Trina's Portrait Video!

Hey! I just made a new video portfolio for Trina's portraits!

I'll embed it here but the right side os cut off by the width of the blog frame, so to see it full frame, go to the link below...



If you want to show it to your friends send them to this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG8WOSZuFSY

Cheers!
Scott

Your Magic Paintbrush!

Come join us for The Magic Paintbrush: Intro to PhotoShop with Femke Randeraad

Back by popular demand... another session of the Magic Paintbrush has been added to our summer workshop list! Spaces are limited, so come join us to learn how to enhance the fabulous images that you created....

What you need to know:

4 Session Workshop
Mondays June 8th & 15th, Wednesdays June 10th & 17th, 2009
6:45pm to 8:45pm
$144 + GST

Discover the masterpiece hidden within your digital image!
Adobe Photoshop is the most powerful program out there that will help you get that 'WOW' factor in your photos.

Our hands on Introduction to Photoshop workshop will teach you how to get started with using the basic functions plus more.

Techniques Taught;

Using the Image Menu
Opening, Creating a New File, Closing and Saving your file.
A tour of the Toolbox
Selection Tools (Marquee, Move, Lasso, Magic Wand, Crop and Slice)
Retouching and Paint Tools (Healing Tools, Brush, Clone Stamp, History, Eraser, Fill Tools.
Sharpen, Blur, Dodge, Burn and Sponge)
Drawing and Type Tools
Annotation and Measurements
Foreground Color and Background Color
Screen Modes
Saving Images for Web
Filters
Layer Management and Working with Layers
6 things Photoshop will do for you automatically
Cutting and Pasting
Watermarking images
Enhancing your portraits

There will be take-home assignments to help deepen your understanding of the concepts presented and provide valuable one-on-one feedback. These feedback sessions are often a course highlight, with many an exciting breakthroughs to follow.

By the end of the course you will have a greater awareness of how to take your images to the next level!

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Students will require a laptop computer and an understanding of where their photographs are saved on the computer. Your laptop requires a copy of Photoshop CS, CS2 or CS3. 30-day demonstration copies of Photoshop are available at the studio.
Enrolment Limit: 8 students

Email or give us a call to answer any of your questions or register you for the course...

Hope to see you there!
Alisha
Studio Manager


--
Trina Koster
Photography Workshops
260 Waterloo Ave
Guelph ON N1H 3J5
519-767-2948
www.trinakoster.com
www.tkpWorkshopConnection.com

Sawka's Antarctica

Walter Sawka is a long time friend of the studio... in fact it should be the other way around since Walter has been a mentor for Trina since long before the studio was born.

Walter recently traveled to Antarctica and has made a stunning collection of pictures out of the experience. I seriously recommend you check out his website at www.sawkaphoto.com. He's got several galleries of equally beautiful images from various parts of the world for you to enjoy.

What are people saying about Photo Cuba?

How would you like to join us in Cuba for next year's Photo Cuba travel photography workshop?

If so, you'll probably want to hear what our students from this year had to say about the experience.

We got some telling feedback from the Photo Cuba 2009 students. Check it out on the PhotoCuba blog here, http://photographyworkshopsincuba.blogspot.com/ .

And check out the latest Photo Cuba student exhibit on our special Photo Cuba website at www.photocubasorkshop.com.

Photo Cuba 2009 Video!

Hey, Check it out! We've got a video of some awesome student photos from Photo Cuba 2009! See what you can do? You'll want to join us on the next photography workshop in Cuba once you see this!

Okay, the edge of the video is invisible here in the blog, so click on the link here to see it's full glory directly in YouTube... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPU3IUiZvEE



Photo Cuba! is an exciting travel photography workshop. Learn photography in an exotic and inviting place. All you really need is a sense of adventure, the willingness to try and the desire to have fun with your camera in a new place! You will learn about travel photography, storytelling with your camera, composition, design, capturing gestures, portraiture and lighting. Most of all this workshop is about connecting with people and immersing yourself with camera in a new culture.

Check out our official site at www.PhotoCubaWorkshop.com.

Photos Delivered to Cuba!

Sandra Herber, one of our lovely wonderful Photo Cuba 2009 workshop students, returned to Cuba recently for a second trip and graciously delivered prints of all the photos of the people of Chivirico (Santiago de Cuba) that were taken by the students this February. Here is her photo report:

Hi everyone,

Just thought I'd drop you all a quick note to say what a great time I had in Cuba last week. Everyone was thrilled to receive your photos - it was really lovely to see. I took all the photos to the gallery and within a few hours people had come to pick up their own photos and those of people they knew and 90% of them were gone! When I left there were only a few that hadn't been claimed and German thought they belonged to people from other towns who had come into Chivirico to deal with the local government. He believed they would be back and someone would tell them to come into the gallery to pick up their photos. Cheisser took me around for an afternoon delivering photos to people that he knew. As well, I took photos back to people I knew and I've attached a few snapshots of people receiving their photos. Suffice it to say that it was a real treat for me to take all your pictures back and they were unanimously well-received.

As you'll see in the background to one of the photos, the exhibition had arrived by the time I left (and German was arranging it). I was not able to see it up, but it should be up by now. German was very happy with the photographs.

Hope you're all well,

Sandra

Spring Workshops Update!

Scroll this post to check out the updated list of Spring Workshops! Call us at 519-767-2948 or email info@trinakoster.com to reserve your spot in the workshop of your choice!


Digital Photography: The Fundamentals
With Alisha Zoethout & Doug Tyson
Six Week Course
Tuesdays, April 14th to May 19th, 2009
7:00pm – 9:30pm
$240 + GST

Photography is all about light. How many of us pay attention to the light around us? Join us for a course that will open your eyes to a new way of seeing, of interpreting the world around you. You will learn both the technical and creative ingredients essential to making exciting, compelling images. This beginner workshop takes place in the fun and relaxed atmosphere of our professional studio, where questions are encouraged and the uniqueness of each student’s emerging creative vision is supported and celebrated.

Gaining technical control of the manual function of your camera is a liberating experience; you are smarter than your camera! Through hands-on demonstrations, visual examples, we will reveal the “mystery” of how ISO speeds, shutter speeds and aperture settings combine to create the best exposure.

We will master photographers’ work to discuss the principles and elements of design, the artistic language of composition. You will be encouraged to experiment with angles, perspectives and creative ways to fill the frame (the subject doesn’t always have to be in the centre!). Throughout the course you will be introduced to the various styles of photography—landscape, portrait, documentary, still life and more.

Optional weekly assignments will deepen your understanding of key concepts as well as allow you to work and grow at your own level. The small group size (15 maximum, 2 instructors) provides the valuable opportunity of weekly feedback and individualised attention on your images. These feedback sessions are a highlight of the course for many students. By the end of the 7 weeks, you will have a mini-portfolio of images and a growing sense of your personal photographic vision.

The course concludes with a wine-and-cheese critique celebrating your best work. By this point, you will have completed the cycle from shooting to printing to matting your completed image. On this night we will discuss how to speak about art in an informed, clear way.

