Midwest Photographic WorkshopsCourse DescriptionsMidwest Photographic Workshops has divided our courses into two categories: Weekend/Week Long Workshops and Evening Classes. Evening Classes tend to be scheduled from 7 - 10PM on weeknights unless otherwise specified Weekday classes tend to be from 10:30 AM to 1:30 or 2:00PM. Classes generally meet once per week for 4 to 6 weeks. Weekend workshops tend to be all day on Saturday or Sunday from 10 - 5. Please note that each class category has its own separate link to schedules and descriptions.
Digital Techniques
New for 2008!!!
Computer Use for the Technology Challenged $125.00
Course #200
Instructor: Jim Hodel
Did you get a computer or a digital camera for Christmas or Birthday? Are you technology challenged? Sign up for our one-day class on how to open the box and plug your computer and/or digital camera in. Learn how to set it up, charge the batteries, create a folder and save a file. Learn how to download a photo from your camera to your computer. These things are the first steps to take before jumping into Photoshop or the other complicated areas.
Basic Photoshop Class $395.00
Course # 201
Instructor: Jim Hodel
This six-week class is designed for photographers desiring to acquire skills necessary to manipulate digital photographic files. This class is not for graphic design artists, but photographers! Students will learn how to open and save files in order to work on them. Then learn to adjust color, contrast, saturation and hue to your satisfaction. Learn how to use the tools provided in Photoshop like the magic wand, cropping tool, airbrush, eraser, dodging tool and more. Our computer lab has state-of-the-art Windows based computers, high-end scanners and large dual monitors to insure each student has everything needed to create or just correct superior images. If your home computer is MAC based, don't worry. Photoshop uses the exact same keystrokes on both MAC and Windows platforms. These courses emphasize a "hands-on" approach to processing photographic images using Photoshop. Class size is limited so each student has his/her own computer on which to work. In addition, a small student/instructor ratio ensures individual attention.Each class begins with a short theory session in which new concepts are introduced and discussed. This is immediately followed by a computer lab exercise where students are provided with customized Photoshop files to demonstrate the theory. These exercises are followed with comprehensive examples cumulatively building upon student knowledge to recreate "real world" uses of Photoshop for digital/film photographers. Students spend the majority of each class session actually working at their individual computers with Adobe Photoshop.
Each student is provided with a CD-ROM of exercises for use at home to reinforce class materials. Detailed written notes and step-by-step instructions are provided at every session. Each class opens with a question and answer period about the prior week's class work and the home exercises. Samples of the instructor's Photoshop work are shown each week to illustrate new concepts and introduce the computer exercises.
Outside work is encouraged. The instructor is available to answer questions about class work or individual needs. It is assumed that students have basic computer skills and photographic experience/knowledge. Class size limited to eight. Evening sessions from 7-10:00 PM. Daytime classes from 10:30AM-1:30 PM.
Intermediate Photoshop Class $395.00
(prerequisite - Basic Photoshop or instructors permission)
Course # 220
Instructor: Jim Hodel
Like MPW's Basic Adobe Photoshop, this class is entirely "hands-on" with each student working at their own computer work stations. While the Basic course emphasized Photoshop's tools, the Advanced course focuses on photographically useful corrections and enhancements. Adjustment layers, masking and color blending modes are extensively used for image manipulation and correction. In addition, students complete an extensive digital retouching exercise in which a portrait is de-constructed into component layers permitting detailed enhancement of lips, eyes, mouth, eyebrows, nose and chin. Liquefy distortion is then employed to reshape cheeks, chin and neck in addition to sculpting the waist and torso.
Besides correcting photo realistic images, students explore black and white
photographic techniques--but using COLOR imagery in the digital domain.
Abstract, painterly and graphic arts techniques are also covered. Finally,
specialized dark room tricks such as the Sabattier effect are duplicated
using digital technology."
Evening sessions from 7-10:00 PM. Daytime classes from 10:30AM-1:30 PM.Advanced Photoshop $395.00
(prerequisite - Intermediate Photoshop or instructors permission)
Course # 240
Instructor: Jim Hodel
There is just so much to learn about Photoshop that just two classes can not get it done. Get it done with this class! A major difference in this class, is that students are expected to bring their problem images or their favorite images and work on them in class rather than work on prepared images from the instructor. If you need scanning of film for files to work on, scanning access is provided. At retail, high resolution scanning is priced at about $1.00 per meg. At that rate, students could more than cover the entire cost of the class with just scanning.
