Owen Biddle
Photo School
photo by Andrew Gale
September Photo Newsletter
Style
Dear Photographers,
What do you think of when you hear the word "style?" This month we examine the ingredients that add up to style in photography and encourage you as you discover or refine your own personal style.
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Photo by Irving Penn
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Playing with Style
Here's a challenge: Can you take a series of pictures of the same subject but each with a radically different "look"? Experiment with backgrounds, framing, scale, color, lighting etc to see how many different moods and effects you can get.
First Session: Friday, September 23 7:00 - 8:30 Presentation and open discussion.
Second Session: Friday, September 30 7:00 - 8:30 Participants share their work from the intervening week.
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Photo Field Trip
For the photographer in search of style this chique small town features shop windows galore, offering a surprising mix of subject matter, from high fashion, to toys, to kitchen gear, to garden supplies. And a great place for street photography!
Sunday, September 25 3:00 - 5:00
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photo by Owen Biddle
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Advanced Class Special Offering
Photo Assignments from Art History
5 Sessions
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Photo by Juan Torres
This is not an Art History class; rather, looking at the paintings and sculptures of different figures and schools in Art History, we will develop photographic assignments. Students will be challenged to draw inspiration from examples from Art History to create new work. For example, without relying on computer manipulation, we might exploit depth of field and soft focus to capture the style and atmosphere of an Impressionistic landscape. Or we may use forced perspective and wide angle lenses to capture the uniquely elongated look of a Giocometti sculpture. Or we may use advanced lighting techniques to replicate the feel of a candle-lit interior by de La Tour. The possibilities are endless....
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For our advanced classes scheduling is arranged according to the needs of the participants. If you are interested, email or give us a call and we will start the process of picking the best dates and times
Exciting Photo Event
Sponsored by the Geographical Society of Philadelphia
How the World Monuments Fund Is Saving Our Cultural Heritage: A Photographic Tour of Some of the World’s Most Important Places
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The World Monuments Fund (WMF) is the leading independent organization
dedicated to the preservation of the world’s most treasured places. It has
conserved over 700 cultural heritage sites internationally since its founding
in 1965. Speaker, Dr. Jonathan S. Bell, oversees the organization’s entire
portfolio of cultural heritage preservation projects around the globe.
Dr. Bell will provide a brief overview of the organization and how it works,
and then will show extraordinary photographs of sites, including traditional
communities in Benin, a widespread community of earthen builders in West
Africa, the Mosul Cultural Museum in Iraq, and historic water management
systems in India. He will illustrate places that are at the center of local
identity, economic viability, and community resilience. Come and see
fascinating images and hear inside stories of the accomplishments of the
WMF towards saving our cultural heritage.
6:30pm Wednesday, October 26, 2022
Location: Pyramid Club, 1735 Market street, 52nd Floor, (Mellon Bank Building), Philadelphia, PA 19103
Cost: $75 Members $85 Non-Members (Includes buffet and glass of wine)
Tentative Logistical Details – To be confirmed via https://www.geographicalsociety.org/
For details and to register, see: https://www.geographicalsociety.org/
For questions, contact Grace Schuler at gschuler@schulercon.com
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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 ...
The Bosje Chapel in South Africa, designed by Coetzee Steyn, is a breathtaking example of style in architecture.
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Photographers of the Month
Steven Kalisch
Andrew Gale
I've been taking photos since I got a free, plastic, 35mm camera in 1971 as a giveaway for filling up my gas tank. (Remember those days?) My photos have always been focused on my travels and art and sculpture. After retiring eight years ago, I wanted to get into it more seriously and bought a Sony mirrorless camera and several lenses, but traveling with pounds of equipment and missing shots while switching lenses convinced me that a compromise was needed between a "perfect" shot mentality and just enjoying photography. I sold it all and now use a Panasonic FZ-300 with a 25-600 zoom. No regrets!
I don't often do "street" photography, but the walk around Chestnut Hill with Owen allowed me to see not just static shots, but subtle connections and dynamics between the moving parts of a shot. It was a valuable experience.~ Steve
Two talented photographers, same day, same place (Chestnut Hill) but very different visions. We think it is fascinating how these two photograhers reveal their distinct personalities, approaches and even senses of humor while shooting the same place. Steve is attracted to bold, simple compositions while Andrew is drawn to a deeper space and more complex arrangements. Doesn't this inspire you to think about what excites you in selecting and approaching your subjects?
My interest in photography started when I was 13 and was given an 35 mm camera. I can’t tell how many photos I’ve taken over the decades, nor how many have been lost to time and movement. After retiring, I joined a photo class through Osher Life Long Learning Institute at the downtown Temple campus in 2015. Been at it ever since. I volunteer at Morris Arboretum and enjoy taking pictures related to natural objects. Slowly learning street photography. I try to capture the beauty of things. ~ Andrew