In This Issue
• Featured Participant/Volunteer Images
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Featured Participant/Volunteer Images
Colors of Tucson's Barrio Workshop
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Featured PartnerTempe
Camera Repair
Since 1972 Arizona's Source for Everything Photographic
Tempe Camera is the state’s only one-stop imaging store. Our Sales Department offers both new and used equipment including cameras, lenses, lighting, printers, LCD and HD TV’s, darkroom gear. Our Rental Center continues to expand, including lenses, digital and film cameras and accessories, computer projectors for Power Point presentations and lighting & grip equipment for professionals shooting in studios or on location. The Repair Department can service what we sell, usually in-house; our technicians have a combined 80 years of experience and are comfortable with the latest advances. The TCR Photo Imaging Center provides quality photo finishing from your traditional film or state-of-the-art digital cameras.
For more information, visit tempecamera.biz.
Would your organization consider being a partner? Please call us toll free at 1.888.790.7042.
What Our Participants Say About...
Lake Powell by Houseboats
with Gary Ladd, November 2009
“Every workshop is better than the last.”
— Ken Youner
“I was looking for my WOW shot, and fortunately for me I got one everyday. The instruction was fantastic, and the participants were very congenial.”
— Cynthia Kershaw
Bosque and White sands
with Bruce Taubert, November-December 2009
“Bruce Taubert did an outstanding job on the Bosque and White Sands workshop. He should do more workshops for Arizona Highways Photo Workshops.”
— Laura McLane
“The Bosque/White Sands workshop exceeded my expectations. Bruce is an exceptional photography teacher. My knowledge base has been elevated due to this workshop. This was an awesome experience. Thanks!”
— Claudette J Devereaux
“Anyone who wants to bring their photography skills to the next level should join in on these workshops.”
— Bob Hall
“Excellent location for bird photography. Could not believe I would be able to take the kind of photographs I have by the end of the workshop.”
— Polina Vishkautsan
“For me as an amateur photographer, the workshop was an immense positive charge. It also opened my eyes on this super way to gain skills and knowledge.”
— Yan Vishkautsan
Photography Made Simple (Field Session)
with J. Peter Mortimer, December 2009
“Peter stopped and gave me 5 minutes of instruction and it created an all-new perspective on photography. He is great!”
— Jim T. Smith
“Excellent workshop to learn basics.”
— Greg Soule
“Made using my camera much easier.”
— Debbie Harmonson
Point-n-Shoot: More Than Meets the Eye
with Jeff Kida, December 2009
“Excellent instruction presented by professionals.”
— Carl Ragel
Making Money with Your Camera
with J. Peter Mortimer, December 2009
“Learned about business of photography/legality, good useful info!”
— Joyce Chan
“This was a terrific class w/a lot of great information condensed into a short amount of time.”
— Roy Bratton
“This was a wonderful workshop. The handouts were very informative and the critiquing was extremely beneficial.”
— Barbara K. Nixon
“By the first break I felt like I'd gotten my money’s worth.”
— James T. Smith
“Wonderful, positive reinforcement.”
— Betsy Anderson
Visit our Calendar page for a complete list of 2010 workshops.
Request a Brochure
For a free printed color brochure or to have one sent to a friend, visit our Web site to fill out a mailing form. Our brochure is published annually. Please visit our Web site for the most current information available about each workshop.
Download a PDF brochure...
(File size: 4.2 MB. Copyrighted material for reference only. All rights reserved. Cover photo © Suzanne Mathia.)
Featured Workshops: Capture Classic Western Images!
Death Valley
with Kerrick James
March 1-6, 2010; Cost $2,195
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Find out more about this workshop and view itinerary...
Kerrick will share his favorite locations on this six-day trip. Visit the fantastically eroded forms of Zabriskie Point, the wind-sculpted dunes and salt flats of Death Valley and the arches of granite in the Alabama Hills. You'll also see towers of tufa and get views of the snow-clad Sierras from Mono Lake and Owens Valley. There are also planned stops at Rhyolite and Bodie.
