Sorry folks, I’ll be traveling to scout out amazing locations in Toronto! Will see you all the following week.
Sorry folks, I’ll be traveling to scout out amazing locations in Toronto! Will see you all the following week.
The theme of "Trees" invites photographers to explore the beauty, strength, and symbolism of these natural giants.
Trees can be photographed in countless ways, from capturing their intricate textures and details to showcasing their grandeur in a larger landscape. Experimenting with silhouettes, seasonal transformations, or unique perspectives—such as looking up through a canopy—can reveal their character and connection to the environment.
Whether portraying them as solitary figures or part of a forest's rhythm, trees offer endless opportunities to create powerful, timeless imagery.
Show us your original capture of these natural beauties.
Exploring the endless creative possibilities flowers offer as subjects.
By experimenting with techniques like macro photography, intentional camera movement, or soft-focus lenses, you can transform blooms into abstract patterns, dreamy textures, or painterly compositions. Adding unique perspectives, layered compositions, or dramatic lighting allows you to tell a story or evoke emotion, turning floral photography into a deeply artistic expression rather than a straightforward depiction.
The blue hour is a magical time for photography, occurring just after sunset or before sunrise, when the sky takes on a deep, rich blue color. It’s a perfect time to capture stunning cityscapes or creative shots.
The soft, diffused light creates a calm mood, while adding elements like bokeh lighting from streetlights or car light streaks can bring energy and movement to your photos. Reflections on wet streets or water also look amazing during this time, making it ideal for experimenting with both natural and artificial light.
Inviting viewers to see the world through reflections, distortions, and layered perspectives.
Whether captured through windows, mirrors, or other reflective surfaces, this theme blurs the line between reality and illusion, adding a dimension to your visual storytelling.
It challenges photographers to experiment with framing and light, using the glass as both a canvas and a portal to a different dimension.
The resulting images offer a sense of mystery, wonder, and multiple layers of interpretation.
The theme of "Wabi Sabi" embraces the beauty of imperfection, transience, and the natural cycle of growth and decay.
Rooted in Japanese aesthetics, Wabi Sabi finds elegance not only in the weathered, worn, and overlooked—capturing subjects like peeling paint, or rusted metal. But, Wabi Sabi also sees beauty in natural imperfections, a scar on beautiful young skin or a blemish on a ripe apple. This theme defines the line in the song, “I love all your perfect imperfections”.
Photographers working with this theme focus on textures, muted tones, and subtle compositions that highlight the quiet grace of things as they are, flaws and all. Through this lens, Wabi Sabi photography encourages a sense of mindfulness, inviting viewers to appreciate the fleeting beauty in life’s imperfect moments.
By combining two or more exposures in a single frame, photographers can merge different elements, such as landscapes and portraits, or textures and silhouettes, to convey complex stories, emotions, or abstract concepts. This technique blurs the line between imagination and reality, allowing for endless creative possibilities.
Multiple exposures invite viewers to interpret layered meanings, transforming simple subjects into intricate, visually compelling works of art that reveal more with each look.
The theme of "Self Portrait" in photography is an intimate exploration of identity, emotion, and self-perception.
More than just capturing a likeness, a self-portrait allows the photographer to present themselves creatively, often using composition, lighting, and setting to convey deeper aspects of their personality or state of mind.
This genre encourages vulnerability and experimentation, as photographers turn the lens on themselves to communicate something personal and unique.
A powerful self-portrait not only reflects the individual behind the camera but also invites viewers to connect with the shared human experience within the image.
One-hour image critique and Photoshop tips for the love and passion of Photography and Art.
Please join me in these sessions as I will be reviewing images according to the session topic. I will critique images that are noteworthy, those that need some or little work and those that missed the mark, explaining why and how we can make them better, in-camera or in Photoshop. and of course many Photoshop How-Tos, Workflow, and of course, artistic vision.
You are more than welcome to participate and submit your image to be showcased in the session. When you sign up, if you choose to submit an image, I will contact you to upload your image.
No need to have any knowledge of Photoshop, you are welcome to just sit back and observe. You do however need to register. A link to the Tuesday Sessions will be emailed TUESDAY MORNING with the Zoom session link.
NOTE: The Zoom sessions will be recorded and a small thumbnail of your image might appear. If you choose to not appear, please turn your webcam off.
Every week, registration will start on Tuesdays at 2:00 pm PST for the following week’s session.
This week’s session will be about:
The theme "People Within Places" emphasizes the importance of capturing not only the subject but also the environment they inhabit.