This course is designed for never-held-a-camera beginners, as well as for those who have some knowledge of photography and wish to deepen their understanding and exploration of the medium. Upon completion of Learn Photography you are welcome to take any of our intermediate level courses. If you cannot commit to the six week course, please check out our Crash Learn Photo.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
This course is for anyone wanting to develop the ability to understand their camera. A digital SLR or Point & Shoot camera with Manual functions is required for this course.
Enrolment Limit: 15 students


Photo Club
With Trina Koster
Spring Session: Thursdays April 30, May 14, 28, June 11 and 25, 2009
Summer Session: July 12, 23, August 6, 20, September 3, 2009
7-9:30pm
$145+gst
Maximum 12 participants so we don’t get in each other’s way!

Photo Club is a fun and interactive way to be around other image makers who are passionate about photography like you! Our North American culture of work, work, work deprives us of “play” time. Engaging with your creativity is a fulfilling way to experience life. Scheduled photo shoot sessions ensure you get out there and make time for yourself.

There will be four photographically inspiring locations pre-arranged for this intimate size group. The locations will be specifically chosen to take advantage of the best light. While “in the field” you will be able to candidly receive feedback and creative input from both Trina and your fellow photographers. It is always eye opening to compare how other image makers perceived what you also saw. Each shooting session will offer a creative challenge for you to try experimenting with.

The alternating weeks allow you to have time to play with your shot images on your own. The course will wrap up with an in-studio wine and cheese critique on June 25th. Photo Club participants will be expected to bring in four finished prints and a slideshow of images from the photo shoots.


Photo Smarts: Critiques & Techniques
With Trina Koster
Thursdays April 23, May 7, 21, June 4 and June 18, 2009
7-9:30pm
$195+gst
Maximum 12 participants

Join this class to improve your visual literacy and to stay connected to photography and your creativity.

Time and again students say that critiques are the highlight of a workshop experience. Feedback sessions are, by far, the most powerful learning opportunity. We also find that when students are not enrolled in a workshop, they are not making pictures as much as they would like to be. Stay active with your photography and creativity. Join Trina as she leads you through a variety of creative challenges and techniques that will help you take your photography to the next level.

The focus of this workshop will be to improve your visual literacy by expanding your critiquing abilities when looking at yours and others photographs. Develop a more advanced eye for composition, lighting, tones and colour and elements of design. Together we will analyze the concept behind your pictures and discuss how your story is translating to the viewer.

All sessions will take place in studio where we will watch clips from movies and look at master photographers images as ways to influence your own photography. Students will share tips, techniques and links to useful resources. Creative challenges will be assigned to inspire new directions, development of new work?. Students will photograph the assignment and personal projects outside of class. The biweekly class will allow time for students to process their images and come to each session with 1-5 images for critique. It is highly recommended that students continue to work on a personal project for the duration of this workshop.

Requirements: Participants must have a good understanding of how their camera works and be committed to bringing images to EACH session for critique.


Point and Shoot with Style Part I:
Understanding Your Digital Camera
With Trina Koster
One-day Course
Saturday, May 30th, 2009
9:00am – 12:00pm
$48 + GST

De-mystify those buttons and get the picture results you want!

• Do you never take your camera off the “easy” mode, but you have always wanted to?
• Do you measure the resolution of your camera in “mega-pickles”?
• Do camera manuals make no sense to you?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then this one day workshop is for you!

Trina takes great joy in helping people understand how to get the most from their camera in a simple, fun and interactive way. Through demonstrations and visual examples you will learn what the most important features are on your camera and how to use them most effectively.

We will teach you about; image quality settings, digital photo memory, ISO settings, how an image is captured, what aperture and shutter speeds are and when and why to use different “scene modes”.

Our encouraging attitude and relaxed studio environment will put you at ease to be able to ask us ANY questions.

You will get a chance to try out all the buttons and features download your images for feedback and go home feeling like you have made friends with the tool that will capture your memories and record your stories.


Point and Shoot with Style Part II:
Making More Interesting Photos
With Trina Koster
One-day Course
Saturday, June 13th, 2009
9:00am – 12:00pm
$48 + GST

Now that you understand how to use your camera it’s time to have fun and make some art! Learn how the rectangle on your camera can be the canvas to your world!

Many adults love photography because it is an excess-able way to make pictures. When we were kids we made pictures all the time and derived much joy from doing so. We feel great when we express our creativity, because we are then expressing our true selves.

As a photographer, Trina’s mission is to help people connect with their creativity. She will help you to express yourself more clearly through an understanding of visual language. Through a slideshow of excellent images you will learn the elements and principles of design and become more visually aware of how to compose your pictures.

During this one day workshop you will have the opportunity to go out and photograph an assignment and receive valuable feedback on your images.


Point and Shoot with Style Part III:
Now You Shot It... Time to Store It!
With Trina Koster
One-day Course
Saturday, July 4th, 2009
9:00am – 12:00pm
$48 + GST

With the ease of digitally photography also comes some new responsibilities like “backing up” you photos.

We will teach you how to back up your collection of photographs and explain why you have to back up images in the first place.

With the world gone digital there are so many choices out there!

Often beginners to photography do not understand the value of a good editing program and storage devices. We will demonstrate how to use Picasa, iPhoto and Flickr.
How to email a photo to friends, how to export a picture to a USB key or CD, how to bring an image to a store to have printed.


Sweet Child of Mine:
Intro to Child Portraiture
For Moms, Dads, Grandparents and those who love photographing children, with photographer & mom- Noelle O'Brien
Saturday May 23rd, 2009
9am - 12pm
$48+gst

Whether you are photographing a child’s birthday party or a family vacation, we will teach you the tools and techniques to improve your every-day picture taking.

Using your current camera- point and shoot or SLR- the goal of this beginner session is to learn how to use your equipment to create better images of your favourite subjects- your children!

By exploring various photographic styles and techniques participants will also learn how to work towards developing their own style. The session will provide instruction on how to capture the precious moments of childhood by incorporating visual components such as light, movement and angles and discover how to tell a story by bringing feeling and emotion into your images.

You will leave this fun session feeling motivated and inspired with a whole new set of tried and true tricks to use when creating beautiful images of your family.

There will be ample time for questions and discussion in this fun, relaxed environment. No experience necessary.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
A digital or film camera- point and shoot or SLR is required. This course is geared towards anyone who would like to develop their skills for taking better photos of children.
Enrolment Limit: 10 students


The Magic Paintbrush:
Intro to Photoshop
With Femke Randeraad
3 Session Workshop
Saturdays, May, 23rd, 30th, June 6th, 2009
9:00am to 12:00pm
$144 + GST

Discover the masterpiece hidden within your digital image!
Adobe Photoshop is the most powerful program out there that will help you get that ‘WOW’ factor in your photos.

Our hands on Introduction to Photoshop workshop will teach you hoe to get started with using the basic functions plus more.

