Lansing Photo Meetup

Winter weather and early darkness forces us into our Winter series of indoor meetups.

As some of you know, I do a LOT of food photography. I was thinking it might be fun to do some still lifes featuring winter vegetables. Stop in at Horrocks or your favorite grocer and get a bag of veggies that have interesting shape and color. Would they balance out well in a still life.

We will be using my studio space. I will set up 3-5 shooting areas depending on how many RSVPs I get. You are welcome to bring lights or any other equipment. Maybe a table cloth, or related props like a large bowl, candle, bottle of wine, cutting board etc. Use your imagination. And of course contact me if any questions.

Mark Chamberlin - 517-897-4172
Organizer - Lansing Photo Meetup

Do you want to CREATE PHOTOGRAPHS and not just TAKE PICTURES? Do you not feel confident about controlling the outcome of your photos? Are you frustrated and confused sometimes about what everything does and means? Do you often use the Auto or other Program modes?

This is THE most popular class we offer at SmarterPics. We guarantee you will walk away with some solid understanding and hands on experience. Feel free to talk to me or email me with any questions. [email protected] ([email protected])

Briefly the curriculum involves four general areas:

1. Basics of owning a camera including care, safety, exchanging lenses, understanding what focal length is, and brief overview of accessories.

2. Exposure covers the three basic controls: ISO/Aperture(f-stops)/Shutter Speed. How does each element impact your image and when/how to make adjustments. 3. How to use the pop up flash effectively.

3. Knobs and Dials on a digital camera are overwhelming until you get introduced. We will go over ALL of them and when to/not to use them.

4. Composition. Once we understand some of the technical fundamentals its time to put that knowledge to work. Usually the last couple of hours are spent outside roaming Old Town and getting some practice. We also learn to refine how we see a photo and how "making" a photo differs from just "taking a picture." If the weather is challenging, we have excellent indoor alternatives. Contrary to most of the Meetups, I am going to have to charge something for this because of the time and resources involved in offering it. We have a no-host working lunch at one of the Old Town restaurants.

NOTE: This same class is offered on 3 Monday evenings from 6:30-8:30 (First three Mondays of the month)

Get information on this and other classes offered at our website:
WWW. SmarterPics.com

Cost: $95
Payable at start of class