The workshop will take place at the Guinn Training Center on beautiful West Point Lake in Georgia. The fee covers your lodging, materials and meals. The training is my way of giving back to the photography community I love. For more information or to register for the workshop, please email me directly at amy@amymcdow.com.
Friday, September 25th
1pm
Registration and Introductions
The fee for the two-day workshop is $40. An information packet will be provided with handouts for each class.
2pm
The Art of Composition
In this session, we will look at options for framing your photographs to make the most of your subject. Using the Elements of Artistic Design, we will demonstrate the difference between a snapshot and a creative, artistic photograph. Seeing the world through the viewfinder will become part of the creative process.
3:00
Break
3:30pm
Photowalk
We will explore the natural settings of West Point Lake to practice the techniques learned in the previous workshop. This hands on exercise will be followed by a group critique session where everyone's work will be evaluated with the opportunity to learn from each other's perspective.
6pm
Supper
7pm
Processing
This introduction to Adobe Photoshop will demonstrate a basic workflow for processing most images. The techniques applied in this session will be universal and should apply to any advanced processing software you choose. Sharpening, Contrast, Levels, Saturation, and Selective Colors are just a few of the topics that will be specifically addressed.
8:30
Break
9pm
Photoshop Tools
Photoshop's toolbar will be explored in detail. With the understanding of how each tool in the program functions, your editing ability will be greatly enhanced and your creativity will have the resources it needs to create your art.
10:30pm
Open Forum
Time to ask questions and get the answers you need.
Saturday, September 26th
8am
Breakfast
8:45am
Photography Basics
In this session, camera basics, equipment options and the elements of exposure will be covered. The technical aspects of creating a photograph will be discussed in detail.
10:00
Break
10:30am
Studio Techniques and Workshop
There will be multiple locations available to work with artificial and natural lighting indoors. We will discuss a variety of lighting and posing techniques that you can apply to your portrait and still life photography. Studio equipment options will also be discussed in detail.
12:00
Lunch
1pm
Studio Evaluation
We will meet to discuss the hands-on applications from the previous workshop. Individual images will be critiqued and we will learn successful practices from our trials and errors.
2pm
Photoshop Layers, Masks, and Advanced Selection
Layers and Masks are two of Adobe's most popular features. Understanding these two resources will enable you to have an unparalleled creative control over your images. Some tips and tricks will be offered in the area of selection techniques to make your creative process much faster and productive.
3:30
Break
4pm
Portrait workflow
Various techniques for processing portraits will be explored. A step-by-step look at how most professionals approach their images will be demonstrated. Blemish correction, skin tone adjustment, and eye enhancements will be covered as well.