Techniques Taught;

• Using the Image Menu
• Opening, Creating a New File, Closing and Saving your file.
• A tour of the Toolbox
• Selection Tools (Marquee, Move, Lasso, Magic Wand, Crop and Slice)
• Retouching and Paint Tools (Healing Tools, Brush, Clone Stamp, History, Eraser, Fill Tools.
• Sharpen, Blur, Dodge, Burn and Sponge)
• Drawing and Type Tools
• Annotation and Measurements
• Foreground Color and Background Color
• Screen Modes
• Saving Images for Web
• Filters
• Layer Management and Working with Layers
• 6 things Photoshop will do for you automatically
• Cutting and Pasting
• Watermarking images
• Enhancing your portraits

There will be take-home assignments to help deepen your understanding of the concepts presented and provide valuable one-on-one feedback. These feedback sessions are often a course highlight, with many an exciting breakthroughs to follow.

By the end of the course you will have a greater awareness of how to take your images to the next level!

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Students will require a laptop computer and an understanding of where their photographs are saved on the computer. Your laptop requires a copy of Photoshop CS, CS2 or CS3. 30-day demonstration copies of Photoshop are available at the studio.
Enrolment Limit: 8 students


The Telling Portrait:
Introduction to creating beautiful photographs of people
With Noelle O’Brien & Femke Randeraad
4 Session Workshop
Saturdays, April 18th, 25th May 2nd, 9th, 2009
9:00am to 12:00pm
$190 + GST

Time and again we are asked to make “beautiful” pictures of someone—your mother, child, friends etc. Through hands-on work with natural, flash and studio lighting, we will examine face shapes and features to determine the most appropriate lighting strategies and angles to flatter your subject. We will also touch on poses, gestures, expressions, and the rolls clothing and make-up can play, especially in more formal photography. You will learn to 'see' light and use it to enhance your portraiture as well as learn practical tips on how to create a rapport with and generate a response from your subject

We will discuss formal, informal as well as environmental portraiture—using your subject’s natural “environment,” be it their home, garden, or workspace, to illuminate aspects of their character. Through demonstrations, slide-shows and in-class shooting assignments, (using each other as models) you will learn how to communicate, direct and move into a creative space with your subject. You will learn to pay attention to details, to creatively fill your frame, to anticipate and work with speed and perceptiveness.

Weekly creative assignments and personal feedback will deepen your understanding of the concepts presented and help you to grow as a portrait photographer. Students are encouraged to work on a personal project through the course to learn the importance of returning to a subject multiple times. By the end of the course you will have a mini-portfolio of portrait images and a deepening awareness of your personal photographic vision.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
A digital or film camera- point and shoot or SLR is required.
Enrolment Limit: 14 students


Advanced Portraiture:
Shooting for Style with Dramatic Light on Location
with Trina Koster, Derrick Rutherford, and Julio Rodrigues
Wednesdays May 27, June 3,10,17 and 24, 2009
6:45-9:45pm
$295+gst
Limit 12 participants

Instructors: Trina Koster renowned for her expressive portraits and stylish wedding photography. Recently Trina has been teaming up with professional fashion stylists Derrick Rutherford and Julio Rodriques pursuing creative endeavors such as The Bewitching Magic Project, Sabor Cubano and Langdon Dreams. www.valentini.ca

Get more creative with your flash- off camera! Partake in this incredible opportunity to photograph models and collaborate with make up artists and stylists.

There are layers of creativity and vision that goes into a styled photo shoot before the shutter is even pressed. With her 15 years experience, Trina will teach you how to get your ideas from your imagination onto the memory card

In this workshop you will learn:

• expert modeling techniques; proper placement of hands, feet and body angles
• to communicate with your subject effectively
• to develop a visual concept,
• lighting design with your flash OFF camera

Team skills are a must! Each session you will work in a group of four. During the class all of you will have the opportunity to photograph and direct one model, art direct the lighting, manage visual details, and be the photo assistant. Trina and the stylists will be on site with each group throughout the photo sessions to provide valuable feedback, suggestions and encouragement.

Taking advantage of the good weather, longer daylight hours each photo session will be at an intriguing location out doors. You WILL come out of this intensive hands on workshop with a new collection of images that will amaze you!

This opportunity only comes by once a year, in the spring, and usually sells out fast. Sign up and take your photography to a new level that you never thought possible before!


PhotoCuba! Cultural Immersion with Camera
Workshop leaders: Trina Koster & Photo Cuba Team
February 7-14, 2010 at Los Galeones Hotel in the village of Chivirico, Santiago de Cuba

Photo Workshop fee/ Early Registration: $595 + GST (includes overnight trip to Santiago)
Registration after September 9th, 2009: $650+ GST (includes overnight trip to Santiago)
Registration after December 1st, 2009: $695+ GST (includes overnight trip to Santiago)

Cultural Workshop only $250 + GST ( includes overnight trip to Santiago, language and culture lessons only)

Travel fees approximately $1050 CAN/based on double occupancy (includes flight, air tax, hotel, food and all inclusive bar for 1 week)

Travel with Purpose! Have fun in the sun, get off the resort and experience the real Cuba! Meet wonderful people and connect with culture through photography.

With her 15 years experience as a portrait photographer, Trina will lead you in photography lessons on visual storytelling,the decisive moment, composition, sculpting light and capturing gestures. An emphasis will be made on connecting with people while immersing yourself in a new culture. This workshop is suitable for image makers coming from different levels of photography. If you are a beginner, you will not be lost, if you are advanced you will not be held back as each person will have their photographs personally reviewed and critiques customized to your level.

Throughout the week our team of instructors will give you feedback on your images. You will greatly benefit from this diverse group of artists. Along with Trina, the PhotoCuba team includes photographer and author Laura Taylor (www.lauraetaylor.com), graphic novel and commercial illustrator Scott Mooney (www.moon-man.com), cultural promoter Arisdan Balado Rodrigues and surrealistic Cuban painter, German Portuondo. German is also a professor of Fine Art, and director of the Guerimellio Galleria de Arte in Chivirico (in the village where we will be staying). In particular, German brings great insight and a truly unique Cuban perspective to the students understanding of their images.

By collaborating with local Cuban photo guides, we will help you to quickly connect to real people and the rhythm of daily life in Cuba. Chivirico is not a touristy town, instead you will find babies, school kids, seniors, fisherman, bakers, commuters, dogs, chickens and pigs going about their lives in the most natural of ways. These kinds of photographic opportunities usually reserved for professional journalists will be an abundant part of our program. (Please note, Cuba is one of the safest islands in the Caribbean to be walking around in)

Since you’ll be immersed in Cuban life through photography Laura and Arisdan will be teaching you basic Spanish lessons to help you communicate with your subjects. There will also be lectures in Cuban culture, music, dance and art to enhance your Cuban experience.

Mid-week we will venture out on an overnight trip to historical downtown Santiago de Cuba. Our excursion will include a guided tour of the streets of Santiago with options to visit the best museums and galleries. There will be a sunset photo shoot at El Morro Castle. Following that we will enjoy an authentic Cuban feast on a rooftop terrace overlooking the Santiago Bay Harbour. A private salsa dance lesson will prepare us to hit one of the local Salsa dance clubs afterwards. You will stay in a Casa Particular and experience the warmth and hospitality of Cubans. In the morning we will go to the farmer’s market, visit the Centro de Arte Gallery and then head back to our retreat at our cozy hotel in the mountains.

