Beginner Photography Class – Take Control of Your Camera
This 3-hour hands-on course is designed to finally get you out of automatic mode and in full control of your camera. Learn how to intentionally create the images you see in your mind—no more guessing, frustration, or “lucky shots.”
Whether you're brand new to photography or ready to truly understand how your camera works, this class will give you a clear, step-by-step system for shooting with confidence. You'll learn how to manually set your exposure and understand why your images succeed—or fall short.
We'll cover:
• Understanding light and exposure
• How to use your camera's light meter
• Lenses and ISO (film speed)
• Controlling depth of field
• Freezing or showing motion
• A simple, repeatable formula for consistently strong images
Plenty of hands-on practice with your own equipment and real-world examples included.

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Photography is NOT about the camera.
It's about LIGHT.
In 36+ years as a professional photographer and photo stylist, I can tell you this:
The images that stop you in your tracks?
~ It's the lighting. Every time.
In this 3-hour intensive, you'll learn how to:

See and shape available light

Work confidently with sunlight, lamps, and strobes

Control exposure with intention

Set proper white balance for accurate color

Create depth, drama, and dimension
Whether you're brand new or already shooting professionally, this class will elevate how you see and how you shoot.

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Whether you wish to up your selfie game or begin developing a portfolio, this workshop will help you learn the basics of portrait photography and push your creativity and technical understanding.

Learn which settings are best to use, how to select the best locations, and what lighting and poses highlight a model's best features. We will also learn how to build rapport to get the best reactions and genuine emotions from a person.

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Beginner Photography Class – Take Control of Your Camera
This 3-hour hands-on course is designed to finally get you out of automatic mode and in full control of your camera. Learn how to intentionally create the images you see in your mind—no more guessing, frustration, or “lucky shots.”
Whether you're brand new to photography or ready to truly understand how your camera works, this class will give you a clear, step-by-step system for shooting with confidence. You'll learn how to manually set your exposure and understand why your images succeed—or fall short.
We'll cover:
• Understanding light and exposure
• How to use your camera's light meter
• Lenses and ISO (film speed)
• Controlling depth of field
• Freezing or showing motion
• A simple, repeatable formula for consistently strong images
Plenty of hands-on practice with your own equipment and real-world examples included.

book now

Come join me for a 3 hour combination landscape/ nature photography class and outing that will conclude with us capturing the sunset from a high vantage point, using all your newly gained knowledge. No more washed out skies or grey snow scenes ever. Learn to properly exposure your film for high contrast scenes, of which landscapes often are. We will discuss composition and the 5 elements of design, that create a strong composition. With over 88 acres of ponds, hills, horses, flowers and even a tiny waterfall so I can show you how to record its movement, just like Ansel Adams did! We will conclude with recording the sunset from high up on the same exact hilltop, from which I have shot the photos below. If you like shooting landscapes, nature or both THIS is the class for you!

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Ever wonder why that Quarter Pounder with Cheese looks so mouthwatering when you drove by the billboard, yet when you go to the drive-through right after to get one, it looks nothing in real life like it does in that photograph?

Ever wonder how produce is made to look so fresh and colorful with water droplets that seem to last forever? And we all have looked at a menu and wondered how they got the items to look so outrageously delicious? You would be surprised how simple it is to manipulate food in photography. It's all tricks of the trade! Personally one of my favorite subjects to shoot because subjects are usually colorful, there's a lot of creative leeway on how you light it, depending on what the purpose your image will be meant to serve.

Join me in a Three hour, Hands-On creative workshop in the art of Food Photography!

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Mastering Depth of Field & Macro Photography:
Learn how to control focus with intention—from dreamy, blurred backgrounds to tack-sharp detail—and discover how macro photography opens an entirely new world of creative possibility. In this hands-on class, you will master depth of field and learn how aperture, distance, and lens choice work together to shape your images.
We will explore close-up and macro techniques, showing you how to isolate tiny details, control background blur, manage focus, and work with light at close distances. Whether you want artistic softness or extreme detail, this class will give you the tools to shoot with confidence and precision.
Perfect for photographers who want sharper control, stronger visual impact, and a fresh way of seeing the world up close.

