Photo Classes November 28-29,
December 4, 5, 19 and 20
Autumn
leaves approach peak color in our Pistachio trees during the final week
of November and into early December, and we'll offer two Fall Foliage Photography "in the field"
classes November 28 and 29 with Bob Estrin
and Paul Kinslow, respectively, a chance
to study each artist's approaches to photographing fall color -- and to practice
techniques alongside them out in the gardens, and to ask questions about camera
settings for exposure, aperture, white balance and more. Keep reading -- registration
fees, times and complete descriptions on all classes are described below.
Springerville
nature and wildlife photographer Maggie Leef
leads three different workshops December 4 and 5 -- two of them are "in
the field" walking tour classes out in the gardens exploring practical
camera application. Maggie has a Friday afternoon classroom session teaching
Basic Camera Settings, also a Saturday morning workshop on digital imaging
"Simple Effects in PhotoShop" session December 5.
World-traveler
and wildlife photographer Bruce
Taubert will offer a workshop December 19, and Gilbert pro photographer
Tom Boggan returns December 20 for his popular "walk-a-bout" workshop.
Boyce Thompson Arboretum photo workshops are informal and surprisingly affordable,
thanks to the generosity of dedicated volunteers who share their time as instructors.
Enroll by phone with your credit card ready and a call to our Gift Store staff
at 520-689-2723 . ***** Please
make sure to give us your email and phone so we can contact you on short
notice in case of changes in class schedules, and also alert you to future
workshops as they are scheduled.
November
28
and 29 Thanksgiving Fall Color Photo Walks with Bob Estrin and Paul Kinslow
Fine art photographer Bob Estrin
returns to offer his popular fall color photography walking tour on Saturday,
November 28, from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. as part of the Arboretum
annual "fall foliage final festival" event, and a similar
workshop will be offered Sunday with Paul Kinslow (seen above at right) from
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. On Saturday Gilbert artist Bob Estrin will offer a
lecture and colorful slideshow at noon in the Smith Building Lecture Room
just a short walk from the Arboretum's main visitor center, followed by a
group photography tour leading participants to the artist's favorite Arboretum
locations for Fall color and garden scenery. Make sure to bring your camera
and manual -- bring a tripod as well, if you have one. Read more and view
Bob Estrin's work.
Class is limited to ten pre-registered workshop participants, and the cost
is $20 for Arboretum members, $27.50 nonmembers; call gift shop staff at 520-689-2723
to enroll. Scottsdale painter and photographer
Paul Kinslow will guide a similar workshop Sunday, November 29 --
fees are the same, but this class will run from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with
a short introductory session in the lecture room before heading out to photograph
the gardens. Read more about Kinslow via the link above; spaces are limited
and pre-registration is required. 520-689-2723.
December
4 from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. and also December 5 from 1:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Field Study Class (limit of eight students)
You've
read your manual, you understand basic photography concepts and are comfortable
adjusting the dials on your camera...what's next? Acclaimed Arizona wildlife
photographer Maggie Leef offers a morning
and an afternoon class with nearly two hours of "in the field" practice.
Class begins with a 15-minute preparatory indoor session (think cheat sheets!),
then proceeds outside to explore the gardens as a group, practicing different
camera functions and learning how to apply them in various field environments.
Field approaches will be explained and demonstrated and strategic use of available
lighting addressed. This class is designed specifically for those who've already
taken one of Maggie's intermediate photography workshops or for those who
already know basic concepts and camera operations. Be sure to bring your spare
battery and an extra card -- and a tripod, too, if you have one. $30 for BTA
members, $37.50 nonmembers.
