Individual Photocourse

Do you prefer individual teaching, or do you want to learn specific techniques? Define what you want to learn, and I will tailor a photography workshop to your needs.

Phot-O-vergne can offer :

• Basic photographic techniques
• Advanced photographic techniques
• Photo journalism
• Portraiture
• Studio lighting
• Landscapes in colour or Black & White
• Traditional Black & White darkroom techniques
• Image manipulation (Photoshop, Gimp, Paint Shop Pro, Open Source)
• Collodion photography
• Creativity development
• Development of your own style
• Photographic business development
• Architectural photography
• Medium and large format photography
• With or without lodging and meals

For more information and a free price estimate contact me.

Beginners Special

Get beyond the automatic mode !

Learn to creatively use the functions on your camera.

During this photography workshop for beginners, every morning you get photo technique in the simplest way possible. In five days we cover all the basics : focusing, exposure, aperture, speed, depth of field, composition, white balance, histograms etc. And you're always welcome to ask as many questions as you want.

At noon we eat delicious french meals in one of the many local restaurants.

In the afternoons we practice the new techniques with different photogenic subjects every day. Thus you get introductions to landscapes, candids, close-up, architecture, portraits etc.

You don't need any previous knowledge of photography. Film is welcome, but digital is easier to start with. Ofcourse your camera needs manual controls. Most SLR's and quality digital compact cameras have that. It's the button that says "A S M" or "Av Tv M" (the sequence may change). If your camera only shows little pictures it will not do for the workshop. Neither will mobile phone cameras.

Digital is easier to learn because of the instant feedback. But you are welcome with a film based camera too. If you need advice on camera choice, call us !

A warning is necessary here, because you can become a photography addict for life !

You will learn :

• How your camera works
  
• All the basics : sharpness, aperture, depth of field, speed, exposure, white balance etc.
• To recognise the most common mistakes
  
• Composition, light and focus
  
• Storing, retrieving and correcting photos on your computer
  
• Introductions to landscape, reportage, close-up, architecture and portraiture photography
  
• Intros to famous photographers
  
• Judging your own work
• Advice on buying equipment, and how to choose a tripod

What to bring :

• Your photo camera (preferably digital).
• The manual of your camera
  
• A laptop computer when you work with digital
• Enough memory, batteries and films
• A tripod if you have one
  
• A few of your best and your worst photographs
• Examples of photographers you admire
• All-weather clothing (you never know)

Dates :

For dates look at the Workshop schedule.

Price : 550€ for the 5 day workshop; 945€ with lodging and meals.

Languages: English, Nederlands, Français, Deutsch

Weekend Special

Come enjoy a weekend initiation to photography. Learn to master your camera in the gorgeous landscapes of the French Auvergne, under the personal guidance of a professional photographer.

From saturday morning till sunday afternoon you will learn at your own level of competence.   You exercise new techniques in a relaxed holiday atmosphere. You profit from your teachers' long experience, and develop new creative insights.

What to bring :

• Your photo equipment (digital or film)
• A laptop computer when you work with digital
• Enough memory, batteries and films
• A sturdy tripod
• A few of your best and your worst photographs
• Examples of photographs you admire
• All-weather clothing

Dates 2009 :

27 - 28 may

Languages: English, Français, Nederlands, Deutsch

Advanced Photography Course

For the advanced photography course you are expected to know the following techniques :

* Shutterspeed

* Aperture

* Depth of field

* Histogram

* White Balance

* Exposure

If you don't know at least 4 of these techniques, please subscribe to the Beginners Photography Course.

Boost your photography skills

This photography course will teach you advanced photographic techniques in a relaxed holiday atmosphere. Each day you learn new skills, encounter very different photogenic subjects, and develop new creative insights.

Thanks to the small groups I can teach you at your own level of competence with personalised exercises. To get the most of this course, please indicate what you want to learn on your subscription form.

You will learn :

What to bring :

For dates, please see the calendar

Prices :

550 € for the workshop.

945 € for the workshop + hotel + all meals

Possible languages: English, Français, Nederlands, Deutsch

Professional Coaching

Is photography your (future) business in economicly challenging times? Then consider a coaching workshop. You will get an individual tailormade course in photographic business techniques. Together we will analyse the obstacles and the unique strengths of your own business as a photographer.

Depending on your wishes we can concentrate on :

• Sound business practices
  
• Digital workflow
  
• Finding clients
• Effective marketing techniques
  
• Professional lighting techniques
  
• Portraiture
• Wedding photography
• Packshot photography
• Defending and cashing your copyrights
• Mastering prices and costs
• Basic accountancy
  
• Discovering business opportunities
  
• Choosing equipment
  
• Conceiving price estimates
  
• Website building
• Developing your own style
• Attacking the Art market
• Etc. etc.
  

Everything you need to run a succesfull photographic business. Ofcourse we cannot cramp a 4 year teaching curriculum into one week. But together we will tackle your biggest issues, to prevent costly pitfalls and to give you new practical ideas for developing your business. Coaching workshops pay back themselves.

The price of a coaching workshops is 290€ a day. This includes lodging, all meals, transportation and use of studio equipment.

