Blue Planet Photography

Last weekend I lead a workshop to Bruneau Dunes State Park in the Owyhee Desert of southwest Idaho. About 20 miles south of Mountain Home and 80 miles from Boise, it’s a location easily reached for a day or weekend getaway. Spring and fall are the best times for color (other than brown) and temperature (other than scorching hot), but really any time of year is good. The main dune is the tallest single dune in the U.S. at over 400 feet. Several smaller dunes and dune fields are found in this unusual catchment basin for sand. Two small lakes are adjacent to the dunes and an astronomical observatory provides exploration of the night sky spring to fall. Tent pads, RV and trailer spaces, and a couple small cabins await the weekend or weekday warrior. The wind blows almost constantly, sometimes very briskly, so protection of camera equipment is important since sand gets into everything.

Ducks, geese, jackrabbits, osprey, great horned owls, kangaroo rats, lizards, snakes, songbirds, coyotes, insects, wildflowers, clouds, sky, and people.

We had a fun time exploring and learning.

Classes that are coming up in the next couple months:

Photo I
This 8-hour class (meets for 2 hours over 4 weeks)lays the foundation from which to build a successful hobby or career in photography. Covered are the fundamentals of light and camera operation from the light meter to the histogram, how all these components work together to create the photographic image, and how you are in control of the results. Weekly assignments and reviews help you to practice the principles and techniques learned. Held in Caldwell, Idaho, Nampa, Idaho, or other location. When weather permits, we will shoot outside during the class. $195
1/4 - 1/25
1/14 - 2/4
2/1 - 2/22
2/4 - 2/25
Go here to register

Before You Buy
This 2-hour seminar is for people thinking about purchasing their first digital camera. We will cover the pros and cons of digital photography, explore the models and brands available, their features, costs, accessories, and try to fit a selection of camera recommendations to your personal shooting style and expectations. There are no sales pitches during this class. I do not sell photo equipment, so you will not be pressured to buy anything. You will, however, be better prepared when you are shopping at the store or online, knowing what you want, what’s available, and less likely to get talked into spending more than you intend or to buy something you don’t want or need.

If you would like to schedule a different date please select “open date” to register and I will contact you after registration to arrange a date and time.
1/7
2/3
3/10
Go here to register

HDR Photography
HDR photography is one of the most popular tools in digital photography to increase the dynamic range in your photographs (the ability of your image to represent detail in the darkest shadows and the brightest highlights). In this 7-hour workshop you will learn what conditions and subjects are best for HDR photography, how to bracket exposures for HDR, using Photoshop and Photomatix Pro to create HDR images (realistic and illustrative looks), create pseudo HDR images from a single RAW file, and more. We’ll spend part of the day in class covering the background and application details, go out for some photographing, then return to the classroom for hands-on processing. You will need a camera that allows you to manually change the esposure, a laptop computer with at least 1 GB of RAM, a means to download your files from your camera/memory card to the computer, a tripod, Photoshop, and Photomatix Pro (free trials are available for both applications).

If you would like to schedule a different workshop date for a group, please contact me to arrange a date and time.
1/23
3/13
Go here to register

Creating Art: Why you do it and what’s holding you back?
This 12-hour workshop (over 6 weeks) will help you discover your reasons and background for creating art, inspire you to explore and experiment, explore the barriers preventing you from creating your art, find the solutions to breaking those barriers, and assist you in getting your art out into the world for people to see and appreciate. Based on the books Art & Fear by David Bayles & Ted Orland, and The View From The Studio Door, by Ted Orland, we will work through exercises and discussions to get you on the right track of creating satisfying and successful art. Both books (signed by the authors) and a workbook are included in the workshop fee.

If you would like to schedule this workshop for your group, please contact me to arrange a date and time.

