Midwest Photographic WorkshopsCourse DescriptionsMidwest Photographic Workshops has divided our courses into two categories: Weekend/Week Long Workshops and Evening Classes. Evening Classes tend to be scheduled from 7 - 10PM on weeknights unless otherwise specified Weekday classes tend to be from 10:30 AM to 1:30 or 2:00PM. Classes generally meet once per week for 4 to 6 weeks. Weekend workshops tend to be all day on Saturday or Sunday from 10 - 5. Please note that each class category has its own separate link to schedules and descriptions.
Fashion/Portraiture/Wedding on Location
Wedding Photography Techniques and Business Practices $340.00
Course # 520
Instructor: Bryce Denison
This two-day workshop is an opportunity to get technical information on booking, pricing, shooting and delivering a finished wedding album. Saturday’s session is at a local church with a bride and groom. Students will photograph the bride and groom all day Saturday. Learn how to maximize your time and pose and organize the wedding party to get all your photos completed in that small window of time just after the ceremony. Learn about radio slaves, kicker lights and setting up the formal group shots on the altar. Learn about special effects such as soft focus, double exposures, side lighting and formal portraits at the reception. Learn about films, digital cameras, lighting, albums, backgrounds and special effects.Sunday’s class will delve into wedding contracts, deposits and issues of copyrights. Sunday morning is a presentation on the “Business of Photography”. Learn about advertising, setting up an assumed name, getting a business checking account, sales tax and information on whether you should be a sole proprietor or set up a LLC (Limited Liability Corporation). Learn when to raise your prices and where to purchase your wedding albums wholesale. Learn about "selling up". Sunday afternoon's session is all about the studio bridal portrait. Join us for a fun and fact filled weekend and learn how to be one of the best instead of one of the rest! 35mm, medium format or digital cameras are welcome. 10-5 PM.
Bridal Portraiture on Location $195.00
Course # 521
Instructor: Bryce Denison
This one-day workshop will provide students with the opportunity to photograph a bride on location at multiple sites and under different qualities of light. Learn about outdoor fill flash and reflectors and how to optimize "catch lights" in the eyes to increase your sales.
New for 2008!!!
Advanced Wedding Practices $340.00
Course #530
Fashion on Location in Historic Depot-Town, Ypsilanti, MI. $125.00
Course # 501
Instructor: Bryce Denison
This one-day workshop will cover techniques used to create fashion photographs similar to those found in magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Glamour, Vanity Fair, etc. Depot Town is a quaint area of Ypsilanti populated with a number of antique shops and local cafes. The main attraction is a train station complete with a caboose and various loading dock pieces that make for wonderfully rich shooting backgrounds. You will learn about the use of reflectors, syncro-sunlight fill flash, posing and many techniques to rev up your photographic style. Model/s are included. Midwest Workshops uses only models that epitomize the essence of high fashion style. 35mm, medium format or digital cameras are welcome. 10-5 PM.
MPW Models picnic - 37th Annual $45.00Course # 500
Come and celebrate Midwest Photographic Workshops 36th Annual Models Picnic. Photograph about a dozen or more lovely models wearing evening gowns, sportswear, casual wear and swimsuits. All tickets must be sold in advance as no tickets can be sold at the park. Props will include motorcycles, sports cars, watercraft and various backgrounds. Bring lots of film or media cards. Midwest Photography Workshops runs a photography contest for the best photographs taken at this picnic. Trophies and plaques are awarded for the best photos turned in. A few hundred dollars of door prizes are awarded to photographers at the picnic as well from a drawing from entry tickets. Models receive cash prizes for Top Model, Most Photogenic, Miss Congeniality, Top Male Model and Most Creative Costume as voted by the photographers. This event is a model shoot, not a workshop. We conduct this shoot rain or shine. 35mm, medium format or digital cameras are welcome, but not video cameras. We will grill some hot dogs. Pop and Chips are available. See you there! 1-7 PM. Rain or Shine!
Sunsets and Swimsuits – Sports Illustrated Style $100.00Course # 502
Instructor: Bryce Denison
This Friday evening workshop will provide not only a wonderful shooting opportunity, but also instruction on how to use the late evening “golden” quality of light to enhance the texture and bring out the warmth available at that time of evening. Learn about reflectors, rather than harsh flash to fill in shadows. Learn how to expand or compress the scene simply by changing lens focal length. Learn how to pose the model so they can look like the models you see in calendars or gracing the covers of your favorite magazine. Students are expected to meet at the Island Lake State Recreational area Sycamore shelter by 6:00 PM. See the map for the models picnic for directions. 35mm, medium format or digital cameras are welcome. 6-9:30 PM.How to photograph the Goth Model on Location $125.00
Course # 522
Instructor: Bryce Denison
This one-day workshop will provide an opportunity to photograph models that live and dress in the “Goth” Style. What is a “Goth”? Come and find out! Models will wear dark, but dramatic garments; sexy, but not revealing. The outdoor location is likely to be a local cemetery if we have good weather and we will retreat to the studio if the weather does not cooperate. Learn metering, the use of reflectors and syncro-sunlight fill flash techniques. Learn posing, composition and portrait techniques to create a wider diversity of images in your portfolio. 35mm, medium format or digital cameras are welcome. 10-5 PM.
High Fashion Downtown $125.00
Course # 523
Instructor: Bryce Denison
Incorporate spectacular architecture in Downtown Detroit (Hart Plaza) and the outdoor sculpture with the exquisite good looks of fashion models in your photographs. A must for the well rounded portfolio.
Commercial Portraiture on Location
Course #541
Instructor: Bryce Denison
$295.00
This four-week class will provide the student with hands on expierience setting up the lights, evaluating the location and determine the lighting ratios to photograph an executive portrait, a musicians' portrait suitable for a CD cover and others. The first night is in the studio, but the next three are on location.
Basic Portrait Lighting #401 is a pre-requiste.
Outdoor Portraiture with Fill Flash and Reflectors $125.00
Course # 505
Instructor: Bryce Denison
This One-Day workshop is on location at a destination yet to be announced. Students will photograph models out of doors under a variety of challenging lighting conditions. Learn to use fill flash to minimize shadows caused by hard, direct sunlight. Learn to use reflectors to provide a soft directional light when your subject is in shade. Learn about warm and cool reflectors and how they effect your color balance.
Workshops not offered in 2008, but may be Revisited in 2009
Swimming Pool Beauties $100.00
Course # 504
Instructor: Bryce Denison
This one-day workshop will be conducted at a local private swimming pool. Learn about syncro-sunlight fill flash and the difference between cool and warm reflectors. Learn posing and composition relating to swimsuit models. 35mm, medium format or digital cameras are welcome. 10-5 PM.
Kitsch with a Twist of Russian $595.00
Course # 540
Instructor:
Kitsch is a German word. It literally translates to "junk art". But in order to make Kitsch work, the creator must have impeccable taste. Kitsch appeals to the intellectual in us because with the images the students will learn how to create in this 4-day long (eight to ten hours per day) workshop, the intellect and the craftsmanship will be stretched to a level you probably have not yet experienced. Professional models will be provided, yet this "performance piece" will involve active participation by the photographers themselves in the images. Learn to create, prop, direct, script, shoot, analyze and critique each days shoot. Learn to think outside the box. This class is a major step away from the classes normally seen at Midwest Photography Workshops. The workshop is basically about environmental lighting involving portraiture. Two days are in the studio and two days are on location. Some nudity may be on the set, but this is not a nude workshop. For students using digital cameras, our computer lab is available to download and process images for the daily critique. Class size strictly limited to 12.
Revised 2-10-2008