Photography: Painting with Light Workshop is So Much Fun!

December 4, 2016 kevin Leave a comment

ALERT: January 15 Painting with Light Workshop is ALMOST FULL! REGISTER SOON AND SAVE $20! Plus participants and our former Painting with Light Students get to participate in a FREE fun activity with a PixelStick on January 18th!

Of all the photography workshops we host, one of the most fun ones is our Painting with Light Workshop! I keep the class size small, limited to only five students. After a couple of hours of teaching the concepts and techniques, the LIGHTS GO OUT and we do some really fun photography with a professional model.

Every participant gets involved in the creativity, as we produce all kinds of fun and sometimes wild images using time and light and motion.

Student regularly say this is the most fun photography workshop they have ever participated in.

Here’s what students are saying online:

“This was an absolute blast. Kevin’s sense of humor kept us laughing and his creativity kept us in awe. It was wonderful to get in there with the other class members and play with light! He keeps the class size small so we have a lot of hands-on learning and fun.”
“Your Painting with Light class really opened my eyes to a whole new way to take pictures. SO FUN!”
“Kevin’s “Painting with light” class was a blast. I have taken various classes from Kevin so far and this one was my favorite. It’s one of those classes that promotes creativity, provides hands on experience for each student, and the class is so fun that it ends before you want it to. Not only was it fun to watch the model being painted, but equally as much fun to see what each student ended up with. Kevin is passionate about taking photos as well as teaching photography to others. He’s kind, compassionate, respectable, and displays an abundance of patience with his students. I highly recommend this class to anyone wanting to take fun and creative photos in a friendly, safe environment.”
Click Here for More Student Comments

Photography Tips

The Best Christmas Gift for a Photographer

December 3, 2016 kevin Leave a comment

This is the “season of giving”. Family is asking “what do you want for Christmas?” You’re trying to figure out what to give to your loved ones. Regardless of what you celebrate this time of year, for most of us, it is a time of gift giving.

If you love photography or have a loved-one who loves photography, you might put various camera gear on the giving list. Maybe a new camera, new lenses, a tripod, a flash, etc.

Many folks think that if they “just get that new camera, their photos are going to turn out so much nicer”. While that is sometimes true, the real key to better photographs is how you USE your camera. That matters way more than what specific camera you are using. Look at it this way, simply buying better pots and pans won’t necessarily make you a better cook. 😉 What matters is how you use them!

Ansel Adams said it this way:

“The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it!”

The key to great photographs has more to do with the photographer behind the camera rather than the camera itself. Want better photographs? Become a better photographer!

Our photographs are so very important to us. They capture priceless memories. They help us remember special moments with loved ones. They tell the stories of our various travels and vacations.

I encourage you to consider taking one of my photography workshops, or GIVING one of my workshops as a GIFT this holiday season to that photographer in your life. All of my classes and private teaching options can be given as gifts!

Here are some to consider:

Photography 101 Fundamentals of Great Photography
Photography Beyond the Basics – Mastering the Fundamentals
Photography Painting with Light
Photography – An Expression of Faith Workshop
Rekindle Workshop
Private Instruction on Almost All Photography Topics
Rocky Mountain Photography Workshops

Learn about all these great workshops by clicking here.

5-Star Rated by Students! Offering the best school of photography in Austin and Central Texas.
“Kevin’s classes rise above all the rest” – “Surpasses everyone else.” – “His classes are fun and challenging! Kevin goes the extra mile to teach students photography using hands-on techniques.” – “His sense of humor and deep understanding of all things photographic have inspired me to get better with my camera.” – “Kevin’s class was amazing.” – More…

General Commentary

Light & Photography Workshop

Image December 1, 2016 kevin Leave a comment

We just wrapped up another Light & Photography Workshop! This course is a comprehensive look at light in its various forms, both natural and artificial, and we look at the many ways we photographers can control and manipulate light to create great photographs!

Over several sessions, we explore the ways light works its magic to make images beautiful, and then dig into the details about how to operate electronic flashes (speedlights) and studio strobes (monolights).

The course ends with a session done in my studio where the participants have a chance to photograph a couple of models, putting into practice what we covered in class.

Student Comment: “Kevin’s Light and Photography class is fantastic. The small class size ensures everyone get personalized instructions. His tips for using every type of lighting from flashlights and household lighting to pro photography lighting make this class a must for every level of photographer. His demos were the highlight of the class. Every photographer can learn from this class. The add-on model shoot session is also a must.”

