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Nature Photography Workshops
2013 Schedule
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Workshop/Location
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Description
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Feb. 11-13, 2012
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How can you take your close-up photography to a whole new level and create more abstract, expressive images that go beyond documentary subject rendition?
Using a wide variety of techniques in a controlled studio environment both indoors and outdoors on a nearby patio, Charles show how you can capture beauty in ordinary objects and make unique, artistic images that reflect your creative vision without a lot of fancy equipment, lighting or technical proficiency.
Enjoy unlimited use of a wide variety of "props" to add to your creatve toolbox: iridescent glass, clear textured glass, colorful backgrounds, mylar, fresh-cut flowers, potted plants, shells, light-box, glass objects, feathers, glycerin, black lights, multi-colored LED flashlights, color reflectors, diffusers and more.
Topics covered include: close-up equipment (including specialized close-up accessories), shooting water droplets and reflections, creative lighting techniques, how to achieve striking compositions, soft-focus macro, telephoto and wide-angle macro and cross-polarization.
The workshop blends entertaining lectures, challenging assignments, supportive image evaluations, and lots of hands-on shooting opportunities.
Tuition: $540, plus a $95 materials fee.
Click here for more information and to register.
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Feb. 14-16, 2013
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Change the look and feel of your photography with the revolutionary selective-focus tool, Lensbaby. Whether you've never heard of a Lensbaby, or are a seasoned professional who is intimately familiar with Lensbabies, you'll benefit from taking this comprehensive workshop.
Charles, a Lensbaby "guru," will share tips and techniques for precisely controlling the "sweet spot" area of sharp focus. He will demonstrate and explore various photographic styles in-depth using the entire Lensbaby product line of lens bodies, interchangeable optics and accessories.
Then, you'll have a chance to try using a Lensbaby in a variety of settings in and around the picturesque environs of Santa Fe. (There will be plenty of demo units on-hand, so not to worry if you don't currently own a Lensbaby!)
Topics Charles will cover include: focus-bracketing to focus the viewer's attention on different parts of a scene; converting your optics for macro, wide-angle, fish-eye or telephoto use; controlling depth-of-field; using a Lensbaby to create round bokeh; how to achieve subtle distortion; and using the Lensbaby to shoot video.
The workshop blends entertaining lectures, challenging assignments, supportive image evaluations and lots of hands-on shooting opportunities.
Perfect for the photographer who feels stuck in a "rut" and wants to expand his/her creative vision.
Tuition: $540, plus a $50 model & location fee.
Click here for more information and to register.
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May 18-19, 2013
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Master Class
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If you're serious about macro/close-up photography, live on the East Coast, and want to delve deeper into the creative process while improving your technique, then this is the workshop for you!
You'll spend the entire 2-day weekend learning special techniques for creating unique, artistic close-up images in a fun, casual but intensive atmosphere. Charles will share many of his own secrets learned after 10+ years of shooting macro and cover equipment, composition, exposure, fill-flash, special creative camera techniques and more.
Part of the time will be spent learning macro techniques and shooting in our private indoor classroom "studio," and the remainder of time will be spent making images in the Atlanta Botanical Garden, home to one of the best orchid collections in the country. We'll have private, early-morning access to the Garden one hour each day before it opens to the general public.
The workshop includes unlimited use of various "props" (such as iridescent/textured glass, fresh-cut flowers, mylar, shells, colored backgrounds, water droplets, glass objects, etc.), group assignments, lectures covering specialized topics, demonstrations, and lots of individualized instruction. Participants will also have the opportunity to have their images reviewed and critiqued via high-resolution LCD projection.
The workshop begins Saturday morning at 8 am and ends Sunday at 4 pm. Limited to 14 participants.
Tuition: $895 ($875 for ABG members). Daily admission into the Atlanta Botanical Garden, classroom supplies, and handouts included. Optional discounted parking: $5.00/day. Registration deadline: April 19, 2013.
Accommodations for out-of-town students: Courtyard Marriott - Atlanta Midtown/Georgia Tech. To reserve your room at the special group discounted room rate of $119 per night + tax, call the hotel directly at 404-607-1112, or Marriott Reservations at 1-800-321-2211 before Friday, April 26th. Please be sure to mention you're with the "Charles Needle Photography" group to receive the special room rate.
Register for this class here, or call the Atlanta Botanical Garden at 404-876-5859, ext. 2555.
Contact Charles for any additional questions.
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June 8, 2013 |
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Learn the basics of flower and garden photography in this fun 1-day class being offered at the Dunn Gardens in Seattle, a spectacular privately owned 7-acre garden designed by the Olmsted Brothers in 1915.
If you don't know an f/stop from a bus-stop, then this is the class for you! Topics covered include: selecting a digital camera, what all those "buttons" on your camera mean, useful photo accessories, post-capture software for making good flower and garden images, exposure, lighting, depth-of-field, composition, and smartphone cameras.
This informative and entertaining class includes lecture, demonstrations in the garden, and lots of hands-on help from Charles. All skill levels are welcome.
