She's a Winner

Francine Cain

A few months ago, a lovely young woman by the name of Francine Cain won the Rob Guest Endowment 2010 award. Francine is a lovely young woman whose talents will soon be very evident as she plays Regina in Rock of Ages. I am sure that will prove to be the beginning of a long and wonderful career for her. Among her many prizes as winner of the Rob Guest award was a day having her photographs taken by Shelton Muller, Photographer. Second prize was two days. 

Sorry folks. Its an oldie but a goodie. It was there. I had to use it.

ANZ Trustees, for whom I do my fair share of commercial work, made my photography part of the package she so deservedly won. There are times when doing photography for a bank can be somewhat...mundane. Not that we ever take our work opportunities for granted, but its true. However, I was really looking forward to this creative opportunity, and the chance to be one of the photographers who helps someone along a the outset of their illustrious career. It also means that I might score some tickets to the show. Maybe even a backstage pass!

Well, one can hope...

Anyway...after months of trying to synchronise our schedules, Francine and I were finally able to meet in the city for a shoot. She had been to New York (where she bought that leopard print coat!) and was now back, so we got a few free hours together. We met in the old city square for coffee and then started our shoot in and around Hosier Lane in Melbourne. Photographers in our fair city know this lane well. It is perhaps the most colourful place in the entire city, with building walls filled with artful graffiti that is constantly updated and encouraged. I thought it a perfect match for Francine's colourful personality and her ideas for some 'different' photographs to the ones she already had. 

Francine had already had some very beautiful studio photographs taken and so we thought we would do some location stuff - a little bit 'street' with a few variations on a theme. I kept it simple, using single off camera flash techniques and available light. Francine brought a few different outfits and we had some fun together for a few hours, laughing through each setup and telling passing Chinese tourists that Francine was a famous singer. Clamouring to be photographed with her, they passed their cameras to me and posed for their snaps with a celebrity.

Well, Francine is not quite world famous yet. But as my friend Glynn Lavender says - its not lying. 

Its 'futurespeak'.

I wish you every success Francine. It couldn't happen to a nicer person. 

Simple Light

Model: Sarah Hardy

Of all the photography workshops I have the pleasure to run, our Natural Light People Photography Workshop is my favourite.As much as I love to create light,  I think I prefer working with the light I am given. Perhaps it is for this reason that I in the process of writing an e-Book on the subject. More on that in weeks to come. 

Available light is a challenge for the imagination and the eye. It provides the photographer with the challenge of spontaneous creativity, forcing his or her mind to see light and create from it. Studio lighting has the advantage of being completely created and tweaked. Available light provides the photographer with much fewer options.

It is also beautiful for its single-light simplicity. This portrait of young model, Sarah Hardy, bears that out. One window was all we used to demonstrate the beauty of available light at our workshop on Saturday. That simple light combined with the vision of an 85mm 1.8 Nikkor is enough to create a beautiful portrait. 

For me it is a reminder - a reminder not keep it simple. One light is often enough for beautiful portraits. Actually, often it is simply perfect. 

Making Love in a Church

Sorting through hundreds of discs the other day, I found this image from a shoot I did a few years ago. It was a moment of capture that I remember for two reasons. Yes, I am pleased with the image, but it has even greater meaning to me than that. Its all about making love in a church.

Please. Allow me to explain.

I was excited to have been commissioned by the ABC to photograph a training session for young and upcoming conductors. An Italian maestro had been invited to Australia to run a series of workshops for these young men and women. Their toolbox was the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, renowned worldwide as being among the orchestras of choice. I had the privilege of standing right smack bang in the middle of this world famous orchestra and listen to several renditions of a Mozart piece - the name of which eludes me now. Its rather well known and rather beautiful, but I can't remember its name. I like Mozart. He was an interesting dude. His is a very sad story, the ending of which is even sadder. Genius is not always a blessing. 

Anyway, what surprised me was the difference in the response to each conductor by the orchestra. Sometimes the orchestra responded with such an audible glow that I was taken upwards by it. At other times, it was just...played. Between conductors I asked members of the orchestra why they responded differently, even though the notes on the paper were the same. It was all about the manifest passion of the conductor. In the end, the maestro took control, leading the orchestra without a single movement of his hands. By his face alone, he made them play that piece better than any of those whose hands had waved about in fervent endeavour like Robbie the Robot. 

In the image above, I distinctly remember the Italian maestro becoming so frustrated by this young conductor's rather academic approach to the music that it became impossible for him to contain it. Sure, the young man knew the piece, he knew the notes, he knew the timing. But he lacked feeling. In this image the maestro is trying everything to make this young man feel the piece, not just know it. 

"Feel it! Feel it! Pretend you are....making love! You are making love....in a church!" he pleaded with this young conductor. Alas, it made little difference. Even I could hear that all his pleadings were falling on someone who needed more experience...in life. There is no replacement for that.

