Basic Photography workshop report

[LCF]

I attended the Basic Photography workshop with Scott Lundy today. I had previously done a workshop day with Scott, that turned out to be kind of a custom thing, since I was the only student, so I wasn't entirely sure how much of today would be new and how much would be review. Cliff Notes version: It was absolutely worthwhile, with some new information, much review and elaboration of things we'd already covered, and fantastically useful practice and feedback.

In the two sessions I have done with him, I have found Scott to be very well organized and quite clear on what he wants to convey to his students. He's prepared, and his presentation materials follow the lecture well and give good examples that help clarify ideas. We went through basic concepts of aperture, shutter speeds, ISO and strobes, and Scott looked at each camera that was there and helped people understand what their particular camera could do, and what settings were likely to be most useful and productive. We did some practice on land, and then got dressed and got in the water.

Our assignment for the first dive was to play with settings and see what happened. It was great fun to be in the water with fellow student Keith Boll, so that both of us had a plan to go somewhere and sit there for 20 minutes and shoot multiple shots of the same subjects with different settings. (I always worry that my non-photographer buddies are getting cold, bored, and very tired of me if I do that!) I learned a lot by just shooting the same picture a whole bunch of different ways -- not to mention that it's good practice to change all those settings on the camera!

We had so much fun that we spent 66 minutes in the water, and came back with a ton of images to look at and analyze. Lunch and hot drinks accompanied the photo critique (and the folks who didn't dive had topside images with the same concepts.) Then we went on to a section on composition, most of which was review, but useful review -- all but the last "five concepts", which were new.

Most everybody was done for the day, but Keith and I got back in the water and did a second dive, to use the technical stuff we had gotten from the morning, and add composition. This was a shorter dive, since I was wet from the first one (forgot to close the p-valve) but we still did 40 minutes underwater, and bless Scott's heart, he waited for us, so we could go over the pictures afterward.

If you are at all interested in underwater photography, or in improving your technique, I can't recommend Scott highly enough as a teacher. He's enthusiastic, organized and clear, and obviously motivated by a real desire to see his students learn and improve as photographers. Plus, a day like this is just plain FUN!

[Scubie Doo]

Lynne, I couldn't agree more. I have done a private workshop with Lundy and it really helped shorten my transition from a P&S to a DSLR. Can't wait to see more of your photos!

[LCF]

Nothing from today was really worth posting. These were "working" photography dives.

[Scubie Doo]

I meant the non-working photos that will be coming soon ;-)

[lundysd]

aww shucks -- thanks Lynne! I really appreciated having such an enthusiastic and attentive group this time around -- it makes my job a lot easier (and more fun!). I have absolutely no doubt that you'll be giving Peter a run for his money soon enough at the rate you're improving

[Maxtrax]

Thanks for the report Lynne. Getting into underwater photography is something that has intrigued me for awhile but I haven't known where to start, this looks like a great way to do so. I also would like to know more of and about what I am actually looking at (and hopefully photographing underwater). Do you know of anyone who combines photography with underwater flora and fauna, or could you recommend a separate course that may help with identifying likely locations of interesting subjects?

[LCF]

Well, there are the REEF mini-classes on line, but I think the very best class you can take about local critters is Laurel LeFever's Marine Life ID class that he teaches occasionally through Bubbles Below. It's four, three-hour evening sessions with over 1000 slides of just about everything that lives here.

You can spend some time on Jan Kocian's Whidbey Island Critters thread here on NWDC, too

[Mortuus]

Max, head north. Your mind will be blown by Deception Pass or Skyline Wall.

[Maxtrax]

Thanks Lynne and Dylan. I do need to head north. I should "visit" my friends who live in the San Juans. And by visit, I mean dive and crash at their place heh heh.