Small subjects. Big creative results.

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Beginner Photography Class – Take Control of Your Camera
This 3-hour hands-on course is designed to finally get you out of automatic mode and in full control of your camera. Learn how to intentionally create the images you see in your mind—no more guessing, frustration, or “lucky shots.”
Whether you're brand new to photography or ready to truly understand how your camera works, this class will give you a clear, step-by-step system for shooting with confidence. You'll learn how to manually set your exposure and understand why your images succeed—or fall short.
We'll cover:
• Understanding light and exposure
• How to use your camera's light meter
• Lenses and ISO (film speed)
• Controlling depth of field
• Freezing or showing motion
• A simple, repeatable formula for consistently strong images
Plenty of hands-on practice with your own equipment and real-world examples included.

book now

Step into the night and learn how to create striking photographs under the light of the full moon. This hands-on class goes beyond photographing the moon itself and teaches you how to use moonlight as your light source—capturing landscapes, textures, silhouettes, and atmosphere after dark. You'll learn low-light exposure, long-exposure techniques, and how to work confidently in manual mode, all while expanding your creative vision. Perfect for photographers ready to push past daylight and discover the magic of shooting at night.

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In this hands-on two hour workshop, we will be exploring these three impactful lighting techniques. This class will be a combination of lecture, setting up and shooting a shot, using the Boken method of using your depth of field to create pleasing balls of light. If you have successfully unsuccessfully executed examples of any of these three techniques bring them for discussion!

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Introduction to Black and White Photography. What makes a good Black and White shot?

We will look at the contrast and using textures. How does the camera see the image and how do we create Black and White images in a camera or in post-production. We will look for some good examples and set some exercises.

What is Black and White Photography?

Black and white photography is a style of photography that involves capturing images without color. It uses shades of gray to create contrast, texture, and depth, which can give a timeless and classic look to photographs.
Introduction to B&W Photography ~
In black and white photography, the absence of color can help to simplify the image, drawing the viewer's attention to other aspects such as composition, lighting, and tonality. It can also convey a sense of nostalgia or evoke a particular mood or emotion.

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Take the Confusion Out of Using Your Meter!
So you know how to zero out your meter from a Beginner Photography class or maybe you're starting completely from scratch. Either way, your metering skills, compensation techniques, and overall understanding might feel limited (or even non-existent).
Ever had dingy, gray snowstorms or washed-out skies that looked brilliant to your naked eye? That's where understanding your meter makes all the difference!
In this class, you'll learn how to use your meter as the starting point it was designed to be and, more importantly, what to actually do with those readings. We'll cover how to use:
-Reflective meters
-Incident meters
-Flash meters
-The different metering modes on your camera
With these tools and techniques, you will gain the confidence to create exposures that truly capture the scene as you see it.

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We will be exploring the Art of Fine Art Photography: covering Propping, Lighting & Exposure of the Fine Art Still Life.
Discover how to create photographs that go beyond documentation images designed purely for beauty, mood, and visual impact. Fine art photography is about capturing simplicity with intention, often through still life arrangements that convey a powerful message using light, exposure, and composition. In this class, we will explore both studio Still Life plus tips on Landscape photography as forms of fine art, with a focus on creating work you will be proud to display as Wall Art.
Through a combination of lecture and hands-on practice, you will learn to:
Select and arrange props for strong visual storytelling
Shape light using studio strobes as well as ambient light
Properly meter for accuracy and mood
Use cropping and composition for maximum impact
Control exposure to bring out atmosphere and artistic intent
Together, we will design, light, and photograph a still life set-up giving you full control of the creative process. By the end, you will walk away with a stronger understanding of how to craft fine art images that blend technical mastery with personal expression.

