The TKP Workshop Connection

Photographer Wanted!

2012-01-02T11:22:00.001-05:00

Photographer Wanted!

The University of Guelph's Hospitality and Tourism Management Student

Association (HTMSA). is looking for a volunteer to photograph a very meaningful fundraising event on

Friday January 20th. Here is what it is about:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnVnR9pqqak

The HTMSA's aim is to give students a distinctive edge by providing the

opportunities necessary for development within the industry. We go beyond

the classroom to help our students associate with industry leaders of today

and tomorrow. As well, beyond the classroom we are a family. We care for

each other and are presently quite concerned about Drew Cumpson's situation.

Drew is an amazing person. Extremely involved in campus life, Drew has

wholeheartedly participated in numerous charity events including "Five Days

for the Homeless". It came as no surprise when Drew chose to postpone his

summer co-op start date in order to volunteer with a University of Guelph

program in Peru. However, it was a surprise when we learned that during this

program, Drew fractured his C4 vertebra in a swimming accident.

We regret to inform you that Drew's injuries are permanent and he is a

quadriplegic. As he remains in serious condition at Kingston General

Hospital, Drew will undergo multiple surgeries and a lengthy rehabilitation

period. Though he is determined, this is a tough battle and an enormous

financial burden. Consequently apart from prayers and good thoughts, as

Drew's HTMSA family we are showing our support by organizing a fundraiser

with an auction and live music Friday January 20, 2012.

Our goal is to raise $10,000 to cover the cost of the wheelchair Drew needs

and a little bit more. Drew Cumpson, a person with such a big heart deserves

big help!

Would you be able to help us help Drew by being our event photographer? This

would be very much appreciated. If you're not available, do you know of

anyone who may be?

Please feel free to contact Michelle Chan [mchan03@uoguelph.ca] with any questions or see

http://www.htmsa.ca/our-drew for more details.

Thank you for your consideration.

Photo Cuba 2012 Workshop Update

2011-12-13T13:00:00.001-05:00

Photo Cuba 2012 is happening Feb 12-19th and there are still a few more spots. The catch is the hotels (Los Galeones and Casa Grande) will only hold the block of rooms we reserved until Dec 20th. After the 20th the fantastic travel package price of $1181 all inclusive, will likely go up. (BUT, it will still be possible to participate.)

If you have been considering joining us, well, there's no time like the present to book :) For details check out www.photocubaworkshop.com or call Trina at the studio 519-767-2948 or email info@trinakoster.com

Photo Cuba 2012!

2011-11-20T22:45:00.001-05:00

Yes! Photo Cuba is happening this February 2012!

Photographs of Cuba, by Scott Mooney

People have already started signing up and there are only 14 spots left in the workshop. If you're interested in joining us email Trina directly at trinakoster@gmail.com. Don't miss this one!

Here's the info:

Photo Cuba 2012
with Trina Koster, German Portuondo, Laura Taylor & Scott Mooney

One week workshop from February 12th-February 19th 2012
Limit of 18 people
$2300 Includes workshop, airfare, air tax, double occupancy accommodations and most meals.

Deposit of $250 to TKP to reserve your space, remaining balance $868.70, due January 7th, 2012.
Deposit of $200 to Tri-City Travel (contact Cathy 519-836-3500) to reserve your accommodations. Remaining balance of travel portion $981, due December 2, 2011.

*All meals inclusive except for lunch on Saturday February 18th and Sunday February 19th.

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 17 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, Photoshop expert and illustrator Scott Mooney (www.moon-man.com), and surrealistic Cuban painter, German Portuondo. German (pronounced “her-man”) 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 walk around on)

Since you will be immersed in Cuban life through photography, Laura and German will teach you some basic Spanish to help you communicate with your subjects. There will also be lectures on Cuban culture, music, dance and art to enhance your Cuban experience.

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 snorkeling.

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, singles and couples. We encourage travel companions to join us during meal times. Although this is a group workshop, participants should feel at ease knowing solitude time will be respected.

At the end of the week we will continue our adventure in downtown Santiago de Cuba, staying in the city centre at the Casa Granda Hotel. Our time there 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 historic city and then continue the celebration at a local Salsa dance club afterwards. We will have options go to the farmer’s market, visit the Centro de Arte Gallery and enjoy a spin around the city in a “coco-cab”.

Our Photo Cuba experience will wrap up with a 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.

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 encourage your participation in this program as a way of giving back culturally.

Photo Cuba is an adventure into the heart of Cuban culture, to a place that, 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.

Please note Los Galeones Hotel is on top of a large, steep hill. You will be required to walk up and down the hill daily. Unfortunately, it is not very easy to get up the hill by cab. Therefore, this trip is best suited to people who are able to do the daily climb!

Cheers!
Scott Mooney and the TKP team

Job Opportunity at TKP

2011-10-07T14:34:00.000-04:00

Trina Koster Photography is looking to fill a maternity leave position for our Studio and Production Manager. Job tasks for this role include:

All production work; photo retouching and managing client orders
Sales
Scheduling appointments, phone and email management
Studio maintenance

This person needs to be:

Artistic and skilled in Photoshop CS5
Proficient with Mac computers
Logical thinker and organized
Able to take direction and follow organization systems
Able to work independently
Polite and friendly
Professional dress code is required
Driver’s license is required

Salary range $13-$15/hour based on experience and portfolio. Position term is from November 2011 to January 2013. Applicants please send resumes to info@trinakoster.com or deliver to 260 Waterloo Ave, Guelph, ON N1H 3J5 by 5pm on Friday October 14th, 2011. Interviews will commence on Tuesday Oct 18th, 2011. A portfolio of 20 before and after photoshopping samples will be required in the interview.

GUFF Tree Photo Contest...

2011-09-20T22:31:00.001-04:00

is up and running! Any help you can give us to publicize would be appreciated.
All the info is on the GUFF website    guffguelph.ca
Can I drop off a couple of posters? one for the adult contest and one for the jr (18 and under)?
Submissions are open until Oct 8th....so we only have about 3 weeks left.
I have attached some advertising photos with the info on them for the website.
Any help you can give would be much appreciated
Sue Rietschin
519 821 6340

Walter Sawka Photgraphic Exhibit

2011-08-11T00:30:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone,

I hope that you have been enjoying this wonderful summer weather.

I just wanted to let you know that for the month of August I am exhibiting a collection of my photographs at CJ's Cafe in Bronte.

Drop by to take a look ... and if you happen to be in the area on Sunday, August 14, please stop in to say hello. I will be at the Cafe from 1:30-3:30 that afternoon.

Meet the Artist (yes, that's me! :) )

Photo Party- Tuesday May 31st 8pm- on at the eBar

2011-05-10T14:26:00.002-04:00

Hi Photo Friends,

As many of you know, Shirley Hunt and I have been working hard on developing a meaningful learning program to inspire kids to get outside and connect with nature through photography. We are now ready to launch the program and celebrate, so please....

Come on out to Focus on Nature’s Fundraiser Launch Party!

Enjoy a slideshow of student photos, live music by Boom Echo*, a silent auction, and delicious appetizers.

Tuesday, May 31st, from 8 pm – 11 pm

At the eBar (above the Bookshelf at 41 Quebec Street in downtown Guelph.)

Admission is $15/person. Tickets can be bought at the door, or in advance at the studio.