2/2 - 3/9
Go here to register

Critical Feedback for Photographers
Many photographers and other artists dread both receiving and giving criticism, believing (wrongly) that crtique is a negative process, only pointing out failures. While criticism can be judgmental, the purpose of giving and receiving feedback is positive and, if in the spirit of helpfulness, is one of the most useful tools available to you for improving your work. Criticism can be defined as “informed discourse about art to increase understanding and appreciation of art”. During this 4-hour class I will describe the three main processes of critique (Description, Interpretation, and Evaluation) and work through these steps using our own work and examples from other sources. This is an interactive class and at the conclusion you should be more comfortable with receiving feedback, know how to use the feedback you receive, be able to provide useful feedback to others when requested, and be able to apply this process to the evaluation of art forms other than photography.

This is a good class for camera clubs and other art groups. Contact me for group rates. If you’d like to schedule a workshop on a different date than is listed, please select “Open Date” in the drop down list and I will contact you after registration to arrange a date and time.
1/16
3/20
Go here to register

Here is a list of my 2010 photography workshops currently scheduled. There are others in the planning stages, many of them weekend workshops in the Boise, Idaho area or elsewhere in Idaho. Keep up to date on workshops being offered by going to http://www.blueplanetphoto.com/workshops2.htm to see the schedule. Click on the workshop name to go to a description and registration page. You are also welcome to subscribe to my workshop newsletter, sent out quarterly. Go to http://www.blueplanetphoto.com/newsletter.htm to subscribe.

• January 9 - 10: The Fine Art Figure in the Studio
• January 16: Critical Feedback for Photographers
• April 6 - 13: Central and Northern Oregon Coast
• April 14 - 19: Columbia River Gorge, Oregon
• April 22 - 27: Painted Hills, Oregon
• May 7 - 9: Bruneau Dunes State Park, Idaho
• June 4 - 10: Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Kansas
• June 18 - 20: The Fine Art Figure Outdoors
• June 24 - 29: McCall, Idaho
• July 8 - 19: Vancouver Island, British Columbia
• August 4 - 9: Spruce Island, Alaska
• September 10 - 12: Stanley, Idaho, and the Sawtooth Mountains
• September 16 - 22: Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Kansas
• October 2 - 10: Central and Northern Oregon Coast
• October 12 - 17: Columbia River Gorge, Oregon
• October 21 - 28: Kroschel Wildlife Center and Bald Eagles, Alaska
• November 4 - 10: Vancouver Island Storm Watch, British Columbia
• December 1 - 7: Oregon Coast Storm Watch
• December 9 - 13: Columbia River Gorge in Winter, Oregon
• January 7 - 12, 2011: Solar Max Northern Lights, Alaska

March 14 - 15

Boise, Idaho

$175.00

Register

Mike Shipman will conduct a fine art figure workshop on March 14 - 15 for serious, intermediate photographers. He will cover studio equipment and lighting, props, finding and retaining models, model releases, posing, lighting, and more. Participants will shoot with at least 2 female models over the two day workshop. Workshop is limited to 10.

I’ll be conducting an outdoor figure photography workshop in June. I’m working out a location and will have it posted on my website (and here) once that is finalized.

March 14 - 15

Boise, Idaho

$175.00

Register

Mike Shipman will conduct a fine art figure workshop on March 14 - 15 for serious, intermediate photographers. He will cover studio equipment and lighting, props, finding and retaining models, model releases, posing, lighting, and more. Participants will shoot with at least 2 female models over the two day workshop. Workshop is limited to 10.

Photo I Class

January 5 - 26

Workshops
January 31 Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge

March 14 - 15 The Fine Art Figure - Studio (location to be determined)
April 4 - 12 Oregon Coast

April 14 - 19 Columbia River Gorge

April 21 - 26 Painted Hills, Oregon

June 4 - 10 Tallgrass Prairie, Kansas

June 19 - 21 The Fine Art Figure - Outdoors (location to be determined)
July 8 - 19 Vancouver Island, British Columbia

July 24 - 26 Silver City, Idaho

August 6  - 12 Spruce Island, Alaska

September 18 - 23 Tallgrass Prairie, Kansas

October 2 - 10 Oregon Coast

October 12 - 17 Columbia River Gorge
October 28 - November 4 Kroschel Wildlife Center, Alaska

November 13 - 19 Storm Watch, Vancouver Island

December 4 - 9 Storm Watch, Oregon Coast

December 11 - 15 Columbia River Gorge

January 7 - 12, 2010 Northern Lights, Alaska

I’ve completed my website re-design and appreciate any comments or feedback. The addition of the Photoshelter galleries allows me to more easily upload photos to a searchable gallery and to organize photos into comprehensible groups to make it easier for viewers to find what they’re looking for.