Prolongued Coaching

Portraiture Workshop

Portraiture is not about equipment but about lighting and human contact. Even with simple means you can make stunning portraits. In just 5 days, this workshop teaches you all the principles of portraiture photography. Both in the studio and on location.

You will learn :

• Standard lighting techniques
• Advanced portrait lighting
• Handling natural light and studio flash
• Handling professionnal and improvised reflectors and props
• Communication with models
• Posture and expression
  
• Correcting facial features
• Using your natural personality to obtain better portraits

Things to bring :

• Your photo equipment (digital or film)
• A camera flash (to trigger the studio flashes)
• A laptop computer when you work with digital
• Enough memory, batteries and films
• A sturdy tripod
• A few of your best and your worst photographs
• Examples of photographs you admire
• All-weather clothing (you never know)

Dates :

21 - 25 september 2009

Price: 550 € pp without lodging. 900 € including lodging and meals

Languages: English, Français, Nederlands, Deutsch
Digital / Analog / Competence : This workshop is open for everyone.

Photo Journalism

Photographing an event seems so simple. Push the button at the right moment. Just like Cartier-Bresson. But reality is a lot harsher. How do photo reporters manage to capture exactly the right moment? Photo reporters all over the world use remarkably the same methods to produce good photographic stories. No matter wether they are photographing a local event or a warzone. On monday you learn the workflow and start preparing. The remaining days we will photograph different photographic challenges. An ideal holiday learning experience.

Things you will learn :

• Working methods of famous photographers
• Planning, preparing and executing a photo assignment
• Focusing quicker than your camera's autofocus
• Photographic story telling
  
• Instant street photography
• Portraying complete strangers
• Using your personality to photograph strangers
• Judging your own work

Things to bring :

• Your photo equipment (digital or film). An SLR, rangefinder or quality compact, preferably with a slightly wide-angle lens or a trans-standard zoom. But a twinlens rolleiflex type is very effective too.
• A camera flash (to trigger the studio flashes)
• A laptop computer when you work with digital
• Enough memory, batteries and films
• A sturdy tripod
• A few of your best and your worst photographs
• Examples of photographers you admire
• All-weather clothing (you never know)

Dates :

3 - 7 august 2009

Price: 550 € without lodging; 900 € with hotel and meals.
Languages: English, Nederlands, Français, Deutsch
Digital / Film / Competence: This workshop is open to all photographers.

Autumn Landscapes

Landscape photography is often underestimated. Everyone can push a button, and a landscape doesn't run away. Why then is it so hard to make impressive landscape photographs? Because it's one of the most tricky disciplines. It involves vision ofcourse, and camera technique, making use of perspective and light, and printing technique. This photo workshop teaches you the trics of the trade to translate landscapes into beautiful photographs

The mountains and valleys of the Auvergne are ideal practice grounds for perspective and coulour. In autumn the trees on the high ridges are the first to explode in yellows, reds and browns. Then the coulours descend into the valleys. After a few weeks it's all gone. It's a guarantee for photographic opportunities. For five days we will seek out the most photogenic spots. Leafs in high saturation coulours, weird trees in mist, dozens of mushrooms and lichen, dramatic light.

While photographing you get technical and creative coaching. At noon we eat local specialties in one of the many small restaurants. In the evening you relax with hot choco or a glass of delicious french wine. Autumn workshops always are treat.

You will learn :

• Multiple methods to create perspective
• Anticipating weather conditions and light
  
• Mastering coulour and white balance
• Using contrast to create focus
• Using shadows to create saturation
• Macro photography
• Making panoramas

What to bring :

• Your photo equipment (digital or film)
• A laptop computer if you work in digital
• Enough batteries and memory cards or films
• A sturdy tripod is essential for landscapes
• Polarising filter(s) for your most used lens(es)
• Both wide angle and tele-lenses (or zooms)
• A macro-lens if you have one. A quality digital compact will do too.
• Examples of your best and your most difficult photographs
• Examples of landscape photographs you admire
• All weather clothing (it can freeze at this season)
  

Dates :

26 - 30 oktober 2009

Price: 550 € for the workshop; 900 € with full lodging. A hotel is the best option in this season, since campings etc. are closed.

Baryta Masterclass

In Black&White photography nothing equals a museum quality baryta print. Digital prints can be excellent. But nothing beats the real thing. Unfortunately master B&W printers have always been scarce. Today they have become a rare breed. At Phot-O-Vergne you can still learn the art of high quality pure silver printing.

To attend the Baryta Masterclass, you should already have some darkroom skills. You will probably revise your methods, and restart from scratch. But this is not a beginners course.

Things you will learn :

• Sequential teststrokes
• Personal paper choice
• Choice of chemicals
  
• Printing workflow
• F-stop printing
• Best print exposure
• Advanced burning and dodging techniques
• Liquid light
• Retouching
• How to care for prints

What to bring :

• Some of your B&W negatives
• Your own baryta paper if you prefer that
• Examples of your best and your worse prints
• Examples of photographers / printers you admire

Dates :

5 - 9 october 2009

Price : 1450 € including full lodging.

Languages: English, Français, Nederlands, Deutsch