Bring a used (but working) digital camera or laptop to donate to the program, and get in for free! (You might just get a kiss and a hug for that too!)

This party will also be a wonderful chance to connect again with our TKP photo community. I have an Italian photo friend staying with Scott and I for a few weeks, Giorgio Milone, that I would love for him to meet my photo friends. So I sincerely hope you will be able to make it out!

All the best and keep shooting,
Trina

p.s. If you are unable to attend but would like to support Focus on Nature, donations can be made at the studio or cheques payable to Focus on Nature can be mailed to 260 Waterloo Ave, Guelph, ON N1H 3J5. All donations will go directly towards getting kids out into nature and be truly appreciated!

Photo Exhibition and Tribute Night for Niels Hansen

2010-11-01T10:30:00.001-04:00

Niels Hansen: A Great Photographer, A Great Man.

August 6th, 2010 we lost a dear friend in our community, Niels Hansen, so on Saturday November 13th, 7:30-8:30pm we will be having a Tribute Night to Niels in the studio.

Please join us to celebrate the life and art of Niels. He was a truly great and beloved friend to us, to the studio, and as our framer and workshop participant he shared his attention to detail and craftsmanship with so many in our photo community.

Please RSVP to us at the studio (info@trinakoster.com or 519-767-2948)

Trina Koster and Scott Mooney

Trina Koster Photography

www.trinakoster.com

519-767-2948

An Evening with Andre Gallant

2010-04-22T18:07:00.000-04:00

Grand River Imaging and Photographic Society (GRIPS) cordially invites you to its presentation of “An evening with André Gallant” on June 16th at Wilfrid Laurier University.

André is one of Canada’s most celebrated photographers. His exquisite and cutting edge images are lauded and collected all over the world.

André embraces his passion of photography by sharing his knowledge and creativity through his numerous books, workshops, seminars and as a regular contributor to the major photographic magazines.

Along with his teaching partner Freeman Patterson, the constantly sold out Gallant/Patterson New Brunswick workshops, which have been conducted over the past fifteen years, are the crème de la crème of the photographic world.

We, at GRIPS, are committed to “giving back” to our community and this year a portion of the proceeds will go towards sending three children from the Kitchener-Waterloo area to summer camp.

GRIPS is delighted to welcome André and hope that you will be able to join us as he shares with us what he describes as an evening of “pure entertainment” through audio visual shows showcasing his art and travels around the world.

Please refer to the attached Poster for date, location and ticket information

Cool Reflections: Antarctica Photo Exhibition with Ruth Howard and Alan Madras

2009-11-24T09:00:00.004-05:00

Ruth Howard and Alan Madras are like their own personal National Geographic Society. They travel the world making beautiful photos to record and recount their experiences.

The exhibition is in our studio at 260 Waterloo Ave, Guelph Ontario, from November 22 (yup, it's already up and running) until March 10, 2010.

The exhibition space is not always open to the public so please call Trina Koster Photography first (519.767.2948) to find a time to come and see the exhibition.

Ruth writes "Alan and I would like to announce our newest exhibit, a showing of 22 photographs from our recent trip to the Antarctic. We look forward to hearing your comments after you visit the show."

All pieces are available for sale, either framed or unframed. Please inquire about different sizes.

TKP Student on JPG Magazine Site!

2009-11-04T12:59:00.005-05:00

I was flipping through the JPG magazine website looking at the highest ranking (hottest) photos in a theme section called Juxtaposition. I came across a beautiful photo called "Love is Entwined" with some very familiar looking tattoos and realized this must be one of our students from the portrait class called "Tattoo Thursday" where we had tattooed models posing for the students in a studio setting. Turns out I was right. Vickie Abrams Og is one of our photo students. Congratulations Vickie! Great work and a great accomplishment!

Click here to go right to the photo: http://www.jpgmag.com/photos/1396512

Click here to check out her whole JPG portfolio: http://www.jpgmag.com/people/fotofox/photos/page1?sort_criteria=newest

Come to Photo Cuba! 2010!

2009-10-19T15:28:00.005-04:00

PhotoCuba!
Cultural Immersion with Camera
with Trina Koster & the Photo Cuba Team
February 21-28, 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 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 $880 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.
Our annual Photo Cuba fundraiser will take place Saturday January 16th at 7pm at TKP.

Updated Workshops List For TKP... 5 new courses!

2009-09-03T17:36:00.000-04:00

Learn Photo: Digital Fundamentals 
With Trina Koster 
Six Week Course 
Tuesdays, September 15th to October 20th, 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 study 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; September 15th, October 15th & 29th, November 12th & 26th
7:00pm – 9:30pm
Sunday, October 4th
8:30-11:00am
$225 + 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; September 24th, October 8th, 22nd, November 5th, 19th & December 3rd, 2009 7-9:30pm
 $155 + 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.   

Intro to the Strobist Approach
With Kinu Grove
One day Course
Saturday, September 26th, 2009 12:00 – 3:00 PM
Cost $48

“Create big impact with small flashes and take your photography to the next level with off camera flash.”

This course is designed to teach people the basics on how to use your Speedlight in new creative ways. We will cover the basic gear you need to setup a compact, inexpensive lighting kit. This is an introductory course that will open your eyes to the exciting world of Speedlight and Strobist photography.

Course highlights:

Beyond TTL using your flash in manual mode
Ways to connect an off camera flash to your camera
When to use a snoot, gobo or grid for more control of your light
Setting up a Strobist™ lighting kit

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
DSLR Camera
*Bring your external flash (*if you have one, but this is not required)

Enrolment Limit: 12 students

HDR Workshop
With Ken Roberts & Scott Mooney
One-day Course
 Saturday, October 3rd, 2009
 9:00am – 12:00pm 
$48 + GST

High Dynamic Range Photography, or HDR is a newer technique and form of capturing images. It has been described as a gimmick, a specialized art form, and the future of photography. Wherever it really is along this continuum, it is an interesting and unusual method of capturing the full range of an image that takes you, the photographer, beyond what can be typically achieved in your photographs.

In this workshop, you will learn how to create perfectly exposed, noise-free images to display your creative vision all the way from the surreal to the ultra-real. You will be shown how to set up your shots, how to use the software necessary for this art form, and how to “develop” the image through tone-mapping. It is a hands-on workshop that will require a digital camera, a computer and software. Once this workshop is completed, you will have the skills and knowledge you need to confidently use this tool in your own work.

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

Diving into Off-Camera Flash
With Kinu Grove
Six week course
Tuesdays, October 6th – November 10th, 2009 from 7:00 – 10:00 PM
Cost $225

Are you intimated by off-camera lighting? For many photographers strobe lighting has become an exciting new technique to create interesting photographs with cool light.

In this course we will teach you how to develop using your flash in manual mode, how to use reflectors and umbrellas, create effective multiple flash setups, using gels to balance mixed light. You will also have the opportunity to learn how to make your own grids, snoots and gobos and learn how to use them effectively to attain the lighting that you are trying to achieve. Once learning the fundamentals of lighting, 2 nights of the course are dedicated to shooting on locations with models.

The course takes place in a relaxed atmosphere where questions and open discussion are always welcome. Each class session brings a mix of hands-on experience and lecture on technical information in order to provide participants a solid base so they may support their own creative journey.

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 (10 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.