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE and let us know if you’d like us to add another session soon! Your input is important!

Here are some photos taken by participant, Sandy O’Connor:

Workshop Updates

Exploring the Aspect of “Faith” and Our Photography

November 29, 2016 kevin Leave a comment

I just announced this new photography workshop called “Photography: An Expression of Faith“. It’s actually quite different from my other classes.

We are looking at the topic of “photography” from a different angle. Rather than focusing on camera techniques, settings, exposure, light, composition, and all the other things that really matter a lot to create great images, we will be exploring how the topic of “faith” shapes what you photograph, and participants will take on a project to use their photography as an expression of their faith. You can take this workshop using any type of camera, whether it is a DSLR, mirrorless camera, point-and-shoot, or even a smart-phone.

Granted we all see matters of “faith” differently. This workshop embraces our diversity and insights and challenges participants to really reflect on this aspect of photography.

I encourage you to read more about this workshop. I have introduced it with a super low introductory price of only $39 if you register by December 24th. The class is filling up fast!!

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE “PHOTOGRAPHY: AN EXPRESSION OF FAITH” WORKSHOP

General Commentary

Make the Choice to Improve Your Photography

November 26, 2016 kevin Leave a comment

Most people start out using a camera using its most automatic settings. Many stay in that mode of taking photos, not really knowing what they are doing, but sometimes getting good results, and sometimes not. If you’re not satisfied with that, I encourage you to learn more about how to best use your camera.

The starting point for you to get better images is to attain more control over your camera. That can be intimidating to dive into all those settings and options, especially on any of the modern day digital cameras.

While camera manufacturers have tried to add more and more fancy features and more ‘automatic’ options, they have added lots of complexity. In fact, I think they have maybe pushed this a little too far. But then, the real key is to learn which of those settings are really important and which are not.

In my Photography 101 Workshops, we focus on covering the important fundamentals of photography that every photographer should know. Learn what options really matter and which settings you SHOULD be adjusting to get the best shots. You really can create better images if you do not have your camera in its fully automatic mode. It is just a machine. It is not the artist. You are!

We spend time looking at technical details, but also explore various other factors such as light and composition and the importance of YOU and how you see the world around you.

Photography is a very powerful and meaningful art medium. We capture images that have great value to us. Our photographs tell our life story. We remember those special moments with loved ones. We embrace moments we will never get to experience again. I encourage you to make those images you capture the best you possibly can. Some of the images you create will be of priceless value to you and your family later on.

So, if you have not already taken my Photography 101 Workshop, I encourage you to consider it. And if you have taken my Photography 101 Workshop, I encourage you to consider taking my Photography – Mastering the Fundamentals Class or one of my other classes to expand your photographic skills even further!

Student Comment: “I thoroughly enjoyed the Photography 101 class. I learned so much about my camera that I’m much more comfortable pushing myself and my photos. The classroom setting is comfortable and Kevin is a really great teacher – combining technical information and answering questions readily. Kevin’s way of teaching is friendly and you feel that he listens to you and understands what your needs are. I can’t wait to take another class! I will be telling all my photo friends about Kevin and definitely encourage them to take some classes!”

I also offer Private Teaching on virtually all aspects of photography, meeting your time schedule and specific photographic needs.

Want to have some fun on a real photographic adventure? Join us on our Rocky Mountain Photography Workshop! Get prepared for the trip first by taking my Photography 101 class!

General Commentary

Reflecting Back on my Love of Photography

November 25, 2016 kevin Leave a comment

I was looking back over some of my old photographs from when I was a teenager, back when I first got interested in photography. I created this image almost 50 years ago, can’t remember the girl’s name. I have that info somewhere (yes I got a model release).

She was working at a mall, and I noticed her, and asked her if I could photograph her. We went to the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens. I shot a lot of photos. We had a great time.

I was shooting with a Pentax KX SLR film camera (they, of course, were ALL film cameras back then). Photography was still relatively new to me, but everything about photography just felt “natural” to me. I loved it. I loved all the ways I could capture a beautiful moment in time, or a beautiful scene, or a beautiful person. I loved how it was a mix of art and science because that sort of sums up my interests pretty well, art and science. Using photography as an excuse to go out to a park with a beautiful girl had nothing to do with it. (Okay, that is a total lie.)

Anyway, on this day after Thanksgiving, I was reflecting on how thankful I am that my parents encouraged me in my photographic endeavors way back then. They bought me that first Pentax KX SLR. They always encouraged me in whatever my pursuits were in life.

