PHOTOGRAPHY INSTRUCTION
3 SHORT WORKSHOPS COMING UP SOON:
In 2017 I will be teaching a short but intense evening workshop on January 19, May 10 and September 16, at Boulder Digital Arts.
INDIVIDUAL TUTORIALS and GROUP WORKSHOPS
Together we can create a customized class from any combination of topics you wish, from beginning to advanced, capture to printmaking, film or digital, including both the art and craft of photography. My goal is to teach you the essential skills as simply or as deeply as you want so that you can make thoughtful photographs of good quality as soon as possible.
My teaching philosophy is this: Photography is the art of seeing, and everyone sees in their own way. I can help you understand and expand your own vision, and express it in your photographs. I see teaching as a cooperative venture. It is my job to learn how to nurture your skills and passion for photography, and it is your job to let me know what you need to learn, and how best to teach you. When we are together you will have my undivided attention, and your wish is my command!
My teaching involves addresses seven concerns:
LEARN TO SEE.
MASTER YOUR EQUIPMENT
EXPOSE PROPERLY
FOCUS CAREFULLY
COMPOSE THOUGHTFULLY
UNDERSTAND COLOR
LOOKING AT PRINTS
Three of these can be learned easily, and with practice will become second nature. Seeing, composition, color and viewing prints are lifelong pursuits, and are what keep us engaged over many years, and not just while photographing.
We will work towards what I call “First Sight:” seeing things freshly, as though for the first time, so that you can discover the essence of the subject, free from expectations and projections.
Sessions can be on any topic(s) of your choice, throughout the entire photographic process: including scanning or capture, camera use, photoshop, color management, printing, matting, framing, portfolio presentation, asset management, and critiquing your own work. I can design a custom course of study based on your needs and interests. Classes are taught at my studio in Boulder, Colrado.
INDIVIDUAL TUTORIALS
For intermediate or advanced photographers individual sessions are designed to fit your needs, drawing on the various topics mentioned in the workshops listed below. This is an excellent opportunity to learn information of particular interest to you, and move as fast or slow as you desire. You have a teacher all to yourself. I teach at my studio in Boulder, Colorado, where I have all sorts of teaching resources available.
PORTFOLIO REVIEWS
There are times when you need a second opinion on your work, including praise for your best images, advice on how to make a good one better, and what the problems are with ones that just don’t work. This is a chance to explore how you see, how you capture your vision with the camera, and how you can communicate your vision to your viewers in the strongest, most direct way.
PHOTOSHOP AND PRINTMAKING
Photoshop and printmaking can be learned together or separately. I teach Photoshop via the basic and logical sequence of steps one typically follows when working with a file, from Adobe Camera Raw to fine tuning the image for display or printing. As one advances, more sophisticated and subtle techniques of image manipulation are introduced. I regard the fine print as the ultimate expression of your vision, and I find that the process of making a print contains the majority of the creative opportunities in photography.
One practical and satisfying way to learn printmaking is to make prints together. I make your print and explain what I am doing while you observe the complete process, with time for questions every step of the way. You end up with a print. For more advanced students, we can study your original file, your photoshop work and your prints, and discuss what could be done differently and what advanced techniques would be useful.
MATTING PRINTS AND PORTFOLIO PRESENTATION
It is a magical moment when a finished print is matted. It’s personality is revealed. I can teach you the skills of mat making and framing, and advise you on different ways to present and share your work to its best advantage.
One-day intensive WORKSHOP, studio and field
I teach an intense, one-day, 6-hour workshop in landscape photography at my studio in Boulder, Colorado. The morning is spent inside, with lectures, demonstrations and discussions, and the afternoon outside practicing what you have learned. Some experience is suggested; this is not a class for absolute beginners.
If you are interested in chartering this class for 4-7 students, send me an email. I will work with you to schedule a date. Cost for this one-day workshop is $150 per person. The organizer will receive a 30% discount each for the 4th, 5th and 6th person enrolled.
FIELD WORK
Advanced students may benefit from individual attention in a field situation. There are many places to learn how to photograph around Boulder, or we can go to a destination of your choice. Inquire.
DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
A four-session, technical class of beginning digital photography, designed to help reduce the frustrations of getting started. Each class covers one of the following topics in detail:
- Digital capture and/or scanning, the structure of a digital file, histograms.
- Photoshop: overview of tools, selections, channels and layer masks.
- Photoshop: adjustment layers, histograms, color, contrast and luminosity adjustments.
- Inkjet printing, printers, inks, papers, sharpening.
I will demonstrate each step involved in the taking and making of exhibition quallity digital prints. There will be lots of time for questions and personal attention. You may bring your laptop. Four 2-hour sessions, or as needed.
“FIRST SIGHT” COMPLETE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
This very thorough, eight-session photography workshop deals with the technical, aesthetic and philosophical aspects of color photography. The goals are to regain your wonder and sensitivity to the visual world, and develop a photographic procedure that is second nature, freeing you for artistic involvement.
The steps for making an exposure: focus and depth of field, light readings, shutter speed, aperture and composition are broken down and covered in detail. Other topics include color theory, sharpness, resolution, contrast, filters, special effects, studio photography, mounting and presentation of prints, storage and archiving, stock photography, marketing and publishing and other topics as requested. Both digital and analog photography will be discussed throughout the course, with explanations of camera adjustments in both mediums.
The course will cover basic information as needed, and will quickly move on to more advanced levels. Each 2-hour class consists of a basic lecture topic, review of previous topics, questions, looking at prints, and viewing and discussion of students’ weekly work. It is a thorough course, and even experienced photographers will find a wealth of new and useful information.
Woven throughout will be an emphasis on understanding the emotional, aesthetic and philosophical aspects of the visual experience, and how to express your unique vision.
Students should have a manually operable 35mm film or digital camera, and know how to operate it before the start of this course. For example, you must be able to manually set your camera to a specific aperture, shutter speed and focus. Plan to photograph on your own each week . Two outdoor field sessions are included to demonstrate and practice techniques taught in the studio.
Currently I am teaching this workshop in an individual basis, not as a group workshop. The syllabus can be adjusted to meet your own needs.
COST
My base rate for teaching is $75./hour.
If you bring a friend, it is $20. additional/hour.
For the committed learner, if you sign up for 5 hours it is $65./hour, a savings of $50.
The complete FIRST SIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP, 8 sessions, 16 hours total, $960, a savings of $240.
Contact me to discuss your individual needs.
Custom workshops for groups of friends, clubs and educational organizations can be designed and scheduled to meet your specific needs. Email me to discuss your needs.
Here’s a link to a little piece a student did on one of my workshops: http://www.differenttrails.com/travel/colorado/hikes/photo.html
Christopher Brown has been a landscape photographer of the West for over 30 years, and is well known for his stunning, impressionistic, painterly prints, which he makes at his studio in Boulder. His teaching style is enthusiastic, thorough, clear and patient, and he balances the philosophical and technical aspects of photography, making it readily accessible to everyone. Workshops are taught at his Boulder, Colorado studio, utilizing his prints and studio as resources. Students have consistently found his classes engaging, rewarding and stimulating. They will renew your photographic enthusiasm and momentum.
