In my workshops this year several people have brought up the questions of were to get affordable gear. Lights especially are generally a big ticket item. But it turns out there are alternatives for the budget conscious. While cheap can be expensive in the long run, getting started is more important than not starting at all. Here’s an ever changing list of where and what to get to get you started.
Contact
- Email: gregory@cowleystudios.com
- Call: (415) 373-6527
- Visit: 2325 3rd Street, Studio 224
- San Francisco, CA 94107
- map »
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San Francisco Portrait Photographer
Photo Blog
Inspiration and musings on photography.
High Dynamic Range (HDR) Photography Workshop
Gregory lifts the veil on HDR photography in a one-evening workshop.
Instructor: Gregory Cowley
Classes forming quickly. Sign-up Now!
What’s all this buzz about HDR photography? What the heck is this oddly scientific sounding photography phenomenon? It sounds even more bizarre when you break out the acronym to High Dynamic Range. Is this something that has been kept under wraps at the Department of Defense until it was just recently leaked out?!
Well, it’s not at all as obscure as it sounds. In fact, it has more to do with cleaver software tricks than it does with any space-age cameras. You can create a HDR image yourself with any camera that can shoot RAW and a tripod. To make it even easier to understand, I’m going to be giving an evening workshop as part of my 2011 series.
High dynamic range photography is a process in which multiple exposures are captured, aligned and merged to generate a single image that enables a much wider range of colors and tonality. HDR techniques are typically used to enhance landscape, architectural, nighttime, and artistic photography.
Learn about HDR photography from a seasoned photographer in a professional studio and become a better photographer in 2011.
What to bring:
- Bring a camera that can shoot RAW
- A laptop with Lightroom, PhotoShop, and PhotoMatix. All are available as free demos.
- Feel free to bring any HDR images you’ve already shot. We will be taking a 30 minute walk around the industrial building at night to collect new images.
Classes forming quickly. Sign-up Now!
PhotoShop and Post-Processing Workshop
Take the mystery out of PhotoShop with one-evening workshops from Gregory Cowley Studios.
Instructor: Gregory Cowley
Gregory is pleased to announce his new post-processing workshop. Gregory explains the inner secrets of the “digital darkroom” in a convenient one-evening format in his professional photography studio. Aspiring photographers of all levels can learn to breathe life into tired photos with digital post processing techniques.
It was only a few short years ago that post-processing was something that was done at the photo lab. Unless a photographer had their own darkroom, they pretty much left this daunting task up to someone else. Digital photography has made the darkroom irrelevant, but it has made it more important than ever that the photographer also understands programs like PhotoShop and Iightroom. Gregory has created this one-evening course that exlains how great photos are crafted using digital tools. This workshop gets you up to speed on these tools in a one evening format.
With post-processing tools like PhotoShop, photographers bring out depth and richness in photographs that digital cameras can’t do on their own. Making an ordinary exposure extraordinary is an important part of knowing how the “digital darkroom” works.
“Clicking the shutter is only the beginning. These days more than ever great photographs need be creatively processed to bring out their full potential. This is nothing new by the way: Ansel Adams’s photos required hours in the darkroom to refine his masterpieces. Our darkroom is digital.” — Gregory
Daunting as this may seem, this has also opened up a world of creative potential. Photographers no longer have to be limited to what the camera specifically captured. Images that were once unusable can be saved. Boring lighting conditions can be enhanced, and entirely new photo composites can be created.
“I’ve had the unique opportunity to grow-up with PhotoShop since it first appeared in 1988. I’m looking forward to sharing that knowledge and experience.” — Gregory
Get an overview of the digital imaging revolution and learn basic post processing techniques from a 23 year veteran of photoshop. Gregory has produced image composites for American Airlines, the 2002 Olympics, KFC, Intel, and Apple.
Topics:
- Organizing and editing photos
- Understanding the differences between the file formats, and specifically embracing the benefits of RAW.
- Removing color casts and improving contrast
- Making color pop
- Creating rich black and whites
- Getting better skies
- Retouching techniques for portraits using Photoshop.
- Introduction to compositing
- Creating subtle special effects in Photoshop
- Insuring that your prints look good and that your images look good on the web
What to bring:
- Bring a laptop with Lightroom and PhotoShop
Advanced Digital Photography Workshop
Learn what makes a good photograph great!
