A Busy Spring Photography Teaching Schedule

In Summary, here it is

·       Lightroom Tuesdays March 3-April 7

·       Introduction to Digital Photography Thursdays April 9 – May 14 (excluding April 23^rd)

^·     Spring Waterfall Weekend Workshop May 15^th – May 17^th  

Leaning In - Ashuelot River

With the holidays out of the way, I have been organizing my spring teaching season, and this year the programs are especially compressed.  It will be a busy and exciting time to cover photography, including an introduction to digital photography, a detailed exploration of the amazing image organizing and editing capabilities of Adobe’s Lightroom Classic, and a fun spring weekend workshop shooting some of the most beautiful waterfalls in southern Vermont and the Monadnock region.

This is just a brief listing of the spring programs.  For those who are interested, I will be posting more details as the dates approach, but since I keep the classes comfortably small, it always helps to reserve your spots early.  The best way to get your name on the list is to send me an email and if you have any questions, give me a call: 603-363-8338.

Introduction to Lightroom Classic – AND the Transition to Photoshop

Six Tuesday Evenings March 3rd – April 7th
373 Route 9a Spofford (around my dining room table)

Lightroom Workflow

 Once again, beginning in early March, I will be offering my Introduction to Adobe’s Lightroom Classic. If you are interested in getting the most from your images there is no better place to start.

With each new version of Lightroom, the program’s capabilities and features have grown. Its image management tools have improved, but the major advancement has been in its sophisticated editing capabilities. Lightroom’s Develop Module now is as fully capable as Photoshop’s Camera RAW, but Lightroom organizes these tools into a simpler and more intuitive workflow. The program also facilitates the sharing of images through Slide Shows, Books and simple Web designs.

Lightroom Magic

Given its power and ease of use, for the majority of digital photography enthusiasts, Lightroom is all they will need to get started with image management and editing.

The Course

Around the Table

From 6-8 pm, on six successive Tuesday evenings beginning on March 3^rd, we will gather around my dining room table in Spofford.  The course will concentrate on Lightroom Classic, which is the full desktop version of the program intended for photographers who want to get the most from their images.  Adobe also offers a version of the program simply called Lightroom which is designed for mobile users and will not be covered in this course.  All the key functions of Lightroom Classic will be covered primarily in live demonstrations, and although everyone will be encouraged follow along on their own laptops, this will not be necessary to benefit from the course.

If you, like many, are still confused about the different Lightroom programs, just know that the Lightroom and Lightroom Classic versions are both included among the options in the Adobe Photography Subscription Plan, along with the latest version of Photoshop (if you ever want to enter the abyss) and still costs only $9.99/month.

https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/plans.html 

 My course will be covering the full power of the Lightroom Classic Program but I have added a sixth class to review how to move images into Photoshop and a brief look at what this amazing program can add to your pictures. 

The expanded course will be $225.
More details will be coming soon on my blog at:

http://jeffnewcomerphotography.blogspot.com/

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Introduction to Digital Photography Thursdays April 9 – May 14 (excluding April 23^rd) Keene High School

My introductory class on digital photography has evolved over the years as I have tried to find better ways to inform and excite students about the amazing capabilities of digital cameras.  The course includes 5 two-hour classes and two photo shoots. I cover a wide range of topics from understanding the differences in camera types, to image file formats, file management and archiving. Special emphasis is placed on exposure, composition and the use of different types of light.  All these topics are applied to the results of the photo shoots.  This class always fills very quickly, so sign up early at :

https://www.keenecommunityed.org/classes/digital-photography-intro/

Spring 2018 Class

Contact Erin White, Program Assistant
(603)357-0088 ext. 103, ewhite@sau29.org
for more information

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Spring Waterfall Weekend Workshop May 15^th – May 17^th  

Garwin Falls

It may seem early to anticipate my annual Spring Waterfall Weekend Workshop, but I’m reminded that the snow on the ground is the raw material that will contribute to the vigorous spring run-off.

This year’s weekend workshop will follow my usual, time-tested format. We will first gather Friday evening around my dining room table, for a chance to meet everyone, and review our plans. I will discuss key elements of the photography of flowing water, including exposure, the importance of a sturdy tripod, a cable release and, of course, a polarizing filter. 

Porcupine Falls

Will meet on Saturday for an all-day shoot traveling to many of my favorite regional waterfalls and ending with an evening of pizza and sharing around my informal table. Sunday morning, we will gather again for more falling waters and I will let you all escape, exhausted but full of wonderful waterfall images, by noon.

Dummerston Veil

It should be an exciting weekend and I’m looking forward to sharing many of my favorite spots. 

To allow for individual attention, the workshop is limited to only 8 participants. The entire program including snacks and an informal dinner will be $195. 



Get in touch as soon as possible, by email or phone, to get on the workshop list. I look forward to seeing you.

Jeffrey Newcomer

www.partridgebrookreflections.com

jeffn49@myfairpoint.net

603-363-8338

2017 Retrospective

It is January, and therefore, it must be time for some retrospection.  As always, I try to focus my “favorites of the year” on experiences and events rather than trying to agonize over what I might consider to be my best images.