Bring your camera & instruction manual, lenses & tripod (if you have them), memory cards, spare batteries and knee-pads.
Tuition: $150 for members ($165 for non-members), which includes a box lunch.
Limited to 14 participants.
Register for this class here, or call 206-362-0933. |
June 24, 2013
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Making great pictures of flowers and gardens requires skill and patience. Learn how to craft a truly great garden photograph and capture the essence or "spirit" of your garden using a digital camera. Charles will discuss the concept of "intimate landscape" and teach tips for proper exposure, composition and lighting.
You'll also have the opportunity to explore several methods of making painterly, non-literal images in-camera: camera movement, multiple-exposure montaging, Lensbaby, long exposures, and shooting reflections.
This fun and informative class includes lecture, field demonstrations, and personalized hands-on instruction in the beautiful Bloedel Reserve, an internationally renowned 150-acre nature preserve and garden located on Bainbridge Island, WA. The Reserve is closed to the public on Monday's, so we'll be able to photograph with private access.
Bloedel is a hidden Northwest treasure featuring aunique blend of natural woodlands and beautifully landscaped gardens, including a Japanese Garden, a Moss Garden, Reflection Pool, and the Bloedel's former estate home.
Bring your camera & instruction manual, lenses & tripod (if you have them), memory cards, spare batteries and knee-pads. All skill levels are welcome.
Class fee: $160 for members, $180 for non-members, which includes admission into the Reserve and a box lunch. No refunds after May 24, 2013. Class hours: 8:00 am to 5:15 pm. Limited to 16 participants.
To register for this class, please call the Bloedel Reserve at 206-842-7631 and ask for Korum Bischoff, Director of Communications & Events, ext. 16. Or, you can email Korum to register.
Optional nearby accommodations at the Best Western Bainbridge Island Suites at a discounted room rate of $99 + tax. Please call 206-855-9666 to reserve your room by May 31, 2013.
Please contact Charles with any questions.
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July 20-27, 2013
ONLY 3 SPOTS
REMAINING !! |
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Journey to the heart of Impressionism in this weeklong workshop in the charming French village of Giverny and surrounding countryside. A rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to photograph for an entire week during peak summertime bloom in one of the most beautiful, enchanting gardens in the world with NO TOURISTS present...private access!
Monet's famous water lilies will be blooming during our stay, as well as many other flowers, such as roses, dahlias, sunflowers, hollyhocks, nasturtiums, and zinnias.
You'll gain daily private access to the world-famous Garden and Estate in the early mornings and early evenings, before the Garden opens and after it closes to the public, with "magic hour" light. Charles will share special techniques he has developed for creating striking, abstract, painterly "Impressionistic" flower and garden images.
Besides Monet’s flowered sanctuary, you’ll photograph the surrounding Normandy countryside blanketed with summer wildflowers, the Seine River Valley, Village of Giverny with its quaint stone cottages and terraced gardens, the old Norman town of Vernon, an 18th-century water mill in a bucolic setting, a medieval chateau and gardens, two nearby rural villages with charming French country architecture, a 14th century church, and an authentic outdoor French marketplace.
You'll receive lots of 1-on-1 personalized instruction both in the field and classroom, and there will be plenty of lectures, assignments and supportive group image evaluations.
An all-inclusive package price of $3,995 covers 7 nights of accommodations in Giverny, all breakfasts, a Welcome Lunch and Farewell Dinner, garden entrance fees, workshop tuition, and ground transportation during the workshop. A single supplement is also available for $500. (Airfare, airport transfers, some lunches & dinners, and optional travel insurance are not included.) Limited to 12 participants. Deposit of $2,000 due upon registration before April 30, 2013. Remaining balance due in full May 31, 2013.
To download a colorful PDF flyer with more details, including a Booking Form, click here. Tentative workshop itinerary available upon request.
Early-bird registration deadline: April 30, 2013. After April 30th, package price increases to $4,595 (double occupancy).
Please contact Charles with any questions.
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September 21-22, 2013
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If you're serious about macro/close-up photography, live on the West Coast, and want to delve deeper into the creative process while improving your technique, then this is the workshop for you!
This weekend class is designed for the more serious photographer who wants to master advanced macro techniques and create more abstract expressive images that go beyond documentary subject rendition.
You'll spend two days learning special techniques for creating unique, artistic close-up images in a fun, casual but intensive indoor studio atmosphere. Charles will share many of his own secrets learned after 10+ years of shooting macro and cover equipment, composition, exposure, fill-flash, special creative camera techniques and more.
The workshop includes unlimited use of various "props" (such as iridescent/textured glass, fresh-cut flowers, mylar, shells, colored backgrounds, water droplets, glass objects, etc.), group assignments, lectures covering specialized topics, demonstrations, and lots of individualized instruction. Participants will also have the opportunity to have their images reviewed and critiqued via high-resolution LCD projection.
Hours are 9 am to 5 pm each day. Limited to 14 participants.