Instructor: Gregory Cowley
Get beyond the basics with photography. Learn what makes a good photo great with an Advanced Photography Workshop at Gregory Cowley Studios.
Gregory is offering his Advanced Photography Workshop to help photographers develop basic skills and to learn new ones. Learning advanced photography skills requires a continuous effort to experiment, work, and educate oneself in their growth as a photographer. Taking a workshop is an excellent chance for students to discuss their work, work through barriers, and learn new techniques that will help their photography shine.
This one evening course focuses the skills and concepts necessary to develop to a higher level of photographer. Learn to conceive, see, and create better photographs in a condensed one-evening format that fits well with busy schedules. Students will learn advanced photography techniques from a seasoned photographer in a professional studio.
This is the follow-up course for the basic photography course. The goal of this class is to apply what you learned in the basic course and to develop your creative potential. Students will leave behind the point-and-shoot for this course and move on to some form of SLR or manual digital camera. While film won’t be specifically taught in this course, it is perfectly acceptable to work with film instead of digital.
“Learning to become a great photographer takes time and understanding. Photography is about communicating and telling stories. I feel that this class will give photographers the chance to hone those communication skills.” — Gregory
This course will focus heavily on experimentation and critiques of the work produced in and outside the class. There will be an open forum for critiquing work by peers. Get praised for your strengths and learn tools to develop your weaknesses. Students will learn to emphasize and develop new ideas. The format of the course will include shooting time within the studio and out in the field. Explore concepts such as color, light and mood. We will explore types of photography and the criteria behind determining a great photo.
“Photographs aren’t taken, they’re crafted. Knowing why and what you are doing is an important part of being a craftsman.” — Gregory
The class will include dozens of professional tips and tricks to take your photos to the next level.
Topics
- Choosing lenses to create effects.
- Getting the best exposure.
- How a lens affects depth of field.
- Effectively using depth of field and controlling blur.
- Creative control of apertures and shutter speeds to create drama and dynamic compositions.
- Metering difficult scenes
- Working in manual mode.
- When to use aperture and shutter priority modes.
- Choosing an effective ISO.
- Comparing raw with other image formats.
- Learn advanced camera settings and controls.
- Group critique of your work and good editing practices.
- Taking composition to the next level, horizontal and vertical, rule of thirds, etc.
- Ad hoc lighting concepts for indoor and outdoor applications.
- Dealing with tricky light situations.
- On and off camera flash.
- Working with existing natural lighting, back light, shade.
- Dealing with low light.
- Introduction to post-processing and what you can and cannot fix in “post&lrquo;.
- Paying attention to the histogram.
What to bring:
- Bring a camera and a laptop
Basic Photography Workshop
BASIC DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
Instructor: Gregory Cowley
This workshop focuses on the basics of photography. Whether you have a high-end SLR digital camera or an inexpensive point-and-shoot, you will be able to learn about photography fundamentals from this course.
Gregory Cowley has created a basic photography course aimed at beginners and enthusiasts that have no idea how their camera works. The workshop will get attendees up to speed on what all those settings mean and how to use them to make their photos better. Whether you have a high-end SLR digital camera or an inexpensive point-and-shoot, you will be able to learn about photography fundamentals from this course.
“You’ve done your research and read all the reviews. You have made your decision and picked out that dream camera you really wanted. When it finally arrives you take it out of the box, turn it on, and realize you have no idea how to use it.” — Gregory
Digital cameras have come a long way with simplifying the process of making pictures, but ultimately the computer in the camera is trying to guess what kind of photo is being made. Many times it does get it right, but until there is a mind reading attachment (which could happen!), learning to operate the bells and whistles will ensure that budding photographers achieve the look they want to create. This is where a good foundation in photography is a must. Getting down the basics will lead to huge improvements in personal photography.
“You see your memories flashing by you so fast. You want to be able to capture those times and document them for posterity. You have a great camera and try to shoot everything, but your pictures seem to lack something.” — Gregory
It’s time to commit to becoming a better photographer in 2011. Learning how great photos are made will lead to more oo’s and ah’s at social events. No prior experience is required. Students will learn all this in a professional photographer’s studio.
Topics that will be discussed discussed are:
- Camera settings and different lenses.
- Setting exposure and how to control it.
- Composition and getting the most out of your subjects.
- Learn to work with people, landscapes, and inanimate objects as subjects.