December 4 from
1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Basic Camera Settings and Applications --classroom session
-- maximum of 15 students
Intimidated by the many symbols, buttons and dials on your camera? You're
not alone! This hands-on, in-the-classroom workshop with Maggie
Leef is for beginners and more intermediate photographers is designed
to introduce a variety of camera features and to offer practical ideas for
using them in the field. Class is offered indoors, in the Lecture Room of
the Smith Building. Topics covered include Camera Care, The Photographic
Triangle, Shooting Modes, Quality Settings, Menus, Drive Modes, and Focusing
Functions. In addition, students will learn about Bracketing, Metering, Exposure
Compensation, White Balance and Histograms. Students will practice using these
features on their own cameras in class, so make sure to bring your camera.
This will be a more intensive workshop presented in a fun, easy-to-follow
format. Participants should make sure to bring your cameras and also their
camera manuals along to the class. $30
BTA members, $37.50 nonmembers.
December
5, Saturday,
from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
"Simple
Special Effects in PhotoShop"
Got PhotoShop, but you've never progressed past simply cropping
and resizing your JPGs? Whether you have Elements, Photoshop 6, 7, CS2 or
a comparable image editing program, this class will help you get higher mileage
out of your software. Springerville photographer Maggie
Leef will give a short introduction to image preservation and layers,
then students will learn to enhance images with a variety of special effects
including Soft Mist, Vignetting, Colorizing and Tinting. Other topics will
include creating dynamic backgrounds and textures, adding unique borders,
applying filters, utilizing layer masks and using layer styles, as well as
creating photo montages. Handouts will be provided but you'll want to bring
a notepad and pen for the many extra tips you'll hear during the presentation
-- or bring your laptop for digital notetaking or to follow along with your
version of PhotoShop. This workshop is designed for PhotoShop beginners, as
well as users who consider themselves beginner/intermediate users. Enrollment
is $45 for Arboretum annual members, $52.50 for non-members. non-members.
December
19,
Saturday, 8:30 AM Bruce Taubert
Wildlife Photography
Aspiring wildlife photographers -- check out pbase.com/brucetaubert, then
bring your cameras and plan to learn some tricks of the trade from pro photographer
Bruce Taubert December 19 in a three-hour class here at Boyce Thompson Arboretum.
Registration is $30 for BTA annual members, $37.50 for nonmembers and this
class is limited to 12 students. Call 520-689-2723 to reserve a spot. Taubert
has a doctorate in wildlife management and recently retired as the Assistant
Director for Wildlife Management at the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
A photographer for more than four decades, Taubert has captured unforgettable
images of wildlife and wildlands across the planet. Taubert taught a wildlife
photography course at Paradise Valley Community College for several years,
and has been published in Arizona Highways, WildBird, Birders' World, Arizona
Wildlife Views, Conservation International -- and he produced most of the
breathtaking photos of bats for AZGFD's "Bats of Arizona" poster.
"My class begins with two hours indoors with coffee and a slideshow and
'chalk talk' including discussion of the mechanics of using a digital camera;
various settings, f-stop, shutter-speeds and iso; lenses, tripods, and other
support equipment," said Taubert. "Participants should
our bring along a wildlife or nature photo or two for an
informal roundtable critique and discussion during the class, where they will
briefly describe
their photographic experience and what they see in their photographic future.
That's followed by discussion of composition -- not just taking a photograph,
but capturing an artistic image with some punch, and my tips on getting close
to your subject." From 11:00 a.m. til noon the class will move outdoors
to practice "in the field" photography demonstrations in the gardens
alongside Taubert. Participants should bring their camera, manual, and a tripod
(if you have one). Check out Taubert's 2009 Arboretum hummingbirds and other
images on the artist's galleries at www.pbase.com/brucetaubert
December
20,
Sunday, 2:00 PM Tom Boggan
Photo "Walk-A-Bout"
Want
to improve your camera skills on a relaxed morning shooting beautiful garden
scenes alongside a pro -- with plenty of chances to ask questions about the
dials, settings and control on your own camera? Sign up today for our once-a-month
Tom
Boggan "Walk-a-Bout", December 20 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Participating
photographers might want to plan to drive 45-minutes East of the Arboretum
that same evening for the annual festival of
lights at Besh-ba-gowah archaeological park in Globe. East Valley
Tribune staff photographer Tom Boggan has a talent for portraiture and a passion
for nature photography at Boyce Thompson Arboretum, where he volunteers his
time helping people improve their camera skills. Workshops
with Tom are limited to ten students, and pre-payment of
$27.50 is required ($20 for BTA annual members). To enroll by phone have your
credit card ready and call Arboretum staff at 520-689-2723.
