Owen Biddle
Photo School
December Photo Newsletter
Fundamentals 1 & 2 Roundup
photo by Mary Kulakowski
Dear Photographers,
One of the things that makes us really grateful is the community of photographers that has grown up surrounding our school. If you've had the opportunity to come to one of our in-person Photo Salons, or have checked out our online version, you know the level of talent and passion we get to see.
This month we want to focus on some new members of our community who are at the beginning stages of this wonderful journey - students who are in our Fundamentals 1 and Fundamentals 2 classes. They are learning all about their amazing cameras and the critical principles of photography and at the same time they are discovering their own unique ways of seeing the world. We've all been there once - what an exciting time of exploration, trial and error, some frustrations and many wonderful triumphs.
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Looking for a sense of control in capturing great pictures under all kinds of conditions? Get a grasp of the Exposure Triangle and you're half-way there! The Exposre Triangle may look daunting, but this workshop will walk you through the complex and beautiful dance of aperature, ISO and shutter speed as you build mastery in taking on any sort of photo challenges.
First Session: Discuss camera settings and technical matters
Thursday 12/12 7:00 - 8:30
Second Session: Share your work from the intervening week
Thursday 12/19 7:00 - 8:30
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Photo Field Trip
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Philadelphia Museum of Art
Inside and Outside
Bring your camera to our world class museum and explore the possibilities of photographing the vast array of artwork. Especially intriguing for photographers are the collection of armor, the monumental statuary from India and the serene images of Cambodian Buddhas. The building itself, both inside and out also makes for great photographs.
Friday 12/20 1:00 - 3:00
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​DSLR and Mirrorless Fundamentals Tutorials
Below are descriptions of the basic units of our curriculum available to students ranging from beginner to advanced. Most units are five lessons and include a set of assignments designed to give practice in targeted skills with opportunities to get feedback from the instructor so that you learn from your experiences.
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Just give a call and we can set up individual sessions to keep you moving forward with your photography.
Call (610)-626-7854 for details.
​(click on links for more information)
Fundamentals 1: Camera Operations is for students who are just starting out, or want a good review of the basic camera functions.
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Fundamentals 2: Applications is for students who have some comfort with the camera and want to start applying their skills to expand their photographic range.
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Fundamentals 3: Composition takes photography beyond the subject, and encourages you to see the artistic and compositional opportunities in everyday life. Here is a chance for your right brain to come out and play!
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Fundamentals 4: Lighting Across the Genres is for students who are ready for the next critical step: lighting. Explore sophisticated means of controlling both natural and artificial light for portraits, landscape and still life to get just the mood and effects you want.
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Advanced Photography - Using self-generated assignments and in-depth critiques we will help you move forward in your work.
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Not a photo but....
this drawing by a young Rembrandt (1606 - 1669) reminds us even the masters were beginners once.​​​​​​​​​​​
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October
Photo Contest:
Low Key
(For this month's contest we received many wonderful entries, some good examples of low key while others were simply fantastic images. It was impossible to choose the top four. Therefore, we've decided to cut the contest in two. This month we chose the top contenders that most closely fit the category. Next time, using the same set of entries, we'll choose pictures that are excellent without necessarily being low key. So, no need to send in new pictures at this time. Stay tuned to see our next selections....)
First Place Winner
Nancy Forsell Augenblick​
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Second Place Winner
Joe Strode
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Third Place Winner
Shelley Friedman
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Honorable Mention
Jonathan Sanna
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December Photo Contest will be a continuation from our previous contest. No new entries at this time. Wait for our next opportunity to enter.
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January, date to be determined
...in search of a host for January! We anticipate a move the beginning of next year and would be so pleased if someone were interested in hosting our gathering at their place. (We'd supply the chocolate chip cookies). If interested, you can email us at owenbiddlephotograph@gmail.com or call (610) 626 - 7854
​These are very friendly, relaxed get-togethers at my apartment in Lansdowne. Photographers of all levels are welcome to share pictures, get photography tips, and discuss camera equipment. You can also get ideas for entering photography contests, submitting to photography magazines and having photo shows. Feedback from the group provides encouragement and inspiration to go out and take more pictures. These informal photography critiques offer an excellent opportunity to start identifying themes in your work and to get ideas for new directions. Group size is limited, so if you can come an RSVP is required by email or call (610) 626-7854. Cost is $10.
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Speaking of.....
...beginnings and long-ago days, can you guess which of these handsome men is our own Owen Biddle?
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Photographers of the Month
Cassandra Walwendah, Kitty Omwenga, Donna Morrissey and Mary Kulakowski
Donna Morrissey
"To me, photography is making the ordinary interesting."
Kitty Omwenga
“To me photography means seeing the beauty within when others can not”
Cassandra Walwendah
"To me, photography means bringing visibility and light to the hidden and overlooked areas of our world."
Mary Kulakowski
“To me photography glimpses my soul, and keeps a permanent record of my experiences of the world.”
We are so excited to show off the accomplishments of some of our newest photographers. Some of the fundamental camera skills they are mastering include aperture (depth-of-field), shutter speed (stop action), and white balance (color management). Each student also reveals her unique interests and point of view to provide us with an exceptionally diverse set of images, all from basically the same assignments. Impressive, no?
Welcome, Mary, Cassandra, Kitty and Donna. We can't wait to see where your photo journeys will lead you next!
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Click on thumbnails to see full images.
