WOOOO to the freakin' HOOOO! Yesterday I hosted the first-ever (and first of many!) MINNe-SHOP! The topic was all about Tilt Shift Photography, which I feel is an area of shooting that many photographers want to learn more about and/or are curious about. The thing about using a Tilt Shift lens is that it is quite tricky. It's an all manual lens, but there are many, many more things to think about than simply just the technical function of the lens! When shooting with a T/S lens, you need to take your time and think about a few things:

1)Composition. Where and how am I going to place my images in a setting that is going to benefit from this lens?

2)Exposure. The light changes WAY often when using this lens. How can I nail this exposure?

3) Focus. How is this lens/effect going to benefit my image? How am I going to use this tool to draw in the viewer?

(And this is all before you even take the photo!)

It's super tricky, but absolutely stunning when you nail a good image! This lens takes nothing but time and patience to learn, hence the MINNeSHOP. I wanted to give our attendees an opportunity to use all of the T/S lenses available out there and just have time to play. There is a lot of artistic freedom with using this lens, but I think there is one MAJOR rule that all of us photographers really need to follow:

Every time you pick up your T/S lens, ask yourself, "Is this the right tool for this image? How is this lens benefiting the overall composition? Am I using it to really captivate and draw in the viewer or am I just using it to be trendy and cool?"

I must say, I was very impressed with all of the MINNeSHOP-ers! Some of them had never even picked up this lens and they got some amazing photos! We had an AMAZING turn out (one girl even came all the way from Iowa!) A special thanks to everyone who attended!

Emily Steffen Jen Schultz Jessica Newbauer Emma Freeman Alicia Struble Brianna Kopka Vickey Weiss Bethany O'Day Paula Charchenko Shelly Anderson Tom DeBruyn

A HUGE Thank-You to our super HOT couples who came out to model for us! Erick, Bri, Emily and Matt, you ROCKED it!

Here are some awesome images from the attendees!

The purpose of the MINNeSHOP is to educate photographers in the Midwest about specific topics of the photography world! It's also designed to be a very casual learning environment with some hands-on opportunities and bring people together! I'm hoping to be doing a MINNeSHOP about every 2 months, so please write in with any suggestions on topic that you would like to learn about!

eliesa@eliesajohnson.com

Happy Tilting!

LOVEe

WHOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!

I am SUPER excited to announce the first-ever MINNe-SHOP!!

2010 is all about giving back and educating photographers all across the country and also right here in the MPLS!

The MINNe-SHOP is an afternoon for Minneapolis photographers to get together and really learn about a specific part of photography.

The first topic will be all about creating amazing images using the Tilt Shift lens! This has become a big trend in the industry all around - and with any trend, there are good and bad ways to use this tool. My goal is to pump up the volume and really help photographers feel comfortable using this amazing piece of equipment!

Agenda:

Tilt Shift Talk Live Shooting / Practice with T/S lenses Group Critique of Images

We will be renting T/S lenses for the attendees to try out and practice your mad-skills! Food and Beverages will also be provided throughout the day!

TO SIGN UP FOR THIS AWESOME DAY, CLICK HERE!

FAQ:

How much does it cost?

$125/person and this includes the class time, lens rentals and food!

What will I learn from this MINNe-SHOP?

This first-ever MINNe-SHOP will be focusing directly on Tilt Shift Photography. We will cover everything from the technical reasoning behind the lens to how to use it to create an EPIC image!

Will I actually be able to use a T/S lens?

Yep! We will be renting T/S lenses for both Canon and Nikon Cameras. If you have your own, absolutely bring it along! We will also be having real couples as your subjects to practice on!

Will the group critique be scary?

No, no, no. Group critiques are meant to help you grow as a photographer! No one is going to beat you down to the ground, this is all about encouragement! I am a big believer in critique...in fact, I think it is essential!

What is the difference between a LOVEe Consult and a MINNe-SHOP?

LOVEe Consults are one-on-one, 8 hour mentor sessions. During these days, we cover anything and everything about your photography business. MINNe-SHOPS are mini-workshops designed for groups and we will only cover a specific topic during the afternoon.

Will there be future MINNe-SHOPS?

Absolutely! Do you have a topic you want covered? E-mail your ideas to me: eliesa@photogen-inc.com

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE FUN!

I'm Sooooooo excited!

LOVEe