If photography wasn’t a mystery it wouldn’t be a worthy pursuit.
I have been uttering the same phrase for over the past year at Workshops and Photo –Walks
“give up on perfection and develop your practice”.
That’s it. That is the mystery of the photo-universe revealed to you.
An artist will never be perfect. That is the only expectation of art; mastering the imperfection of your mind, tools and craft.
Enjoy your journey and create something new, daily.
You can download yesterday's workshop power point (HERE)
E-book ~ A new way to think about that old portfolio: The Photographer's Blog (HERE)
List of the websites we discussed: Flickr, Creative Commons, Mpix, B&H, Photoshop….Please, please, please remember ~ photography is not about purchasing something, it's about practicing something...
Thanks for attending….
Peace ~ John
Showing posts with label Pittsburgh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pittsburgh. Show all posts
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Thursday, December 10, 2009
2 Workshops: NOW BOOKING
David Burke & John Craig
How To Everything (& More): PHOTOGRAPHY
In your gut you want to be a PHOTOGRAPHER. Or maybe you just want to learn how to use that expensive camera you just bought but you’re not sure who to ask. You have a great eye for composition but you just need some guidance, an advisor to help YOU fulfill your dreams. Make the jump from thinking, daydreaming and create great photographs…
Is this you?
-You take great pictures
-Everybody tells you that you take great pictures
-Your friends and family always ask you to bring your camera
-You bought an expensive new DSLR camera
-You have no idea how to use to it, except on AUTO
-The camera’s manual scares the bajesus out of you
-You love photography and want to get better
Who should take this workshop?
-If the list above is YOU
-You love taking photographs
-ISO, F/stop, shutter speed, and aperture are words that means nothing to you
-You have no idea what DSLR means
-If you want to able to tell your camera what to do
-If you want the mysteries of the photo universe revealed to you
What you will learn:
-Understanding exposure
-How to use your camera in manual mode
-How to take a photo “correctly” in camera
-Natural light techniques
-Understanding your lens
-Understanding White Balance
-Flash Techniques
Date: January 23, 2010
Location: 502 W. North Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Time: 10 am-4pm
Cost: $175.00: includes boxed lunch
Class limited to 15 people
Contact Elizabeth Craig at 724.355.9079 or by email at craigphotography@mac.com for more information and to register.
Purposeful Blogging Workshop
Every photographer that I have ever met struggles with the same issues:
I am too busy running my business; I have no time for creative new work. How do I get more time?
Or
It’s too important for me to keep creating so I have no time to run my business. How do I get more time?
These questions will be answered at my Purposeful Blogging workshop.
"Purposeful Blogging is a marketing tool for photographers who want to grow their business by building an audience through the use of new communication models. Blogging for your business is a demonstration of your skill and representation of who you are. This workshop with Photographer will introduce you to techniques that can help you launch your business into the blogosphere.”
This is workshop of must-have information on how to build your audience thru blogging and how to sustain you business.
Date: January 30, 2010
Location: 502 W. North Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Time: 1 – 4pm
Cost: $55. 00
Class: limited to 15 people
Contact Elizabeth Craig at 724.355.9079 or by email at craigphotography@mac.com for more information and to register.
How To Everything (& More): PHOTOGRAPHY
In your gut you want to be a PHOTOGRAPHER. Or maybe you just want to learn how to use that expensive camera you just bought but you’re not sure who to ask. You have a great eye for composition but you just need some guidance, an advisor to help YOU fulfill your dreams. Make the jump from thinking, daydreaming and create great photographs…
Is this you?
-You take great pictures
-Everybody tells you that you take great pictures
-Your friends and family always ask you to bring your camera
-You bought an expensive new DSLR camera
-You have no idea how to use to it, except on AUTO
-The camera’s manual scares the bajesus out of you
-You love photography and want to get better
Who should take this workshop?
-If the list above is YOU
-You love taking photographs
-ISO, F/stop, shutter speed, and aperture are words that means nothing to you
-You have no idea what DSLR means
-If you want to able to tell your camera what to do
-If you want the mysteries of the photo universe revealed to you
What you will learn:
-Understanding exposure
-How to use your camera in manual mode
-How to take a photo “correctly” in camera
-Natural light techniques
-Understanding your lens
-Understanding White Balance
-Flash Techniques
Date: January 23, 2010
Location: 502 W. North Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Time: 10 am-4pm
Cost: $175.00: includes boxed lunch
Class limited to 15 people
Contact Elizabeth Craig at 724.355.9079 or by email at craigphotography@mac.com for more information and to register.
Purposeful Blogging Workshop
Every photographer that I have ever met struggles with the same issues:
I am too busy running my business; I have no time for creative new work. How do I get more time?