Tuition: $895. Early-bird registration by July 31, 2013. $1,095 after July 31, 2013. Payment in full by check, payable to: "Charles Needle Photography," due at time of registration. Tuition includes all classroom supplies and handouts.
If you are traveling from out of town, please email Charles for a list of nearby accommodations.
Please contact Charles with any additional questions.
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October 5, 2013
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Smartphones are here to stay, and their image-making capabilities are improving at a rapid pace. With the recent introduction of the iPhone 5 and other Droid phones, you can now print photos as large as 8" x 10" directly from your phone with remarkable image quality.
In addition, when it comes to fine-tuning your creative "eye" and artistic "vision," nothing can beat the portability and immediacy of a Smartphone.
Come unleash your creativity in this fun, daylong workshop where Charles will share some of his favorite photography apps (most available for the iPhone or Droid phones) in a lecture-style format in the morning, followed by an afternoon hands-on shoot in Seattle's famous Pike Place Market with field demonstrations and lots of 1-on-1 instruction from Charles. Included in the discussion will be all the latest photo accessories that are available for Smartphone users, as well as post-capture workflow.
With its colorful signage, fresh-cut flowers, fruits and other wares, Pike Place Market is the perfect venue for such a workshop. You'll be blown away by the many creative possibilities and become much more familiar with your Smartphone's image-making capabilities.
Tuition: TBD, which includes a helpful handout. Early-bird registration by September 13, 2013. Payment in full by check, payable to: "Charles Needle Photography," due at time of registration.
Please contact Charles to be notified when registration for this class opens.
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October 13-18, 2013
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co-taught with Photoshop guru,
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The Bluenose Coast of Nova Scotia is a canvas of colors and light, especially at the peak of autumn foliage.
Join Mark Johnson and Charles for a week of magnificent maritime image-making. You’ll be captivated by quaint, picturesque fishing harbors, salty sea air, surging surf, blazing fall-colored maples, pristine tidepool reflections, and fog-bound, misty mornings.
A few of the subjects you will discover include: colorful old-world fishing boats, serpentine fishing nets, salt-washed hanging pot buoys, old wooden lobster traps, weathered buildings with lichen- encrusted rooftops, tall autumn grasses, spectacular displays of surf and spray, and the 44-foot tall Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse—one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world.
The breathtaking seaside community of Peggy’s Cove is so rich with textures and colors that it resembles a Hollywood set. Along our route, we’ll also explore quiet, protected inlets where multi-generational fishermen still row their dories out to sea.
Other South Shore stops include the towns of Lunenburg and Shelburne, Mahone Bay and Kejimkujik Seaside National Park.
In addition to field instruction, you will experience post-capture classroom lectures, stimulating assignments, and supportive image evaluations. Field instruction emphasizes creative macro, impressionistic,
multiple-exposure, high dynamic range (HDR), and artistic architec- tural photography.
Classroom instruction features techniques such as montaging, HDR, Impressionism, and infrared. This is a digital capture and darkroom workshop that permits students to capture images in early-morning and late-afternoon/evening light and begin experimenting with them in the classroom shortly thereafter.
Tuition: $1,695 Early Registration by June 28, 2013. $1,795 after June 28, 2013. A $695 deposit check, payable to "Charles Needle Photography," is due at the time of registration. The remaining balance is due by Sept. 13, 2013.
Accommodations: Oceanstone Seaside Resort in Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia. A block of rooms is reserved at discounted rates ranging from $110 Canadian/night + tax to $220 Canadian/night + tax. To ensure room availability, call 1-866-823-2160 by June 28, 2013 and mention you are with the Charles Needle and Mark S. Johnson Photography workshop.
For more details, click here to download a colorful PDF flyer.
Please contact Charles with any questions.
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October 25-26, 2013
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co-taught with Lightroom expert,
Laura Shoe
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Join Charles at the peak of autumn color in Seattle's breathtaking Japanese Garden. In this 2-day workshop, you'll learn how to capture fall colors in pleasing compositions that evoke the spirit of the Garden.
Charles will teach you how to best translate your creative vision into stunning imagery through lots of 1-on-1 guidance in the Garden, including lessons on how to refine your composition and work under various lighting conditions. He will also cover various creative camera techniques, such as multiple-exposure Monet, multi-image montage, camera movement, etc.
In addition to field instruction, you'll experience post-capture lectures from internationally recognized Lightroom expert, Laura Shoe. Laura, who is Seattle-based, will share specialized techniques for optimizing your images in Adobe Lightroom.
Learn to identify your creative vision for your photographs and master Lightroom's Develop controls to achieve it. Confidently adjust the white balance and tonal controls to produce stunning results; learn how to guide your viewer's experience with localized adjustments, vignettes and selective color; achieve richer black and whites by taking control; produce vintage and other creative effects; create your own presets and much more.
Experience importing photos into Lightroom required. Please bring a laptop computer with the latest version of Lightroom loaded. Limited to 14 participants.
Please contact Charles to be notified when registration for this class opens. |
Besides the workshops scheduled above, Charles also conducts personalized classes and portfolio reviews. See the Instruction Page for details on these programs.
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