Few locales on the globe can rival Death Valley's diverse, serene and wondrous landscape and photographic potential. Perhaps most often pictured are the area's pristine and gently rolling sand dunes in early morning light, but it is also a land of colorfully striated canyons and salt flats which sit at the feet of gigantic, snow-capped mountains. These elements combine to offer photographic opportunities unique to the area.
Register now to experience this realm of startling contrasts!
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Portraits of Tombstone
with J. Peter Mortimer
and Steve Burger
March
15-18, 2010; Cost: $1,295
Find out more about this workshop and view itinerary...
Each day during this unique workshop will be spent with portrait photographer J. Peter Mortimer and Photoshop instructor Steve Burger perfecting environmental portraits with available light in Tombstone, Arizona, the “town too tough to die.” Spontaneous and prearranged portrait opportunities will be followed by hands-on Photoshop sessions, where your images will be technically enhanced to express your creative vision.
We’ll also spend time on the interactive challenges of photographing people and how to take advantage of “found” situations. Wild West backdrops including the original Bird Cage Theatre and the O.K. Corral will lend authenticity to your classic portraits of local “period personalities” and townspeople. Radiant window light in the historic saloons offers a mood that you will learn to capture.
Register now for this opportunity to make classic Old West images!
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Colors of Tucson's Barrio
with Edward McCain
April 9-10, 2010; Cost: $425
Find out more about this workshop and view itinerary...
The bright colors and captivating textures of the buildings in Tucson’s historic barrio neighborhoods make for wonderful images. Longtime Tucson resident Edward McCain will lead this workshop and knows where to find the most photogenic locations.
Tucson has some of the best examples of barrios in Arizona and Spring provides extra colorful shooting conditions. Additionally, the barrio features some of the best Mexican restaurants anywhere and we'll be sure to make a lunch stop that will be unforgettable!
Experience this colorful and festive environment ... register now!
Use our online registration site!
For your convenience, we now offer a secure way to register for and purchase workhop spaces online.
- Clicking the registration button for any 3 Or More Day Workshop will direct you to a page where you must first select a deposit amount before continuing the registration and checkout process.
- For Shorter Workshops not requiring a deposit, clicking the registration button will add the desired quantity directly to your cart to begin the registration process.
Please contact us with your feedback about the registration site or if you experience any technical problems.
Upcoming Weekend Workshops
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Making Money With Your Camera
with J. Peter Mortimer
January 30; Cost: $85
Find out more about this workshop and view itinerary...
Photography is expensive, so why not let your camera pay its way? Former Arizona Highways picture editor J. Peter Mortimer can tell you how. In addition to having over 300 pictures published in Arizona Highways, he's shot everything from weddings and family portraits to news assignments for publications like Time, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times.
In a small give-and-take seminar setting Peter will show you how to sell your pictures "in your own backyard." Workshop topics will cover necessary equipment, general photo legalities, what to charge, stock photography and more!
Register now to put your creative ideas to work!
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Watson Lake
with Colleen Miniuk-Sperry
January 30-31, 2010; Cost: $380
Find out more about this workshop and view itinerary...
The impressive jumbled granite rocks of Watson Lake near Prescott, Arizona cast magnificent reflections into the still sparkling blue waters and catch fire with an unearthly glow at sunrise and sunset, making for some incredibly picturesque scenes.
Join photographer Colleen Miniuk-Sperry on this exciting weekend workshop as she guides you around her favorite locations at Watson Lake and the Granite Dells, teaching you special tips and techniques for capturing stunning nature photographs.
the and rocks . Colleen will reveal during this two-day workshop
Register now to capture the dramatic compositions of this unique landscape!
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Point-n-Shoot: More Than Meets the Eye
with Jeff Kida
February 5-6, 2010; Cost: $135
Find out more about this workshop and view itinerary...
We think point and shoot cameras have gotten a bad rap in the photography world, so we’re rolling up our sleeves to show those digital SLR snobs we can compete at practically every level!
Take this class and we’ll demystify the icons and menus that seem to have replaced shutter speeds and f-stops. We’ll show you that histogram is not a secret code word for genealogy and that white balance can be a very powerful tool and therefore a good thing to know! We'll also delve into tripods, self-timers and fill flash.