 The course concludes with a wine-and-cheese critique celebrating your best work.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: 
This six week course is designed for advanced and intermediate photographers that want to take their flash photography to the next level.
A digital SLR camera and external flash are required for this course. Helpful Extras off camera flash cord

Enrolment Limit: 10 students

Intro to Lightroom™
With Kinu Grove
One day Course
Saturday, October 24th, 200912:00 – 3:00 PM
Cost $48

"Beyond Picasa, Learn to Organize and Manage your Photos like a Pro"

In this course you will learn to take control of your images with a practical step by step Lightroom 2 work flow. It has never been easier to manage and edit all your photos in one application. If you have a hard drive full of photos and want a simple way to find organize and edit them this is the course for you.

Course Highlights:

Learn a work flow for processing all your images
Configuring the Lightroom software for your specific photographic style
Manage potentially 1000's of images with collections and keywords
Learn important keyboard shortcuts that will save you time
How to create and use presets
Editing multiple images at the same time
Fixing common photo problems
Exporting your images for web and print

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: 
*PC or MAC laptop
* Lightroom software is not required for this course as we can help you install a free demo.

Enrolment Limit:12 students

Digital: Beyond the Basics
With Trina Koster
Six Week Course
Tuesdays, October 27 to December 1, 2009
7:00pm – 9:30pm
$240 + GST

Ok so now you have the basics covered, but what next?? Lenses, flashes, storing, printing, so much to cover in such little time.

The objective of Digital: Beyond the Basics is to familiarize you with the different equipment and techniques once you have mastered the basics of ISO, aperture and shutter speed.

Designed for intermediate level digital photographers, this course will probe deeper into lighting using flash, lenses and composition, as well as teach students how to develop their own professional digital workflow, master the shooting and processing of RAW files, and begin to previsualize images based on their ability to enhance their photographs in post, as well as understand the techniques of master photographers by reviewing and discussing their work. Weekly creative assignments and critique promote implementation of newly learned techniques and encourage experimentation using post-production to maximize your photo’s impact.

This intermediate 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.

Each class session brings a mix of hands-on experience and lecture on technical information in order to provide participants a solid base so they may support their own creative journey.

This course is designed for intermediate level digital photographers with an understanding of light meter, ISO, shutter speed and aperture. Upon completion of Digital: Beyond the Basics you are welcome to take any of our advanced level courses.   COURSE REQUIREMENTS: This course is for anyone wanting to develop the ability to take your photos to the next level. A digital SLR functions is required for this course.

Point and Shoot with Style Part I: 
Understanding Your Digital Camera 
With Trina Koster 
One-day Course 
Saturday, October 31st, 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.   

The Magic Paintbrush: 
Intro to Photoshop 
With Femke Randeraad 
4 Session Workshop  Mondays, November 2nd, 9th, 16th & 23rd, 2009
 7-9pm 
$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

Learn time saving tips and shorts cuts
Sort and edit your photos quickly with the library module
Perfect your images with the powerful and easy to use developer module
Fix common photo problems on your own images
Advanced editing with local adjustments
Creating slide shows with music
Setting up custom print templates
Use powerful plug-ins to automate online image sharing

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: 
Students will require a PC or MAC laptop
Lightroom software is required for courses longer than 4 sessions. For 4 session courses, you can download a free demo version.

Enrolment Limit: 8 students

The Telling Portrait:
Introduction to creating beautiful photographs of people 
With Noelle O’Brien & Femke Randeraad 
4 Session Workshop 
Saturdays, November 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th, 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

Point and Shoot with Style Part II: 
Making More Interesting Photos 
With Trina Koster 
One-day Course 
Saturday, November 14th, 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 slide-show 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.   

Documenting Artwork
With Elisabeth Feryn
Two session workshop
Sunday, November 15th & 22nd, 2009 9:00-12:00 PM
Cost $120

“Save time and money photographing your own artwork”

An essential part of presenting yourself as an artist is to have professional quality photos of your work. Almost all art juries, gallery directors and granting agencies require photos of a certain format. Your artwork will only come across as well as your photos.

A professional fine art photographer will be able to capture the colour, textures, detail and scaling of your work, as well as doing colour correction, and preparation of the digital file to meet requirements. This is often an expensive service.

Each class session brings a mix of hands-on experience and lecture on technical information in order to provide participants with a solid base so to be able to create the images that they desire.

Session One

equipment needed
the importance of camera settings, colour balance and correct exposure
optimum backdrops and camera positions
various lighting scenarios and how to avoid glare – both indoor and outdoor set-ups using materials at hand as well as professional equipment
documentation of indoor and outdoor art installations

Session Two

in class feedback session on the results of documenting your own artwork
image size and resolution
file format
image preparation applications such as cropping, resizing, brightness and contrast, etc.
saving and renaming your images

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:  
A digital SLR or Point & Shoot camera with Manual functions is required for this course. 
Enrolment Limit: 10 students

Point and Shoot with Style Part III:
 Now You Shot It... Time to Store It! 
With Trina Koster 
One-day Course
 Saturday, November 24th, 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.   

Trina's Portrait Video!

2009-06-22T17:35:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-05-28T11:41:00.001-04:00

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

2009-04-28T13:47:00.005-04:00

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?

2009-04-25T14:08:00.005-04:00

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!

2009-04-22T22:11:00.005-04:00

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!

2009-04-14T13:38:00.016-04:00

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!

2009-03-31T14:58:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-03-20T16:07:00.000-04:00

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

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!

2008-12-17T14:58:00.001-05:00

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

2008-11-26T15:01:00.006-05:00

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!

2008-11-26T14:29:00.000-05:00

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

2008-11-26T14:12:00.006-05:00

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

2008-11-04T20:45:00.005-05:00

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!

2008-10-25T10:23:00.003-04:00

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!

2008-08-31T08:01:00.003-04:00

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!

2008-08-26T13:01:00.001-04:00

Our Fall and Winter Workshops!

2008-08-21T12:56:00.000-04:00

Here are our workshops for this Fall/Winter! Glance through the titles to see what looks interesting to you:

Beginner's Child Portrait Workshop
with Noelle O’Brien

Six Week Course
Tues Sept 9^th – Oct 21^st, 2008
10:00am – 11:30am
$135 + 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

Beginner Photoshop
with Josh Crozier

Six Week Course
Tues, Sept 9^th – Oct 21^st, 2008
7:00pm – 9:00pm
$185 + 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

Intensive Beginner PhotoShop
with Josh Crozier

Two-Day Course
Sat, Sept 13^th & Sept 20^th, 2008
9:30am – 2:30pm
$135 + 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.

Intermediate Photoshop
Josh Crozier

Six Week Course
Thurs, Sept 25^th – Nov 6^th, 2008
7:00pm – 9:00pm
$185 + GST

Refine your digital image into a work of art!

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.

Portrait Workshop
Laura Taylor

Two-Day Course
Sunday, Sept 21^st & Sept 28^th, 2008
9:30am – 2:30pm
$155 + 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 assignments 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.

Learn Photo
Alisha Zoethout & Doug Tyson

Six Week Course
Tues, Sept 9th – Oct 21st, 2008
7:00pm – 9:00pm
$235 + GST

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.

Crash Learn Photo
Alisha Zoethout & Doug Tyson

Two-Day Weekend Course
TBD
$235 + GST

Continuing Photo
Trina Koster

Six Week Course
Alternating Thurs, Sept 11th – Dec 4th, 2008

And

Six Week Course
Alternating Thurs, Sept 18th – Dec 11th, 2008
7:00pm – 9:00pm
$175 + 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.

