Samy’s Camera EDU and Helms Creative Workshops are combining forces to offer Pro EDU classes and workshops. Pro EDU is a place for the more advanced photographer to take a wide range of workshops designed for the working professional.
Samy’s Camera is doing a great job at providing classes and workshops for our photo enthusiast customer base. In addition to our computer classroom which teaches Photoshop, Lightroom and Color Management, we literally train 1000′s of students each year how to use their cameras and offer exciting photo excursion opportunities.
One of my goals when I took this job as the Director of Education for all the Samy’s Camera stores, was to increase the curriculum offerings for working photographers. The phone calls and email requests for beginner classes far outnumber the needs of Samy’s professional client base and it’s only natural to provide the majority of customers what they want here at EDU but by teaming up with Helms Creative Workshops, we can fill the gap for working professionals looking to strengthen their business by expanding their knowledge base.
Founded in 2010 by established commercial photographers Mark Mercier, Jim Wimberg and Anthony Nex, the primary goal of these workshops is to help attendees further their creative vision. In addition, the workshop format will create a positive learning experience where instructors and attendees will inspire one another’s creativity. The workshops are targeted to working professionals, students and advanced amateurs.
Here are ProEDU classes for 2011:
The Portrait Journey with Ken Merfeld – Tuesday, October 4, 2011, 7pm–10pm . For more than 20 years Ken Merfeld has been one of the most prolific people shooters in Los Angeles. Ken has photographed a myriad of commercial, fashion, fine art, and personal portrait projects with a variety of lighting styles, printing techniques, and aesthetic approaches. Enjoy a journey through Merfeld’s enigmatic world of portraiture and learn how one artist has managed to survive, and continually reinvent himself, in this rapidly changing world of art and commerce. Ken’s course will consist of two 3 hr. meetings. The first class will be an inspiring presentation of Ken’s work, a brief discussion afterwards and an assignment will be given. The second meeting will consist of a critique of each students work and discussion.
DSLR Motion Capture with Eric Poppleton - Tuesday, October 11, 2011, 7pm–10pm. The time is now to pick up our still cameras and make your images move. The age of digital film-making is upon us. With minimal gear and your creative eye you can do it. Eric Poppleton will take you through his personal experience in making this leap from still to motion. Eric’s past work in the still world consists of 360° panoramic’s for architecture and automotive products. Eric’s course will consist of two 3 hour meetings. The initial class will go over gear necessary to create motion out of your current stable of still imaging gear. An assignment will be given to create a short motion piece of your own. The second meeting will be a critique session of everyone’s work. Final editing of the piece is not required due to time constraints.
ESSENTIAL PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPHY: Developing Your Next Personal Project with Mark Berndt - Wednesday, October 12, 7pm – 10pm. Prompted by his recent book project, Mark Berndt, LA-based photographer and teacher, wants to share his experience and help you define your desires, push your limits and inject new energy and goals into your work as a visual artist. In an evening that’s as much dialogue as demonstration, we’ll concentrate on the importance of defining your style and creating personal projects to charge your creative battery and send your photography in new directions.
The Art and Technique of Beauty with Richard Radstone - Saturday, October 22, 2011, 9:30am–4:30pm. Join veteran beauty/portrait photographer and filmmaker Richard Radstone as he shares some of his lighting, business and directing insights. This 6-hour program will get both your technical and creative gears turning, all while strengthening your understanding of what it takes to shoot beautiful skin, direct for emotional performance and develop a personal creative-point-of-view.
Conceptual Still Life with Pete McArthur - Thursday, November 3, 2011, 7pm–10pm. There’s Nothing Like a Great Idea-Especially if you’re getting paid for it! Still life photographer Pete McArthur shares his sources of inspiration and methods of developing concepts for advertising and editorial applications. This will be a lively and practical three-hour lecture that will demonstrate Pete’s process of creating engaging photographs that need to communicate specific visual information and yet be artistically satisfying. A twenty-seven year veteran in commercial photography and seventeen years as a photographic educator gives McArthur a unique perspective and an opportunity to share techniques that he has refined over decades of working with both clients and students.
How to Break Into Entertainment Photography and What to Know Once You Get There with Michael Becker – Tuesday, November 8, 2011, 7pm – 10pm. Michael Becker is an established television and celebrity photographer with show credits that include American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, House, The Practice, Ellen DeGeneres, The Mentalist and many other hit TV shows. In this course, Michael will discuss how he broke in to this competitive field, and what it takes to stay there.
