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 - 11PM 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.
Studio Portraiture/ Product Lighting
Basic Portrait Lighting Class $330.00
Course # 401
Instructor: Bryce Denison
This five-evening class specializes in a small student to instructor ratio to provide a personalized instruction to shooting a thorough understanding of portrait lighting, the application of makeup and posing. Learn the art of seeing and painting with light using both hot lights and studio electronic flash. Learn how to diffuse and bounce light with reflectors, umbrellas, soft boxes and the difference between hard edge, raw light and soft light. Learn posing techniques that will enhance and flatter your subject and increase sales from clients. Some of the lighting styles include: Rembrandt, butterfly, single lighting, rim lighting and back lighting to achieve that high glamour look. Learn how to use a flash meter and create lighting ratios. How often have you wished you could take portraits like the Pro’s do? Make Photographs that earn you money! Don’t envy others- learn these techniques so that others envy your photos. Four different models are provided and one evening a professional makeup artist will demonstrate their artistry. 35mm, medium format or digital cameras are welcome. 7-11 PM.Prerequisite: Basic 35mm/Digital Photography or at least a basic mastery of shutter speeds and f/stops.
Advanced Fine Art Studio Portraiture - $330.00
Course # 440
Instructor: John & Nancy Swearingen (Class limited to eight students)
This six-evening class is for those who do not wish to be constrained with pre-conceived notions and customs of "conventional" photography. Students will master advanced techniques such as: multiple exposures on digital cameras, use of color gels and mixed lighting, and creating high-key photos with just one light source. You will also learn that photography can be as much fun as pulling classmates braids and shooting spit wads; by taking portraits with ultra-wide optics, using wild color palettes, wild costumes and props. While students will spend a substantial amount of time learning advanced lighting techniques and special effects, the main emphasis of the class will be on teaching how to think creatively and make images that are emotionally moving rather than merely informative. The last session will be dedicated to nude portraiture; i.e. portraiture of a person in his/ her natural state and how to direct the viewers' attention to the faces portrayed rather than the nudity. 35mm or medium format film and digital cameras welcome. Expect homework! Model fees are included. There will be a Sunday field trip to the Detroit Institute of Arts to view master painters and understand how nearly all poses and lighting has its origin in painting.
Prerequisite: Basic Portrait Lighting Techniques
Basic Product & Fashion Lighting Techniques $330.00
Course # 420
Instructor: Alvin Haas
This Five-Week Class will provide instruction on photographing jewelry, glassware, fashion and food. Learn how to get close to the jewelry and still maintain depth of field and how to capture rim lighting on the edge of a bottle without losing the transparency of the glass. Learn how to make sure just one dress size can fit your model and how to preserve food from wilting under the hot lights. Learn how to create shadow less lighting for your product advertising photos. 35mm, medium format or digital cameras are welcome. 7-11 PM.Prerequisite: Basic 35mm/Digital Photography or at least a basic mastery of shutter speeds and f/stops.
Advanced Product Advertising - $395.00
Course # 441
Instructor: Alvin Haas
Class limited to four students
Commercial product photographers are among the highest paid professionals in the world, but for a good reason. If it were simple, anyone could make images that get published nationally. This five-week class provides insight on how you can achieve superior results by combing artistry and technical excellence. Learn to conceptualize and implement ideas that sell and therefore pay. Master styling, arranging, lighting and photographing table top products.
Prerequisites: Basic Portrait Lighting and Basic Product and Fashion Lighting Techniques
New for 2008!!!
Commercial/Beauty Photography - $495.00
Course #425
Instructor: Stella Zaharieva
Beauty Photography is not portrait, fashion or glamour photography. It is a tool of the Commercial/Advertising industry to sell products such as hair care, cosmetics, skin care lotions, fragrances and jewelry. In this five-week class, students will take the role of photographer as if they were working for an advertizing adgency. Students will plan the concept the image, plan the shoot itself including makeup, hair style and model type. A professional hairstylist/makeup artist will be present each night to prepare the model according the the concept of the shoot (decided upon by the students). Prerequistes: Basic Portrait Lighting #401.
