I decided to change up things up a little bit and offer the basic beginner wedding photo class this fall.  And for a limited time, it is only $99!  Shut up!  I know!  $99 is crazy cheap for a shooting class at a posh location with live models in designer wedding gowns!  Ah, what can I say? Despite rising prices on models, the location, and gas (OMG - gas), I love this workshop! $99 workshops make it possible to learn a lot in a short amount of time without financial burden. In other words, if you arent 100% committed to this pro photog idea yet - you can attend with minimal investment.

This workshop is aimed at photographers considering wedding photography, however we have had lots of photographers attend these for fun, to sharpen their skills, and get killer portfolio pieces.

This workshop is 1/3 lecture and 2/3 workshop aka shooting. We’ll cover the basics about weddings - what is expected by the bride and groom, their parents, the church, etc. We will also talk about minimums needed for shooting weddings; examples - insurance, equipment, assistants.

We will be covering the following content:

* Basic Lighting Techniques
* Formal & Contemporary Portrait Poses
* Using Natural Light Effectively
* Basic Technical Techniques - aka figuring out how to use your camera (ISO, DOF, flash, etc)
* Adding Drama with light, color, texture
* Flattering Posing for Different Figures
* Basics of Composition
* Negative Space & How to Utilize It
* Basics of Shadows and Light
* Model(s) Provided
* Key Shots & When to Take Them
* How to Nail Difficult Shots
* Low Lighting Challenges
* Quick Posing for Alter Shots
* What to Expect on the Wedding Day
* 2nd Shooter Tips
* Getting Started in Wedding Photography

Intro to Weddings & Bridals was created to allow photographers to establish a sense of what skills are needed to shoot weddings. It is a BASIC level class. The only recommendation is that you have a DSLR camera, although students have attended in the past with SLRs and point and shoots. This is a good workshop to see if wedding photography is for you.

This workshop will be held at a real wedding location in Austin, Texas. Duvean Keep is a STUNNING location in Austin. This private residence has a mideval flare, with lots of stone and stained glass. Recently, a wedding chapel was added to the premises.

During the workshop you will have the opportunity to shoot a bride in a designer wedding gown. You’ll learn quickly the challenges of shooting a white gown in sunlight, shade, and indoors. You will learn the basics of alter shots so you can get them more efficiently during a real wedding. A major newB wedding day mess up is feeling pressure to hurry and get the shots, so the newB photographer either messes up the shots or skips them. We’ll show you some fast, traditional poses that your bride expects. During the day there will be on-going speaking and opportunity for Q&A.

*****YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER TO BENEFIT FROM THIS CLASS!*****
This workshop will talk about lighting, posing, basics of photography and issues that apply to photography in general - the model will just be decked out in a wedding gown.

This workshop is a BEGINNER level class which means newBs are welcome. We will have 1 model per 8 photographers max. If more than 8 people sign up - there will be 2 models, which lowers the ratio. This class can accommodate a larger group of photographers than our other workshops. Teacher student ration will not exceed 1:10. This workshop will be set up rotation style. You’ll have time allocated to each model and instructor.  Please note: Workshops are 1st come 1st served. When the class is full, no more students will be admitted. Any and all funds will be returned if you enroll after the class has reached capacity. Due to the nature of this event, it is non-refundable, non-transferable. If the event is canceled by Belle’s, all registration fees will be refunded. In the case of inclement weather, please contact the studio for updates.

INTRO TO WEDDINGS & BRIDALS:
Date: November 9th, 2008
Location: Duvegan Keep, 12504 Black Mesa Cove, Austin, TX 78739
Instructor: Mike & Holly
Time: 1:00pm-4:00pm
Investment: $149 per person
SOLD OUT

Mike is the president of the Professional Photography Guild in this area.  I thought my blogging has slacked off a little bit - but here we go!  Something special to post!

Miss Shelby Lane will be giving a friggin awesome presentation to the guild on Monday Oct 13th @ 7pm.  For more info on the guild, contact me and I’ll put you in touch with the right people.

With out further ado - here is Shelby’s super fly info:

I am a horrible blogger. I’m just not good at it. Forget about actually writing posts… I’m doing good when I just remember that I should be writing posts.  But, I’ve neglected this a bit too much.  There are way too many things going on for the blog to be left untouched!

So, I’ll make a point of getting a few new posts up in the next couple of days.  Then, keep an eye out for regular updates.  :o)