Los Galeones is a sweet little hotel situated between the Caribbean Sea and the famous Sierra Mountain Range. Chivirico is next door to Umbaro, where Castro and his comrades lead THE Revolution. On top of the small mountain is our laid back hotel where you can take a dip in the pool , enjoy a 360 degree view, gorgeous sunsets, and friendly staff. The hotel also has a private beach with snorkelling and a wonderful dog named “Lobey”

Our night time activities include sipping back Mojitos, while listening to one of the many fabulous musicians that play nightly at the hotel. This is a fun, socially interactive experience for people of all ages from teenagers to retirees, singles and couples. (We encourage travel companions to partake in the Cuban Cultural component.) Although this is a group workshop, participants should feel at ease knowing solitude time will be respected.

Since the inception of Photo Cuba, Chivirico now has a photo club “Photo Che”. In the past, students have brought donations of digital photo and computer equipment and art supplies to help support the access to image making. We also show gratitude to the people of Chivirico by bringing clothing donations to be distributed through the village.

Our Photo Cuba experience will wrap up with a Fiesta and slideshow celebrating the images from the week. This slideshow will go on to exhibit at the local gallery so the people in the community can enjoy the photos of themselves.

Photo Cuba is an adventure into the heart of Cuban culture, to a place as one student said “has soul”. A creative experience you’ll never forget is waiting to embrace you!
For more information please visit www.photocubaworkshop.com. On the “Gallery” page you will be able to see photos from previous students, images of the hotel, village and instructors.
To reserve your spot or if you have any questions please call Trina at 519-767-2948 or email info@trinakoster.com. We will be having an complete information session for enrolled Photo Cuba 2010 participants at Trina’s studio on Saturday November 21st at 11am.
Our annual Photo Cuba fundraiser will take place Saturday January 16th at 7pm at TKP.


Private Lessons
Private photography lessons are catered towards areas and skills that you would like to develop. From beginner to advanced hobbyist -- learn the essentials, absorb an expert philosophy and master your passion! Private mentoring is very informal and fun, yet focused to help you fine tune your vision or get past that mental block that is preventing you from taking your photography to a higher level. All private packages include a curriculum that is tailored for your skill level and existing knowledge in photography.

Single 1 hour lesson $75
Five hour package $325
Ten hour package $500 + one additional hour free


Call us at 519-767-2948 or email info@trinakoster.com to reserve your spot in the workshop of your choice!

Spring Workshops Have Been Scheduled for You!

The Magic Paintbrush: Intro to Photoshop

With Femke Randeraad

3 Session Workshop

Saturdays, May, 23^rd, 30^th, June 6^th, 2009

9:00am to 12:00pm

$144 + GST

Discover the masterpiece hidden within your digital image!

Adobe Photoshop is the most powerful program out there that will help you get that ‘WOW’ factor in your photos.

Our hands on Introduction to Photoshop workshop will teach you hoe to get started with using the basic functions plus more.

Techniques Taught;

• Using the Image Menu
• Opening, Creating a New File, Closing and Saving your file.
• A tour of the Toolbox
• Selection Tools (Marquee, Move, Lasso, Magic Wand, Crop and Slice)
• Retouching and Paint Tools (Healing Tools, Brush, Clone Stamp, History, Eraser, Fill Tools. Sharpen, Blur, Dodge, Burn and Sponge)
• Drawing and Type Tools
• Annotation and Measurements
• Foreground Color and Background Color
• Screen Modes
• Saving Images for Web
• Filters
• Layer Management and Working with Layers
• 6 things Photoshop will do for you automatically
• Cutting and Pasting
• Watermarking images
• Enhancing your portraits

There will be take-home assignments to help deepen your understanding of the concepts presented and provide valuable one-on-one feedback. These feedback sessions are often a course highlight, with many an exciting breakthroughs to follow.

By the end of the course you will have a greater awareness of how to take your images to the next level!

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Students will require a laptop computer and an understanding of where their photographs are saved on the computer. Your laptop requires a copy of Photoshop CS, CS2 or CS3. 30-day demonstration copies of Photoshop are available at the studio.

Enrolment Limit: 8 students

The Telling Portrait: Introduction to creating beautiful photographs of people

With Noelle O’Brien & Femke Randeraad

4 Session Workshop

Saturdays, April 18^th, 25^th May 2^nd, 9^th, 2009

9:00am to 12:00pm

$190 + GST

Time and again we are asked to make “beautiful” pictures of someone—your mother, child, friends etc. Through hands-on work with natural, flash and studio lighting, we will examine face shapes and features to determine the most appropriate lighting strategies and angles to flatter your subject. We will also touch on poses, gestures, expressions, and the rolls clothing and make-up can play, especially in more formal photography. You will learn to 'see' light and use it to enhance your portraiture as well as learn practical tips on how to create a rapport with and generate a response from your subject

We will discuss formal, informal as well as environmental portraiture—using your subject’s natural “environment,” be it their home, garden, or workspace, to illuminate aspects of their character. Through demonstrations, slide-shows and in-class shooting assignments, (using each other as models) you will learn how to communicate, direct and move into a creative space with your subject. You will learn to pay attention to details, to creatively fill your frame, to anticipate and work with speed and perceptiveness.

Weekly creative assignments and personal feedback will deepen your understanding of the concepts presented and help you to grow as a portrait photographer. Students are encouraged to work on a personal project through the course to learn the importance of returning to a subject multiple times. By the end of the course you will have a mini-portfolio of portrait images and a deepening awareness of your personal photographic vision.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

A digital or film camera- point and shoot or SLR is required.

Enrolment Limit: 14 students

Digital Photography: The Fundamentals

With Alisha Zoethout & Doug Tyson

Six Week Course

Tuesdays, April 14^th to May 19^th, 2009

7:00pm – 9:30pm

$240 + GST

Photography is all about light. How many of us pay attention to the light around us? Join us for a course that will open your eyes to a new way of seeing, of interpreting the world around you. You will learn both the technical and creative ingredients essential to making exciting, compelling images. This beginner workshop takes place in the fun and relaxed atmosphere of our professional studio, where questions are encouraged and the uniqueness of each student’s emerging creative vision is supported and celebrated.

Gaining technical control of the manual function of your camera is a liberating experience; you are smarter than your camera! Through hands-on demonstrations, visual examples, we will reveal the “mystery” of how ISO speeds, shutter speeds and aperture settings combine to create the best exposure.

We will master photographers’ work to discuss the principles and elements of design, the artistic language of composition. You will be encouraged to experiment with angles, perspectives and creative ways to fill the frame (the subject doesn’t always have to be in the centre!). Throughout the course you will be introduced to the various styles of photography—landscape, portrait, documentary, still life and more.

Optional weekly assignments will deepen your understanding of key concepts as well as allow you to work and grow at your own level. The small group size (15 maximum, 2 instructors) provides the valuable opportunity of weekly feedback and individualised attention on your images. These feedback sessions are a highlight of the course for many students. By the end of the 7 weeks, you will have a mini-portfolio of images and a growing sense of your personal photographic vision.

