DSLR Camera Concepts Seminar

Dixie State College Community Education in St. George, Utah is sponsoring my new seminar: DSLR Camera Concepts. This seminar will be held on your choice of either of two convenient Saturday Sessions on either 1/23/2010 or 3/20/2010. The seminar runs from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm with a one hour personal lunch break. The college’s fee for this seminar is $49 + $10 for materials. The following topics will be covered:

• Lenses
• Raw Files
• Macro Techniques
• Tripod Usage
• Camera Modes
• Accessories

Materials Students Bring

• You should own a Digital SLR Camera. The camera you have is probably just fine. Bring it.
• Bring your related gear (lenses, tripod, etc.)
• Bring some examples (files or prints) of your work for us to discuss in class.

Who is This Class For?

• This class is perfect for the Digital SLR owner or someone contemplating a DSLR purchase.

Contact Dixie State College Community Education at (435) 652-7675 to sign up.

Pathways to Distinctive Photographic Accomplishment

A little over two years ago I distributed an article I prepared to help my photographer friends and acquaintances find ways of improving their skills. This was done in response to a repeated inquiries as to how I personally progressed. I am reloading this document for you free use at http://www.bobkulonphoto.com/pdf/Pathways_2009.pdf. Feel free to copy and distribute in whole for reading as long as my copyright notice is respected. Here is the opening paragraph:

“After spending considerable time with many enthusiast photographers in our burgeoning community, it crosses my mind that many folks are becoming quite serious about making their mark in the field, either professionally or as a serious amateur. It seems that the allure of the Digital SLR camera and the creative options presented by Photoshop and other photo productivity computer solutions has captivated the masses. The promise is undeniable. Artistic expression is well within the grasp of everyone.”

Consider this my Holiday Gift to you. Cheers!

4 New Saturday Clinics Sponsored by HVAA

In conjunction with Hurricane Valley Arts Alliance (HVAA), we are pleased to announce four new one day clinics to be held in Hurricane, Utah. If you will recall, these are the great folks that recently sponsored my successful DSLR Boot Camp.

Each of these clinics are independent – you can pick and choose, mix and match, to suit your individual needs. They are held mid-day on Saturdays in late September and early October. These clinics will take place at the Rainbow Canyon Community Building in Hurricane, Utah. The clinics run from 9 AM to 4 PM with an hour break for lunch. Registration fee for any of these is a mere $65 (which includes handouts). Contact Carol Larson at (435) 635-6966 or musiccarol@msn.com.

Here’s the rundown on what we have in store…

Taking Better Digital Pictures – September 12, 2009

• Composition
• Focus
• Lighting
• Exposure
• Posing
• Intended for Point and Shoot owners on up!

Photoshop Elements – September 19, 2009

• File cataloging
• Easy Editor
• Full Editor
• Special Effects
• Printing and Output
• Intended for folks that [want to] use Adobe Photoshop Elements

DSLR Camera Concepts – September 26, 2009

• Lenses
• RAW files
• Macro Techniques
• Tripod Usage
• Camera Modes
• Accessories
• Perfect for the Digital SLR owner or someone contemplating a DSLR purchase

Juried Art Shows – October 3, 2009

• Finding and Planning
• Entering
• Preparing
• Setup and Tear down
• Marketing
• For all artists and crafters seeking involvement in the world of juried shows.

DSLR Boot Camps Return

My relocation to SW Utah is full circle now. I have scheduled a full blown DSLR Boot Camp in Hurricane, Utah on June 3, 6, and 10. This event is sponsored by the Hurricane Valley Arts Alliance. Full details are available at: http://www.bobkulonphoto.com/training.html

You may view or download the entire brochure at http://www.bobkulonphoto.com/pdf/boot_camp_package_hurricane0906_v01.pdf

Announcing: 1-on-1 Workshop Program

Effective immediately, I am offering private instruction. This has been something that I find rewarding, enjoyable, and frequently requested.

This educational service will be offered on a 1-on-1 basis in my studio office in St. George, Utah. This facility is fully equipped with three powerful work stations, multiple calibrated monitors, Photoshop CS4, Lightroom 2, and host of professional photographic applications to render the ultimate in image presentation. I use the very latest in printers: the Epson Pro 7900 and the Epson Photo R1900. Your prints for the day are your to take with you.

I plan to meet your needs in individual training centered on five possible themes:

• Creativity (concept, approach, possibilities, exercise, etc)
• Image management (ingestion, ranking, key-wording, archiving, etc.)
• Editing (the basics and more)
• Output (print, web, video, etc)
• Presentation (matting, framing, hanging, selling, etc)

These sessions are aimed at the Outdoor Photographer facing the challenges of natural light. This encompases, landscape, scenic, nature, street, and documentary work. (For now, studio and flash components are not a consideration.) This a natural outgrowth of many of the topic and concepts I have been teaching for years at seminars and DSLR Boot Camps.

Obviously, that is a broad palette from which to choose. I will work you ahead of the session to define and prioritize your needs so the program is crafted to be of most use to you.

I am very close to Zion National Park (and hundreds of other equally amazing scenic gems). As a result, you can come to the park, and take private lessons with me.

The base charge for a day of private studio lessons is $275/day, prepaid at time of reservation. I live 2 hours from the Las Vegas airport along I-15. Should you wish to book 2 or more days in a row, you are welcome to use my comfortable guest bedroom gratis. Significant others that merely observe or have their own agenda are not charged.