Photoshop Sandbox $295.00
Course #206
Instructor: Jim Hodel
Students who have completed a Basic Photoshop class have learned about the tools, layering, filters and procedures to improve photographs. The benefit of this class is to provide an opportunity for students to work on their own images under the helpful tutelage of Instructor Jim Hodel. Students may already know about the tools and procedures, but will learn more effectively which tools to select and how to apply those modifications to their own images. Best of all, students can print their photos on our 24" Epson 7600 printer. There will be an additional fee for students using the printer, but it is an excellent opportunity to print portfolio and fine art prints up to 24"x36". Scanning of film is available also on our Nikon ED 9000 CoolScan.
Adobe Photoshop Elements $230.00
Course # 202
Instructor: Jim Hodel
This one day workshop provides the student with hands-on information about basic downloading of images to the computer and fundamental color and brightness/contrast manipulations. Photoshop CS is not an easy intuitive program and intimidates many first time users. Elements is the solution! Learn the basics of what you need with Elements then, decide if you need to go on to Photoshop CS. But in the meantime, learn how to fix your photos!
Adobe Lightroom $230.00
Course #210
Instructor: Jim Hodel
If you consider Adobe Photoshop CS as the most powerful image manipulation program (but not very user friendly), then you probably consider Adobe Photoshop Elements as Photoshop "Light". We have very good news for you. Adobe has listened to the public's complaints and invented a powerful intuitive image manipulation programs that is easy to use. This one-day workshop will provide the student with ample information on how to download, categorize and manipulate their images with speed and ease.
NIK Digital Filters and their Use in Photoshop $230.00
Course # 207
Instructor: Joseph Wisniewski
This one-day workshop will provide hands-on opportunities for students to experience the power and control that NIK Filters can offer to improve your photos. NIK Sharpening tools and noise reduction tools are regarded as to be without peer. NIK filters can be used as a Photoshop plug-in or as a stand alone program. NIK filters can enhance the color in your digital files or create special effects.
WACOM Drawing Tablets and Photoshop $100.00
Course #208
Instructor: Lewis Dennison
Do you struggle when wrestling with your mouse? WACOM manufactures a product that allows the photoshop artist to draw or navigate with a pencil shaped stylist. You can do things with a WACOM that just can't be done with a mouse based computer. This one-half day workshop will provide hands-on experience just how easy retouching portraits and free hand drawing can be.
Print your Portfolio $445.00
Course # 221
Instructor: Joseph Wisniewski
This six-evening workshop will provide instruction and access to scanning your own film and prints. Learn how to burn a CD/DVD for storage of your large files. Learn about Color Working Space, gamut and Calibrating your monitor, scanner and printer with a Gretag Eye-One or a Spyder Color Vision CRT and support technology. You will have the opportunity to scan up to 4 gig or more of your negatives (retail value at $1.00 per meg), slides or prints to work on at a later time. A CD/DVD is provided. This class will also provide instruction and demonstration about the techniques and methods of calibrating your computer monitor to display the same color as your printer and scanner will output. We will use a variety of software and hardware including Gretag's Eye-One and Homrick's ViewScan. We can accommodate all film or digital formats. Print your photos on our state of the art Epson 7600 printer. Learn about color space management and the use of a RIP (Raster Image Processor).
Digital Panoramas using PT Assembler
$230.00
Course # 243
Instructor: Joseph Wisniewski
This one-day workshop will provide instruction on how to shoot multiple photographs with either a digital camera or film based camera, and stitch the photographs together into a panorama of up to 360 degrees. Class includes shooting techniques (camera positioning, exposure, white balance) to increase stitching success, image processing and film scanning techniques, and panorama printing and viewing techniques in the computer lab. Software demonstrated includes Panorama Tools and PT Assembler and Huggin. Demonstrations will include how to make a 90 degree panorama, a 360 degree panorama, and a high resolution multi-row stitch.
You can bring at least one multiple-shot image to work on, or work on one of ours.
10am- 5pm.