And Check out this
gallery of images Tom and students posted after their Spring and Summer
workshops. Join us for a chance to improve your basic photography
skills, including composition, lighting and exposure -- and for one-on-one
time with Tom helping students understand the different between aperture,
exposure and light balance.
2010
DATES ARE TO BE ANNOUNCED FOR THESE:
Petroglyphs:
A Path To Deeper Appreciation
Petroglyphs are an irreplaceable part of our national heritage. This workshop
is for participants who want to learn more about petroglyph appreciation and
petroglyph photography. Topics covered include petroglyph respect and preservation,
historical perspectives and context, terminology and usage concerns, federal
and state laws, the Arizona Site Steward Program and regional petroglyph viewing
opportunities. A discussion of petroglyph photography includes sections on
composition, light, filters and reflector usage, as well as using specific
camera settings such as metering, bracketing, white balance and exposure compensation.
$25 for Arboretum annual members, $32.50 for non-members. Call our Gift Store
staff at 520-689-2723.
Compliments from students:
........"I took two of Maggie Leef's classes last fall -- a beginning
class and a class on photographing fall colors. Maggie is a special teacher,
who makes her classes both informative and enjoyable. Her best tip: 'Read
the camera manual!" The money I spent on an annual membership to BTA
is the best money I've ever spent. The arboretum itself, with its beautiful
setting and great staff, are exceptional. The events are interesting and well-done.
I especially enjoy listening to music in such a beautiful setting. Great job,
BTA!" (Stephanie, February 26, 2009)
........"I took Maggie's basic photography class on February 19th and finally understand what I had been troubled with for years! Maggie made the class fun and I now have a better understanding of what I can do to obtain better photos. Thank you Maggie! Also, some of us had an idea that we put to Maggie and she seemed willing to do a class. The class would be for beginners, but rather than classroom, it would be like a followup to the basic photography class only in the field. We could go out on the grounds of BTA and choose different things to photograph and Maggie could talk about the proper camera settings, etc. It would be applying what was learned in the classroom to actual field use. What do you think?" (Cindy; February 24, 2009)
........"I loved the photography class. I really got a lot out of the
class and think she is a whiz at teaching photography. Her explanations of
some of the phrasing (in the Nikon Manual) made it so that I could actually
understand the manual. I look forward to her classes in March -- I will call
and
pay for them tomorrow!! (Millie, February 23, 2009)
........"Bob Rice's workshop was very helpful and extremely practical.
I appreciate the opportunity to meet other photographers, most of whom are
way more experienced than I am. It sure is inspiring! Thank you for these
opportunities."
........"Just a quick note to let you know how much I appreciated and
enjoyed the May 18 photography workshop. The information was clearly presented
with examples and demonstrations. I am now more knowledgeable of Photoshop
and more confident to use it."
........"We did join as annual members because of the class and future
classes. We are excited to be connected to the Arboretum and we are looking
forward to more classes with
Sue. We really enjoyed Sue's class and learned a lot. We thought the class
fee was a good price and it was good to require the pre-payment to remind
us to show up."
........"We did enjoy the class/photo shoot Thursday. I have been actively
shooting pictures and had my own darkroom for 50 years or so but still got
some good tips at Sue's class. I signed up mostly for my wife who is more
of a beginner and uses a fully automatic camera. She did quite well with her
pictures. We joined the BTA both to support it and to enable us to come back
again and again to see the blooms as they happen in the spring. It's a bargain!