Children - Pure and Simple $150.00
Course # 407
Instructor: Stella Zaharieva
This one-day workshop will provide simple techniques to capture that special photo of children of ages from three months to three years. Learn how shooting photos of children outdoors is different from indoors in a studio or in your home without a fancy studio. Learn about film types, lenses and props to get "the" shot. Learn how to persuade a 2-year old to do what you want. 35mm, medium format or digital cameras are welcome. Models provided.
How to shoot a Model’s Portfolio $125.00
Course # 402
Instructor: Bryce Denison
This one-day workshop will provide instruction to students about how to photograph a model so they can use the photos in the creation of their modeling portfolio. Learn about comp cards, how to design one and how to supervise the printing of such a card. Learn about pricing your work and how to advertise and promote yourself as a model photographer. Students will be expected to photograph the model provided during this class. 35mm, medium format or digital cameras are welcome. 10-5 PM.Studio Portraiture and Business Practices $125.00
Course # 421
Instructor: Bryce Denison
This one-day workshop will provide instruction on how to run a business of photographing the graduating high school senior. Remember that graduates frequently use their senior portraits as a personal statement of “who they are”. The morning session is a presentation on the “Business of Photography”. Learn about advertising, obtaining an assumed name, getting a business checking account, sales tax and information on whether you should set up your business as a sole proprietor or perhaps a LLC. During the afternoon session, photograph the model and learn how to “quantify beauty”. Learn how to determine the models’ best features and maximize them. Learn how to determine the less desirable features and minimize them by changing the lighting, posing and props. We will photograph using both studio electronic flash and hot lights. Learn about lighting ratios and metering. This workshop should be considered as a preliminary exploration to studio photography and not as a substitute for the five week class #401 Studio Portrait Photography. 35mm, medium format or digital cameras are welcome. 10-5 PM.
Posing, Propping and Accessorizing the Model $125.00
Course # 403
Instructor: Kirsten Schmidt
This one-day workshop is a departure of MPW's normal workshop. This one-day workshop provides both photographers and models the insight of what makes some models and some photographers better than everyone else. This workshop spends more time comparing the difference between a successful pose, prop or accessory and one that falls short. Anyone can focus a camera and point it in the right direction, but precious few know how to direct and pose a model. Learn from the best! Kirsten has modeled for over 15 years in front of still and TV cameras. Her tips and movements will show both an aspiring model or a seasoned photographer what to do in front of a camera. Students are welcome to bring their camera and photograph, but it will be more about the designing of the image rather than the acquisition of portfolio images. Model is provided. Film or digital cameras are welcome.
Studio Flowers $125.00
Course #409
Instructor: Joseph Wisniewski
Think that Photoshop Guru Joseph Wisniewski does only Photoshop and Macro? Think again. Learn how to compose, light and expose for Fine Art images of flowers in the Studio! Learn about using different color temperature lights, (even at the same time!), long exposures with moving lights and other experimental techniques.
Basic Soft Focus Studio Portraits $125.00
Course #404
Instructor: Bryce Denison
This one-day workshop will provide instruction and hands on experience on the techniques of soft focus portraiture. You will have the opportunity to use both soft focus lenses and soft focus filters such as a Zeiss Softar. Learn about Bokah and the difference between out of focus and soft focus. Model is provided.
Simple Product Lighting for Internet Power Sellers $125.00
Course # 405
Instructor: Joseph Wisniewski
This one-day workshop is product / tabletop photography simplified. Learn how to create shadowless lighting quickly and inexpensively! Learn how to set up simple lights and backgrounds so that nothing will interfere with the simplicity of your subject. Film or digital cameras are welcome.
Advanced Table Top Photography $150.00
Course #423
Instructor:
This one-day workshop is an introduction into advanced techniques widely used by advertising photographers. It will be of interest to professionals and advanced amateurs who are already familiar with basics of still life and macro photography. Students will learn principles of lighting and arranging small objects, how to use a translucent shooting table, tilt-shift optics and bellows with movements.
Students will have an opportunity to work with a Contax 645c/Kodak DCS ProBack 645c medium format system optimized for tabletop photography.
Photograph your artwork (2d & 3D) on slides or digital for artists $125.00
Course # 408
Instructor: Joseph Wisniewski
This one-day workshop is designed to show painters, sculptors, graphic artists or any visual artist the skills needed to portray their works on color slides or digital media such as a CD/DVD. Any artist planning to show their work in a juried art exhibition or get published in a book, journal, magazine or catalogue needs to know how to shoot or have their artwork shot by others. For those planning to shoot their own, this class will show the artist how to set up the lights, how to match film type with light source and how to use polarizing filters to reduce or eliminate unwanted glare on your artwork whether it be flat artwork or three dimensional. 35mm, medium format or digital cameras are welcome.
