MENTORING and WORKSHOPS for PHOTOGRAPHERS
LaurieL Photography offers several different Mentoring options, as well as Traveling Group Workshops for aspiring or seasoned photographers who want to start a Maternity and Newborn Photography business, or just sharpen their existing maternity and newborn photography and post-production skills. Mentoring sessions can last one to five days, depending on how much YOU want to learn. After reading through the information below, please call me at 714.743.5507 to discuss any questions or options that I may be able to offer you for your training.
LaurieL's Maternity and Newborn Photography Mentoring sessions consist of intensive 1:1 or 1:2 teaching, and will provide you with the knowledge you need to create beautiful, ethereal maternity and simply stunning newborn pictures. I will teach you to create top quality work that will generate real income!
Our Post Production and Photoshop Mentoring covers variable skill levels, and are tailored to YOU. Whether your skills are just emerging, or you know Photoshop well, but want to advance your skills to produce images that are highly professional, we will tailor the teaching to your skill level. Taking a good picture is only half the job. Your post production skills can make or break an image...and we'll teach you how to take your images from Acceptable, to Exceptional! You'll even be provided a disk of my favorite Actions that I use in my editing.
Maternity and Newborn Photography Business Mentoring will cover so many of the things you need to know to help you start a Photography business of your own, whether it be focused on Maternity and Newborn Photography or another area of photography services. We cover many of the things you'll need to help you run a business with things such as marketing, advertising, documents, forms, client communication pieces and other items that can help you in your new business. This class is offered both 'in-studio' as one of your days during a Mentoring Session, or 'On-Line'. Please contact us for sign-up and payment information via phone or email under our 'contact' information.
What our Mentoring Sessions Include:
ONE-ON-ONE STUDIO MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHY TRAINING WITH LaurieL - Full day $500
This is an intimate, one-on-one, hands-on training, providing you with the ultimate learning experience. There is so much more to know than meets the eye when creating truly beautiful, ethereal maternity photography, and we will show you exactly how to do it. This is an entire full day class, and will include some Post Production. Having this opportunity to be 'hands-on' in the studio can be much more rewarding than watching videos of someone else doing it. Video training is helpful, but when you are in-studio, shooting hands on and getting immediate feedback, it provides you with a better knowledge and learning experience.
In this session, we will cover:
Camera Settings - ISO, Shutter, Aperture
White Balance
The best lenses to use
Lighting - positioning and settings
Items needed to be prepared for a successful session
Client stress relievers that are imperative for a good session
Getting your client to do what you want them to
Why a lot of men are hesitant to participate in the session, and how you can get them involved
Incorporating a man into your session
Wrapping and draping your client
Positioning the client for the most flattering results
Getting it right SOC (straight out of the camera)
Creating movement in your images
The importance of talking to your client, and what to say to get that perfect pose
What props and fabrics are best, and where to get them
Assuring your client(s) leave feeling totally comfortable and happy
LaurieL's post production
ONE-ON-ONE NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY TRAINING WITH LaurieL - Full day $800
This is an intensive, one-on-one, hands-on training. We cover so much in these sessions, that we only work on newborn posing the entire day. These are not group classes where you have to share your time and questions with a dozen other people, fighting for 'your' spot to get the perfect shot. I know that some of the newborn workshops out there are taught by two or more people working together. What a wonderful way to get great baby poses! But, what if you don't have the luxury of having another set of hands posing the baby while you click away? I will teach you careful and patient positioning, including the 'head propped up on hands' shot - which we NEVER "composite". After teaching you...I will have YOU posing the baby until you master it. Typically, you would not get this kind of 'hands-on' in a group session. You will watch me explain, prepare, pose and shoot, and then YOU will be posing and doing the photographing. I've done enough of these trainings to know there is never enough time in one 'day' training to give you 'all' the 1:1 hands-on time you will need to master every pose that I would want to teach you. Thus, that is why it does not allow enough time for post production in that same day. The newborn hands-on training takes a full day. If you also want to learn Post Production on newborn images, you should try to include a separate day for 'PP' training. Otherwise, you just might feel a bit over-whelmed with all that you are taking in and trying to learn in a short time. Please know that LaurieL shoots in a studio using studio lighting. This is not a natural light class, although the only major thing that is different, is the light source...a strobe instead of a window. In this session, we will cover:
Camera Settings - ISO, Shutter, Aperture
White Balance
The best lenses to use
Lighting - positioning and settings
Must haves for a successful session
What to say and talk to the parents about before the session starts
Getting it right SOC (straight out of the camera)
How to make your studio lights look like natural light
Posing on mom
Posing on dad
Posing on siblings
Beanbag posing
Chin Prop posing (no, I don't do composites on these - they CAN be done safely)
Stork Sling posing
Basket posing
Wrapping babies
Keeping baby asleep
Smooth transitioning between poses
Baby safety during the session
Back drops and floor drops that work best
Obtaining great props inexpensively
Please contact us to sign up, or if you have any questions! 714.743.5507
POST PROCESSING - Approx. 4-6 hours in LaurieL's studio - $400
This class is only offered as an add-on to a Maternity and/or Newborn in-studio Mentoring session.