Digital Stacking for Exposure Compensation $230.00
Course # 222
Instructor: Joseph Wisniewski
Photographers frequently must make images under less than ideal conditions. Film and digital sensors have limitations relating to the ability to capture detail in bright highlights compared to dark shadows. Commonly, if the the photographer places exposure emphasis on light areas, the dark areas become too dark and vice-versa. Stacking is more than bracketing your exposure. You will use Photoshop, PT Assembler and Panorama Tools to make it easy to composite highlights, mid-range tones and shadows from a three-shot bracket into a photograph that can not be captured by conventional means. This one-day workshop provides hands-on experience how to successfully make photographs that could otherwise never be made.
Digital Stacking for Macro - Depth of Field Focus $230.00
Course # 223
Instructor: Joseph Wisniewski
The greater the magnification of your subject, the less depth of field you have. If you focus on the stamen and pestle of a flower, it is likely that the near petal and the far petal are out of focus even if you use f/22. Stacking for focus depth of field like bracketing your focus then compositing several photographs together to achieve a level of depth of field sharpness otherwise never achievable. Software programs such as: Control Z will be demonstrated and students will shoot and assemble their own photographs in class. This one-day workshop is a perfect follow up to the Power Macro Workshop offered the day before. Film or digital cameras welcome.
Digital Workflow Management $395.00
Course # 241
Instructor: Joseph Wisniewski
This two-day workshop is designed to increase the efficiency of the digital photographer by "batch processing" several of the tasks that would otherwise done one-by-one or image by image. Learn shooting secrets to minimize post-processing time, downloading, sorting, and image "triage" to present proofs to the client, and "shop" just the images selected in a streamlined and consistent fashion. You can apply sharpening, sizing, resolution, file extension, file naming, levels, color balancing, and unsharp masking to each file from your shoot. The less time you spend in front of a computer, the more time you can spend shooting more images. TIME IS MONEY! Use workflow software such as Eye-Match, Capture One, Adobe Lightroom, Bibble, ACDsee and vendor provided tools such as Nikon Capture NX, Canon Zoom Browser, print managers and packers such as Qimage to streamline your volume of work to increase profits.
If you photograph a wedding and capture 300 or more images; to open each file individually, you could expect to spend 8-12 hours to perform the tasks previously mentioned. With a program such as: Capture One or Nikon Capture, a batch file could be created and the tasks could be performed in about 20 minutes for all 300 images. Digital workflow management is the gateway of efficient and effective professional digital processing.
Make a Digital Negative for Alternative Processes $230.00
Course # 242
Instructor: Joseph Wisniewski
This all-day workshop will provide instruction and opportunities for students to bring either a digital image file or an image made on film to class. There, the student will learn to make a high resolution scan of the film image or manipulate the digital file for output on film from an inkjet printer. The negatives will be suitable for contact printing using silver based paper or other alternative processes including Platinum, Gum Bicromate, Cyanotype and others. Learn to do all your burning, dodging, and contrast manipulation once, and produce any number of stunning prints. The course includes the basics of building the negative tone curves in Photoshop. The use of a densitometer, and visual matching without the densitometer will also be covered.
Prerequisites: Familiarity with darkroom procedures, familiarity with either PhotoShop or the GIMP. Materials provided.
The Love Story $230.00
Course # 225
Instructor: Jim Hodel
Photographers in general and wedding photographers in particular are constantly in need of presenting their work to groups of people; perhaps clients, other photographers or guests at a wedding reception. The nature of this workshop is to provide by lecture, demonstration and hands-on experience, the information and techniques to set a group of photographs to music using computer software such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Pro Show Gold, Adobe Lightroom or others.
Learn how to scan prints, negatives, slides or use digital images to create a slide show and project them using an LCD projector. Learn about public domain music and how to record it and lay down a sound track for the show.
Wedding photographers can use this workshop to collect baby photos, first communion photos, little league photos, prom and high school graduation photos from the bride and groom and assemble a Love Story to illustrate the early lives of the couple. Finish the slide show with images showing how they met, where they courted and the places they went leading up to their engagement and marriage. The display of the Love Story at the wedding reception will greatly enhance the ability of the photographer to sell up to the "Deluxe Package". The Love Story equivalent can be used by non-wedding photographers to entertain or display the "Best Of" their work for personal promotion.