You’ll find my galleries of fine art, available for sale as open edition and limited edition prints. Limited edition prints are found in their own gallery as well as the fine art gallery. Those of you looking for stock images will be able to search and license images online. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, I may have it in my library waiting to be uploaded. Contact me and I’ll see if I have it. If you need a specific license that is not covered in the online process, contact me and we’ll get it worked out for you.

I’ve also put my 2009 photography workshops and trips online, starting in January 2009 through the first part of January 2010. I’ll be adding a few more as the eary progresses, so either come back to look over the schedule or sign up for my trips newsletter to be informed when I add new workshops and trips.

I have a couple workshops coming up, a 1/2 day workshop tomorrow (6/14) at Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge and a 3-day workshop at Silver City Idaho (6/27 - 29). I’m also doing a special request 2-day workshop in early July for some folks coming out to Idaho from Virginia on what appears to be an adventure holiday of rafting, rock climbing and otherwise checking out the sites of our beautiful state.

Getting ready for workshops is fun. I don’t have a canned program, so each one is a bit different. The content is driven by the purpose of the workshop, but also by the participants. What do they want to learn? Are they really interested to participate, asking questions, trying new things, challenge themselves, or content to just listen and try on their own later? I like to go to places that are challenging, visually and logistically, the areas not overly photographed. I think it helps hone your vision since you’re not looking for the obvious canyon, waterfall, arch, geyser, etc. you’ve seen a hundred times before. An unfamiliar place makes you look, makes you slow down to get to know it. If you speed through, you’ll be disappointed in the results. This teaches you to be slower in the obvious places, too. Teaches you to look beyond the cliche image to the soul of the place. When you do that, sometimes you start to notice the line of photographers begins to form behind you rather than at the usual tripod holes.

The technology of photography, especially now with digital, can seem to be overwhelming. And, initially, it is. There’s a lot to know, but for the most part we already have that knowledge, it just takes someone to identify it and put it in its proper context. Once you can identify the basics and begin to apply them, it’s more or less a matter of practice to improve your skill and understanding. The workshop format is perfect for that.

I always learn something with every class and workshop I give. During my preparation, I find new ways to present information, a new technique, a handy tip, more in-depth technical data I can interpret into less-technical terms. During the workshop, I learn new things from my students, techniques, ways of seeing, equipment tips, all sorts of things. It’s not a one-way street. I don’t think you can truly be a teacher unless you allow yourself to learn from your students. Nobody knows it all. Especially with the proliferation of digital cameras in the marketplace now.

I used to try and keep up with the various features and capabilities of the newer models, but not anymore. Between brands and models within brands the controls can be so different - buttons here, menu selections there - that it takes up too much room in my head. That’s what owner’s manuals are for. Albert Einstein once said “Why memorize something you can look up in a book?” Wise words (but when I was in graduate school we tried to use that as an argument with our statistics professor - he didn’t buy it).

I encourage my students to attend classes and workshops given by different people. Photography is an art and no two photographers approach the same subject in the same way. The basics are the same (light focused into a black box onto light sensitive material), but the application is where the meat is. You learn something new from everyone you have contact with, even the ones who say they have all the answers. It only makes you better.

Well, that was a bit of a rambling. But, I don’t write often enough about my workshops and perhaps I should; my philosophies, summaries of workshops, etc.  Stay tuned.

I’ve updated my 2008 trips list to include finalized dates and location for the Llama trek. It will be July 21 - 26 in the Pasayten Wilderness of north central Washington. In July the wildflowers should be in peak bloom and there are opportunities for varied wildlife from moose to wolves to bears as well as multitudes of bird life.

You’ll find more detailed information and registration information at www.blueplanetphoto.com/llama.htm. If you have any questions you can also contact me through my website here or call 208-466-9340. The full trip list is here.