east grand rapids photographer
The more time I spend photographing and chatting with the graduating class of 2018 the more assured I am of a really strong, productive and professional future for our country. Thank you parents, teachers and community for instilling so much faith and respect in our youth. Here is Ben, from East Grand Rapids High School with a really bright life awaiting him. Best wishes in everything you pursue!
As my family grows, grows up, and moves forward in life I am ever more grateful for all the years and years of photographs I have created. We have our own quirky traditions that have been carried on in specific annual photographs which mark their growing bodies and different stages in their lives and as a family. I cannot stress enough the importance of not only recording your children, but also as parents, getting in the photographs yourselves! The time really does pass quickly and every day is precious. This East Grand Rapids family is entering several big milestones with one son prepping for college and the other two finishing their last year of elementary school. This is going to be a momentous year for them and I was so happy to be there to document this time.
Parents! Grandparents! Nannies! This fall learn to photograph your favorite kids, in all their glorious silliness.
This fall's session of Coffee & Cameras is learning to shoot portraits of your kids and create artwork like this. The 3 part class will start at learning to work that fancy-camera-with-all-the buttons-and-the-lens-that-changes, aka DSLR, with the optimal settings for portraits. Next we learn how to set up a simple shooting space and how to engage your subject. This session is what I call the 15 Minutes of Fame! We finish the class off with learning to cull and edit your photographs and assemble and print a storyboard collage for your home. No experience necessary, camera and cute kids are.
DATES:
Wednesday mornings, 10:00-11:30 -- October 11, 18, 25
or
Sunday afternoons, 3:30-5:00 --October 15, 22, 29.
All the Info:
FAQ
What kind of camera will I need? A DSLR is best suited for this class and for the designed instruction. There are some great hybrid cameras on the market now which are small and easy like a 'point and shoot' but still allow you to change all your exposure settings for optimal portrait performance. I am happy to advise you on your camera choice.
I have a good camera and am interested in learning to use it for portraits, but have no idea what all these buttons and dials are for, is this class right for me? In a word, yes! In more words, this is a project based class specific to shooting fun portraits of your child in a simple set up and in controlled lighting (don't worry, these examples are all window light!) Since we are focusing on one outcome here, all the skills needed for this will be learned along the way. Later Coffee & Cameras classes could cover the camera skills needed for sports photography, storytelling lifestyle photos, creating artwork for the home, etc.
Are there any hidden expenses? Well. Sometimes I have to bribe my kids to allow me to photograph them. If you learn this and have fun with it you might find yourself wanting to spend meeeellions of dollars on new cameras and lenses, but I don't recommend it! For the class, I will make recommendations on where to print your final artwork, and the cost incurred will depend on the size you choose to print (around $3-$30) The set up here is super simple, if you don't have a blank wall in your home next to a window, you may want to hang a sheet, or purchase a large piece of foam core (about $5.)
Am I limited to this black and white look? Nope. This is what I will be teaching for this class, but you can make adjustments to suit your style. Here are some examples from previous 15 Minutes of Fame sessions.
Interested? Have questions? send me an email, denarobles@gmail.com
