Last Year I was an Editors Choice in the 2023 Aviation Week and Space Technology Photo edition. Without Tom and his class I would no doubt be plodding away with my camera with the usual mediocre results instead of what I am shooting now.
–Fred T
Photography & Flow Class
$233 $190
This class is a rehab from camera tech addiction into healthy Art-of-Seeing. It’s the final step in what I call the Camera-Before-Craft method. You know your camera. Learn to flow into creativity.
PhotoTrainer®, Real Photography for Real People.
In-Person Photography classes in Mountain View, CA
Learn from a Pro!
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, with a 1-hour lunch break
Class Dates Soon!
We do a PREFLIGHT CHECK:
Exposure
ISO, aperture, & shutter (no autos or priorities ie: shortcuts)
When in FLOW, knowing the Exposure Trinity well means moving the beyond the numbers into a place where you become your camera meter’s Spirit Guide.
Lenswork
We do a deep explore your lens/s build/s.
Zooms: Range of focal length why what is it best for 16mm to 35mm, 24mm to 105 millimeter, 70mm to 200mm, what are they good for?
Primes: Fixed focal length. Less glass. Smaller and lighter. More light allowed to pass. Wider Wide apertures, these lenses are “faster” as a result. How can this affect the shot more than a soft background? What is happening here?
Perspective: Literal and optical! Composition expressed visually and quickly by way of lenswork. Center of interest in the center? How can this lens help you with what you intend to shoot?
Light
(is always changing and so should you)
Incident First: The reflected light is a given. What is the incident, what can it tell us?
Quality of light: Hard, soft, angle, time of day, color, atmosphere and intensity.
Do you know how to deal? (The numbers they are in front of you, what are they whispering to you?)
Be bracketing: (not the auto kind!) Exposure practices based on your lighting circumstance.
The famous attributes of being in flow:
1) Balance between ability and challenge
2) Distortion of normal time perception
3) Deep concentration –no distractions occur
4) Instant feedback and clarity -gratifying indeed
5) In a merging of action and awareness –rhythm happens
6) Loss of self consciousness –inner critic is on break
7) Sense of control is fearless and fluid
8) The doing is its own reward
Move from the theoretical into know and experience the Flow…
I came to the DSLR/M Jumpstart class with some prior theoretical knowledge of DSLR cameras and exposure settings, gained from a class I took years ago and watching lots of YouTube videos. However, Tom’s class transformed that knowledge into practical skills. What stood out to me was how Tom tailored his teaching to help us work with our specific gear, making the experience much more hands-on and personalized. Beyond being a great instructor, Tom is a passionate and inspiring artist. He gave us a printout of a quote at the end of the class that left a lasting impression on me.
About Tom
I am Tom Upton, a seasoned professional photographer with a half century career and years of experience teaching photographers of all levels. I love this stuff. Five stars for eighteen years. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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