The Surreal Landscape - Digital Infrared $230.00
Course # 224
Instructor: Joseph Wisniewski
This one-day workshop provides instruction by hands on and classroom experience, the information and practice of shooting and processing photos made on a digital camera of infrared landscapes. The morning session is outdoors shooting images. The afternoon session is in the computer lab photoshoping and printing the images. You will also learn about how and where to have your digital camera converted from full spectrum color photos to B&W Infra Red sensitivity. Learn about after market companies that can modify your spare digital camera body to shoot exceptional digital infra-red images.
Web page design for photographers and models $230.00
Course #227
Instructor: Vadim YelizarodThis four-session class will provide students an opportunity to map out the framework of designing and assembling a web page, and then actually make your web page. Learn web page creation using Macromedia Dreamweaver and Macromedia Fireworks.
Learn how to scan photographs, size them and place them in your web page. Learn about organizing your text, making hot buttons and uploading files and updating your web page. Learn about registering a domain name and how to make sure your web address is found among the major web browsers search engines. Most of the students who enroll in classes at MPW are photographers and models, but this class is available to everyone.
Nikon Capture NX and the Path to True Enlightenment $230.00
Course #211
Instructor: Joseph Wisniewski
Learn about setting the exposure points and batch file processing using Nikon Capture NX. Learn how to tag your best images and rate them for consideration for processing at a later time. Learn about workflow management with NX and setting up a slide show with Nikon View NX. Learn how to effectivly use the Nikon Capture Noise Reduction capabilities and saving favorite setting groups to apply to multiple jobs.
Adobe Illustrator
$445.00
Instructor: Bill Gosa
Course #228
Painter
$445.00
Instructor: Bill Gosa
Course # 229
Quark Express
$445.00
Instructor: Bill Gosa
Course #230
Classes and Workshops not offered in 2008 but may be revisited in 2009
Photoshop Elements to Restore old Photographs Class
Course # 205
Instructor: Jim Hodel
This one-day workshop will provide instruction using Photoshop Elements to scan your prints and negatives of new or old photographs. Do you need another person added to the family portrait? Has the photograph faded in color? Is there a crease right through the face? Fix it!! Students are required to have at least basic Photoshop or Elements skills. Class size limited to eight students.
Photoshop Elements for Landscape/Product/Still Life Photographers
Course # 204
Instructor: Jim Hodel
This one-day workshop will provide instruction using Photoshop Elements to scan your prints and negatives of landscape, still life or product advertising photographs. Is your landscape photo lacking a good enough blue sky? Is one of the flowers in your still life the wrong color? Is there a glare on your bright shinny toaster? Change it!! Students are required to have at least basic Photoshop or Elements skills. Class size limited to eight students.Photoshop Elements for Portrait/Wedding Photographers
Course # 203
Instructor: Jim Hodel
This one-day workshop will provide instruction using Photoshop Elements and ViewScan to scan your prints and negatives of portraits and wedding photographs. Photoshop Elements is a user-freindly program. Not everyone needs the full Photoshop CS program. Most corrections such as levels, curves, color balance and contrast manipulations can be adjusted with any program. Photoshop Elements is a superior program that retails for less than $100.00. If your subject blinks; no problem! Learn how to open their eyes. Does your senior wear braces? Retouch the braces till they’re gone! Does the mother of the bride have crow’s feet or bags under the eyes? Not when you are done with them! Learn how to create those special effects in your wedding photographs even if you did not shoot them that way in the first place. Class size limited to eight students.
Photoshop Elements for Scrapbookers $195.00
Course #209
Instructor: Jim Hodel
While scrapbooking is fun, it can sometimes be frustrating. Photography is a big part of any scrapbook, but how many times have you struggled with pictures that were damaged, the wrong size or not quite right? Using Adobe Photoshop Elements, you can take digital photos (or scans of old prints) and resize, restore and modify them as you wish. Next, add these photos to digital pages you create with borders, stylized text, backgrounds and design graphics. Finally, print your pages and personalize them with any additional items as you wish. Get the most out of scrapbooking. Learn how to combine the best of traditional methods with modern digital technology! This is a one-day workshop limited to 8 students.
Revised 1-05-2008