How to Plan to Take Great Travel Photos on Your Next Vacation
Trina Koster

3 hour evening workshop
Time and date TBD

Digital Photography: Workflow Made Easy
Doug Tyson

One-day Course
Sun, Nov 2^nd, 2008
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.

How to Make a Great Print
Doug Tyson

Two-day Course
Sun, Nov 16^th & Nov 23^rd, 2008
9:30am – 2:30pm
$175 + 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.

Jamie Livingston's 'Polaroid a Day' Project

2008-08-16T13:59:00.003-04:00

If you've ever seen the movie "Smoke" with Harvey Keitel you may remember his character Auggie who had a project where he'd take one photo of his shop every day at the same time from the same spot. The series of photos started to tell a story about the place, and ultimately about Auggie himself.

Well, I was just listening to the podcast of CBC's radio show "Spark" and heard about this very cool project you can view on line here: http://photooftheday.hughcrawford.com/

You can find the radio interview on the Spark blog here: http://www.cbc.ca/spark/
Scroll down to the post called "Episode 42"

Sue Rietschin: PhotoCuba Workshop Student!

2008-08-07T21:33:00.002-04:00

Sue joined us for PhotoCuba 2008 and made some wonderful pictures! Here's the comment Sue gave me to put with her photos here:

"The experience of having such a wide range of things to photograph is wonderful. People, animals, architecture, landscape, flowers...everything one could want is in Cuba. Trina's help in learning what makes a good photo is invaluable and the input from the Cubans involved added so much to the learning. I have so many photos taken there that I really like...it is hard to select a few!"

For more info on joining us for the next PhotoCuba! check out our official website at www.photocubaworkshop.com.

Cheers!
Scott Mooney
(Husband of Trina and VP of gettin' stuff done on the computer!)

Points of View Photo Show

2008-07-03T22:10:00.001-04:00

Hi to all of you!

We are pleased to present "Points of View", an exhibition and sale of our fine art photography. In this exhibition, we are pleased to highlight our new artistic directions with photos from several countries around the world.

The exhibition will be at Trina Koster Photography in Guelph for two months this summer, with an opening reception on Sunday afternoon, July 13th. For those of you not familiar with Guelph, it is a charming destination for a Sunday afternoon escape. You can visit the Aberfoyle Outdoor Antique Market (Canada's oldest) to the south of Guelph or the Elora Gorge to the north on your way into town, and enjoy one of Guelph's excellent restaurants before or after the show.

Here are the details:

Points of View

Exhibition & Sale of Fine Art Photography by Ruth Howard & Alan Madras

July 2nd to September 7th, 2008

Opening Reception: Sunday, July 13th, 2-4pm.

Trina Koster Photography

260 Waterloo Avenue

Guelph, Ontario

Directions to Trina's Studio from the 401:

Take Exit 295 ("Highway 6 North", aka "Hanlon Parkway"). Follow this road north (the only option) for about 10 minutes. Exit at Wellington. At the lights at Wellington, go straight through the intersection. Just after the intersection, there is a stop sign. Turn right onto Waterloo, and look for Trina's about three blocks down on the right-hand side.

Aberfoyle: http://www.aberfoyle-antiques.com/

Elora: http://www.elora.info/

Trina Koster: http://trinakoster.com/

Looking forward to seeing you,
Alan and Ruth

Photo Talk: With Fred Dahms

2008-06-24T17:29:00.004-04:00

TKP Presents…

"Wellington County: Past, Present and Future"
PhotoTalk tomorrow night (June 25th) at 7:00pm!

Trina Koster Photography and FLO space are hosting
"Wellington County: Past, Present and Future" PhotoTalk with Fred Dahms about his new book, Wellington County.

Please come and join us for refreshments and an entertaining evening with Fred Dahms to discuss a lively look at historic and modern Wellington County. Fred Dahms, resident author, photographer and geographer, will examine how an ancient legacy of water and stone has shaped its many communities, where and how they were built, their architecture and their degree of economic success.

Fred will exhibit his beautiful landscape photography in a slideshow presentation showcasing the "Royal City" and the twin tourist towns of Elora and Fergus, but also discuss the smaller villages and hamlets and the entire county's surprising wealth of artists and artisans.

See you there!

www.photocubaworkshop.com is Live!

2008-06-15T09:10:00.008-04:00

If you are interested in partaking in a photography workshop in Cuba then check out our new site which is all about this February 2009 adventure!

This February 1st- 8th, 2009 we'll be running our 4th photo workshop in Cuba. Our mission is;

A fun creative learning environment
Inspiration
Travel with purpose.
Connect with culture with your camera.
Expand your photography skills with Trina Koster and German Portuondo.

Go to http://photocubaworkshop.com/ to learn about our 2009 February group adventure in Chivirco, Cuba (a small village outside of the cultural hotspot Santiago de Cuba). This site will also allow you to check out galleries of great student and instructors' photos from the past workshops, learn about the instructors and the locations, and read student's testimonials.

Here's a sneak peek at some screen captures.

Her's what the Lonely Planet Cuba guide says about the city of Santiago De Cuba:

"Nowhere else in Cuba will you find such a colorful combination of people, or such a resoundingsense of historical destiny. Diego Velazquez made the city his second capital, Fidel Castro used it to launchhis embrionic revolution, Don Facundo Bacardi based his first ever rum factory here and just about every Cuban music genre from salsa to son first emanated from somewhere in these dusty, rhythmic and undeniably sensuous streets."

So check out the site and see what you could be doing in warm sunny vibrant Cuba this February! www.photocubaworkshop.com.

Want a Wet Darkroom Enlarger to Borrow?

2008-06-11T13:57:00.002-04:00

Looking for good home to store 4x5 top of the line Beseller Enlarger,must move by June 30th. Please call Maggie Leighton @ 519-822-2952 or leave message @ Ed Video,836-9811 Thanks.

Karen Rowe is Back!

2008-05-30T17:06:00.019-04:00

Karen Rowe Has been a part of our studio for a number of years... She'll tell you about that below... and then she went away to school for a couple of years, and now we're excited to have her back! I'll let her interview and photos say the rest...





For starters, tell us your name and what is your relationship to the studio. 

My name is Karen Rowe & I have been with the studio for 4 years now.  I started as a coop student, then got hired as the Principle Custom B&W Printer, and then as the Production Manager.  I have worked intermittently for the last 2 years, as I have also been studying photography at Sheridan College in the Applied Photography program.  I’m coming back now to continue working as the Production Manager and to coordinate the workshops and add to the blog on a weekly basis.


You came to us to help you accomplish something.  What was that?

Umm…to get a job to pay off my college debts?! Well, that too, but more to find a rewarding, fulfilling and creative job, where I can put to use what I’ve learnt thought school and continue to evolve my photography and production skills.

What are a few of your favorite things about the experience you had with us?

Hum, that’s a tough question; there’ve been so many great experiences! Participating with people’s weddings and portraits can be so rewarding and fun, and having my own show last year was great. But I’d have to say that the best part about all my experiences at TKP is being able to wake up every morning, looking forward to going to work. I mean, how many people can really say they enjoy going to work?

What did you discover about yourself in the process?