A successful photograph in this genre conveys a strong sense of place, grounding the viewer in the location’s mood, culture, or atmosphere, while also presenting a compelling image of the person or people within it. The balance between the individual and their surroundings enhances the narrative, offering insight into how the space shapes or reflects their identity, emotions, or story. This interplay of person and place creates a richer, more layered photograph.
The photographic theme of complementary colors explores the dynamic interplay between hues that sit opposite each other on the color wheel, such as blue and orange or red and green. When paired in a composition, these contrasting colors naturally intensify each other, creating vibrant, eye-catching images. Photographers use this technique to draw attention to key elements, evoke emotion, and create balance within the frame. The bold contrast of complementary colors adds energy and visual interest, transforming even simple scenes into striking works of art.
Over the past few months, participants of this course have dedicated themselves to meticulously curating, post-processing, and refining their images to align with their creative vision, resulting in a body of work worthy of gallery display. During the presentation, they will share their Vision Statements and proudly showcase their final images.
Sorry folks, I’ll be traveling to scout out amazing locations in Toronto! Will see you all the following week.
The theme of "Minimalist Architecture" in photography focuses on capturing the simplicity and clean lines of architectural forms, emphasizing the purity of design and the beauty of minimalism. By stripping away excess details and distractions, minimalist architecture photography highlights the essential structure, geometry, and light, often using negative space to amplify the subject’s clarity.
Unlike architectural abstract photography, which distorts or fragments parts of a building to create new, unrecognizable forms, minimalist architecture maintains the integrity of the building’s design. It presents a refined, balanced composition that celebrates simplicity and order, offering a calm yet striking visual experience.
Capturing subjects from a low-angle perspective to create a striking and unconventional view.
This viewpoint can transform everyday objects or scenes into something more dramatic and powerful, making it essential to choose an original subject that benefits from this fresh perspective.
However, while the low angle adds visual interest, it’s important to maintain a sense of orientation so the viewer can still understand the context of the image.
Balancing creativity with clarity, "From Below" photography offers a unique way to showcase the world from an unexpected and often awe-inspiring angle.
In this theme, we celebrate the concept of positive space—where the subject occupies most of the frame—contrasts with negative space, the empty or background areas that give the composition room to breathe.
"Fill the Frame" challenges this balance, often reducing negative space to a minimum, resulting in bold, impactful images where the subject's significance is magnified, drawing the viewer deeply into the scene.
NOTE: consider the:
lack of borders, continuation, no end and no beginning….
Capturing the vibrant pulse of urban life, where every corner holds a story waiting to be told.
In this genre, the background plays a crucial role, providing context and depth to the main subject, whether it's the architecture, signage, or the flow of passersby.
The interaction between the foreground and background creates a layered narrative that speaks to the environment's culture and energy.
Equally important is the decisive moment—a fleeting, spontaneous instance that encapsulates the essence of a scene, such as a candid exchange, a subtle gesture, or the perfect alignment of elements. Together, the background and the decisive moment create a dynamic and authentic portrayal of life as it unfolds on the streets.
Movement, transition, and perspective. Staircases, with their winding curves, sharp angles, and rhythmic patterns, are not just functional structures but also symbolic pathways that guide the viewer's eye and imagination.
They can represent the journey between different levels, both physically and metaphorically —whether it's ascending towards new heights or descending into deeper thoughts - they are vertical bridges.
By capturing staircases from various angles and in diverse settings, photographers can evoke a sense of mystery, anticipation, and the passage of time, transforming a simple architectural element into a powerful narrative device.
For this theme - ramps will quality as well.
The photographic theme "Just Breathe" encompasses a spectrum of moments that encourage viewers to pause and reflect, ranging from serene and calm scenes to those of contemplation and tragedy.
This theme invites a deep breath in response to the stillness of a tranquil landscape, the introspective gaze of someone lost in thought, or the poignant silence that follows a moment of loss.
By capturing these diverse experiences, photographers can convey the importance of taking a moment to breathe amid the beauty, complexity, and challenges of life, offering a powerful reminder of the resilience and depth of the human spirit.
This theme draws attention to the power of central composition, where the subject is placed directly in the middle of the frame.
This technique naturally directs the viewer's focus straight to the heart of the image, creating a strong visual impact. Centered compositions can convey a sense of stability, balance, and importance, making the subject the undeniable focal point.
Whether it's a solitary figure in an expansive landscape, a striking architectural detail, or a vibrant flower in full bloom, placing the subject in the centre emphasizes its significance and can evoke a feeling of harmony and order in the photograph.
Backlit photography, where the primary light source is positioned behind the subject. This technique highlights the edges of the subject with a halo of light, accentuating shapes and contours while often rendering the subject itself in silhouette.
