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Shootin’ In The Rain In Guatemala

Sunday, June 28th, 2009
Vulcan San Pedro Accross Lago de Atitlan (c) 2009 Stu Estler

Vulcan San Pedro Accross Lago de Atitlan (c) 2009 Stu Estler

High ISO’s and wide open apertures were the order of the day much of the time here in Santiago de Atitlan.

Our Workshop Leader Jeff Speigner (c) 2009 Stu Estler

Our Workshop Leader Jeff Speigner (c) 2009 Stu Estler

Lots of clouds and light rain making way for the deluge of water as the skies opened up once or twice a day, tempered by a few breaks in the clouds here and there. After all, it is the rainy season.

(c) 2009 Stu Estler

(c) 2009 Stu Estler

The ebb and flow of weather shrouded volcano San Pedro across the lake in an ever-changing veil of mist and clouds.

(c) 2009 Stu Estler

(c) 2009 Stu Estler

Of course, the last two days were clear and bright in the morning, as if word of our imminent departure had spread, and the beauty of Guatemala was enticing us to return soon.

 

View of San Pedro From My Room (c) 2009 Stu Estler

View of San Pedro From My Room (c) 2009 Stu Estler

As the morning passes, the warming air gives birth to rings of clouds halfway up the slope. By noon a tremendous cap of billowing cumulous clouds gives the mountain the appearance of a new eruption – even though it’s been dormant for 40,000 years.

The great white and grey mushroom cap foretells the afternoon’s weather – torrential thunderstorms.

imap-001-blogThe weather taught new photographers and reacquainted we veteran instructors with the beauty and peacefulness of the soft light that embraces every subject when photographing in the rain.

 

(c) 2009 Stu Estler

(c) 2009 Stu Estler

Colors that become washed out in bright sunlight are vibrant and saturated. The brilliant flowers growing everywhere burst from the lush blanket of green that defines the landscape. Everything glistens in the wetness crafting reflections not to be found when photographing on a clear, dry day.

I was prepared for the wetness there – I knew it was the rainy season. I did my homework and so anticipated the beauty of the environment and culture.

 

 

(c) 2009 Stu Estler

(c) 2009 Stu Estler

What has completely blown me away has been the incredible talent of these kids! I felt humbled being there teaching them photography.

 

 

 

(c) 2009 Stu Estler

(c) 2009 Stu Estler

 

Although they vary in experience and skill levels, their creativity, energy and ability is amazing.

(c) 2009 Stu Estler

(c) 2009 Stu Estler

 

To see what we’ve been up to take a look at www.design4kids.org

(c) 2009 Stu Estler

(c) 2009 Stu Estler

The next workshop is already scheduled for early December. New volunteers with specialties in photography, design and the arts are eagerly welcome! Check the Design4Kids website and keep looking right here for more info.

I’m told December is sunny and dry!

Posted in Cameras, Candids, Composition, Creativity, Digital Photography, Landscape, Learning Photography, photography workshops, Photoshop, Portrait, Travel | 3 Responses »
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Design4Kids Photography & Design Workshop

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

Just a week and a day to the beginning of the 2009 Design4Kids workshop in Santiago de Atitlan, Guatemala. This year’s “dream team” of volunteer instructors has been assembled and is ready to go.

 

Started by FotoKids founder Nancy McGirr, this is the second Design4Kids workshop and the third workshop with the young people in Santiago. They continue to learn and develop their photography and graphic design talents with the purpose of operating their own design studio in the Atitlan area.

 

As in the past, the group will receive a real assignment from an actual client, and they will determine the client’s needs, design the concept and create the project. The team of volunteers is made up of commercial artists, graphic designers and photographers who will guide them along in the process.

 

The kids will be polishing their skills in design, photography and Photoshop, and along the way, they’ll develop and expand their creative talents, and learn possibility thinking that will teach them new ways of looking at themselves, the world and their own potential.