We’ll also discuss the best way to capture your images when shooting, RAW, tiff or jpeg and then how to best archive them in your computer. There will spend one evening in the classroom preceding a field session early the next morning at the Desert Botanical Garden, where we’ll work on light and composition, naturally.
Register now for this fun and educational workshop that's very low on the stress meter!
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Photography Made Simple: Field Session
with J. Peter Mortimer
February 12-13, 2010; Cost: $135
Find out more about this workshop and view itinerary...
This workshop combines the best of both worlds: a condensed, but informative class in the fundamentals of photography and the opportunity to go into the field to use your newly-acquired skills.
Join long-time Arizona Highways contributor and former picture editor, J. Peter Mortimer, for an instructional session that directly relates to the job at hand: shooting great animal pictures! You will learn about exposure, histograms, lens openings, depth of field and shutter speeds. You’ll learn when to use auto-camera modes and when to switch over to the “manual” settings for more control.
The next morning at the Wildlife World Zoo, Peter will help you put all of this new information to the test. You'll then have an afternoon critique session designed to give you even more tools to work with the next time you go out to “make” photographs. After this one session, you'll see improvement in your pictures, and your camera manual will actually make sense!
Take creative control of your photography by learning how to make your camera do what you want it to do. Register now!
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The Phoenix Zoo
with Dick George
February 26-27, 2010; Cost: $135
Find out more about this workshop and view itinerary...
Dick George has been photographing animals for over 25 years as the Phoenix Zoo photographer and for publications such as Arizona Highways and Smithsonian magazine. On this workshop, you'll get Dick’s expert advice on the best places and times of day to photograph animals, as well as hints on what equipment and tactics to use.
This hands-on workshop includes an instructional class & slideshow and a location shoot at the Phoenix Zoo. Following lunch will be a critique of the morning’s work. Digital photographers can have photos from the morning session critiqued while film users may bring a few examples of past work to share.
Register now to capture the dramatic compositions of this unique landscape!
Photography Tip
Excerpted from
Arizona Highways Photography Guide: How & Where to Make Great Photographs
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People and Events: Making Everyone Comfortable
by Richard Maack
Establish, Then Close In
Imagine you’re a photojournalist with an assignment to produce a photo essay of a parade. The procedure for documenting an event for your own vacation or family album is really no different. One of the first things you’ll need is an “establishing shot,” a photograph that lets the viewer know where the action is taking place and says something about the mood or atmosphere. It won’t necessarily be the first scene you photograph, or the first thing that happens during the event. But it will establish the context for the essay.
After this, concentrate on moving in. Experiment with different lenses. Look for small vignettes that tell an emotional story about human interactions. Search for graphic details in inanimate things to provide some compositional drama. Explore color by filling the frames with contrasting hues and saturated images. Go to photographs; don’t wait for them to come to you.
I like to get close to my human subjects, either physically or in photographic composition. This helps to eliminate anything that might distract from the story. Often it means a tight crop. I’ll crop at the shoulders, just above the waist, or just above the knees. I’m more than willing to crop limbs and hats if it will intensify the important elements in the image—the eyes, the face, the upper body.
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While we’re on the subject of cropping, do the best you can on-site and in-camera. It’s good discipline, and it helps you to evaluate your subjects and their environments more critically. If I’m shooting what photographers call an “environmental portrait,” I look for a background that relates to the person’s activity but doesn’t distract. I want a balance between subject and environment, so that neither dominates the other. I don’t want bright highlights in the background, and I don’t want the person in the exact middle of the frame.
If it sounds like there are a whole lot of things I don’t want in my photograph, well, that’s one of the prime secrets of composition: Eliminate the nonessentials. I decide what my subject is, then get rid of everything that doesn’t drive the story I’m trying to tell.
© 2010 Friends of Arizona Highways Magazine Foundation. All rights reserved.
All images copyrighted by photographer. Copy or transfer of any image without permission is strictly prohibited.