© Tim Pannell Photography

I’m getting ready for the October 19th launch of my Photo Mommies Online Photography Workshop.  The goal is to help moms use their cameras better and get better pictures of their kids.  It’s been a lot of fun creating the curriculum.

I’ll also be creating Camtasia videos showing step by step Photoshop techniques at the end of August once the software is available for Macs.

So, if you’re a mom that is passionate about photography and your kids and want to take your photo skills to a higher level, this is the perfect photo workshop for you.

I’ve been a successful commercial photographer for over 24 years and will be sharing insights, tips and secrets I’ve learned over those years as I’ve worked with thousands of kids.

Here’s what  some people I’ve worked with over the last decade or two say:

Pete Schnaitmann

Peter Schnaitmann – Executive Producer – Corbis

“Tim and I have worked together for over six years at Corbis and I have enjoyed every minute of it!  He is an amazing photographer who has the ability to work with people of all ages and get them to relax and be comfortable in front of the camera which enables him to create images that show true emotion and feeling.   Tim is solution oriented and always looking for new ways to light and to create images that are unique and stand apart from the rest.  His positive energy and determination to always create the best image for the project helps to make every shoot a success.”

Ellen Herbert – Producer/Freelance Art Buyer – Former Sr. Director of Photographer Relations, Jupiterimages.

“It is rare to work with a photographer like Tim Pannell. In my 25 years of producing, directing, licensing and buying imagery, he is number one on my list of photographers to call for any project. I know he will bring a creative vision that will take any concept, no matter how staid and overdone, a new slant. Every member of every crew that has ever shot with Tim finds themselves doing their best work when on set with him, inspired not only by the creative process, but by Tim’s supportive, positive and enthusiastic energy and his optimistic outlook. His images are among the top income producing in all the major stock agencies and he is in high demand. He is one of the most respected photographers in our industry. He makes it look easy. Its not, but he makes it look that way. I can’t wait for the opportunity to work with him again.”

The workshop will be available online starting October 19th and will run for 8 weeks.  Each participant will be able to download each week’s lesson at the beginning of the week.  They can then study and work at their own pace throughout the week.  Assignments will be done over the weekends applying the principles learned throughout the week.  I will be giving you personalized feedback on the numerous images  you create throughout the entire course.

Here’s the curriculum as of today:        (It may change between now and the start of the photo workshop)

Week #1 –        Introduction to Photography

A Day In Our Life

Techno Geek vs. Creative Freak

Equipment – Basic Camera Settings

Go Out and Play – (1^st assignment)

Week #2 -       Exposure Control

Shooting Modes

Histograms – (Polaroid was so over-rated)

ISO

Picking an Aperture

Depth of Field

Shooting Action

Aperture vs. Shutter Speed – (2^nd assignment)

Week #3 -       The Art of Seeing

Lens Choice

Viewpoint

Rule of Thirds

Cropping

Background options

Developing Your Creativity – (3^rd assignment)

Week #4 -       Working With Light

Lighting is the Bomb

Styles of Lighting

Outdoor lighting Techniques

Indoor Lighting Techniques

Out With the Bad Light, In With the Good! – (4^th assignment)

Week #5 – Importance of Editing

Candids vs. Portraits

Interacting With Your “Victims”

Indoors vs. Outdoors

Tight and Tidy vs. Loose and Sloppy – (5^th assignment)

Week #6 -       Color Management

Photoshop Settings

Photoshop Actions

Basic Image Enhancement

Workflow

Before and Afters – (6^th assignment)

Week #7 – Storyboard

A Week in Your Children’s Lives

Shoot, shoot and shoot some more

Edit, edit and edit some more – Use the Hatchet, be tough!

Unleash the Creative Beast! – (7^th assignment)

Week #8 –       Share the Wealth

Best of the Best

Wrap It Up, I’ll Take It

The photography workshop will be limited to the first 125 people.  The cost for the 8 week course is $300.00 payable in full at time of registration which is set to begin on September 22nd.  To make sure you’re up to date on workshop registration info and on our latest tips and techniques just fill out the form below with your name and email address.

digital portrait lighting © Tim Pannell Photography

Where do you start when you want to help people take better photographs of their children?

I remember when I started out taking pictures when I was in High School I knew absolutely nothing.  I was a blank slate.  I had nothing.

I had friends that had been taking pictures for years, so I relied heavily on them to show me the ropes.  Them and whatever crappy photo books I could get my hands on at the time.

I learned your basics about exposure, f stops, shutter speeds, lens choices and that was about it.

I shot scenics and some pictures (lousy ones) of my girlfriend at the time.  When I look back I’m completely embarrassed at how bad my stuff

Portrait Lighting Setup

was at the time.

My lens choices were crap, my angles were all wrong and even my exposures could have been tidied up a bit.

I didn’t know anything about cropping, but mostly I didn’t know a thing about light or the quality of light.

I didn’t realize at the time just how important great light is to an image.  That’s really what separates the men from the boys.  LIGHT!

My friends did the best they could.  they taught me everything they knew.  They got their info from other friends and other crappy photo books that were available.

I’m gonna skip ahead a few years.  Suffice it to say that I really enjoyed photography, but had yet to be exposed to anything that really helped me a lot.

I decided to turn pro when I was in college for Design Engineering and Economics.  I was going to go on and get an Architect’s license after that.

I had about a year left and made a huge change in direction when I decided out of the blue that I really just wanted to be a photographer.

I started out shooting weddings and engagement portraits.  It was fun for about a week or two and then it started getting really repetitive and boring.

I began pouring through commercial photography books, Communication Arts, Photography Showcase and the Black Book of Photography.

I would spend weeks and even months going over the images in those books one by one, identifying all the images I liked and then trying to understand what it was I liked about them.

This is when I really started to learn about the importance of great light.  I would then pick an image that I loved and then I’d go out and do my best to reproduce that image.

This wasn’t for my portfolio, it was just an exercise to learn about lighting.  I set about to learn what kind of photography moved me so consequently I would know what avenue of photography to pursue.

So, ask yourself, what kind of photographs have you seen that you really like?  Have you actually seen great photography of kids?

Do you like images that look like classic portraiture or do you like images that have more of an editorial feel?  Do you prefer images that lean a bit more towards a commercial look?

Maybe you like a little bit of everything and that’s fine too.  The more you play with photography, the more you’ll come to recognize your particular vision and way of seeing things.  This is the fun part!!

As you learn how to apply different photographic principles to your images, you’ll be able to see photographs and figure out how to go about producing those types of images.  That’s at least the ultimate goal.

Seek out great photography, learn all of the child photography tips you can get your hands on, get yourself a target to aim at and let the adventure and fun begin.