The course concludes with a wine-and-cheese critique celebrating your best work. By this point, you will have completed the cycle from shooting to printing to matting your completed image. On this night we will discuss how to speak about art in an informed, clear way.

This course is designed for never-held-a-camera beginners, as well as for those who have some knowledge of photography and wish to deepen their understanding and exploration of the medium. Upon completion of Learn Photography you are welcome to take any of our intermediate level courses. If you cannot commit to the six week course, please check out our Crash Learn Photo.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

This course is for anyone wanting to develop the ability to understand their camera. A digital SLR or Point & Shoot camera with Manual functions is required for this course.

Enrolment Limit: 15 students

Photo Club

With Trina Koster

Thursdays April 30^th, May 14^th, 28^th, June 11^th and 25^th, 2009

7:00pm – 9:30pm

$155 + GST

Limit 12 participants so we don’t get in each other’s way!

Photo Club is a fun and interactive way to be around other image makers who are passionate about photography like you! Our North American culture of work, work, work deprives us of “play” time. Engaging with your creativity is a fulfilling way to experiencing life. Scheduled photo shoot sessions ensure you get out there and make time for yourself.

There will be four very photographically interesting locations pre arranged and co-ordinated for this intimate size group. The location will be specifically picked for the time of year and time of day that we will be going out. While “in the field” you will be able to candidly receive feedback and creative inspiration from both Trina and your fellow photographers. It is always eye opening to compare how other image makers perceived what you also saw. Each shooting session will offer an optional creative challenge for you to try experimenting with.

The alternating weeks allows you to have some time to play with your shot images on your own. The set of sessions will wrap up with an in studio wine and cheese critique on June 25th. Photo Club participants will be expected to bring in 4 finished prints and a short slideshow of your favourite images from the previous four sessions.

p.s. Many of the Photo Club outings wrap up at a local pub for good times and good conversations.

Point & Shoot with Style: Understanding your New Camera
With Trina Koster

One-day Course

Saturday, May 30^th, 2009

9:00am – 12:00pm

$48 + GST

You can use even the simplest of cameras to take interesting photographs; it is the photographer, not that camera, who makes the image. Whether you are photographing a child’s birthday party or trip to the beach, we will teach you the tricks and techniques that will enhance your every-day picture taking.

Photography is all about light. Many of us take pictures without taking the light into account, or the angles, backgrounds and details we place in the frame. Through demonstrations and a slide show of master photographers’ images, you will learn the visual, artistic language of composition and design. There will be ample time to ask questions in our fun, relaxed atmosphere. If you have mystery buttons or functions on your camera, we’ll help you use them to get the most out of your camera.

Bring your digital point & shoot or whatever camera you may have! No experience necessary.

Private Lessons

Private photography lessons are catered towards areas and skills that you would like to develop. From beginner to advanced hobbyist -- learn the essentials, absorb an expert philosophy and master your passion! Private mentoring is very informal and fun, yet focused to help you fine tune your vision or get past that mental block that is preventing you from taking your photography to a higher level. All private packages include a curriculum that is tailored for your skill level and existing knowledge in photography.

Single 1 hour lesson $75

Five hour package $325

Ten hour package $500 + one additional hour free

+gst

There's more coming! Stay tuned for more dates & information on PhotoCuba 2009, Expanding Your Visual Literacy: Creative Challenges, Critiques & Techniques, Sweet Child of Mine: Child Portraiture, Advanced Portraiture: Shooting with Style, Finesse and Dramatic Light on Location, plus more.....

Discount on Workshops Extended!

We've extended our early registration bonus by one more day!  Just 4 more days to save $15 dollars on Winter 2009 Workshops...

Register and pay in full by December 20, 2008 andreceive $15 off the course fee.

Beat the winter blahs and connect with creativity.

Call us to register by phone 519.767.2948 or come into the studio at 260 Waterloo Avenue to register is person!

Looking for the perfect Christmas present for the persons that has everything...Gift Certificates available for workshops, private lessons and portraits!

Winter Photo Workshops 2009

Beat the Winter Blahs!

Early registration bonus: Register and pay in full by December 19, 2008 and
receive $15 off the course fee.

Gift Certificates Available!

Please contact us to register.
Phone 519-767-2948.
E-mail info@trinakoster.com

Sweet Child of Mine: Intro to Child Portraiture
With Noelle O’Brien
2 Day Course
Sunday, February 1st & February 8th, 2009
9:30am – 2:30pm
$150 + GST

Whether you are photographing a child’s birthday party or a family vacation, we will teach you the tools and techniques to improve your every-day picture taking.

Using your current camera- point and shoot or SLR- the goal of this 6 week, beginner session is to learn how to use your equipment to create better images of your favourite subjects- your children!

By exploring various photographic styles and techniques and incorporating personal inspiration, students will work towards developing their own style. Participants will learn how to capture the precious moments of childhood by incorporating visual components such as light, movement and angles and discover how to tell a story by bringing feeling and emotion into their images.

There will be ample time for questions and discussion in this fun, relaxed environment. By the last session, each member will come away with a better grasp of how to use their equipment, some new ideas and techniques as well their own images which they have worked on for the course period.

No experience necessary.

Each session will begin with sharing and viewing each other's images and an informal critique. Then a brief instructional period will take place and the week's 'assignment' will be explained. Assignments will be aimed at practising any new techniques learned in class or trying to incorporate some of the visual elements discussed. In the following session, the group will come together to share images and discuss challenges.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
A digital or film camera- point and shoot or SLR is required. This course is geared towards anyone who would like to develop their skills for taking better photos of children.


The Magic Paintbrush: Intro to Photoshop
With Femke Randeraad
Six Week Course
Wednesdays, January 14th to February 18th, 2009
7:00pm – 9:00pm
$190 + GST

Discover the masterpiece hidden within your digital image!
Digital photography allows a wonderful combination of ease and control in processing images that was previously restricted to darkrooms. While many software packages can assist in processing digital photos, Adobe Photoshop is both the industry standard and the most powerful. Photoshop facilitates an unrivalled ‘WOW’ factor in your photos.

This course is designed to teach you all of the basic functionality within Photoshop. This functionality will largely be taught while addressing the content of your own photos. Each class will teach two or three powerful processes that will be useful in enhancing most digital images. Along the way, you will learn about the basic tools in Photoshop in a manner that will later facilitate your digital experimentation.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The focus of the class will be on creatively enhancing the existing content of your photos. Students will learn how to dodge, burn, expertly adjust contrast and brightness, correct colours, enhance colours, sharpen images and rescue some underexposed and overexposed photographs within a non-destructive workflow. These techniques will be learned while pursuing larger goals such as creating magical portraiture effects or restoring an aged photo. While a small amount of time may be devoted to altering the content of an image, such changes will not be the focus of the course.

Optional weekly take-home assignments will deepen your understanding of the concepts presented and provide valuable one-on-one feedback. These critiques are often a course highlight, precipitating many an exciting breakthrough.

Students are also encouraged to work on a personal project through the course to learn the importance of returning to a digital image or technique multiple times. By the end of the course you will have a mini-portfolio of enhanced images and a deepening awareness of your capacity to creatively engage with a photo long after you press the shutter release!

