Owen Biddle
Photo School
photo by Joe McIntyre
March Photo Newsletter
Color
Dear Photographers,
Color's power to move us cannot be overstated. Artists, fashion designers, advertisers, propagandists have all recognized the role played by color to influence our emotions, our ideas and even our actions. In photography color adds an ingredient that can bring our work to life. But control of color is no simple matter. Learning to manage distracting colors, to bring forth essential colors and to create a cohesive work of art is a real challenge. This month we go into technical aspects of color in photography (white balance and exposure) and compositional issues.
photo by Fred Herzog
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Photo Field Trips
Two photo field trips to discover color in Phila.
Think gold, turquoise, red and yellow. This may be a new discovery for you, but the Masonic Temple is a fascinating building, both from the outside and inside. The fancy and luxury, the golden mosaics, stained glass windows, sweeping stairways and Egyptian pillars are the ingredients for some unique and gorgeous photography.
Tuesday, March 14 10:00 - 12:00
Chestnut Hill - A Most Colorful Part of Town
.... and arguably the most charming part of Philadelphia... is a feast for the photographer's eye. As cobbled Germantown Ave winds up the hill intimate scenes are discovered, one after the other. Pedestrians, shop windows, front steps, wrought iron fences, old churches and small tucked-in gardens all add to the atmosphere and make exciting subjects. Leave your tripod at home and get ready to be on the move, all you photojournalists!
Saturday, March 25 10:00 - 12:00
photo by Owen Biddle
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Not a photo, but ...
Mark Rothko (1903 - 1970) shows us that color itself can be the subject of a picture.
Online Photo Salon
Check out this facebook link and join the group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/owenbiddlephotosalon
Our purpose is to provide an online place for our community to stay in touch, stay inspired and get out there and keep snapping. You can post pictures and get feedback, ask photo questions, make suggestions etc. What do you say???
ANNOUNCEMENT
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New Book by Ray Schneider
To see like a photographer is to perceive well. To perceive well is to merge one's feeling world with one's thinking world. In this broad collection of over 60 black and white photos sequenced alongside insightful quotes from famous photographers and artists, Ray Schneider takes us on an exploratory photographic journey of perception. From intimate portraits to expansive landscapes to mindful scenes of everyday life, "What the Photographer Sees" communicates the unique power of black and white photography and shows us how the integration of technical skill with heartfelt sensitivity makes images more interesting, moving, and memorable.
White Balance - Nailing the Color
The white balance control on our cameras is often the forgotten step-child. I'm not sure why, since nailing color is critical to insuring our pictures deliver the intended impact. Using in-studio, hands on experiences as well as an at-home assignment, this workshop will offer opportunities to experiment with white balance in single source and mixed lighting conditions. It's time to be sure white balance becomes part of your tool box of photo skills.
First session to discuss the whats, wheres and hows of white balance : Wednesday, March 15 7:00 - 8:30
Second session to share your work from intervening week:
Wednesday, March 22 7:00 - 8:30
photo by Owen Biddle
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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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
Advanced Photography - Using self-generated assignments and in-depth critiques we will help you move forward in your work.
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By the way....
if you have something you'd like to announce to our community, such as an upcoming show, a book, a photo contest, a newly discovered photographer, let us know and we'll do our best to include it in our newsletter. Input from our readers is always welcome.
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Photographer of the Month
Joe McIntyre
Here's what Joe has to say: "My name is Joe McIntyre and I'm an amateur film photographer living in South Philly. Back when I was 12, I went on a cross country road trip for a month with my younger sister, my grandmother and my great uncle. My uncle was a high school art teacher and encouraged me to take photographs from our trip. Well before any of us had iPhones or even a phone with a camera capable of capturing more than a dozen pixels, I was learning how to use a pretty basic Canon Rebel camera. My uncle was always stopping the car and encouraging me to snap a photo of a vista in Utah or an odd looking sign in the middle of New Mexico. But he taught me the basics of photo composition and the practice I got with my film camera was invaluable (despite me tiring of the constant photo lessons as most teens would). I dabbled in photography fairly regularly until I got to college, where photos took a back seat to parties.
Flash to a few years ago, and I happened to go on a trip with a friend where we each got disposable film cameras. I was immediately reminded how fun film photography was once again. I found a manual camera on eBay (a Canon AE-1), got some lessons from Owen, and now I’m addicted again.
What I like most about color film photography is the need to be deliberate in the photos you choose to take and the care you need to have with finding the right shot. It makes any photographer better. To me, color film photos always have more energy in them than digital photos do. From the imperfections to the grain to the color differences in each film stock, the photos feel more alive. It feels like you’re actually capturing a moment in time, whereas digital doesn’t quite have the “authenticity of moment” compared to film. Maybe it’s just nostalgia. And if it is, I’m fine with that because dammit if nostalgia doesn’t work like a charm."
What can we add, except, in your hands and with your eye, Joe, nostalgia delivers. Thanks for this wonderful collection that reminds us of the warmth, the almost other-worldiness, and the magic of color film photography.
And speaking of nostalgia, we couldn't reisist.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rlDTK6QI-w
