"Picture Perfect Weekend Workshops" by Todd & Brad Reed Photography

Located at the Cartier Mansion in Ludington, Michigan

Mission Statement for Workshops
The workshops are designed to teach people how to Òsee the world in photographsÓ. Todd and Brad Reed cover many technical aspects of photography (include shutter speed, F-stops and aperture, ISO, depth of field, etc.) and we teach people how to make better choices with their own cameras. Todd and Brad also spend a lot of time teaching people how to break down a photograph into all of its technical and artistic elements. The workshops will also focus on the art/vision side of photography and to provide you with more choices/building blocks to create great art. Todd and Brad will teach you the 20 artistic elements they use when they are in the field "making" their photographs. The weekend workshops are great for a total beginner with a 'point and shoot' camera or a seasoned professional who is looking for a different perspective. All ages and abilities are welcomed. We will share all of our secrets on every aspect of our photography business and our secrets on how we shoot. Any film or digital camera is accepted. Just bring your camera manual.

2010 Picture Perfect Weekends
April 23-25, 2010
May 21-23, 2010
May 28-30, 2010
September 24-26, 2010
October 8-10, 2010
October 29-31, 2010

Price
$350 Lodging is not included. You may stay at the Cartier Mansion at their nightly rates, or you may stay elsewhere.

Registration
You register and make all reservations with the Cartier Mansion. Please call the Cartier Mansion at 231-843-0101 to reserve your spot today. Each workshop is limited to the first 12 people to sign up. Each workshop must have a 6 person minimum. The Cartier Mansion is located at 409 E. Ludington Ave. in Ludington, MI 49431. Check them out at www.cartiermansion.com.

A Mock* Schedule for "Picture Perfect Weekend" photo workshop [ click to open/close]

*Please note. The schedule may change from weekend to weekend.

Friday:
Get acquainted dessert at 8:00pm at the Cartier Mansion

Saturday:

  1. Workshops will start at the Cartier Mansion at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning. We will do a quick introduction of ourselves and get the entire group to meet each other. We will also eat a quick snack at the Cartier Mansion before we head out at 7:15 a.m. for the Ludington State Park for the morning shoot. Everyone should bring their shooting gear and warm cloths.
  2. Head back to the Cartier Mansion around 9:15 a.m. Eat a light breakfast around 9:30 a.m. at the Cartier Mansion.
  3. Start the first session at 9:50 a.m. This session will focus on the technical aspects of photography (F-stops, shutter speed, ISO, depth of field, Etc.). We will project several of our images and break them down as a large group. We will take a few mental health breaks during this session : )
  4. At 12:00 we will eat lunch at the Cartier Mansion.
  5. At 1:00 p.m. we will start the second session. This will be the group critique of everyoneÕs prints. We will take breaks during this session as well. We like to spend a lot of time on this session and we all learn a ton from each other.
  6. At 5:15 p.m. we will head back out to the Ludington State Park for the evening shoot. Hopefully the light is good so we can apply the things we learned during the day. We will stay for about and hour after the sun has set.
  7. We will return and eat dinner at the Cartier Mansion about an hour and fifteen minutes after sunset (roughly between 8 p.m. -8:30 p.m. or so).
  8. After dinner everyone is free for the evening.

Sunday:

  1. At 8 a.m. we will all meet at the Cartier Mansion for a light breakfast.
  2. At 8:45 a.m. we will start the review session. We will view some of the shots that were taken the day before at the Ludington State Park.
  3. Check out of the Cartier Mansion around 11 a.m. My dad and I will head to our gallery around 11 a.m. Everyone can join us their as soon as they are ready.
  4. At 11:30 a.m. we will start the closing session at our gallery in downtown Ludington at 114 W. Ludington Avenue. We will discuss printing, digital output, websites, and book production.
  5. 5) Workshop ends at 1 p.m.

What to Bring to the Picture Perfect Weekend Workshop:

  • At least 6 different prints (any size) of their best work for critique. These must be printed out on paper or photo paper. They can get your favorite shots, even if they didn't turn out. We can help you figure out what went wrong.
  • A camera (film or digital) and their INSTRUCTION MANUAL.
  • Bring lots of batteries for your own kind of camera. Remember that cool evenings on Lake Michigan can eat up battery life.
  • A working tripod that works with your own camera would be strongly advised.
  • Dress for the elements. It can get pretty cool on Lake Michigan, even during the summer.
  • Good hiking shoes for walking in the sand and on the waters edge is recommended for people who get cold feet. Waterproof boots are recommended.
  • A good hat that you can put in your pocket and taken out in case you need to protect yourself from the winds coming off of Lake Michigan.
  • And of course gloves that are easy to take on and off while you are taking pictures is also recommended.