Well, why am I writing this, on this today? I guess I just wanted to remind YOU, in your pursuits of photography as a hobby or career, never lose touch with what you LOVE about photography.

In this age of the Internet and social media, it is easy to get caught up in following the latest trends, striving to just do whatever is currently popular, and gets the most “likes” on Facebook, etc. OR maybe you get discouraged because you see other photographers posting images that are “so much better” than yours. DON’T WORRY ABOUT THAT. Despite the countless photography contests you see out there, I really encourage you to not see art as a competition. It is just too subjective. If you start striving to just create images using styles that you see other photographers doing, you might just lose your individuality in the process and your images will start looking like everyone else’s.

Photograph whatever you love to photograph. The person you should “compete” against is not someone else… it is YOU. Just strive to be better than the photographer you were yesterday. Work on your technical skills, but don’t think that is all that matters. Your artistic skills, composition, use of light, etc. all matter just as much.

Just always try to improve in one way or another over time. Enjoy the work of other photographers, but you have permission to be YOU. Be different. Be bold. Be creative. Be silly. Be serious. Be you.

If you are not doing photography because you love it, then make some changes. Find the part of photography YOU love. You may not have even found the part of photography you would love the most, so try different things. If you are a landscape photographer, try dabbling with something totally different like studio photography. If you photograph babies, try photographing horses (or anything else)! Shake things up a bit. Challenge yourself, but BE yourself. As you do this, you will discover the fun in photography.

Almost 50 years later, I am still having fun. I hope you are too.
One thing I love to do is help others find their “love” of photography.

Kevin Gourley
KGPhotoWorkshops.com

P.S. If you are feeling a little “burned out” in your photography, you might consider taking my Photography: Finding Your Way – Creativity and Inspiration Workshop.

General Commentary

Thanksgiving is About Giving Thanks

November 23, 2016 kevin Leave a comment

What does the topic of “Thanksgiving” have to do with photography?

Well for many folks there are family gatherings and that often means some family photos will be taken, capturing those special memories. And then of course there is the infamous “Black Friday” where some of you might be out hunting for some great deal on camera gear you’ve been wanting. But I wanted to send out this post to mention the importance of “gratitude” in photography. It’s about “giving thanks”.

Sometimes we overlook the mundane, the things and people around us all the time that we simply take for granted. When we take things for granted, we sort of become blind to the beauty around us and to the many gifts we have been given in life.

I know if I focus on what I DON’T HAVE, I start to overlook all that I DO HAVE.

Researchers have found that when people just focus on what they don’t have, they are less happy and satisfied by life. Want to be happier? Shift your focus. Intentionally make yourself aware of all that is good in your life, even the small things. Maybe even make a “gratitude list” and actually write down all that you are grateful for. The more you work on that list, the more you may discover the list will get quite long. You may even discover you have an abundance of gratitude items on your list.

This indeed applies to photography also. If you look at a place or a moment in time with a focus on what is “not good about it” or you just don’t see anything to photograph there, it might be that you just haven’t taken the time to pause and take in the small details that ARE beautiful.

If you look with an attitude of anticipation that there IS something great there, you will start looking for what is good rather than ignoring it all. You might look at a forest that has been damaged by fire, and rather than saying it is ugly, you search until you find a new tree sprouting up, or a bird resting on a branch, or maybe some interesting patterns in the burn marks on the trees.

Being grateful for this magnificent world opens up a new way to see all that is around you. There is an abundance of beautiful photographs to be taken right around you, perhaps at this very moment. It is a matter of changing how you see it all.

Practice a life of gratitude.

And on this Thanksgiving, do some thanks-giving.

And maybe take a few photographs of your family. Never take them for granted.

Photography Tips

Send Your Camera Up on a Kite!

November 20, 2016 kevin 1 Comment

Lot’s of people are doing photography from drones these days, but you can also have fun sending your camera up on a kite. I did this recently, using a GoPro Hero 3 Black camera and a medium sized kite. It was a lot of fun!

First I found some plastic foam packing material and cut out a rectangular center and taped my GoPro inside. (I was a little paranoid of the unpredictability of a kite and didn’t like the idea of my GoPro possibly slamming into the ground without a little protection.)

I hooked some hanger wire through the top and looped it, and then tied it to the kite and then added some tape to firm up the connection a bit so that the camera would not wobble as much. There are ways of further stabilizing it, but this method worked well enough. It didn’t look “fancy” but it got the job done.

