Mom with a Camera Workshop and Photoshop Editing Class

Posted on January 7, 2011

Is our “Mom with a Camera” workshop for you???

Did you…

…beg your husband for months for a new “fancy” camera so you could take perfect pictures of your kiddos? Did you open up the camera, turn it on, and start shooting only to learn…. the pictures looked pretty much the same as your last camera? Are you beginning to wonder why you spent so much money on this new camera if it doesn’t take awesome pictures???

Or have you…

…had your camera for a while now. You turn on the power button and shoot in Auto mode, but you aren’t getting the results you want consistently. You know your DSLR camera can take better pictures, but when you decide to try out shooting in Manual mode (or anything else) everything is either BLACK, solid WHITE, or just plain looks horrible. Out of frustration you turn that pretty little dial back to Auto because you know you can at least get a good picture or two. Yet still, you know there is a better way…..

Or maybe…

…you know what you LOVE in a picture. When the conditions are perfect, your composition is wonderful. When you take a perfect picture everyone raves and asks you if you could take pictures of them. But, you decline because you know that you took 100 pictures that day and only 5 turned out useable. You think to yourself, “Maybe one day I can start a photography business, but I have to get the basics down first, practice a lot, etc., etc…”

Did you see yourself in any of the above scenarios? If so, then our “Mom with a Camera” Workshop is for you! We had a blast in our last workshop and it’s awesome to see so many of our moms now shooting in Manual mode getting the pictures they REALLY want of their kids! We understand that what you really want is to know how to take great pictures of everyday life: your kids playing sports, doing dance, making faces, crying, being smart, being silly, and any other milestone that’s important to you! As parents we feel that it’s our job to document who our children are as people while they grow up in front of our eyes. There are a lot of ways we try to do this, and for me it started out as baby books, one of which I never finished and the other I never started. But, one thing that stays constistent is, like most parents, I continue to take pictures!

What you will learn?

Photography Basics – What each part of good photography is (f-stop or aperture, shutter speed, ISO, exposure, etc.) and how those elements work together to make great pictures!
Composition – Once you learn how to operate your camera, composition will teach you how to make a good picture in practically any environment. Or, it can show you how you can take an everyday picture and make it one of a kind.
Tip and Tricks – suggestions on how to photograph every age group, how to choose the right location, how to use your external flash if you have one (or how to turn your off your pop-up flash if you don’t ), how to shoot in difficult lighting, basic editing after the picture is taken, and so much more!!

*****For this session only we’ve decided to add an hour long question and answer part of the class! During the Cory and I will be bringing in a tasty meal for everyone and we will give you guys an hour to ask us anything!******

What do I need for the class?

A DSLR Camera and the camera manual!! That is all! No experience needed. If you have external flash or extra lenses, please bring them but they are not required!

All the details:
Date: March 12th, 2011 (You asked for a weekend class!!)

Schedule for the day:

10:00 – Class starts – “Photography Basics” and everything you ever wanted to know about your camera.

12:30 – “Question and Answer” time including lunch with us!

1:30 – “Hands On” class –This will put into practice all we’ve just learned with us providing models of several age groups along with personal guidance from each of us. Cory and I both will be available to help with all your camera settings, composition, etc.

3:00 – Class Ends and you go home the new, hip photographer mom that you are!!

Cost: $250 for 5 hours of instruction and a lovely catered lunch. : )

We’ll also have a lot of stuff to take home with you! We will be giving out a great book with everything we taught, but we have a few extras we are going to throw in too! We want you to have everything you need once you leave the workshop!

Photoshop Editing Class

AND, as requested, we are going to add an extra class covering photo editing using Adobe Photoshop or Elements. There is an extra cost for this class and it’s open to anyone. It will start at 3:30 and go until 5:30 and, just to be clear, you do not have to attend our first class to attend our Photoshop class. During the class, we will be editing a set of pictures from beginning until the end! You are welcome to bring your laptop and edit along with us using YOUR pictures! You will go home knowing how I edit my pictures along with a take-home sheet of quick tips showing what we covered in the class!

Details:

March 12th, 2011 3:30 – 5:30
Cost: $100
You need: Adobe Photoshop 7.0+ or Photoshop Elements

Here is what some of our mom’s that attended our last class had to say:

”I attended Samantha’s first ‘Mom with a camera workshop.’ It was a phenomenal and filled with a ton of information. I was very impressed with its overall organization. Samantha and her husband Cory share a deep passion for photography and it shows! It is always a breath of fresh air to come in contact with someone that is as talented as these two who are willing to share some of their ‘secrets.’ I would recommend this workshop to anyone, whether you are simply a mom with a camera or if you are like me, a mom with a camera who wants to start a business. ‘Mom with a Camera Workshop’ is the place to be!!” – Jenifer

“I am a huge fan of His Hands Photographs, so when I heard about the Moms with a camera class, I was sure to sign up. I am very pleased with the outcome. I definitely feel my photography has improved since the class. I now feel even more comfortable with my camera: I am able to effectively shoot in Manual mode (and know the reasons why I should) and I now know how to post a clearer picture online! In addition, we learned about the camera functions, shooting/posing techniques and digital editing. I highly recommend the class for beginner and intermediate level photo enthusiasts!” – Shauna

“I learned so much from Sam & Cory during my class! I have a Canon Rebel xs and have wanted to take that next step in knowledge of photography and I knew there was no one better to learn from. I mainly shot all my pics in Sports mode or the regular Auto step that most cameras are set on when you get them. I had been told that shooting in RAW you could get so much more from your pictures & still have the ability to adjust levels & lighting in them, but I was just scared! During my class I took the leap of faith & I have not looked back since! Shooting in manual gives me the ability to make a picture wonderful that you wouldn’t have the chance to do if it was done in Auto function. Everything just came together so nicely in the class and they were both so great with hands on help too! It was great to have them there & put you in a session style situation and be there offering their help, knowledge and guidance on taking that great photo! To make it even better is they put together a great book of everything we went over in our class and taking the pics too. I personally look at mine all the time because I don’t have the greatest memory in the world! The next thing I am looking forward to is an editing class! I need something to speed up my process! I would highly recommend to those of you that are wanting to try and become a photographer and also to all the Mom’s like me who want those great pictures of our kids! Thanks So Much Sam & Cory!” – Stephanie

Whew…. That’s it! Are you READY? Our last class was full within 10 days!! I expect this workshop to do the same! We are limiting the class size again so you can get the most out of it along with one-on-one attention!

Our last class was limited to non-professionals or those only interested in beginning a photography business. However we’re removing this restriction for this workshop. So, if you have a photography business and are just starting out, you are welcome to attend. This will likely be something we only do for this workshop so please take advantage of this opportunity if you’ve already established a business and just want to accelerate a little faster. But please know that we will NOT be discussing the business part of photoraphy, but only how to make great pictures and then how to edit them in Photoshop!

To book our class, email me at sam @ hishandsphotographs.com and we will get an invoice to you right away. Your spot is not reserved until the class is paid!! So hurry… go now… it is going to be a blast!

Here are some pictures that I took my kids this summer for thier 4th and 2nd birthdays!