- How to become more aware of lighting and how it affects photography.
- Putting images on the the web.
- Getting high-quality prints.
- Basic post-processing using programs like Photoshop or iPhoto.
What to bring:
- Bring a camera
San Francisco Photo Shoot with Overland Equipment
Here is a continuation of my work in the outdoor industry for Overland Equipment. This was a similar shoot to the summer catalog photography we did earlier in the year in Chico. For the winter catalog and marketing material we brought the photography session home to San Francisco.
All photos by San Francisco photographer Gregory Cowley.
Sirna Therapeutics Lab Shoot
San Francisco’s Mission Bay medical has been sprouting up buildings near my studio for several years now. One of the new occupants of the complex is Sirna Therapeutics, which is a RNA research arm of Merck & Co.. I was commissioned to create a series of images that give glimpse into their laboratory facilities.
Essential Lighting Workshop
Become a better photographer in 2011. Learn studio lighting from a seasoned photographer and teacher in a professional studio.
How is it that some photographers seem to capture amazing photos with almost 3D qualities while your pictures other photographs seem flat? Why is it that the flash on your camera make seems to only be good at making can make people look like white ghosts in a dark room? Why do photos in fashion magazines look the way they do? The answer is: great lighting!
Learning professional photo lighting is one of the most daunting parts of learning photography. Many of us don•t have access to the space and equipment to put the hours in to learn on our our own. And most of the learning material available on the Internet is vague and broad.
Understanding how light works is crucial to getting a great photograph. Light is universal. Even if you are not eager to become a studio photographer, understanding the basics of studio light will transform your outdoor and natural light photography. Studio lights are basically a simulation of natural light and all the concepts can be easily transferred to outdoor and existing light photography.
This workshop will focus on controlling light in a studio environment. It will explain all of the basic components of photographic light and how to control it. Hands-on experience working with the lights will be provided.
The workshop will cover:
- How light works.
- Lighting a portrait.
- The names and functions of each studio light.
- Understanding scrims, reflectors, and light modifiers.
- Working with available sources as street lights, indoor lights, and even flashlights.
- Getting the most out of a cloudy day.
- How to wrangle that camera flash you carry in your bag.
Details:
- Intermediate to Advanced.
- $69.00 for the 3 hour workshop.
- Bring a camera if you like.
Dates Available:
- Tuesday January 11, 2011, 6 to 9pm | Sign-up Now »
- Tuesday February 15, 2011, 6 to 9pm | Sign-up Now »
Overland Equipment Shoot, Chico, CA
In the Summer of 2009 I loaded up in the car with art director Sue Redding and my assistant Debra Zeller. We began the 5 hour drive through from San Francisco to Chico to scout locations for the next day’s shoot. Thunderstorms were brewing on the horizon even though it was 90 degrees out. We had no idea what conditions we were going to face the following day.
Later that evening we met up with the rest of the crew from Overland Equipment. It was the clients vision was to use employees in the outdoor industry rather than professional models. They sent down a crew of 4 from Portland to be our talent for the day. The weather worked out in our favor and I got hundreds of great shots in a matter of hours. The images have since been used throughout Overland’s catalogs, brochures, trade show, and marketing materials.
HDR Workshop Offered
What’s all this buzz about HDR photography? What the heck is this oddly scientific sounding photography phenomenon? It sounds even more bizarre when you break out the acronym to High Dynamic Range. Is this something that has been kept under wraps at the Department of Defense until it was just recently leaked out?!
Well, it’s not at all as obscure as it sounds. In fact, it has more to do with cleaver software tricks than it does with any space-age cameras. You can create a HDR image yourself with any camera that can shoot RAW and a tripod. To make it even easier to understand, I’m going to be giving an evening workshop as part of my 2011 series this Thursday night.
Here’s the skinny:
Learn High Dynamic Range Photography
When: Thursday, Jan 6th, 2011, 6 to 9pm
Where:
Cowley Studios
2325 3rd Street, Unit 224
Dogpatch, SF
Cost: $69
What to bring:
A camera that can shoot RAW and a laptop with Lightroom, PhotoShop, and PhotoMatix.
These can be downloaded from Adobe and HDRguru.com.
You also might want to have a look at HDR Efex Pro.
Feel free to bring any HDR images you’ve already shot. We will be taking a 30 minute walk around the industrial building at night to collect new images.