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Ready to Add Flash to Your Repertoire?
In this three-hour comprehensive workshop, participants will explore the effective use of on-camera flash as both a main and fill light source. Flash is not only for low-light situations. It is also essential in bright sunlight and high-contrast environments, and can even be key to freezing motion in certain scenarios.
Through a combination of lecture and guided practice, students will learn how to determine proper flash settings using a simple formula based on light output, subject distance, and aperture. The class will cover how to balance flash with ambient light to achieve professional results in a variety of shooting conditions.
Participants are encouraged to bring their flash units (fully charged) and instruction manuals. Individual attention will be given to each participant setup to ensure full understanding of operation and technique.
Both beginning and intermediate photographers will benefit from this session, gaining a solid foundation in using flash effectively and creatively in real-world situations.

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Beginner Photography Class – Take Control of Your Camera
This 3-hour hands-on course is designed to finally get you out of automatic mode and in full control of your camera. Learn how to intentionally create the images you see in your mind—no more guessing, frustration, or “lucky shots.”
Whether you're brand new to photography or ready to truly understand how your camera works, this class will give you a clear, step-by-step system for shooting with confidence. You'll learn how to manually set your exposure and understand why your images succeed—or fall short.
We'll cover:
• Understanding light and exposure
• How to use your camera's light meter
• Lenses and ISO (film speed)
• Controlling depth of field
• Freezing or showing motion
• A simple, repeatable formula for consistently strong images
Plenty of hands-on practice with your own equipment and real-world examples included.

book now

Ready to start using that camera at a higher level? Learn to use the controls of the camera for aperture and shutter speed selection WITHOUT necessarily using the manual mode. Learn Depth of Field, choosing the correct shutter speeds and ISO.

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Learn the basics of photography in this beginner-friendly class at a local park. We will cover camera settings, composition, and practical tips to help you get started. Suitable for those new to photography or looking to build confidence.

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Recreate the iconic still life style of Edward Weston in this hands-on studio photography class. Explore lighting, composition, and technique to capture the beauty of everyday objects, focusing on peppers and other simple forms. Bring your camera and creativity.

Prereq video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCJ2SeBcBK8

Summary:
This is a two for one class. We'll photograph Edward Weston inspired still lifes in color and then learn how to convert them to convincing film like B&W using DxO Film Pack 8.
This is a great opportunity to get some print worthy B&W images into your portfolio.
This is a hands-on class so bring your camera with a medium zoom lens. Before the advent of color film, photographic still lifes were done in Black and White. Irving Penn 2019s cigarettes, Robert Mapplethorpe 2019s florals and of course, Edward Weston 2019s peppers. In this class, we will create B&W still lifes inspired by Edward Weston.

Background:
Edward Weston (March 24, 1886 2013 January 1, 1958) was one of America 2019s most iconic photographers. In the late 1920s Weston began taking a series of close-up images of different objects that he called "still lifes". For several years he experimented with a variety of images of shells, vegetables and fruits, and in 1927 he made his first photograph of a pepper. He received mixed feedback about that image, but two years later he started a new series that focused on peppers alone. He recorded twenty-six negatives of peppers taken during 1929, mostly taken against plain burlap or muslin backdrops.
A year later, during a four-day period from August 2 20136, 1930, Weston took at least thirty more negatives of peppers. He first tried again with plain muslin or a piece of white cardboard as the backdrop, but for these images he thought the contrast between the backdrop and the pepper was too stark. On August 2 he found a large tin funnel, and, placing it on its side, he set a pepper just inside the large open end. He wrote:
It was a bright idea, a perfect relief for the pepper and adding reflecting light to important contours. I still had the pepper which caused me a week's work, I had decided I could go no further with it, yet something kept me from taking it to the kitchen, the end of all good peppers. I placed it in the funnel, focused with the Zeiss lens, and knowing just the viewpoint, recognizing a perfect light, made an exposure of six minutes, with but a few moments' preliminary work, the real preliminary was on in hours passed. I have a great negative, by far the best!
It is a classic, completely satisfying, ? a pepper ? but more than a pepper; abstract, in that it is completely outside subject matter. It has no psychological attributes, no human emotions are aroused: this new pepper takes one beyond the world we know in the conscious mind.

