurring out the background, composition and managing people! This is a class jam packed with information and ending up with a photo shoot with a real family!
Posing Individuals and Groups - Posing, AKA Making people look good, is as important to portrait photography as lighting and good exposure! We’ll teach basic posing and composition, and then go in to posing to help with flaws. How do you deal with double chins, arms, heavy people, etc. Your job is to make people look good!!
Maternity Portraiture - This is a workshop on off camera lighting, posing and props for beautiful maternity portraits. We’ll talk about managing the client and keeping her comfortable, creative ideas for pictures, posing and lighting, including rim lighting of the mom’s belly.
Fine Art Newborn Photography The fabulous Sharlene Gaeneke drives 5 hours to come teach this class for us. She is the newborn specialist!
Underwater Model Shoots
Studio Portraiture – Lighting and Posing - specific techniques
Software
Beginning to Advanced Classes.
Photoshop CS - Beginner cram course. Frequently used tools, practice using selection tools and layers. Portrait retouching, lighting - lighten, brighten, darken pictures. Color - color correct pictures, change colors. Output: Image sizes and cropping. Cheatsheets included!!
Layers, Textures and Blending Modes in Photoshop or Elements. Create beautiful works of art with Photoshop!
Also think about private lessons for software, as everyone’s skill level on computer is different.
Please check our meetup calendar for the updated schedules:
http://www.meetup.com/UnderstandPhotography/#calendar
