Capturing Summer Light With Brenda Tharp

This week I had chance to assist Brenda Tharp (a photography teacher for over 20 years both in workshops/tours and through Betterphoto.com) in her Capturing the Summer Light workshop.

Brenda has some great insights and holds nothing back from her students, she a pleasure to learn from

Despite having the least amount of summer light since I've been up here in Maine the big class (14 students) created some awesome pictures of not only the type you see on postcards but also some great graphic pieces and even photoJ style images.

It was great fun!

Photographs that Make and Impact with Stan Grossfeld

Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of assisting Stan Grossfeld in his Photographs that make an Impact class at the maine Media Workshops. A two time Pulitzer winner, he say's he's probably known more now as a sports writer/photographer for the Boston Globe.

The Students created 7 picture photo essays that were super awesome an diverse considering that they found their stories on Monday (not an easy feat in sleepy mid-coast Maine) then developed them over the week. We had a story on the Homeless in Rockland, Somalians in Lewiston and Water buffalo in Appleton to name a few.

I learned a ton about not only creating a photo story for publication to effect social change but also about photojournalism past and present.

I'd just like to say thanks to Stan and the class!

The Digital Fine Print with George DeWolfe

(This image come from the corridors below Fort Knox in mid coast Maine)

We just finished up a Fine Art Printing class this previous week where we not only tryed various Hahnemulle and Mueseo paper but we also utilized the history brush to edge and burn/dodge files before ging to print to give them a more 3d appearance.

George DeWolfe also talked allot on the idea of a photographers individual authenticity and mindfulness of the scenes we have before us. After studying extensivly with the likes of Ansel Adams and Minor White, it's no wonder that a great deal of thought goes into everything he does. He is a kind of philosopher photographer.

Check him out for more of his philosophy

MMW Architecture Workshop with Norman Mcgrath

We just finished up a great architecture workshop with Norman McGrath. We ran all over the state of Maine from nicly appointed interiors to the penobscot narrows bridge we shot it all.

We even compared various lenes at a given focal length (Canon 24mm t/s v 1 and 2 vs. 24-70, and 24-105, etc)

We also compared photos of a room lit via strobes to one of the same room created in HDR from multiple exposures.

It was a great class that I was happy to TA for. We had allot of fun as a group and exchanged allot of great information between us.

I can only hope that the rest of my classes this summer will be as much fun!