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Students will require a laptop computer and an understanding of where their photographs are saved on the computer. Your laptop requires a copy of Photoshop CS, CS2 or CS3. 30-day demonstration copies of Photoshop are available at the studio. We can also advise you as to where to buy a copy of the software yourself


The Magic Paintbrush: Intro to Photoshop Intensive
With Femke Randeraad
Two-Day Course
Sundays, February 22nd & March 1st, 2009
9:30am – 2:30pm
$190 + GST

This is workshop is the same as Beginner Photoshop but condensed into a two day course. This course is suggested for those who need to brush up on their Photoshop skills before taking Intermediate Photoshop and for those who cannot commit to a six week course.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Students will require a laptop computer and an understanding of where their photographs are saved on the computer. Your laptop requires a copy of Photoshop CS, CS2 or CS3. 30-day demonstration copies of Photoshop are available at the studio. We can also advise you as to where to buy a copy of the software yourself.


Intermediate Photoshop
Instructor: TBD
Five Week Course
Tuesdays, March 3rd – 31st, 2009
7:00pm – 9:00pm
$185 + GST

Refine your digital image into a work of art!
Digital photography allows a wonderful combination of ease and control in processing images that was previously restricted to darkrooms. While many software packages can assist in processing digital photos, Adobe Photoshop is both the industry standard and the most powerful. Photoshop facilitates an unrivalled ‘WOW’ factor in your photos.

This course is designed to build on your knowledge of the basic functionality within Photoshop. Our aim will be to analyze and practice some of the more advanced techniques that can remove barriers to a fantastic final photo.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The focus of the class will be on creatively enhancing the existing content of your photos. Students will learn how to use the powerful curves dialog with finesse, sharpen even those images that resist traditional sharpening, adjust perspective issues such as parallax distortion, use smart objects, control layers using blending modes and learn shortcuts to creating shockingly powerful masks all within a non-destructive workflow. These techniques will be learned while pursuing larger goals such as creating magical portraiture effects or rescuing a problem photo. While a small amount of time may be devoted to altering the content of an image, such changes will not be the focus of the course.

Optional weekly take-home assignments will deepen your understanding of the concepts presented and provide valuable one-on-one feedback. These critiques are often a course highlight, precipitating many an exciting breakthrough.

Students are also encouraged to work on a personal project through the course to learn the importance of returning to a digital image or technique multiple times. By the end of the course you will have a mini-portfolio of enhanced images and a deepening awareness of your capacity to creatively engage with a photo long after you press the shutter release!

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Students will require a laptop computer and an understanding of where their photographs are saved on the computer. Your laptop requires a copy of Photoshop CS, CS2 or CS3. 30-day demonstration copies of Photoshop are available at the studio. We can also advise you as to where to buy a copy of the software yourself.


Harness the Light: The Art of Portrait Photography
With Noelle O’Brien
Two-Day Course
Saturdays, March 7th & 14th, 2008
9:30am – 2:30pm
$190 + GST

Making insightful, communicative portraits of people is amongst the most challenging and rewarding of photographic pursuits. An effective portrait often reveals as much about the photographer as about the subject; the relationship mediated by the camera’s presence is fascinating and complex. In addition to all of the usual factors involved in the creation of a compelling image—composition, technical control, lighting—the portrait photographer must collaborate with his or her subject. This workshop will explore both the technical and interpersonal aspects of portrait photography.

Time and again we are asked to make “beautiful” pictures of someone—your mother, child, etc. Through hands-on work with studio lighting, we will examine face shapes and features to determine the most appropriate lighting strategies and angles to flatter your subject. We will also touch on poses, gestures, expressions, and the rolls clothing and make-up can play, especially in more formal photography.

The balance of the course will depart from the formal to focus on environmental portraiture—using your subject’s natural “environment,” be it their home, garden, or workspace, to illuminate aspects of their character. Through demonstrations, slide-shows and in-class shooting assignments, (using each other as models) you will learn how to communicate, direct and move into a creative space with your subject. You will learn to pay attention to details, to creatively fill your frame, to anticipate and work with speed and perceptiveness.

Optional weekly take-home assignment and critiques will deepen your understanding of the concepts presented and provide valuable one-on-one feedback. These critiques are often a course highlight, precipitating many an exciting breakthrough. Students are also encouraged to work on a personal project through the course to learn the importance of returning to a situation multiple times. By the end of the course you will have a mini-portfolio of portrait images and a deepening awareness of your personal photographic vision.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
A digital or film camera- point and shoot or SLR is required.


Digital Basics: Learn Photo
With Alisha Zoethout & Doug Tyson
Six Week Course
Tuesdays, January 20th – February 24th, 2009
7:00pm – 9:00pm
$235 + GST

Photography is all about light. How many of us pay attention to the light around us? Join us for a course that will open your eyes to a new way of seeing, of interpreting the world around you. You will learn both the technical and creative ingredients essential to making exciting, compelling images. This beginner workshop takes place in the fun and relaxed atmosphere of our professional studio, where questions are encouraged and the uniqueness of each student’s emerging creative vision is supported and celebrated.

Gaining technical control of the manual function of your camera is a liberating experience; you are smarter than your camera! Through hands-on demonstrations, overheads and slides, we will reveal the “mystery” of how film speeds, shutter speeds and aperture settings combine to create the best exposure.

We will use slides of master photographers’ work to discuss the principles and elements of design, the artistic language of composition. You will be encouraged to experiment with angles, perspectives and creative ways to fill the frame (the subject doesn’t always have to be in the centre!). Throughout the course you will be introduced to the various styles of photography—landscape, portrait, documentary, still life and more.

Optional weekly assignments will deepen your understanding of key concepts as well as allow you to work and grow at your own level. The small group size (15 maximum, 2 instructors) provides the valuable opportunity of weekly critiques and individualised attention. These critiques are a highlight of the course for many students. By the end of the 7 weeks, you will have a mini-portfolio of images and a growing sense of your personal photographic vision.

The course culminates in a (relaxed) wine-and-cheese critique/celebration of our best work. By this point, you will have completed the cycle from shooting to printing to matting your completed image. On this night we will discuss how to speak about art in an informed, clear way.

This course is designed for never-held-a-camera beginners, as well as for those who have some knowledge of photography and wish to deepen their understanding and exploration of the medium. Upon completion of Learn Photography you are welcome to take any of our intermediate level courses. If you cannot commit to the six week course, please check out our Crash Learn Photo.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
This course is for anyone wanting to develop the ability to understand their camera. A digital SLR or Point & Shoot camera with Manual functions is required for this course.