The first launch attempt was kind of wild. The kite caught the wind and took off, spiraled several times, followed by a dramatic crash landing.

I had the camera set to take a 12MP wide-angle photograph every second. I found that was not quite frequent enough to get any good shots.

In the second attempt, we added a weight to the base, just to stabilize it a bit because the wind was fairly strong. I also adjusted the rate to 2 frames per second.

As soon as we added the weight, the wind ironically died down and was not sufficient to lift the kite with the weight, so we took it back off. Then we made another attempt, and found success. Once we got the kite up high enough, it was in a much better steady wind that carried it higher and higher. I just let the kite stay up high for a while to capture quite a few shots. This approach worked really well.

We brought the camera back down to check our results. Of course with the wide angle lens, depending on the placement of the horizon in the shot, the lens added a bit of distortion, curving the horizon.

This distortion and camera tilt was easily fixed by having Adobe Lightroom CC use it’s “Transform – Level” and the “Enable Profile Corrections” adjustments in the Develop Module and things were straightened up nicely.

With most of my shots, I had the camera oriented so that you could see the kite in the shot. I like that perspective because it really establishes the unique and fun context of the image. This isn’t a drone photo. It’s a kite photo!

If you decide to join in on the fun and send your small camera up on a kite, let me know! I’d love to see what you came up with!

<br />

Kevin Gourley
KGPhotoWorkshops

General Commentary

Finally Solved a Problem with My Apple “Magic Mouse”

November 18, 2016 kevin 2 Comments

This isn’t really about “photography” but a lot of photographers use Mac computers, so I thought I’d share this since it solves a MAJOR problem I was having with my Apple Magic Mouse (the original version).

I was getting really annoyed with the fact that my Apple Magic Mouse would intermittently stop working for a few seconds and then start working again. It would drop its bluetooth connection, and then I’d have to wait a little bit and then all would be ok, for a while. I have another Apple Magic Mouse at my studio and it was having the exact same problem!

I just discovered the solution. It turns out the design of the battery compartment is the problem. (I have the original version where you have to insert batteries, not the new version that doesn’t use batteries, but instead is rechargeable.) Anyway, the problem turned out to be an issue with the electrical contact the mouse was making to its batteries is not well designed. It’s a little “loose”. So, I took some paper and folded it up and squeezed it in on top of the batteries and then pressed down the cover over it to make it a tighter fit, and that TOTALLY SOLVED THE PROBLEM! Yay! I can’t believe I tolerated this problem for years and just now found the solution.

If you’ve been having this problem, now you know the answer! I did this with my mouse at my studio and it fixed it there too!

Happy mouse clicking!

Kevin Gourley
KGPhotoWorkshops

Workshop Updates

New Painting with Light Workshop Added

November 17, 2016 kevin Leave a comment

Since our December 4th Painting with Light Workshop sold out so quickly, we are adding another one on Sunday January 15th 1:30-6pm. Register early and SAVE $20! Space is very limited for this very fun workshop!

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

Student Comments:

“This was an absolute blast. Kevin’s sense of humor kept us laughing and his creativity kept us in awe. It was wonderful to get in there with the other class members and play with light! He keeps the class size small so we have a lot of hands-on learning and fun.”
“Your Painting with Light class really opened my eyes to a whole new way to take pictures. SO FUN!”
“Kevin’s “Painting with light” class was a blast. I have taken various classes from Kevin so far and this one was my favorite. It’s one of those classes that promotes creativity, provides hands on experience for each student, and the class is so fun that it ends before you want it to. Not only was it fun to watch the model being painted, but equally as much fun to see what each student ended up with. Kevin is passionate about taking photos as well as teaching photography to others. He’s kind, compassionate, respectable, and displays an abundance of patience with his students. I highly recommend this class to anyone wanting to take fun and creative photos in a friendly, safe environment.”

KGPhotoWorkshops Blog

Photography: Painting with Light Workshop is So Much Fun!

The Best Christmas Gift for a Photographer

Learn about all these great workshops by clicking here.

Light & Photography Workshop

Exploring the Aspect of “Faith” and Our Photography

Make the Choice to Improve Your Photography

Reflecting Back on my Love of Photography

Thanksgiving is About Giving Thanks

Send Your Camera Up on a Kite!

Finally Solved a Problem with My Apple “Magic Mouse”

New Painting with Light Workshop Added

Kevin Gourley Photography Workshops, Austin, TX – Austin Photography Classes