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| 1967 was the Summer of Love, it seems like 2018 was the Summer of Fun. I am blessed to be doing work that I love, I can't think of anything I'd rather do than get out and explore our amazing world, make images that make me feel good inside and, based on feedback I get, are enjoyed by others too. I'm doing lots of workshops and it is a true pleasure to help people pursue their passion of photography. It is so fulfilling to see the look in their eyes when they are photographing something new or old and come away with a photo they didn't think they could get. It makes me want to do a happy dance like my little Icelandic Puffin friend after bringing home a big breakfast.
I have gotten a bit behind on my blogging, I take fairly extensive notes when I'm doing something exciting and then try to write blog posts as soon as I can afterwards. I have notes from two Iceland trips, a great night photography workshop in Vermont and some other things. I'll get them posted soon, so check my blog for updates. |
| | | Iceland is great, let's go in 2019! I made three trips to Iceland for workshops this year and had a great time, so I've planned two more for next year. The first is in February when we can chase the Aurora Borealis and explore an ice cave. Many people ask if Iceland isn't too cold in February but the answer is not where we are going. The northern region and the interior get very cold but the southern coast gets warm water from the gulf stream currents and is fairly moderate. It is about the same as New York and is rarely as cold as Vermont. In February the days are longer so we have plenty of time to shoot the beauty in daylight and then catch the flickering lights of the Aurora at night. I'll also be hosting a workshop in August, another great time to be in Iceland. The country looks different each season, I had two people who went with me in the winter go back with me in the summer, one liked the summer scenes better and the other liked the way things looked in winter. I enjoyed photographing cute Puffins in the summer, they are out to sea in the winter and I loved going through the ice cave in winter, which you can't do in summer. I'm glad I don't have to choose my favorite time to go! You can see a gallery of summer Iceland photos on my blog at https://lorenphotos.com/2018/08/23/goodbye-iceland-for-now/ |
| | Seeing stars in VermontIn early August was my Vermont Night Sky and Light Painting Workshop and it was more exciting than I expected. We happened to be treated with a flyover each night by the International Space Station. It looks like a super bright start speeding across the sky. Using apps that show where it will be makes it pretty easy to plan a location to make fun photos, so I got us in position to see it cross in front of the Milky Way. The night after the workshop my wife Robin and I stood in our driveway and watched it zip overhead. it is pretty exciting to walk outside and see a spaceship cruising past. Another night during the workshop we did some star trails images, the one below shows the movement of stars circling the North Star for over an hour. OK, it is really the earth's rotation, but circling stars sounds more fun. I'll be doing the workshop again next year Aug. 1-4, you can read more about it and see more photos from this year at https://lorenphotos.com/mevents/night-skies-and-light-painting-in-vermont-photography-workshop/ |
| | | | Watch for the LorenPhotos Sprinter near you! |
| I took the plunge and bought a Mercedes/Freightliner Sprinter 12 passenger van to make it easier for people to get around during my workshops. Without a company owned vehicle I couldn't officially offer rides during workshops because of those fussy insurance people. Now I'm paying a ton for insurance but it will make getting around much easier for participants and more fun having everyone together so we can all talk photography while we are moving to great locations. It has a separate heating and AC unit for the passengers, everyone will be good and comfy. I'll be doing day trips from New Jersey and Vermont and longer weekend trips to places like Philly, Boston and Washington, DC.
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| | Now that I have the Sprinter I'm working on doing tours of New York City. Shooting in the city is exciting and there are many great photos to be made but knowing where to go, how to get around and feeling safe when alone prevents many people from photographing there. I'm solving all of that by providing the transportation, taking people to great locations and, working with an assistant who is also a pro photographer, always have a person who knows the city with the group. I'm finishing the details soon and will have details posted next week. Watch for an email about some exciting trips! |
| | Lightroom classes coming this fall
Lightroom has become the standard for image processing and since all images now need some post processing, knowing Lightroom is as important as knowing your camera. I have three Lightroom seminars coming up, the first is a free overview of Lightroom on Oct. 1, which is great for those who don't know what Lightroom does or if you don't understand the basics of it. Then I have a three session Learning Lightroom class Oct. 22, 29 and Nov. 5 where you will learn everything you need to know to get going with Lightroom including organizing your images and making your photos pop. If you are already familiar with Lightroom but want to get more from it I have an Advanced Lightroom class on Nov. 18. All of the classes can be attended in person or live online through a high quality service I use so you can ask questions as we go. It is just like being in the same room except you can be in your pajamas. I hope you can join me for one of the classes. |
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Few spots still open for amazing 2019 Italy workshops
Friend and fellow photographer Ron Lake and I are heading to Italy twice in 2019. First we go to Venice during the most exciting time of year, Carnival! The workshop will feature the beauty of Venice at Carnival time, models wearing masks all around the city ready to be photographed and a spectacular fireworks show on the final night. The bridges over the canals are lit and make for brilliant color night photos. If you want to have some real fun and make great pictures, join us Feb. 28-March 6, 2019. Read More... Then we are going to Tuscany in May when red poppies are growing everywhere making the countryside look different than during the summer with the wheat fields. We did a Tuscany workshop two years ago and we'll go back to the best places but we're adding places Florence and Chiante. Read about the details here.. |
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Upcoming workshops
• Aug. 17-23, Iceland Summer Photography Workshop, Reykjavik, Iceland
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| Upcoming Art Shows
• Sept. 8-9: Woodstock Art Festival, Woodstock, VT
• Sept. 15-16: Anderson Park Arts & Crafts, Upper Montclair, NJ
• Oct. 9-10: Stowe Arts & Crafts Festival, Stowe, VT
• Oct 16-17 Brookdale Fall Crafts Festival, Montclair, NJ
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| Personal mentoring
If you want to improve your photography, learn more about your camera, get a better handle on Lightroom or Photoshop, or need help with your photo business, then I can help you with one-on-one mentoring that is customized to fit your needs. Read more.. |
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When to break out the gimmicks
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I see lots of photographers using gimmicks to make their photos look different, and they think better. Whether it is funky filters or presets when processing photos in the computer or using a whacky lens, like the fisheye used in this shot at New York's World Trade Center, knowing when to break out a gimmick is key. I'm a huge believer that the images that resonate best are the ones that tell a story and communicate to the viewer. Using a gimmick to make a boring photo better is just a boring photo with a gimmick applied. Use the specialty lens or processing to enhance what you are trying to say and make your center of interest become more apparent. If the gimmick is what sticks in the viewer's mind, then it is truly just a gimmick. Last night while I was shooting in lower Manhattan I wanted to emphasize the new and old buildings surrounding the new Freedom Tower. Using a 15mm fisheye lens distorted everything around the tower and thus making everything in the photo bring your eye back to the tower. I don't use the fisheye often because it can easily become trite if overdone. But you can use it as another tool to bring out what you want. The landscape photo at the top of this newsletter from Iceland was also shot with a fisheye but I did it so the surrounding landscape was distorted in a way that isn't easily apparent. A tool, not a gimmick.
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