Or
It’s too important for me to keep creating so I have no time to run my business. How do I get more time?
These questions will be answered at my Purposeful Blogging workshop.
"Purposeful Blogging is a marketing tool for photographers who want to grow their business by building an audience through the use of new communication models. Blogging for your business is a demonstration of your skill and representation of who you are. This workshop with Photographer will introduce you to techniques that can help you launch your business into the blogosphere.”
This is workshop of must-have information on how to build your audience thru blogging and how to sustain you business.
Date: January 30, 2010
Location: 502 W. North Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Time: 1 – 4pm
Cost: $55. 00
Class: limited to 15 people
Contact Elizabeth Craig at 724.355.9079 or by email at craigphotography@mac.com for more information and to register.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Workshop ~ NOW BOOKING
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Now Booking (Click HERE)
HOW TO EVERYTHING: PHOTOGRAPHY (The Basics -101)
Contact Elizabeth Craig at 724.355.9079 or by email at craigphotography@mac.com for more information and to register.
See all past Insanely Useful Photography tips (HERE)
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sharing is Good
Destination Guide Atlantic City published one of my vacation photos (SEE HERE). This is why I love Creative Commons. Family vacation photos turn into marketing and advertising.
~Sharing is good.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Photo of the Week
Camera: Nikon D200
Exposure: 20
Aperture: f/22.0
Focal Length: 70 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Monday, June 1, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Commercial Photography
Belief; believe in yourself, and do what you where hired to do.
These were the words that I kept repeating to myself on last week’s commercial shoot.
48 hours to document 100 years of history with a different perspective. No pressure…?
Davis & Elkins College in WV is celebrating their 100th graduation class this year and the college administrator decided that this would be a good time to re-vamp their image.
The first thing the college did was to hire the design firm Direct-Axis located in Pittsburgh. Ok, they’re off to a pretty good start. Direct-Axis is a top notch firm with a stellar staff of creative people. Next, Direct Axis asks me to photograph the campus landscape, architecture and student life.
I enjoy commercial photography and I am lucky enough that I can hand pick the jobs that I wish to take. When deciding which job to take I always go with “is this going to push me creatively & do I like who I will be collaborating with?” This experience gave me both.
With a deadline in place and a window of 48hours to document 100 years of history, two tripods, an arsenal of lenses, off to WV I go.
Wet shoes, soggy backpack and conversations with Dan O’Donnell, owner of Direct-Axis, by my side we did it. Dan and I dialogued about indie music, art talk, biz discussions, gardening, and politics all the while trekking through the campus. Fist day it rained non stop, second day the campus was fogged in. I had about a total of 3 hours of sunlight to work with.
“Pull the best out of what you have”, that is my philosophy of photography. The light is never in the same place twice and this moment will never repeat itself again.
During the shoot I was thinking about the importance of personal side projects and my Flickr account. I use my Flickr account as a dumping ground for my side projects. When I shoot ambient, city night or general stuff I upload the best (or the bulk) of the photos to my Flickr page with minimal to no editing. I license most everything I do on Flickr with Creative Commons. If you like a photograph, take it. No cost.
My Flickr portfolio has developed into a marketing tool and a stock page. In this past year alone people have asked to use my work in a book (coming out this Fall), several business websites and if I’m lucky you’ll see my work within D & E’s portfolio as well. This all keeps fueling commercial work. Not a bad return for giving away side project work.
Standing in the rain and fog thinking about how I got this job. They like my work, not the polished stuff that is on my art gallery page but the side project work-in-progress photography that is uploaded to my dumping ground Flickr page.
What did I learn?
- People love to follow works in progress.
- White balance set on cloudy, color saturation set on more vibrant, ISO 100, and a tripod is a good combination for bad weather photography.
- Belief in what you do.
Yesterday I heard from the design firm and college that everybody loved the work and one photo in particular will be a centerfold photo in a book about D & E.
48 hours to document 100 years of history with a different perspective. No pressure…?
Davis & Elkins College in WV is celebrating their 100th graduation class this year and the college administrator decided that this would be a good time to re-vamp their image.
The first thing the college did was to hire the design firm Direct-Axis located in Pittsburgh. Ok, they’re off to a pretty good start. Direct-Axis is a top notch firm with a stellar staff of creative people. Next, Direct Axis asks me to photograph the campus landscape, architecture and student life.
I enjoy commercial photography and I am lucky enough that I can hand pick the jobs that I wish to take. When deciding which job to take I always go with “is this going to push me creatively & do I like who I will be collaborating with?” This experience gave me both.