That I don’t want to work in a boring job! And that I love to be creative and express that whenever possible.

Tell us about these images you’re sharing with us. What’s your inspiration and motivation?

My motivation comes from wanting to capture everyday beauty through photography, regardless of the subject matter. When shooting portraits, I really like to get to know my subjects well, and really bring out their true essence through the photos I create.



If you could give our readers one or two tips that would help them out in a similar situation, what would they be?

My best tip would be to simply get out photographing(or creating any form of art) as often as possible(hopefully a minimum of once a week) and always push yourself to think about what you’re shooting and to shoot a little differently than how you might have originally thought to do it.  If you’re not pushing yourself each time, you can find your photos turning out stale and uninspired all too quickly! And most importantly, always have fun shooting!

Tattoo Thursday...

2008-05-02T14:23:00.015-04:00

... or as I like to pronounce it "Tattoo T'ursday." A couple of Thursdays ago the Continuing Photo Class was all about tattoos. The group pooled their resources and invited several tattooed friends to come in and model for the class. The students and models alike had a wonderful experience.

Trina focused her teaching on how to create dramatic and expressive lighting, how to direct and connect with the people who are modeling, and to create story elements to your images. Here are a bunch of photos from Thursday's class.

Our Continuing Photo class is an intimate group of 8 students who have been learning together for a little over a year. Every two weeks we meet and Trina leads the class with a new technique, leads in-class assignments and field-trips, and feedback discussions on each person's work involving the whole class. Students work independently outside of class too, creating their own projects and bringing them to the class for sharing, help, and feedback. This is an excellent way to learn and grow yourself as an artist because of the balance of independence and individual guidance. It's a mastermind group of photography.

It's not easy to get into the class because it's rare that people drop out. The small group dynamic is supportive and fun. Members really miss it when they can't make it to class for some reason.

But guess what! Trina is preparing to put another Continuing Photo group together! Remember, the second class is limited to eight people too and once that one's filled it'll be inaccessible until someone leaves the group. So if you're the slightest bit interested give us a call (519-767-2948), or send us an email (info[at]trinakoster[dot]com ... sorry 'bout the spamproof spelling) and let us know. We're available to answer questions and concerns and provide more information if you like.

This class comes highly recommended.

PhotoCuba! '08 Class Show and opening Reception, Friday May 9

2008-05-02T11:58:00.003-04:00

Hey! We took a group of our Canadian students to Cuba again this year for another PhotoCuba! Workshop and now we're having a show at the studio! Scroll down a few of posts here to see a wee photo essay about the trip. And come to the reception on Friday for a fun photo event!

PhotoCuba! '08 presents photographers:

Nicola Acker, Arisdan Balado Rodriguez, Margaret Bell, Gerry Chaundler, Renee Fleming, John Fleming, Patricia Funston, Ruth Howard, Trina Koster, Alan Madras, Shane Norup, Judy Osman, Jessica Palmer, German Portuondo, Mary Roberts, Ken Roberts, Laura Taylor, Joyce Tentor, Doug Tyson, Sandra Tyson.

Opening Fiesta... Friday May 9th
Doors Open at 7:30 pm, Slideshow and Photo Talk to follow.
Salsa Dance Lesson with Flying Dance Company at 8:00 pm

Exhibit duration... May 9th - July 1st, 2008
260 Waterloo Ave. Guelph, ON 519.767.2948

For more info see events at
www.photoworkshopsinguelph.com

Fred Dahms Photo-Book Launch, May 5.

2008-05-02T11:47:00.004-04:00

Trina met Fred recently and was really excited about his newly launched project, which is a photo book about Wellington County. He's having an event at 7pm, Monday May 5th at the Bookshelf's eBar here in downtown Guelph. Slideshow, book signing, fun social photography event. Click the invite below for a larger view.

Cheers!
Scott

Camera Toss Photography

2008-05-01T15:11:00.002-04:00

Do you ever feel like just throwing your camera? Well, turns out you can get some incredibly cool photos that way! Check it out! This is an image by photographer known on flikr as davespilbrow... you can see his site here; http://fiveprime.org/hivemind/User/davespilbrow.

Rule #1: use a camera you won't mind breaking, because if you do this enough, eventually it will. To extend your tossing camera's lifetime you should devise some very soft landings for it. I've seen some handy camera catchers on these links; boxes of Styrofoam peanuts; pillows and comforters; professional jugglers. You be the judge.

Check out these links for more Photo Toss art and How-To instructions. If you try it and get some images you like please feel free to submit them to us and we'll put 'em up on the blog here! (Submission Guidelines: please submit digital images or scans only. Constrain sizes within 360x360 pixels).

http://cameratoss.blogspot.com/2005/10/camera-toss-mini-howto.html
http://www.flickr.com/groups/cameratoss/pool
http://www.cameratossing.de/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_photography
http://www.jpgmag.com/stories/215
http://www.shaneenglish.com/blog/2006/02/my-camera-tossing-technique.html

Cheers!
Scott

Oxanna Adams Photo Show Newspaper Writeup

2008-04-27T13:24:00.006-04:00

Oxanna Adams' show, hanging now here in our workshop space (aka Flo), got written up in the Guelph Mercury! Click here to check it out!

PhotoCuba! 2008 Was Sooo Good!

2008-04-22T15:33:00.028-04:00

We had a really fun time with the PhotoCuba workshop again this year. 16 participants joined us for the photo workshop plus a few other spouses and friends came as travel companions. Once again the cultural exchange has been rich and exciting. (I'm working on getting images together from the students to share with you soon.) Everyone had a great time and made some fantastic photos, on May 9th we will be slide show of the student's work at the PhotoCuba '08 group exhibit.

Our fearless leaders! This is our team of Teachers. From left to right: Laura Taylor has been involved with our studio here in Guelph for about a decade. She's been a student, a teacher, and one of our team of wedding photographers. German (second from left) is a surrealist painter and the director of the local art gallery. He's also a professor of fine art. He did several talks about Cuban art, principals of art in general, as well as sharing his unique perspective on composition and concept during student critiques. The next guy there is Arisdan, our technical assistant, translator for German, and organizer of the Cuban side of the exchange. And then there's Trina, head teacher, organizer, visionary and CEO of the PhotoCuba! Workshop.

As a part of the workshop experience we take the participants into Santiago de Cuba for a photo excursion. This year, we visited Centro Provincal de las Artes Plasticas, a public art gallery, where the work from our PhotoCuba! workshops from 2006 and 2007 was hanging! What an honour! German (pronounced “Her-man” with a rolled ‘r’), our Cuban art teacher arranged it. We had no idea just how much the local art community valued the project.

The following week, Trina, German, Arisdan (our Cuban co-ordinator, translator, and technical assistant) and myself returned back to this gallery for Trina to give an artist's talk about her own personal work. She showed a slideshow of her “Searching for Sensuality” photo project, which includes her “Special Waters” images. During the Q&A one of the Cuban artist asked Trina if she would teach a workshop for Cubans. We are now in the planning stages of trying to make that happen. However, our classic PhotoCuba! 2009 for the Canadian and international students is a go for February 3-10th.

The Gallery; Centro Provincal de las Artes Plasticas

Trina's Talk

German, two artists involved in curating the gallery show, Trina and Arisdan.

In the interest of keeping this workshop a true exchange the students bring donations of clothing and art supplies for the community. This year there was a large duffel bag full of art supplies for the grade schools in and around Chiverico.

