The Photography Workshop for Women is Coming to CHICAGO!!!
When
Friday Evening, all day Saturday and Sunday, optional Monday Add On Day (November 14th-17th 2008-the 14th and 17th are optional)
Where
The Fine Arts Building in Downtown Chicago
Times
Friday Night: 7pm Meet and Greet, location TBA (this evening is totally optional, but SUPER fun! :))
Saturday and Sunday: 9:30am-6pm on Saturday and Sunday
(Yep, we are extending this 90 minutes longer (going until 6pm rather than 4:30pm) than what we've offerend in the past. If you've taken a workshop from us, you know we always go late anyways! :)
Monday Add On Day with Bob and Dawn Davies!
The Add On Days are four hours of jam packed info. We will start sometime between 9 and 10am. Exact time and locatioin TBA.
Meals
A Continental Breakfast will be offered on both Saturday and Sunday morning, starting 9am.
Catered Lunches will be provided to everyone on Saturday, Sunday and Monday's Add On Day!
Saturday evening is an optional group dinner. Location TBA.
Sunday evening you're set free to explore the wonder of Chicago and then meet back Monday morning!
4 Things to Bring
1. Digital SLR camera (don’t hesitate to come if you don’t have a camera b/c Sony has stalked us up with wonderful cameras and a number of lenses! Thank you Sony!!) In fact, if you are thinking of buying a SLR, wait until after the workshop so you can try out different models and see what you like best! What’s a Digital SLR? A camera that has the ability to swap out different types of lenses.
2. Notepad, Pen, Layered, Warm Clothing for Shooting Outside (think November in Chicago)
3. If possible, bring a laptop with the trial version of Lightroom downloaded. The trial version last 30 days and will help prep you for out section on Post Process. Don't have a laptop? One of the many great things that has worked out in regards to this workshop is that our location will be providing several computers to our attendees!!
4. Last, but MOST important! “I’m going to go for it and have a blast” attitude!
(even if this camera stuff overwhelms me b/c I know I can do this!)
Workshop Topics!!
Day One Topics
We’ll spend the first half of the day Diving into Light and learning how Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO and Metering each play a part in light. We'll do a live photo shoot that focuses primarliy on Indoor Lighting and setting your subject up for beautiful results. The last third of the day will end with Post Process Part I. We will share our tricks and tips to organizing your photos, applying effects to your images and then answering the question "Now what?" Plus more stuff that we'll save for when you come!
Day Two Topics
The second day will go a bit deeper depending on the groups comfort level. We'll teach the fast and dirty tricks to using your flash so you can achieve great results in tough lighting situations (like the birthday cake or the the Christmas tree or the crappy lighting in your kitchen!). We will roll up our sleeves and get into the Post Process Part II. Brian and I will teach you the different tools we use in Photoshop CS2, plus the philsophy behind why we turn some images to black/white or enhance the color or leave alone. Plus, there is one section of the day that is a surprise, and we won't be telling you what it is until Saturday morning!
We'll survey the group and see what the attendees have more interest in to determine how we finish up Day Two. We can either share Business and Marketing Strategies for those of you who are wanting to start your own photography business, or we can continue to go deeper into Shooting Strategies, Lighting, and How to Set Up Great Photos. This last part of day two will be determined by an overall survey of the group.
Workshop Cost
$999 pp (a couple women are making this there Christmas or Birthday gift!), but if you take advantage of the Early Bird Special the cost is 20% off ($799 pp).
The Early Bird Special begins Monday, June 2nd and ends Friday June 6th at midnight PCT.
Limit in Size
The workshop size is limited to 20 women, plus the new Running on Empty Winner and the Lovely Hostess spot (total 22). We like to keep the group small so we can maximize your learning experience. I've been a push over for this in the past, but this time...no begging allowed! Ladies, you know who you are! :) Please read below for payment terms/options.
Payment Options
1. You can take advantage of the Early Bird Special and pay the whole balance at once. This would be $799. If you do the Early Bird Specail you must pay the whole amount at once.
2. You can make a retainer (non-refundable fee) of $650 to reserve your seat. The remaining balance of $350 (total is $999) must be paid in full 14 days before the workshop date. You can pay by check or credit card on this website (the fastest way to ensure a reserved seat for yourself!). Call us if you have any questions at 253-468-8913.
Payment Terms
Once your retainer or payment has been submitted there are NO REFUNDS. Please make special note of this before you make the decision to come. Because of the costs involved in hosting a workshop, we need to make financial committments to our vendors that will be helping us. Due to this, we count your payment as an agreement to attend and thus, base our projections of what we will need to secure for the workshop in regards to food and space. Please do not sign up for the workshop until you are sure that this will work because this payment is a retainer and is non refundable. Thanks for your attention to this (as you can guess we are hoping to avoid issues we've had in the past and appreciate you respecting this policy).
The Monday Add On Day is an additional $299. Due to the excitment around this day, once you are registered for the workshop we will email you the link to sign up for the Add On Day.
The discount found in DVD 2 may not be combined with the Early Bird Special or applied towards the Add On Day.
Lodging
The workshop tuition does not include hotel. We are currently looking for a group rate in a nearby hotel. Please email us at
mera@merakoh.com if you are introduced in this.
Reserve Your Workshop Spot!
The majority of our workshops Sell Out, and the Waiting List grows. Some women have done a REALLY good job at getting me to make acceptions to our max of 20 people. But I'm going to be stronger from now on! :) We want the learning experience to be WONDERFUL in every way possible!
You are in good company whether you are a total beginner with your camera, maybe you don't even own a camera, maybe you a starting to charge people or have been for a while. Brian and I cover such a broad range of topics and skills that everyone walks out feeling enriched in their photography. And yes, you can TOTALLY come if you're not a mom or unmarried!!! We have women come from late teens to grandmotherhood!
I know some of you have been waiting a long time for this announcement! Yeah! It’s finally here! YEAH CHICAGO!!!
Very Short Bio...
**Where can you see Me Ra and Brian and their work in 2007-2008?
The Oprah Winfrey Show!!!, VH1’s Fabulous Wedding, their new DVD series at
www.refusetosaycheese.com, Martha Stewart TV, sponsored by Sony, Adobe and Pictage!, Microsoft’s Small Business Show, featured spread in Pacific Weddings magazine, a featured wedding in Seattle Bride magazine, local talk show Northwest Afternoon, a spotlight “Master of Their Craft” in Grace Ormonde’s Wedding Style, January 2008, an editorial spread in Seattle Metropolitan Bride and Groom, January 2008 and two editorial spotlights and interviews in photography magazine, Rangefinder, February 2008! Phew!!
To read our bio and see our work, visit the
website.
For the latest news, click on the
Press category in this blog to the left!
To see a fun trailer of them in action for the VH1 wedding click
My Big Fat Fabulous Wedding!