Studio Fashion/Portraiture with a Ring Light $125.00
Course #411
Instructor:
Learn to create high impact fashion photos using this unique light. Depending on where you place the light, you can create simple shadowless lighting or a hard edge shadow completely surrounding the model. You can even create doughnut shaped catch lights in the models' eyes.
New for 2008!!!
Feathers and Fur - Pet Photography $250.00
Course # 406
This two-evening class will provide instruction on lighting and posing animals. Dark fur reflects very little light. Learn how to get detail in the shadow areas without washing out the highlights. Learn about the film types needed to shoot difficult subjects such as animals. Learn about the physical attributes that dog show, horse show or cat show judges use to determine "best of breed"; then apply those characteristics to posing your animal to maximize their best features. 35mm, medium format or digital cameras are welcome.
New for 2008!!!
The Fitness Model $125.00
#412
Instructor: Paul McKinney
Fit models simply look and photograph differently from those who do not exersize and work out. They have superior posture, are better toned and have more photogenic bodies. They have developed a quiet confidence that reflects that they know they look terrific. Fitness models greatly benefit from different lighting.
All models should be presented as flatteringly as possible in your images. This means lighting. After all; the word 'photography' is derived from the Greek word photos; for "painting with light". Thus, fit models can benefit from non-conventional lighting that emphasizes their toned bodies. Other than head shots, fitness models should not be lit the same as other models. This is true even if they wear slacks or a dress. Fitness models can move, and pose (yes, I know it is still photography, but the fit person also looks better frozen in an instant in time). Fitness models can attain and hold poses that others simply can not.
Is it merely accident that the Sports Illustrated models have personal trainers and serious exercise regiments? Those photographers know how to capture the extra edge from fit models. Come learn how to present the fit model at her best.
New for 2008!!!
Photographing the Body Builder $195.00
#413
Instructor: Bryce Denison
Classes and Workshops not offered in 2008 but may be revisited in 2009
Maternity Photography $195.00
Course #410
Instructor: Bryce Denison
Celebrate the beauty of the female form when pregnant. We will have a mother with her new-born, breast feeding. The afternoon session will be draping with fabric (to maintain a discrete portrayal) the curves of the pregnant form.
Lighting Hollywood Style $125.00
Course #424
Instructor:
In this one-day workshop, you will revisit the Hollywood masters of lighting, Hurrell, Gowland and Mortenson. Hollywood stars of the 1930's and 1940's during the "golden age" of cinema were portrayed by halo lighting, soft focus in a glamorous setting. Learn how to emulate this genre and make it part of "your" photographic toolbox.
Prerequisite: Basic 35mm/Digital Photography or at least a basic mastery of shutter speeds and f/stops.
The Girls of Anime $125.00
Course # 422
Instructor:
A style of human animation developed in Japan, characterized by stylized colorful clothing, big colorful hair, over painted eyes and make-up and often encompassing adult themes. In this class you will be exposed to a strong usage of gels, wigs, make-up and costuming to add color and effects to the background and model, with this a highly colorful almost animated photo is the result. The Anime workshop is far from traditional, although shot in the studio under controlled studio lighting, the lighting and post processing techniques used in this class will without at doubt break all traditional rules. This is a must workshop for those looking to explore and break out of the box.
Studio Portraiture with Large Format Cameras $195.00
Course # 442
Did you think that view cameras are for subjects that don't breathe? Think again! Learn how to use a view camera to take advantage of that huge film size to make prints with clarity and sharpness that small cameras can only dream about.
This two-day workshop includes the second day in the darkroom to process the B&W negatives shot the day before. The first day involves shooting portraits in the studio using a view camera. Photographers can use color or B&W. If color is selected, please plan to use Either Kodak Portra 160 NC or Fujicolor NPS in the Ready Load format. MPW is not providing darkroom facilities for color, but the second day is dedicated to developing the B&W film. If you do not have a view camera, let us know. A camera can be made available for a fee with enough advanced notice. Sign up for one or both days!
Revised 12-20-2007