Some of the Donated Art Supplies

Trina and Arisdan did a class talk for a grade two class at a local school to explain how photography is an art form and why it's so wonderful to photograph in their community.

This guy is the School Principal...

... And this, of course, is the class.

We received some beautiful drawings from the kids at the school expressing their gratitude for the art supplies that was brought to their school. So, thanks again to all of you who generously packed their bags with donations.

All in all this has been another very positive cultural experience for us and we're really looking forward to returning back next year. We hope you can join us! PhotoCuba! 2009 is scheduled for Feb 3rd-10th and people are already asking to be in it!

We are accepting deposits to hold your place so if you’re interested please let us know. We will only be accepting a maximum of 20 students into the class itself… but of course you are welcome to bring travel buddies. The hotel has only has 32 rooms and is often filled with regulars, so it is a good idea to book in advance.

Check out the website for details (www.photoworkshopsinguelph.com). Call us at 519-767-2948, or click here to email us about holding your place in the workshop.

Cheers!
Scott Mooney

Private Paparazzi

2008-03-29T02:20:00.003-04:00

Here's a cool photography service... It's like hiring your own paparazzi! Secret portraits of you. And there are some pretty cool shots. Click here to check it out!

http://methodizaz.com/

Cheers!
Scott

Reminder...Urban Revelations, Rediscovering Paris - official opening April 4th!!

2008-03-27T16:58:00.002-04:00

Just a reminder of Oxanna's Photo show and opening reception coming up! Here's a message direct from her below...

Urban Revelations, Rediscovering Paris - official opening April 4th!!

After months of hard work and what seemed like endless hours in the darkroom, I am having my first ever exhibit of black and white, silver gelatin prints. Silver gelatin means true black and white film enlarged, manipulated and printed (i.e. no digital technology) in the darkroom. My show runs from March 19 to May 1 at Trina Koster Photography, 260 Waterloo Ave. More importantly, my official opening is Friday, April 4 7 - 9 p.m. At 7:30 p.m., I will be speaking about fine art photography and its role in my creative journey. This evening is an opportunity to see a selection of my images of Paris (France that is) and to mingle with old friends and hopefully new ones.

See http://tkpworkshopconnection.com/ for Scott Mooney's "way cool" comments on my work. Me thinks Scott was still on a post Cuba high when he wrote this one!

If you can't make my opening but would still like to see my photos, Trina Koster Photography is open Tuesday to Friday, noon to 6 and limited hours on Saturday. Please phone 519-767-2948 in advance to ensure that the Flo Creative Studio is open and available for viewing.

Cheers,
Oxanna

Photo Show: Oxanna Adams

2008-03-06T17:12:00.003-05:00

Two things about this.

One:
The times have changed from the original launch date. Now Oxanna's having her opening on April 4th from 7 till 9pm. She's giving an artist's talk at 7:30 (which is a great way to learn about someone's creative process... which may give you some tips and insights into your own creative process). And the show is hanging from March 19th till May 1. And the location is still at Trina Koster Photography at 260 Waterloo Ave. here in Guelph Ontario.

Two:
I didn't say anything at all about Oxanna in the previous post, or about her show because I made the post in a big hurry... a terrible oversight because...
... Oxanna is an excellent photographer! I can't wait to see this new body of work she's putting together. Her promo photo in the poster here is gorgeous (click the image for a larger view) and I know the other photos will be too.

Oxanna still shoots incomparable film and prints on good ol' fashioned silver gelatin resin coated photo paper in a wet darkroom. This process makes a quality of print still unmatched by digital printing.

Why? Because digital printing has digital increments of tonal range, whereas photo sensitive paper has a virtually infinite tonal range. Also with digital the image is printed on the surface of the paper, whereas old fashioned photo paper the pigmentation exists inside the paper, suspended in a layer of transparent resin. This gives wet darkroom prints a depth, like the image is inside a translucent skin.

That being said, you gotta have an eye if you want to make great images, digitally or analog. Oxanna has this great eye... an eye for ephemeral mystery, for finding and creating slices of new worlds, parallel universes of beauty.

So come see her show, come hear her talk about the work. Come get inspired and hang with some like minded appreciators of the art of photography.

April 4th from 7 till 9pm.
Trina Koster Photography
260 Waterloo Ave, Guelph

Cheers!
Scott

Urban Revelations

2008-02-09T17:57:00.001-05:00

Double click the poster below for a larger view.

Digital Camera Hacks

2008-01-29T12:48:00.000-05:00

Listening to an old podcast of CBC radio's technology show "Spark" today I heard an article about Hacking your digital camera to get different effects... like shaking your camera vigourously while snapping the shot, using a door peep hole to create a fisheye lens, and other stuff. Check it our on Spark's blog at http://www.cbc.ca/spark/blog/2007/09/tell_us_your_hacks.html.

If you come up with other ways to do cool effects by hacking your digital camera you can go on this post and share your hacks!

Cheers!
Scott

Win $500

2007-12-20T10:36:00.000-05:00

Hello!

We have news from a workshop instructor, Josh Crozier. He has placed second in a national amateur photo contest with his photo In the zone which was taken in the Flo space with a Women’s National Boxing champion.

Josh’s photo is now one of nine eligible to win the grand prize. The grand prize is determined by online voting. Ever vote also earns you a chance at $500 worth of photo gear from a Foto Source store such as Ponds here in Guelph.

Please go to The Foto Source contest and cast your vote for Josh’s photo which is located in the bottom row.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Events and Workshops

2007-11-23T18:07:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!

Check out our upcoming events and last workshop of the season!

1. Josh Crozier, one of our Photoshop instructors will be teaching a 5 week Intermediate Photoshop on Tuesdays starting November 27th and going to December 18th. Good news is there are a couple of spots still left…if you are interested in participating in this great workshop, please let us know as soon as possible. Join us to learn to refine your digital images into works of art! Please visit our website http://www.trinakoster.com/ and click on workshops to find out more information.

2. Fine Art Sale! Sunday December 2nd, 12 noon – 5pm. Do you need a unique and inspiring Christmas gift idea? Don’t go to the mall…visit us instead! Purchase creative and affordable photographic work from a variety of photographers showcasing their artistic vision, style and subject matter. Check out the ad below:

3. An Alternative Craft Show is also taking place in our Flo Space this Sunday the 25th of November. Here is a little more info about it!

Hope to see you all there ;)
Please note that we are working on creating many fantastic workshops for the winter of 2008 and we will be posting them on our website soon!!

Martine Lauzon
Studio Manager
Trina Koster Photography
260 Waterloo Avenue
Guelph, Ontario
N1H 3J5
(519) 767-2948 phone
(519) 767-2708 fax
http://www.trinakoster.com/

See the latest news on our blog!tkpworkshops.blogspot.com/.

November Photo Shows and PhotoCuba!

2007-11-14T22:39:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone!

Trina Koster Photography’s own Jen Little and Karen Rowe are having a show together here in TKP’s Flo space. The show is called “Dramatic Light” featuring prints created on metallic paper. Please join us for opening night on Friday November 16. Doors open at 7:30pm. The photo Talk starts at 8pm. Hors d’eovres and refreshments will be served.

