Teen Photography Spotlight

I've had several emails regarding the next series of Teen Photography Club starting up January 28th.  What do we learn?  All teen and adult students learn to obtain proper exposure on a DSLR on manual mode from Day 1.  Throughout the class we are learning the ins and outs of our cameras while working on creative projects.  We cover the Exposure Triangle (ISO, Aperture, Shutter Speed), we learn how to photograph in different qualities of light, how to use creative composition, and changing perspectives as well as framing our shots.  Additionally, we learn the top tips for portraiture and practice photographing faces in the "15 Minutes of Fame" segment.   I can talk and talk and talk about it, but wouldn't you rather see some results from the student photographers?  Yes, I thought so.  
Here is the first showcase from middle schooler Kira in the November/December Teen Photography Club, can you even believe she was a beginner??  So proud.

Day One.  Learning manual exposure and choosing appropriate aperture.  These are frame-worthy!

Hero Image Project--learning to use different qualities of light.

Color Collage-everybody's favorite assignment!

15 Minutes of Fame-Kira chose a wiggly subject but captured his cute personality perfectly and made great choices in light and environment.

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You can get more information regarding all 3 series of photography classes here, http://www.dena-robles.com/blog/kids-cameras-series-2017-dates

Teen Photography Club begins January 28th and runs for 5 weeks on Saturday late mornings--almost full. 

An overflow Kids and Cameras class begins January 29th and runs for 4 Sunday afternoons 1:00-2:30, there are TWO spots left for that class, 4th and 5th graders only.

More details for adult classes will be coming in the next few weeks, there are a few underway already!

Faces I -- Simple Black and White Portraits

The December series of Teen Photography Club finished up with portrait practice and Cameron modeled for us for his 15 Minutes of Fame.  Everyone had a chance to set up and engage with our 'model'.  Here are the results from my camera...

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Do you want to know how simple this set up can be?  Take a look.

a) It was a grey snowy day so I knew we needed to be rather close to the light source, which in this case was my large dining room windows.  

b) A simple background was going to be preferable to let the Face and Expressions  be the star. I was decorating for the holidays at the time so the room was a bit cluttered--I propped a framed Doctor Who poster (backwards) up on the piano bench and leaned it against the piano, it was something we had set in the hallway waiting for Freecycle.  I often have a large piece of white and black foam core handy for food styling shoots, but one of my kids had recently cut out a chunk of the black one for a school project so I improvised.

c) Since this was an exercise in metering, focusing AND engaging with a human I wanted the model AND the photographer to be stationary.  The subject got a wooden kitchen stool to sit on, photographers used a dining room chair.

d) 15 Minutes of Fame, the fun part.  We put music on, adjusted our exposure settings and focus and then-staying put-asked our subject questions, got him engaged in conversation, asked him to demonstrate different emotions until after a minute he was free to give us the best of his personality and expressions on his own.  Wham bam, done.  A few seconds in photoshop with a VSCO b/w preset and my own collage template and I suddenly had a christmas present sorted out and sent to the printers.

The behind-the-scenes simple set up: