It’s been a very exciting few months in the run up to my first Children’s Photography Workshops for professional photographers. The idea began with a discussion from a number of photographers who follow my work. They had asked if I would consider travelling to spend some time teaching them as group. In particular they wanted to learn more about photographing children outdoor,s and how to handle the unpredictable UK light.
The Venue
The first photography workshop took place at the end of June in Basingstoke in Hampshire. The venue was the beautiful walled garden in Down Grange. As part of the historical Down Grange Estate the Walled Garden originally served as a kitchen garden to Down Grange House, which now operates as a restaurant.
The Workshop format
My childrens photography workshops aims to cover 4 key areas:
1. Its all about the light!
When developing this workshop I really considered what I wish I had been taught earlier in my photography career. As much as I wanted new lenses (and lots of them), and to learn how to use Photoshop inside out, with hindsight I wish someone had told me the importance of studying light. I think its very important to understand how light impacts images on a day to day basis when out shooting with real clients. Over the past 4 years I have developed my own methods for assessing a location for a family shoot and finding flattering light. No matter how bright the sun, or how cloudy the sky is, its important to be able to find light that is flattering for your subject and also creates the look and feel that your brand stands for.
2. How we can use environmental backdrops to add colour
I am also a huge fan of colour in my children’s photography, so the workshop also covers how to find colour bases as inspiration when shooting, whether it is flowers, walls or gates. We looked at how we could use colours found naturally to bring additional interest and vibrancy to our images.
3. Working with children of all ages – boys, girls, twins and siblings
Again when creating my ideal workshop, I was keen to give those attending an opportunity to portfolio build and to work with children of all ages. We photographed 2 year old twins, girls and boys and varying ages plus a teenager.
Behind the scene photos courtesy of Stacey Raven Photography
4. Editing before and after
Following the workshop I then shared some of my before and after edits with my attendees and also illustrated how to add more depth, contrast and colour to images. I illustrated my basic editing techniques I use on a day to day basis and them my tricks for making the image really pop. We also shared all of our own edits in a private forum, which is another great way to see how images can be edited differently to create more impact.
My next Childrens Photography Courses are in London, Nottingham, Tunbridge Wells, Birmingham and Bristol and details of how to book can be found here
Feedback and images from the attendees
Finally, I wanted to share some feedback for the photographers that attended the course and also showcase some of the images they took on the day.
Hee from Hee Jeong Savvides Photography “Nina has made her workshop most informative and enjoyable. I have learnt to search for the direction of lights and where to position the models. Thanks Nina for your continuous support in the forum after the workshop!”
www.katielister.co.uk “I recently attended Nina’s Colour and Light workshop for professional photographers in Basingstoke. Nina was well prepared for the training and shared a wealth and knowledge of experience with myself and the small group of photographers present. My biggest rave about Nina is how giving she is – always answering questions, sharing tips and tricks, discussing the way she goes about not only the technical aspect of photography but also running her business. I feel inspired and motivated after spending the day with her – can’t wait to do it again!”
Allison from Magic Photography ” The best thing I got out of this childrens photography course was thinking about where the light is best before anything else, which is not what I was doing before”
Karen Wiltshire, www.kw-photography.co.uk ” Fantastic workshop, enjoyable and informative”
Helena, Lovely Photography Really enjoyed the day, and have not stopped looking for the light ever since. Changed my view from being background led to light led. Thank you Nina x
Kelly from www.umoyaphotography.com “Nina has a way of explaining the technical aspects of light and colour composition that is so easy to understand, you are left wondering why on earth you didn’t see it in the first place”… Just kidding, but really, Nina does have a real knack for explaining what people normally battle to get their heads round!
Pratika from Kay Sehmi Photography “Thank you Nina for an excellent and enjoyable workshop. I have always sought locations where I liked the backgrounds and worked around that but after your course, I am very much converted to looking for the light first. I would highly recommend this workshop to anyone thinking about it; its been a great learning curve and the post workshop Facebook forum has provided me with lots inspiration for editing outdoor location shoots. Thanks! “