This year had its share of great experiences and photographic opportunities.  In the next two articles I will share a few of the pictures which will always remind me of the beauty and excitement of the past year.  Happily, I have no personal images which would document the tragedies of 2017, the natural disasters, the seemingly endless and totally avoidable string of gun related violence, and, of course the national embarrassment of Donald Trump.

Thank goodness, the beauty of New England continues to provide an island of peace in this increasingly crazy world.

Bird Feeder Photography

Tufted Titmouse

I start with one of my greatest joys year-round, watching the birds that cluster around my bird feeders.  They visit in all seasons and weather but are particularly welcome when they bring color to our drab winter.  Although I continue to insist that I am NOT a birder, I am beginning to identify the many species including: Chickadees, Tufted Titmouse, Downy Woodpecker and Cardinals.  And I love the bird watching that I can do from a comfortable chair in my toasty house!

Cardinal

Our Local Bald Eagles

While I am discussing birds, I must mention the family of eagles which, for many years, has nested across the Connecticut River from Chesterfield.  For several seasons I have enjoyed watching as their chicks matured to active juveniles.  It is great to see these majestic birds, but it is most exciting when I have been able to observe their behaviors.  Last spring, I captured an interesting aggressive interaction, over dominance of the nest, between a juvenile and a parent – the parent won.  Sadly, this winter the bare snag, which has been the location of their nest has fallen into the river.  Hopefully, they have found a new location which will continue to be visible.

Spectacular Winter and Escaping South

I love the winter.  It is one of my favorite seasons for capturing the unique beauty of New England, especially in December and January when the white is fresh and is a welcome relief from the drab brown of the November stick season.  But the winter in New Hampshire is long, and by the time March comes along, the persistent cold, snow and sleet becomes increasingly hard to bare. 

Key West Sunset

This year, Susan and I decided to escape the worst of the season and head south for some much-needed warmth. We loaded a rented mini-van and left on a month-long drive.  Susan scheduled a month long, warmth seeking, tour along the coast, as far south as Key West, planning visits with friends and family along the way.


  We spent the majority of our trip in Florida, mostly exploring both sides of the Everglades and relaxing for five nights in a quiet Key West condo oasis.  Our trip back home included stays with friends and family around Naples on Florida’s west coast, in addition to enjoying the beaches and nature preserves.

Everglades Gator

We had a great trip and I came home with over 4,000 pictures.  Many of the green landscape but mostly of animals, especially a great variety of birds.  Yes, I am a birder now.





For more images, check out my Search for Warmth Gallery

Key West Sunset Aboard the Appledore

We were considering another southern trip this winter, perhaps to New Orleans, but another project has come up to claim our time and money. We decided to stay put and enjoy the full winter experience.

White Egret Gulp, Everglades

Classes

In the last couple of years teaching has become an increasing part of my photographic work.  It seems a natural extension of the wide-ranging topics in my weekly blog.  Teaching has always been a goal, and I’m thrilled that my classes have seemed to be welcome.  

Over this last year I have expanded my offerings to include two sessions of my popular Introduction to Digital Photography Course and two Adobe Lightroom Courses.   

The Introduction to Photography program includes 8 hours of classroom time, and two photo-shoot field trips.  We cover everything from selecting a digital camera, to image file types, archiving, exposure, composition and dealing with different varieties of light. I am amazed at the number of people in our community who are excited to learn about the capabilities of their new digital cameras.  The class keeps filling quickly.

Lightroom around the table

The Lightroom Course includes 5 weekly, 2 hour sessions, during which I cover the essentials of this amazingly capable organizing and editing program for digital images.  For many, it is all that is needed to go from snapshots to works of art.  I had previously hosted my Lightroom classes at home, around our dining room table.  I am currently in the middle of my first class of the year and, given the vagaries of our winter weather, I am offering it in Keene.  Monadnock Imaging on Main Street is generously hosting the sessions.

Mt Washington Valley, Lightroom Panorama

In just a few years teaching has become a prominent part of my photographic work and I suspect that my time spent on the classes and workshops, along with my commitment to this weekly blog will only continue to grow.  If you have any questions, you can always check out my Blog Index, which now categorizes over 400 articles on digital photography in general and New England photography in loving particular.

Photography Workshops

I was excited this year to offer two workshops, one exploring spring waterfalls in our region and the other repeating my Fall Foliage Weekend Workshop.  Workshops are very different from classes with some discussion around the table, but much of the learning coming from dealing with practical issue in the field. 

I scheduled the waterfall workshop for early in the spring when I hoped the streams would be flowing at their maximal rate.  In fact, we had heavy rains prior to the weekend and the falls were all amazing.  Of course, being spring in New England, we had to deal with intermittent showers, but I had a great group that was well prepared and excited by the falling waters.

Porcupine Falls

This year the Foliage Workshop suffered from spotty color and from the fact that it began a day after I returned from our three week trip to Italy.  I somehow struggled through the jet lag, helped along by a very energetic and sympathetic group.  We managed to find some excellent locations and I was impressed with the images that my “kids” captured.

I enjoy the workshop format and will be offering my Waterfall weekend this spring.  Other possibilities for the coming year include a winter workshop and possibly one on night photography. 

That’s it for the first five highlights of 2017.  Next week I will collect a few more.  I may need more than 2 weeks to get this all together.

Jeff Newcomer, NEPG
www.partridgebrookreflections.com