Our Mentor:
Bennett studied photography at the School of Visual Arts, NYC, Jacob 2019s Pillow and The Maine Photographic Workshops. He is adept at deconstruction and recreation of classic lighting and a venerable View Camera master. Bennett holds certificates in Architectural Photography from The Maine Photographic Workshops and Dance Photography from Jacob 2019s Pillow.
Our Model:
Bring your own peppers and toothpicks to hold them in place.

What We 2019ll learn:
We 2019ll discuss Edward Weston and the Group f/64 photographers.
Why the Group f/64 photographers used tiny apertures and very long exposures.
How to shoot still lifes in the style of Edward Weston.
Using and metering constant light.

Prerequisites:
Know how to use your camera in Manual mode.
Be familiar with Edward Weston 2019s still lifes.

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Summary:
Feelin' groovy? How about a Flower Power Macro Shoot? Bring your imagination! This class should be a lot of fun. This class we'll be going to the New York Botanical Gardens, Flower Power, exhibit to hone our Macro Photography skills. We'll discuss the nature of Floral Macro Photography and explore the magic of capturing images close up.
What We'll Learn
How to create ironic images with Macro Photography.
Discussion and of the principles associated with Macro Photography.
Understand expose compensation (Bellows Extension).

Additional Costs:
Participants are responsible for Botanical Garden entry and parking fees. Additional parking is usually available at Fordham University across the street from the Botanical Garden's main gate.

Our Host:
Bennett certified Dance Photographer and Architectural Photography. He is a proud dropout of The School of Visual Arts, NYC.

Prerequisites:
Imagination and creativity.

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In this beginner-friendly class, you will learn the essentials of your camera including aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and composition. We'll meet for an introduction and then explore the area to practice. Bring your camera and comfortable shoes.

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Embark on your colorful journey into the world of watercolors with our Beginner's Watercolor Class! Dive into a world of creativity as we guide you through the basics of watercolor painting in a relaxed and welcoming environment.Whether you're picking up a brush for the first time or looking to refine your skills, this class is tailored for beginners eager to unleash their artistic potential. Learn essential techniques, experiment with vibrant colors, and discover the joy of creating your own masterpiece!Participants are kindly asked to bring their own materials to fully immerse themselves in the creative process. Full details of the event will be provided upon booking confirmation. Secure your spot today and let the magic of watercolors ignite your imagination!

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Dive into the exciting world of abstract art with our Exploring Abstract Art class! This vibrant and imaginative workshop invites you to break free from traditional forms and explore the boundless possibilities of abstract expression. Perfect for artists of all levels, you'll experiment with colors, shapes, and textures to create dynamic and original works of art. Let your creativity run wild and discover the joy of abstract painting!Participants are required to bring their own basic art materials. Full details will be provided upon booking confirmation. Join us for a creative adventure and let your abstract masterpieces come to life!

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In this class, we will explore the basics of drawing and equip you with the skills needed to create beautiful and expressive artwork.Our experienced instructor will guide you through the fundamentals of drawing, including perspective, proportion, shading, and composition.We will also be practicing various forms of Mark Making techniques and hopefully will make an empty page less daunting to fill up. Perfect for complete beginners.

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Embark on a thrilling two-hour journey into the art of floral and nature painting using vibrant watercolors. Capture the essence of your favorite plants and flowers through reference photos as guided by our skilled instructor. Learn techniques, tips, and tricks to make your colors shine, and witness your canvas transform into a tapestry of natural beauty.This experience is designed for nature enthusiasts seeking to connect with fellow artists, handpick subjects, and refine skills with expert guidance. All skill levels are welcome. Don't forget your watercolor travel kit and preferred artistic medium. A smartphone for reference photos is handy, but backup materials are available.Let's transform garden dreams into mesmerizing masterpieces together!

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