PhotoCuba! 2008 workshop is almost full so if you’ve been wanting to join us and haven’t booked your spot yet give us a call right away. There are only 4 seats left on the plane and they’re not reserved by us so asap is of the essence! Call now! Hurry! ;-)

Fine Art Photographer Walter Sawka is one of Trina’s greatest mentors. He’s having a show with two other artists in Cookstown, just north of Toronto (for a map, click this link… http://tinyurl.com/23cx35). The other artists are photographer Diana Harding Tucker and sculptor Ann Clifford. The opening is Friday Nov. 23, 2007, from 7-9pm. The address is 10 Queen St., Cookstown, ON. 705-458-0881. www.galleryonqueen.com.

We hope to see you there!

Cheers!
Scott

Scott Mooney
Trina Koster Photography
260 Waterloo Avenue
Guelph, Ontario
N1H 3J5
(519) 767-2948 phone
(519) 767-2708 fax
www.trinakoster.com

Another Cuba Photo Show!

2007-10-09T10:09:00.001-04:00

Trina Koster's Photo Italiano Show!

2007-08-31T17:40:00.000-04:00

Trina Koster recently attended a Photography workshop in Italy instructed by one of her all time favorite photographers, Keith Carter.

Not only did she have an amazing time but she also learned a lot and made some beautiful art images!

She'll be showing a selection of her work from the Italy trip here in the Flo space at her studio (260 Waterloo Ave. Guelph Ontario). The evening will open with a talk about her experience, and there will be wine and pizza and art and music and people. Remember to gesture with your hands a lot... this is an Italian themed party after all!;-) The reception is Friday Sept 21 from 8pm on. Check out some images and details at our website. Click here for details.

Upcoming Photo Workshops

2007-08-31T17:27:00.000-04:00

We've just released the new Fall 2007 roster of inspiring photo workshops you can take here at the studio. They are listed below, and you can click the links below each listing to visit it's own special web page for details.

* Intermediate Portrait Photography: instructed by Laura Taylor and Sophie Hogan, Tuesdays Sept. 11-Oct. 16, 7-9:30pm.
Click here for details

* Learn Photography: instructed by Doug Tyson, Wednesdays, Sept. 12-Oct. 17, 7-9:30pm.
Click here for details

* Digital Basics 1: instructed by Jack Kesselman, Mondays, Sept. 17-Oct. 15, 7-9:30pm.
Click here for details.

* Beginners Photoshop: instructed by Josh Crozier, Tuesdays Sept. 18-Oct. 16, 7-9pm.
Click here for details.

* Intermediate Photoshop: instructed by Josh Crozier, Tuesdays Oct. 30-Nov. 27, 2007, 7-9pm.
Click here for details.

* Crash Course, Beginner's Photoshop: instructed by Josh Crozier, Saturdays Nov. 17 & Sunday Nov. 18, 9:30am-2:30pm.
Click here for details.

*PhotoCuba! 2008: instructed by Trina Koster, February 12-19 2008.
Click here for details

Tango!

2007-08-31T17:14:00.000-04:00

As you know we have other mind/body workshops in our workshop space, Flo. One of those is Tango lessons, organized by Pamela Fielding. This Autumn she is featuring some guest instructors:

Argentine Tango Lessons in Guelph this Fall
Amira Campora Sept. 20 - Oct. 18
Lisandro & Tatiana Oct. 25 - Dec. 20 (no class Dec. 13)

Amira Campora
Sept. 20 - Oct. 18

Teacher: Amira Campora - visiting from Argentina
Her website: http://www.amira-tango.com.ar/
Dates: September 20 - October 18
Time: Thursday evenings
7pm Beginner
8pm Practica
9pm Intermediate
Please arrive 10 minutes early - lessons will start on time
Price: $80 per person for 5 weeks, includes practica
Place: Flo Studio 260 Waterloo Ave. Guelph
Registration: Contact Pamela at pamelaf@sentex.ca or 519 827 0877
Singles welcome - single partner rotation

Lisandro & Tatiana
Oct. 25 - Dec. 20 (no class Dec. 13)

Teacher: Lisandro & Tatiana from Sur Theatre, Toronto
Their website: http://www.tangosur.ca/ http://www.surtheatre.com/
Dates: October 25 - December 20 (no class December 13)
Time: Thursday evenings
7:30pm Beginner
8:30pm Practica
9:30pm Intermediate
Please arrive 10 minutes early - lessons will start on time
Price: $130 per person for 8 weeks, includes practica
Place: Flo Studio 260 Waterloo Ave. Guelph

Registration:
Contact Pamela at pamelaf@sentex.ca or 519 827 0877
Singles welcome - single partner rotation

Beginner Photoshop Workshop Is Coming Up!

2007-05-25T12:19:00.000-04:00

Sign up asap because our Beginner Photoshop workshop is starting on Tuesday June 5^th until Tuesday July 10^th (no class ois limited to 10 people max. The course fee is $n July 3^rd because of the long weekend). Registration 155+gst.

Here's more about the class:

Discover the masterpiece hidden within your digital image!

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.

This course is designed for students with laptop computers. You should already know how to access your digital images from your computer and should own Adobe Photoshop version 6, 7, CS, CS2 or CS3. However, you do not need to know anything about using this software yet. Your instructor will be demonstrating techniques using CS2 or CS3. However, lessons will be inclusive to those with any of the listed versions of Adobe Photoshop... If you need to buy it, check out http://webcommunitysoftware.com/ (a great price for Photoshop CS2 at only approx. $330 USD), or try also www.ebay.com for older (and therefore cheaper) versions (Lean towards buying from ebay certified "supersellers" which will be indicated on the listing if they are one).

Remember, sign up today because it's coming up fast! Call us at 519-767-2948, or email info@trinakoster.com.

Cheers!
Scott Mooney

Darlene Lamb's "Inner Landscapes" Show

2007-05-22T13:47:00.000-04:00

Lovely Darlene Lamb is a longtime friend and frequent student of the TKP Photo workshops. She's a wonderful artist using photography as her medium. Darlene is having a show of her work at the Red Brick Cafe (519-836-1126), 8 Douglas St. here in good ol' Guelph Ontario. The show is on from June 3rd to July 1st.

The Opening Reception will be on Wednesday June 6th from 8-10pm. Put it in your calendar. We'll be there!

Photo Talk with John Flemming, Movie night, and Kids with Cameras

2007-05-08T19:10:00.000-04:00

Inspired by the documentary film "Born into Brothels" John Flemming has launched a kids with camera's program here in Guelph. We will be showing "Born into Brothels" after his talk, and then sticking around to discuss the film and the ideas it inspires afterward.

The Phototalk is on Friday May 18 at 7pm... probably will go until about 1o o'clockish. It will take place at Flo, our workshop space attached to Trina Koster Photography at 260 Waterloo Ave. (519-767-2948). Come along and enjoy!

Here's a bit about John's version of the program. You can get more of the story on at the phototalk...

i started the program on virtually no budget with the help of the community.  we had all donated 35 mm cameras and they were crap, but we got some very good shots despite.   the project was a hit with the higher-ups within family and children's services (higher ups, include everyone in the agency as i am a bottom-feeder) so i was able to ask for a little money to be thrown my way.  the foundation tossed this dog a sizeable bone and i was able to go out and purchase 6 digital cameras to be used for upcoming groups.

following each 7 week session, each kid chooses a photo that i matt and frame, and we have a 'gala' at a hip little coffee shop in waterloo, whole-lot-a gelata lets us keep the kids pictures up for a couple of weeks and for one evening we have friends family and agency workers come out to coo over the kids pics and to leaf through the albums that they have made.  it is a dy-no-mite night and the kids dress well and are on their best behaviour.  real neat.

the movie 'born into brothels' was the last little inspiration that i needed to get this project off the ground.  i'm an idea-guy, not a follow-through-guy, so the idea had been floating around in my head for a while.  it's hard to say whether i would have gotten off my butt and done something had the movie not given me the kick in the pants i needed.