I also will accompany you into the field for shooting if you need my skills for guiding and/or photographic instruction. The same terms apply. 

This offer is subject to availability. Once payment is made, your reservation is considered firm. I accept check, Visa, and MasterCard. Please contact me at bkulon@hotmail.com or 330-635-7557.

I sincerely hope to see you in the glorious Southwest – the best concentration geography and art in our country.

It certainly bears repeating

Yesterday I sent out a mass email with a ton of news. For the sake of posterity, here’s what what was included…

Pre Holiday Art Shows

I am participating in 5 different Fine Art Exhibition/Shows from the middle of November through mid-December. I have had many customers ask to be reminded of these, so this is the first nudge I will be sending out. Remember, I will have the standard assortment of prints and cards that you have come to know, but, I will also have many new “standout” wall prints, ready to hang, printed in an amazing metallic finish. These make a wonderful gift. The photographs have been selected from my 2008 best sellers, so you will have many to choose from. In addition, the themed collector card sets that have proven popular would make the ideal holiday gift. I will have a high-definition large-screen video display of my offerings in my booth at these events making it very easy for you to make choices. I planned to be stocked up and ready to meet your holiday shopping needs. Here we go with the events…

• November 14, 15, and 16 – Cleveland By Hand Art & Craft Show – I-X Center – www.clevelandbyhand.com
• November 22 and 23 – Cincinnati By Hand Art & Craft Show – Duke Energy Convention Center – www.cincinnatibyhand.com
• November 28, 29, and 30 – Christmas In The Colonies – Medina County Fairgrounds – www.christmasinthecolonies.com
• December 5, 6, and 7 – Butler Holiday Craft Show – Butler Institute of American Art – www.butlerart.com
• December 20 – Countryside Conservancy Holiday Market – Happy Days Visitor Center – Route 303 in Boston

Gallery Exhibition

Once again, I have been honored to have a exhibition of my recent photography project at the Butler Institute of American Art. The exhibit, entitled “Call it a Loan; Borrowing a Piece of the Pacific Northwest”, will run at standard museum hours thought the end of 2008. It is timed in conjunction with Butler’s re-certification process and was personally selected to represent them by the management. It goes without saying, my gratitude for this opportunity is beyond words. You will find this exhibit on the second floor in the digital art wing. Once the exhibit closes, these works will be for sale, so contact me to reserve your art before it is gone. Here is the accompanying Artist’s Statement.

Never did I expect that a set of return trips to the Pacific Northwest would start a maelstrom of brain waves beckoning me to grow and explore this wondrous place. For three weeks during the Spring of 2008, I traversed three distinctly different regions of our Northwest: The Oregon Coastline; The Columbia River Gorge; and The Palouse Region of Southeast Washington. Sometimes I captured what I saw; at other times I only absorbed, reflecting rather than documenting.

This became a rich catharsis for me as I began to understand life unfettered in the realm of nature. What you are viewing here today is an exhibit of eight personal selections from a collection of about fifty that I show as examples of my photographs from this period. In making decisions to cull the exhibit, I reached inward for my inspiration – this is something one can easily do when commercial return is not the primary motive. You are looking into my soul.

From a technical standpoint, these are digital photographs taken using modern full frame SLR cameras and high quality lenses. I am somewhat of a stickler for technique and tend to spend a great deal of effort planning and executing to assure a striking outcome. Each image was carefully seasoned and cajoled in my processing system to bring out a “walk right in” characteristic. As such, I interpret with forethought. I do not simply document. After all, this is art.

This exhibit has been produced on Kodak Endura Professional Metallic Media to bring out a lustrous, striking gallery look with richness and head-turning capabilities. It is my first venture away from personally handmade pigment prints. I like the results and will be offering this option in the future.

Announcing DSLR Boot Camps 2009 Series

The DSLR Boot Camps have been around now for a few years and nearly 100 photographers have taken advantage of the in-depth training afforded them. Times change and so do we. I have decided to expand the class offerings to cover a broader range of interests as well as the varying levels of expertise. While these have not been planned out to the Nth degree, here is what you can expect. All classes have a size limit of 12 and are held in Brunswick at my well-equipped training facility. More dates will be added as these fill up. I am now taking reservations with 50% deposits…

• DSLR Boot Camp 101 – Photographic Principals and Camera Operation – 1/17/09 & 1/18/09 - 16 hours including guided field exercises – $159
• DSLR Boot Camp 201 – Photoshop CS4 Throughput- 1/24/09 & 1/25/09 – 16 hours – $229
• DSLR Boot Camp 202 – Lightroom 2.0 Throughput – 2/7/09 & 2/8/09 – 16 hours – $229
• DSLR Boot Camp 301 – Lightroom/Photoshop Interactions – 2/14/09 & 2/15/09 – 12 hours – $159
• DSLR Boot Camp 401 – Achieving Critical Artistry - 2/21/09 & 2/22/09 – 12 hours – $159

Please note that the above dates have been updated since this original post was placed online. The Boot Camp sessions now take place in a logical sequence and allow the requisite weekend off for the Super Bowl!

Field Workshops

I have many field workshops in the planning stages for next year. Stay tuned as I announce…

• Field Macro Photography
• Winter B&W Abstracts
• Panorama Extravaganza
• HDR Workout
• Spring Wildflowers
• Garden Scenics
• Fall in NE Ohio
• UP Michigan in Fall
• Spring in NE Ohio