FACT: Your digital editing skills alone can make or break your images! Taking the picture only gets you half way there. The other half happens in the digital darkroom.
This workshop will include digital image editing for maternity and newborn photography in PHOTOSHOP. As a photographer and graphic designer, I'd feel comfortable saying that every image you see on maternity and newborn photography websites have gone through digital editing. For the most part, extensive editing. Ever look at your images and think they are lacking the WOW you see in other photographers images? I will show you how to polish your images, sharing with you some of the most popular Photoshop techniques used today. With 20 years of graphic design background, you can be assured that you will learn the techniques that will make YOUR work stand out from the rest. These workshops will be customized to YOU and your particular needs. You will leave the workshop with the knowledge and skills that will you need to create stunning maternity and newborn images, and a disk of LaurieL's favorite Actions! In this FULL DAY session, we will cover:
First things first,...what you need to do with your images right away
Are your camera and Photoshop working in the same color space?
Correcting white balance issues
Correcting skin tones
How to get baby soft, creamy skin - but not over doing it
Making eyes 'pop' - but not overdoing it
Slenderizing secrets for your maternity images
Adding depth of field (DOF)
Blending your background into your floor
Blending Modes
Layer Masks
Actions (using them, and creating simple Actions to speed up your workflow)
Composites
Textures
Overlays
Cropping an image, (and why I never do it)
Readying images for print or web
Maternity and Newborn Photography Business Mentoring - Full day $400
This day will take you through many of the things you will need to know to set up and start a Maternity and Newborn Photography Business. There are a LOT of materials that you will be provided with, such as forms, emails, templates, etc. In this session, we will cover:
The materials you need to set up a maternity and newborn photography studio space
Where to buy the things you'll need - some of the best websites for the best prices
How to 'lay out' your studio for efficiency and client comfort
Establishing your business's 'look and feel'
Marketing
Advertising
Web presence
Social media and its importance
Where do I get my clients?
What Forms do I need?
Standard client emails
Product packaging - how to do it, and where to get it
Things that will help you in the day-to-day running of your business
Legal issues will not be covered, as I am not a lawyer, and can only offer 'advice' and my personal experiences of running a maternity and newborn photography business for over 10 years.
On-Line 'Group' Photoshop Class - approx. 3-4 hours $150
Classes are tailored to post production of Maternity and Newborn Photography and are done in an on-line, screen sharing environment, and consist of up to 6 participants (3 students minimum to do a class) . You'll be able to ask questions and get immediate responses from LaurieL. In these sessions, we will cover:
Correcting white balance issues
Correcting skin tones
How to get baby soft, creamy skin - but not making them look plastic
Making eyes 'pop' - but not overdoing it
Slenderizing secrets for your maternity images
Adding depth of field (DOF)
Blending your background into your foreground
Blending Modes
Layer Masks
Actions (using them, and creating them to speed up your workflow)
Composites
Textures
Overlays
Editing hi-key images
'1 on 1' On-Line Photoshop Class - approx. 3-4 hours $200
The same information is covered as in our Group Classes...but, you have me 100%, and we can cover whatever you would like to cover! In addition, you may send your own images so that we can work on them together, and tailor the session to YOUR exact needs.
LODGING for Long Distance Travelers (USA or International)
If you are signing up for a multiple day mentoring package (2 days or more) - No need to find and pay for a hotel unless you prefer one. LaurieL will provide lodging at her home studio. Your room is single occupancy, unless you have a friend who is also interested in the workshop. Your lodging for the night is a private guest room located within LaurieL’s studio. Complete with a Queen size bed and private bath, it is comfortable and cozy! Of course you are welcome to get a hotel if you feel more comfortable with that, and we can recommend one for you if needed.
TRANSPORTATION
Pickup and drop off to and from Portland International Airport (PDX) is included. No car rental is needed unless you prefer to have a vehicle for your time here. PDX is only 15 minutes from our studio and we will be happy to provide transportation to and from the Airport. But, if you do rent a car, Portland is a beautiful city to explore!
MEALS and snacks will be provided
1:2 OPTION
Come with a friend and share the session(s) - 'each' person receives $100 off each day ! (Maximum of 2 people)
All fees plus applicable WA State sales tax.
Call me at at 714.743.5507, or email me at lauriel@laurielphotography.com to schedule your personal mentoring session!