Get in the Flow: Continuing Photo
With Trina Koster
Six Week Course
Alternating Thursdays, January 8th – March 19th, 2008
(no class February 5th, 2009)
7:00pm – 9:00pm
$190 + GST

And

Six Week Course
Alternating Thursdays, January 15th – March 26th, 2008
(no class February 12th, 2009)
7:00pm – 9:00pm
$190 + GST


Photographers often learn the bells and whistles of their equipment, but get stuck when figuring out what to shoot, or how to create a body of work. How do you stay inspired by a subject and return to it again and again? How do you creatively express your own, unique point of view? One of the best ways for a photographer to discover his or her personal vision is by experimenting with the unfamiliar, whether it be using a toy camera, looking at the world in a new way, or examining a subject that has gone unnoticed. Each week we will study different genres of contemporary photography, explore strong bodies of work, and discuss why they are significant. Some of the genres explored are humor, narrative, domestic landscapes, cataloguing, story telling, documentary and abstractions. Weekly assignments will be based on the work shown and will be critiqued during the next class. This course will allow students the opportunity to experiment with different mediums and develop a true sense of their vision and purpose as a photographer.

Unlock new creative energies and come prepared for a workshop filled with inspiration, fun and self-discovery.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Those who have taken the Digital Basics: Learn Photo workshop or a good understanding of the functions of their camera. A digital SLR or Point & Shoot camera with Manual functions is required for this course.


Digital Photography: Workflow Made Easy
With Doug Tyson
One-day Course
Saturday, February 21st, 2009
9:30am – 2:30pm
$135 + GST

Spend less time in front of the computer editing and processing your work – and improve your images at the same time! This class helps you create an understandable, efficient and repeatable digital workflow. Use the power of Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Adobe Camera RAW to organize, edit, process and present your images.

In the morning we’ll demonstrate a step-by-step process for downloading, verifying and backing-up your shoot; and then organizing and editing your images using Adobe Lightroom.

In the afternoon we’ll concentrate on applying exposure, color-correction and other enhancements to images in the processing stage to present color-corrected work. A simple solution to the long-term file archiving concludes the day.

This course demonstrates an essential and unavoidable component of digital photography – workflow – and as such is strictly computer driven. Students are required to have working knowledge of either a MAC or PC. The lecture will be given using a PC computer with Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Adobe Camera RAW.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Students will require a laptop computer with Adobe Lightroom. 30-day demonstration copies of Adobe Lightroom can be downloaded from the internet. We can also advise you as to where to buy a copy of the software yourself.


How to Make a Great Print
With Doug Tyson
One-day Course
Saturday, March 21st, 2009
9:30am – 2:30pm
$95 + GST

Are your prints blue or green? Are your prints too dark or too light? Is printing through Photoshop like a foreign language? Is Photoshop a complete mystery? Are you having trouble deciding how to sharpen or when to sharpen your images? These and many other questions will be answered.

This workshop is designed to show students, step-by-step, how to achieve quality digital prints. All aspects of the printing process will be demonstrated and our goal is to demystify the process and make it accessible for all. Among topics covered will be system calibration, basic Photoshop and printing through Photoshop.

This will be a complete digital printing workshop, both color and black & white, suitable for those looking to learn the process or for those printing now and seeking to improve the quality of their prints.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Students will require a laptop computer and an understanding of where their photographs are saved on the computer. Your laptop requires a copy of Photoshop CS, CS2 or CS3. 30-day demonstration copies of Photoshop are available at the studio. We can also advise you as to where to buy a copy of the software yourself.


Capture the Night
with Femke Randeraad & Alisha Zoethout
One-day Course
Monday, January 19th, 2009
7:00pm – 9:30pm
$75 + GST

At night, cities provide dramatic scenery that isn't visible during the day. Places, structures and events which seem mundane or commonplace in daylight, often reveal themselves as ambiguous, evocative, or charged with mystery at night. By compressing movement and time, photographs made with long exposures take a dynamic world and compress it into two dimensions. In essence, photographing at night allows the photographer to produce images that go far beyond the senses. Additionally, long exposures necessary for photographing in low light levels provide opportunities for manipulation which short exposures don't.
This one-day workshop will help participants to capture the atmospheric qualities only found at dusk and at night in an urban environment. We will split time between lectures, demonstrations, photographing in the field for one night, and time in the ‘lab’ learning how to optimize images. We will discuss optimum RAW capture and conversion, layering multiple exposures to expand dynamic range, and preparing files for output.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Those who have taken the Digital Basics: Learn Photo workshop or a good understanding of the functions of their camera. A digital SLR or Point & Shoot camera with Manual functions is required for this course.
A solid working knowledge of Photoshop is required. As this course will not have access to a digital lab, students are welcome to bring laptops loaded with Aperture or LightRoom & PhotoShop.


Instyle: The Art of Fashion Photography
With Trina Koster & Alisha Zoethout
One-day Course
Saturday, January 18th, 2009
10:00am – 5:00pm
$235 + GST

For many photographers, shooting a fashion editorial assignment is a challenging yet richly rewarding experience. This course will provide students with practical experience setting up for a fashion shoot and working with a model and make-up artist. Students will receive the rare experience of shooting in the studio under the guidance of a professional photographer. Expect to gain the confidence to begin working in the fashion industry and the inspiration to continue to take creative fashion photographs!

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Those who have taken the Digital Basics: Learn Photo workshop or a good understanding of the functions of their camera. A digital SLR or Point & Shoot camera with Manual functions is required for this course.


Point & Shoot with Style: Understanding your New Camera
With Trina Koster
One-day Course
Saturday, January 17th, 2009
10:00am – 2:30pm
$75 + GST

You can use even the simplest of cameras to take interesting photographs; it is the photographer, not that camera, who makes the image. Whether you are photographing a child’s birthday party or trip to the beach, we will teach you the tricks and techniques that will enhance your every-day picture taking.
Photography is all about light. Many of us take pictures without taking the light into account, or the angles, backgrounds and details we place in the frame. Through demonstrations and a slide show of master photographers images, you will learn the visual, artistic language of composition and design. There will be ample time to ask questions in our fun, relaxed atmosphere. If you have mystery buttons or functions on your camera, we’ll help you use them to get the most out of your camera.
Bring your digital point & shoot or whatever camera you may have! No experience necessary.


The Art of Motion
With Trina Koster
One-day Course
Sunday, March 29th, 2009
10:00am – 3:00pm
$190 + GST

This workshop will introduce students to a variety of techniques for photographing the moving body. Professional performers will be in attendance for this workshop. The experience of working with these dancers will help students develop their ability to capture subjects in motion. All you need is a digital camera and a comfortable pair of shoes. Expect to bring home extraordinary pictures.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Those who have taken the Digital Basics: Learn Photo workshop or a good understanding of the functions of their camera. A digital SLR or Point & Shoot camera with Manual functions is required for this course.


Howl at the Moon: Photography by Moonlight
with Femke Randeraad & Alisha Zoethout
One-day Course
Monday, February 9th, 2009
7:00pm – 9:30pm
$75 + GST

The light from a full moon changes the night time environment and even the most mundane places come alive under the light of a full moon. By compressing movement and time, photographs made with long exposures take a dynamic world and compress it into two dimensions. In essence, photographing at night allows the photographer to produce images that go far beyond the senses. Additionally, long exposures necessary for photographing in low light levels provide opportunities for manipulation which short exposures don't.
This one-day workshop will help participants to capture the atmospheric qualities only found at dusk and at night in an urban environment. We will split time between lectures, demonstrations, photographing in the field for one night, and time in the ‘lab’ learning how to optimize images. We will discuss optimum RAW capture and conversion, layering multiple exposures to expand dynamic range, and preparing files for output.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Those who have taken the Digital Basics: Learn Photo workshop or a good understanding of the functions of their camera. A digital SLR or Point & Shoot camera with Manual functions is required for this course.
A solid working knowledge of Photoshop is required. As this course will not have access to a digital lab, students are welcome to bring laptops loaded with Aperture or LightRoom & PhotoShop.