The interplay of light and shadow in backlit shots can evoke a sense of mystery and depth, adding a magical quality to the image. Whether capturing the soft glow of a sunset filtering through a forest or the striking outline of a person against a bright horizon, backlit photography invites viewers to see familiar subjects in a new, enchanting light.
Emotion captures the raw and authentic feelings of individuals. It transforms fleeting moments into powerful visual narratives.
Through careful composition, lighting, and timing, photographers can convey a wide spectrum of emotions, from joy and love to sorrow and despair. These images resonate deeply with viewers, as they often reflect universal human experiences.
By focusing on genuine expressions and candid moments, emotion-themed photography not only tells a story but also evokes empathy and connection, making it a profound and impactful art form.
From serene stillness to crashing waves of the ocean, water can convey a range of emotions and moods. Its reflective properties allow for captivating mirror images, while its ability to flow and change shape provides endless opportunities for capturing movement and energy.
Photographers can explore the delicate beauty of dew drops, the mesmerizing patterns of ripples, or the dramatic impact of a waterfall, making water an endlessly inspiring and versatile subject.
Traditionally, the theme of still life celebrates inanimate objects through composition, colors, and light. It is a genre of painting that '“shows off” the artist’s capabilities and technical expertise. However, we will give this theme a modern twist, we will revitalize the traditional genre by incorporating contemporary elements and innovative techniques - feel free to experiment with AI (Night Cafe, Firefly, etc.).
I challenge you to take on the traditional approach that often blends classic objects like fruits, flowers, and everyday items with modern aesthetics, such as bold colors, abstract compositions, and digital enhancements.
Feel free to experiment with lighting, angles, and textures, to challenge conventional perspectives and evoke fresh interpretations.
Fashion photography is a dynamic and visually captivating genre that showcases clothing, accessories, and personal style. It merges artistry and commerce, often set against glamorous backdrops or minimalist settings to highlight the elegance and innovation of the designs.
Fashion photography emphasizes aesthetics, poses, and expressions, creating striking images that convey the mood and story of the attire.
This theme not only promotes trends and designer creations but also explores cultural and societal influences, making it a powerful medium for both creative expression and industry influence
Capturing the essence of a moment rather than the details. Impressionism is created through various techniques such as soft focus, vibrant colors, Cubism, and dynamic compositions, reminiscent of the Impressionist art movement.
Stripping away color focuses the viewer's attention on the essential elements of the composition, such as light and shadow, shapes, and forms.
This theme enhances the mood and atmosphere, often imbuing the image with a sense of nostalgia or drama.
Black and white photography transcends the distractions of color, allowing the true essence of the subject to shine through with clarity and intensity.
Bokeh photography focuses on capturing aesthetically pleasing blur in out-of-focus areas of an image. This effect is achieved by using a fast lens at a wide aperture, such as f/2.8 or larger, which creates a shallow depth of field.
The bokeh effect enhances the visual appeal of photographs by producing soft, circular highlights and smooth background blurs, drawing attention to the subject in sharp focus.
This technique is particularly popular in portrait, macro, and night photography, where it helps to isolate the subject and create a sense of depth and dimension.
Bokeh photography focuses on capturing aesthetically pleasing blur in out-of-focus areas of an image. This effect is achieved by using a fast lens at a wide aperture, such as f/2.8 or larger, which creates a shallow depth of field.
The bokeh effect enhances the visual appeal of photographs by producing soft, circular highlights and smooth background blurs, drawing attention to the subject in sharp focus.
This technique is particularly popular in portrait, macro, and night photography, where it helps to isolate the subject and create a sense of depth and dimension.
Capturing the raw beauty and untamed essence of the natural world.
Wildlife Photography celebrates the diversity of life on Earth, from majestic predators to delicate insects, in their natural habitats. It requires patience, skill, and a deep understanding of animal behavior, often resulting in captivating images that offer a glimpse into the fascinating lives of creatures both big and small.
Whether showcasing the power and grace of a roaming big cat or the intricate details of a tiny bird in flight, wildlife photography invites viewers to connect with the wonders of the wilderness and fosters a sense of awe and appreciation for our planet's rich biodiversity.
Sorry folks, I’ll be traveling to scout out amazing locations in Toronto! Will see you all the following week.
ICM
Intentional Camera Movement is a creative technique that challenges traditional notions of sharpness and clarity.
Through deliberate movements of the camera during exposure, photographers can produce mesmerizing abstract images that blur and blend colors, shapes, and textures.
This technique allows for the exploration of movement, rhythm, and emotion within a photograph, creating visually dynamic and expressive compositions.
ICM invites viewers to engage with images on a deeper level, encouraging interpretation and appreciation of the artistry inherent in the fleeting moments captured through this unconventional approach.