There’s more about the project and the team at http://design4kids.org and a complete overview of the Fotokids organization at www.fotokids.org

Posted in Cameras, Composition, Creativity, Digital Photography, Learning Photography, photography workshops, Photoshop, Technology, Travel | No Responses »
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Experimenting The Possibilities of Digital Photography

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009
(c) 2009 Whitney Klare

(c) 2009 Whitney Klare

    

I’ve mentioned my friend Whitney, Rudy’s granddaughter, and her passion for photography. She’s sent me a few samples of her work, and with her permission, I’d like to share them with you. She’s already an accomplished photographer, with a great eye for composition and design. From her work, I’m beginning to see that she has a strong interest in abstracts, in using the many tools of digital photography to create a vision of an alternate reality.

 

This got me thinking about how even when our intent is to create an image that doesn’t exist in our physical world, all of the skills and creative processes of photography still apply.

 

Being “old school”, and learning all of this well before digital came on the scene, I’ve been well trained in “getting it right in the camera”. Even with film and print-making, there are plenty of options for manipulating the image. But starting out and working with a pre-visualized result in mind is a true mark of your skills.

 

It’s valuable and important to develop your ability to do it “the right way”, both in shooting and in image processing and making adjustments, not to satisfy some “rule”, but because it gives you so much more control over getting the results you want.

 

Even with an abstract, and much more so as your images come closer to a vision of “reality”, being able to pre-visualize the shot you want, and understanding and working with the elements of light, composition and design to get those results at each step, makes your work that much more powerful.

 

(c) 2009 Whitney Klare

(c) 2009 Whitney Klare

 

 

A true testament to your skills is to be able to visualize an image that isn’t there in front of you, shoot it and adjust it so that the final result makes people believe that it is the reality that was there. That’s when they say “Wow, how did you get such an amazing shot – I’ve never seen it look like that!” (Whatever “it” is).

 

Those of us from the “old school”

realize that it was Ansel Adam’s not-so-secret print-making work, together with an exact system of exposing and processing his film that created the magnificent images that he pre-visualized.

 

So keep shooting, keep experimenting, and keep learning and developing your skills.  

 

Posted in Cameras, Composition, Creativity, Digital Photography, Landscape, Photoshop, Technology | 1 Response »
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Fotokids Photography & Design Workshop In Guatemala

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

Isn’t it interesting how one little thing can make a dramatic change in your life and the lives of others?

 

For some time now I have had a goal to work with young people to help them realize and develop their potential, using photography as the tool to stimulate and awaken their creative abilities. I have no experience in working in or with this type of organization, and have struggled with the logistics of creating one on my own.

 

A close friend and colleague of mine, who knows that I am developing an online course to teach basic and advanced photography (www.thephotomentor.com), saw a post on a forum he follows that he thought might interest me, and forwarded it.

 

The post was a request from a fellow creative – a photographer by avocation and a graphic designer by profession – looking for a few more volunteers to help teach a workshop with an organization called Fotokids (www.fotokids.org). The group works in Guatemala teaching young people to develop their personal abilities and professional skills in photography and graphic design. They are doing the very thing I want to do!

 

As you can imagine, when you see an opportunity for something you so strongly desire handed to you, you waste no time, and immediately take advantage of it.

 

The week-long workshop in June will have the kids begin with a real project from a real client, and take it from concept through to delivery. I’ll be teaching photography and Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop techniques, which is the software the kids currently use. Here’s a link to their blog, which tells about the workshop: http://design4kids-santiago.blogspot.com/

 

There is absolutely no doubt that his is a fantastic opportunity to share my knowledge and give to these kids, and I’m certain that I will learn and receive even more from them and sharing this experience with them.

 

I believe that there are two lessons in this: that when you truly believe and focus on the things you want, you attract them to you – often in ways you never expected – and that the way to make a dramatic change in your life – and to positively affect the lives of others – is to take action when you are presented with an opportunity.

 

Right now the only things for certain are the dates – June 17-25, 2009 – and the location – Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala. Stay tuned.

Posted in Cameras, Composition, Creativity, Digital Photography, Photoshop, Technology, Travel, Uncategorized | No Responses »
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