Please contact us to register. Phone 519-767-2948. E-mail info@trinakoster.com

Help Christmas!

Helping others celebrate the holiday season

Trina Koster Photography wants to help those less fortunate to have a wonderful Christmas season. In conjunction with the Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington and the Adopt a Family program we will be sponsoring an independent living teen from the Guelph area. For the holiday season we are matched with a teen who is living independently and provide a Christmas that they otherwise not have. We would like to ask for your help to bring the joy of the holiday season to someone less fortunate. Any donations of will be greatly appreciated. If you are interested in contributing to a great cause this festive season please contact Spencer or Alisha at 519.767.2948 to provide further information on how you can help.

Lisette Model Exhibition of Photography

This just in from the MacDonald Stuart Art Gallery in Guelph...



The MSAC is featuring a special retrospective exhibition from the National Gallery of Canada on the work of Lisette Model. This is an exhibition that shouldn't be missed!

We're also hosting exhibition curator Ann Thomas on TU, DEC 16th at 3pm, who will give a public tour of the exhibition followed by a holiday reception. We hope that you are able to attend!

Dawn Owen
Assistant Curator

Lisette Model
An Icon in the History of Photography

Presented at Macdonald Stewart Art Centre
Organized by the National Gallery of Canada

Exhibition: November 22 to December 21
Location: Macdonald Stewart Art Centre

Austrian-born American photographer Lisette Model (1901-1983) is the focus of this retrospective exhibition organized by the National Gallery of Canada and presented by Macdonald Stewart Art Centre. Model is an essential figure in mid-twentieth century photography. She challenged the prevailing conventions of her discipline. Her work continues to impact contemporary artists engaged in social documentary photography.

The exhibition comprises fifty photographs drawn from the National Gallery's collection of 293 prints by Model. The exhibition reflects the most significant stages in Model's 50-year career and exemplifies Model's well-known and intensely subjective approach to photography. In 1933 Model made a series of close-cropped, unforgiving portraits of bourgeoisie figures which were adopted by contemporary political activists who fought the distinction between the proletariat and merchant classes. Model's privileged upbringing gave her particular access to some of her subjects, enabling her to capture intimate and revealing portraits. These images of the sun-loving frequenters of Nice's Promenade des anglais are still recognized as examples of Model's best work.

Model immigrated to Manhattan in 1938 where her photographs became published regularly with magazines such as Harper's Bazaar. At this time she also became a member of the Photo League where she had her first dedicated solo exhibition. In 1951, Model was invited to teach at the New School for Social Research, an institution of higher learning for students enrolled in multi-disciplinary degree programs. Model became an outstanding teacher, a vocation she pursued until her death in 1983.

Model's most oft-quoted directive to her students was: "Shoot from the gut!"

National Gallery of Canada curator of photographs Ann Thomas will be giving a talk at the Art Centre on Tuesday, December 16 at 3pm. Free to the public.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage (Museums Assistance Program)

For more information contact: Aidan Ware, Education Coordinator (aware@msac.ca )
Macdonald Stewart Art Centre | 358 Gordon Street | Guelph, ON | N1G 1Y1
tel: 519-837-0010 | fax: 519-767-2661 | web: www.msac.ca

Photo Show: Doreen Kirkland and Walter Sawka

Doreen Kirkland and Walter Sawka are long-time friends of the studio. And now they're having a show together at our space! Check out the invite below! (just click on it to get a larger version of it).

Winter 2009 Workshops!

I know you've all been waiting for it... and now it's here! The linup of upcoming workshops for this winter!!!

Alisha, our studio manager, has just asked me to share this info with you!...

COMING SOON for Winter 2009!

Photography Workshops presented by

Trina Koster Photography

Get in the Flow: Continuing Photo

Digital Basics

Sweet Child of Mine: Intro to Child Portraiture

In Style: The Art of Fashion Photography

The Magic Paintbrush: Intro to PhotoShop

Howl at the Moon: Photography by Moonlight

Digital Workflow: Understanding the Basics

Capture the Night: Digital Photography After Dark

Unlocking the Mystery of Printing Images

Harness the Light: The Art of Portrait Photography

The Art of Motion

Point & Shoot with Style: How to use your new digital camera

Sign up for our e-newsletter at www.photoworkshopsinguelph.com to be the first to receive notification of workshop descriptions and schedule.

For additional information or to pre-register for workshops please contact Trina Koster Photography

Info@trinakoster.com or 519.767.2948

Ruth Howard:3-time Photo Cuba Participant!

Making photos on the southwest coast of Cuba, is a dream come true. From both a photographic and a personal point of view, Chivirico is unlike any other place in the world. It is enticing and seductive. Add Trina’s excellent touch as a teacher of photography and traveling companion, and you truly do have magic.

The openness of the local people is so inviting, even when they have their backs turned to us, as in “Old Sole” [above]; in this picture, it doesn’t matter that we are unsure whether the subject is male or female. Actually, for me, it’s the not knowing that helps make this photo, because the subject and its story have universal application.

The citizens of Chivirico are totally comfortable with having their photos taken. Their gestures and their body language say snap me… The life they lead is so different from ours, because of both the stunning geography and the intricacies of the island’s politics, yet these people are our extended family.

The warmth and acceptance is pure joy for us, and despite our having visited Chivirico six times in just over two years, we continue to find the village a wonderful place to keep building on our creative forces. The progression in the style of our own work over the past two years is obvious. Trina always spurs us on to new and different ways of looking at our subject matter, and our creativity has become so much more fluid and emotional.

Just when I think that I have squeezed out everything that I can, photographically, from this little corner of the world, somehow I am revitalized and inspired again. This past February I fell in love with shooting into the sun, a total departure for me. I am enjoying the challenge of the direction in which my work is moving.

Typically, I have been shooting thousands of photos when we’re visiting Chivirico and Santiago de Cuba. I don’t think I’ll be doing that anymore: rather, I shall be concentrating on expressing meaning in a more abstract and focused style.



It is pretty well guaranteed that nowhere else in the world will you find people so amenable to being photographed as they go about their daily business. Each time we’re in Cuba we’ve learned something new about ourselves and making pictures in a new way, which we can apply to all our photography.

Chao
Ruth xo

Thanks to Ruth Howard for sharing her images and thoughts! You can find more photos by Ruth and her equally talented partner Alan Madras at their website, http://www.connaughtplacestudio.ca/

Go to www.photoworkshopincuba.com to check out more great photography from the Photo Cuba workshop, and details about the location... and how you can join us on the next one!

Cheers!
Scott Mooney
Trina Koster Photography

Workshops this Fall!