You never know what the weather will be like on the shores of Lake Michigan. Hopefully it will be warm and beautiful, but if not, it is worth it to be prepared. We shoot in almost any weather and the best shots usually come during storms!

"20 / 20 Vision Summer Workshops" by Todd & Brad Reed Photography

Located at the Todd & Brad Reed Photo Gallery in Ludington, Michigan

Mission Statement for Weekday Workshops
The primary purpose of the "20/20 Vision Summer Workshops" is to focus on the art/vision side of photography and to provide you with more choices/building blocks to create great art. Todd and Brad will teach you the 20 artistic elements they use when they are in the field "making" their photographs. Basic sound photographic techniques, such as proper use of tripods, will also be demonstrated. During these "20/20 Vision Summer Workshops" Todd and Brad will NOT be focusing their instruction on the technical aspects of photography such as shutter speed, aperture, etc. If you want or need more knowledge of how to shoot in manual mode and you want to really understand how to get the most out of your own camera, then we recommend that you take one of Todd and Brad's "Picture Perfect Weekend Workshops" at the Cartier Mansion in Ludington.

Every Thursday starting on June 18th through August 27th we will host our "20 / 20 Vision Summer Workshops."

Itinerary:
Workshop participants will meet at the downtown Ludington gallery at 2:30 p.m. and start the classroom session. We will discuss our 20 different compositional concepts that will help people improve their ability to see the world in pictures and create stronger images. We will project some of our images on the wall and break down the compositions to show what concepts were used in their construction. We will also do a question and answer period. The classroom session will last until 5:30 p.m.

At 5:30 p.m. workshop participants will take a two and a half hour break for dinner/personal time. Everyone will be on their own for dinner.

At 7:30 p.m. workshop participants will meet at the very west end of Ludington Avenue (unless otherwise directed) to shoot the S.S. Badger carferry and sunset. During this group shooting, participating photographers will be using their own equipment (cameras, tripods, etc.) and each photographer will be shooting their own photographs. Todd and Brad will be narrating what they are doing and why, but they also want everyone to apply what they learned earlier in the day to refine their OWN vision, make their OWN choices, drawing upon the class concepts. If Todd and Brad determine it is raining too hard to be outside shooting during this second session, we will direct students to an under-cover location to shoot from or direct students back to the downtown Ludington gallery to continue classroom instruction and discuss more photography techniques. The meeting time and location may change through out the summer. Some other possible shooting locations may be the Ludington State Park or the Buttersville Peninsula.

What to bring:
Your point-and-shoot or SLR camera, which can be film or digital, and as much film or memory cards as you feel you need or want. We also recommend extra camera batteries. We strongly recommend dressing in layers. It can get chilly and damp on the Lake Michigan shoreline in the evening so a light pair of gloves, a light hat, and good hiking shoes can make you feel much more comfortable. The best light often occurs during a very light rain if the sun is still peaking out, so we also recommend packing some light rain gear as well. We recommend bringing a notebook and pen to take notes during the classroom session.

Signing Up:
You can sign up in advance by calling Todd & Brad Reed Photography at 231-843-0777. You can also sign up in person at Todd and Brad's downtown Ludington gallery. The Todd and Brad Reed Photo Gallery is located at 114 W. Ludington Ave., Ludington, MI 49431. Reservations are recommended, but you can still sign up twenty minutes prior to the start of the workshop if there is room. We limit these workshops to the first 18 people to sign up and pay in full. Payment is due in full at the time you sign up. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, check or cash. You can get a 100% refund if you cancel 24 hours in advance of the start of the workshop. A 50% refund is granted if you cancel less than 24 hours from the start of the workshop.

Price:
One person: $75.
Second through Fourth person in a group: $55 each.
Fifth person and beyond in a group: $50 each.

*** During most of these workshops, both Todd and Brad will be present. However, this is not guaranteed. If Todd is gone, Brad will lead the workshops alone and if Brad is gone, Todd will lead the workshops alone. Both are international award winning professional photographers and professional teachers. In case an emergency arises where neither Todd or Brad are available, all participants will receive a 100% refund of their workshop payment.