With a deadline in place and a window of 48hours to document 100 years of history, two tripods, an arsenal of lenses, off to WV I go.
Wet shoes, soggy backpack and conversations with Dan O’Donnell, owner of Direct-Axis, by my side we did it. Dan and I dialogued about indie music, art talk, biz discussions, gardening, and politics all the while trekking through the campus. Fist day it rained non stop, second day the campus was fogged in. I had about a total of 3 hours of sunlight to work with.
“Pull the best out of what you have”, that is my philosophy of photography. The light is never in the same place twice and this moment will never repeat itself again.
During the shoot I was thinking about the importance of personal side projects and my Flickr account. I use my Flickr account as a dumping ground for my side projects. When I shoot ambient, city night or general stuff I upload the best (or the bulk) of the photos to my Flickr page with minimal to no editing. I license most everything I do on Flickr with Creative Commons. If you like a photograph, take it. No cost.
My Flickr portfolio has developed into a marketing tool and a stock page. In this past year alone people have asked to use my work in a book (coming out this Fall), several business websites and if I’m lucky you’ll see my work within D & E’s portfolio as well. This all keeps fueling commercial work. Not a bad return for giving away side project work.
Standing in the rain and fog thinking about how I got this job. They like my work, not the polished stuff that is on my art gallery page but the side project work-in-progress photography that is uploaded to my dumping ground Flickr page.
What did I learn?
- People love to follow works in progress.
- White balance set on cloudy, color saturation set on more vibrant, ISO 100, and a tripod is a good combination for bad weather photography.
- Belief in what you do.
Yesterday I heard from the design firm and college that everybody loved the work and one photo in particular will be a centerfold photo in a book about D & E.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Workshop
Just signed the contract to teach a workshop @ Silver Eye Center for Photography in PGH, Purposeful Blogging for Photographers
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
8 Days - Updates
Monday – Received confirmation that I will teach my fist workshop at Silver Eye Center for Photography in Pittsburgh. (Sneak peak here)
Tuesday – I was ask to be a guest speaker at RMU
Wednesday – We were notified that we were selected for The Knot Best of Weddings 2009 magazine
Thursday – Elizabeth’s project went big time (sneak peak here)
Friday – I had two photos select to be in a book “This is Pittsburgh” that will come out this Fall. (Sneak peak here & here)
Saturday – Wonderful Wedding
Sunday - Wonderful Wedding, which I even got to play guitar at the reception.
Monday – Bought a Prius – finally
Today – Humbled and grateful
~ my thoughts and prayers go out to the families of Pittsburgh Police who lost there life in the line of duty.
Tuesday – I was ask to be a guest speaker at RMU
Wednesday – We were notified that we were selected for The Knot Best of Weddings 2009 magazine
Thursday – Elizabeth’s project went big time (sneak peak here)
Friday – I had two photos select to be in a book “This is Pittsburgh” that will come out this Fall. (Sneak peak here & here)
Saturday – Wonderful Wedding
Sunday - Wonderful Wedding, which I even got to play guitar at the reception.
Monday – Bought a Prius – finally
Today – Humbled and grateful
~ my thoughts and prayers go out to the families of Pittsburgh Police who lost there life in the line of duty.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Dreams and Imagination
Sunday afternoon driving back to Pittsburgh from Philly on the turnpike – this is my view from behind the wheel of my car…
Bright blue sky, white clouds lined with a pink hue and golden sunbeams breaking through the clouds. All of it lining the horizon as far as the eye could see. I drove into this sight for about 48 miles of straight highway that lead into the Blue Mountains of PA. This was a painted landscape directly out of a Disney movie, it was that grand.
In the trunk of my car I had my camera and tripod but I never stopped to photograph this view. Yes, it was killing me at first but I wanted to get home to see my daughter after three days of being away.
Two phrases kept repeating in my head:
- Art is here to give people the opportunity to dream.
- Art is the dialogue of the imagination.
I am not sure if these are original thoughts or random sentences from past readings. Either way, perfect words for the experience.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Photo of the Week
Camera: Nikon D200 Exposure: 15
Aperture: f/22.0
Focal Length: 24 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Craig Photography Creative Photo Contest Winner
As we mentioned before, the winner of our contest was Jessica and her husband Matthew. Their idea was to re-create 2 old photographs of Jessica's grandparents that they took of each other while on their honeymoon.
We thought this idea was very sweet, nostalgic and purposeful. Jessica and Matthew are planning on hanging all 4 photographs in their home.
We had a great time the day of the shoot. Jessica and Matthew were so much fun to hang out with. The shoot took place at Roland's in the Strip District because they have a set of windows that were similar to the windows in the original photos.
Let us know what you think!
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