PhotoCuba! and Guatemala Portrait Exhibition, Photo Talk and Opening Reception this Friday April 20th, 7:30pm!

2007-04-15T12:46:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone!

Just a reminder that you are invited to the PhotoCuba! 2007 Fiesta Opening this Friday April 20 at 7:30. Come help us celebrate the work of our PhotoCuba! students, and Nick Head-Petersen’s portraits from Guatemala! We’ll start off the evening with a photo talk with a party to follow! If you are so inclined bring your dancing shoes as Nicco from The Flying Dance Company will be doing a Salsa performance and a little dance lesson for those who would like to join in.

We had 14 participants in this year’s PhotoCuba workshop who made excellent work. Nick Head-Petersen was in Cuba with us last year, and this year he took his camera to Guatemala on a volunteering mission at an orphanage. Are these photos windows into Latin America, or are they expressions of the hearts of these artists? The answer: both!

Join us to see the pictures, hear the stories, meet the artists:
Barbara Booth
Bob Davis
Bogna Dembek
Nick Head-Petersen
Ruth Howard
Doreen Kirkland
Trina Koster
Bob Liptrap
Alan Madras
Amanda Mullin
Sharon Mullin
Bobbi Porter
Sue Rietschin
Emma Smallbone
Sara Williams
Irene Yong

PhotoCuba! 2007 Overview

2007-03-21T13:52:00.001-04:00

To give everyone an idea of what our students were up to in our class, this is an overview of the trip. Here you'll see one photo each of every student photographer who participated! Take a look and feel free to leave positive comments for the photographers. Everyone appreciates acknowledgement!

Photographer : Sue Rietschin, Day 3

Photographer : Sharon Mullin, Day 3

Photographer : Ruth Howard, Day 3

Photographer : Doreen Kirkland, Day 3

Photographer : Bobbi Porter, Day 3

Photographer : Bob Davis, Day 3

Photographer : Barbara Booth, Day 3

Photographer : Amanda Mullin, Day 3

Photographer : Irene Yong, Day 2

Photographer : BobLiptrap, Day 2

Photographer : Alan Madras, Day 2

Photographer : Sara Williams, Day 1

Photographer : Emma Smallbone, Day 1

Photographer : Bogna Dembek, Day 1

We'll be running PhotoCuba again next year! Feel free to contact us for imformation! Also; Don't forget to check out the PhotoCuba Show! The Opening Reception is on Friday, April 20th; And the show is running from April 15th - June 9th. Check it out!

Interview - Carol Newell

2007-03-02T14:39:00.001-05:00

Carol Newell is one of our regular students. She’s currently in the Advanced Learn Photography Class and is scheduled to have a show with Dan LaCroix here in the studio. The reception will be on Friday, June 15th at 7:30pm. Their show will be running from June 10 until August 10.

Q1. For starters, tell us your name and what is your relationship to the studio.

I’m Carol Newell. I have been a Guelph resident since 1991 and a student at the studio since 1995. Photography had been a casual hobby for me, more snapping pictures than creating images. One day I saw an advertisement for Trina’s Learn Photography course and was intrigued by the stunning images. I signed up that day and have taken a variety of the workshops since then.

Q2.You came to us to help you accomplish something. What was that?

I wanted to become a better photographer, both technically and creatively. To move from documenting what I saw in front of me to a level of interpretation, expression and being able to evoke emotion with my images.

Q3. What are a few of your favorite things about the experience you had with us?

To be able to look at ordinary things and create extraordinary images.
To be able to create images with elements of interpretation, expression, emotion and visual design.
To share with other photographers and learn from each other.

One of my greatest memories was the first time I received a positive critique of an image. It certainly wasn’t the first critique I had experienced. Applying what you’ve learned and creating an image with impact is very gratifying and compels you to go out and create more of them.

Q4. What did you discover about yourself in the process?

That I can be creative. Creative potential can be found within each of us. It’s a matter of finding the right key to unlock and release it.

Q5. Do you have any anecdotes to describe any of your above comments?

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!

Q6. Tell us about these images you’re sharing with us. What’s you inspiration and motivation?

I have always had a love of nature and all of its diversity. From the grandeur of a beautiful landscape to the tiniest details in the petals of flowers. The beauty of nature itself inspires me to capture all that it has to offer. Today there are many threats to our environment so being able to create images of nature before it is gone is very motivating for me.

Q7. If you could give our readers one or two tips that would help them out in a similar situation, what would they be?

Always have a theme or vision in your mind before you head out and shoot.
Always strive to improve upon what you have learned and accomplished in the past. We are all students capable of learning new things each day.

Photographer Evgen Bavcar

2007-01-25T21:50:00.000-05:00

My sister sent me the website link to photographer, Evgen Bavcar. Bavcar is completely blind, and his images are spooky and beautiful. Learning about Bavcar inspired a challenging new assignment for our advanced photography class, and no doubt made for a very interesting class discussion.

Bavcar does a lot of writing and speaking about his creative process on his website at http://zonezero.com/exposiciones/fotografos/bavcar/bavcar15.html

The Bob and Niels Show!

2007-01-13T19:11:00.000-05:00

Note the address is actually 260 Waterloo Ave. Pardon the typo on the invite above.

Bob Liptrap's Photos:

Niels Hansen's Photos:

Trina Koster: Travel Photos, Trinidad De Cuba

2006-12-19T18:23:00.002-05:00

Note: We now have a Website dedicated to our PhotoCuba workshop! Go to http://photocubaworkshop.com/ to check out galleries of student and instructors' photos from the workshop, learn about the instructors and the locations, and read student's testimonials.

Last Spring Trina travelled to Trinadad De Cuba to explore the possibility of teaching another PhotoCuba! workshop there. Logistically it turned out not to be such a great place for the kind of workshop we want to teach, so we're sticking with Chiverico, our favorite little town East of Santiago. The trip was a great success in many other ways, though, and one was some of the beautiful shots Trina got while she was there.

She referred to Trinidad De Cuba as “Birdcage City.” There were birds in cages everywhere, and the people too would sit behind the iron bars of their front windows and watch out into the street. Our workshops are about photographing people, and having access to the people is very important. Trinidad is a very touristy town, and the residents don’t seem too keen on connecting with the tourists.

Cubans are incredibly resourceful and creative problem solvers. Some of these old cars from the fifties are running on Toyota engines and are held together with strange and unusual things.

In Cuba when a girl turns 15 she officially becomes a woman. Her family throws a big party, and the government gives them beer and pop to celebrate with. This event is bigger than her wedding will be. Often there is a photo shoot that starts off with the girl looking like a little child, with teddy bears and pigtails. Then there is a change of clothes and makeup and she’s photographed looking incredibly sexy and provocative. Here’s a girl all done up, being paraded around town to announce her womanhood.