Without doubt, photographers are conductors also. They conduct orchestras of their own and the instruments are the elements within the frame. It is irrelevant whether they be the elements within a landscape or still life, the bridal party at a wedding or the corporate leader whose portrait needs updating for an annual report. Without passion applied to each, the music will change. Sure, the little black notes will be the same, but the feel will be different. 

I once knew a young man who played the violin. He knew the notes very well, but his instrument sounded like a strangled cat. He knew the notes, not the intention. By all means, learn the little black notes that belong to each image you create, but get in touch with the reason for the image, the message within it, the desired result. Apply your head to its science, but your heart to its creation. If you have to, pretend you are making love in a church. 

California, Here I Come!

There are times you wonder if you have made the right choices in life, realising that there is little you can do about some of them if indeed you even wanted to. Time takes care of them. But there are others that you never regret or feel differently about in any way. For me, one of those decisions was to build my secular and creative life with a camera in hand. And, as a result, another 'once in a lifetime' opportunity has again come my way. I have been invited to travel with my old friend, Ian Rolfe and legendary Australian landscape and commercial photographer, Peter Walton, to run a photo tour through some of California's most incredible locations. This tour will run in May, 2012 and I have to admit - I can't wait.

Now, I am not a landscape photographer as such, but its not because I don't know my way around them. I actually do, and I am very proud of the landscape images I have created over many years of traveling and running photo tours. Our recent Creative Photo Workshops MeaWannaShootaLotta tour in New Zealand in 2010 was just one of those. For me, being primarily a people photographer is a creative choice and a personality based one at that. I am a people person. I enjoy connecting with people even more than I do the earth. That said, I have stood in awe and watched the sun rise and set over some of the most incredible places this beautiful planet has to offer. I have breathed those moments in and realised that I was experiencing something so wonderful it could not be put into words. More than that, I have created some of my most memorable images ever in those moments. So, perhaps my contribution to this tour will be different to the other two gentlemen of note. I imagine I will be adding some 'people elements' into those locations. Then again, I imagine I will also have my own experience in the landscape to offer. Thirty two years with a camera in hand has taught me much about each photographic opportunity. Much of my landscape and travel work is on my website - Shelton Muller, Photographer

Ian Rolfe and I have been friends for over 25 years. We have photographed and traveled together many times and photographed the same places from different perspectives on many occasions. I have known of Peter Walton's work from a time even before I knew Ian. It was some 30 years ago that I came across the work of Peter Walton in an issue of Minolta Mirror, a now defunct annual photographic publication that was a must have in its day. Peter's commercial work was amazing, but his love for the landscape is reflected in his work. I had the honour of being on the same lecture bill with him in Auckland at a photographic convention a few years ago. A nicer fellow would be hard to find and I am looking forward to traveling with him very much.

For information about our Californian Wonder Photo Tour, click the image posted above left.. If you are interested in coming along, contact Ian Rolfe in an email. Click here for that.

As per usual, Creative Photo Workshops has many events planned for 2011, one of which is our photo tour through Egypt, which is also now in the planning. I will keep you posted very soon about the details on that incredible event also! I have been to Egypt twice, and it is a land of intrigue, history and photo opportunity that is simply mesmerizing and unforgettable. 

Shelton Muller

A View to a Shoot

Its a kind of 'Captain Obvious' thing to say when you declare that PhotoShop has changed photography irreversibly. No matter who you are, what kind of photography you do or how long you have been doing it, PhotoShop inevitably alters your shooting style and your end result at some time in your life as a photographer. There are some shoots wherein I intend little if any post processing. Then there are others in which I intend the image to actually be made possible by the utilisation of a PhotoShop process. The images I took on Saturday were definitely in that category. It was just the place I was in that day. I saw everything I shot as the end process, and then shot accordingly.

This is not the norm for me. I love PhotoShop, don't get me wrong. Lightroom too, for that matter. But my process is to create all that is possible in the camera. It always has been, and it is what I continue to teach at the workshops I run. I suppose I did the same thing on Saturday but I have to admit that my head was in a different creative space. After all, there was only so much I could do in camera. The rest had to be a post capture process. The images I saw in my head were simply not possible in the camera alone. But that is still the best place to start. I am not a believer in fixing images in PhotoShop, only enhancing or completing them. Its certainly not a new approach either. The great Ansel Adams is only one of the many photographers I could name who prepared his images at capture for the darkroom process. His metering and negative chemical process were all arranged with one final process in mind - printing. These days, PhotoShop is the darkroom of choice for the overwhelming majority of us. But the images themselves still require the process to be correct at time of capture. Fixing photographs is not what photographers do. We take them and complete them where necessary later. 

Glynn and I found ourselves without a workshop to run on Saturday, so we organised a model, the funny and lovely Maeva, and drove to Victoria's Goldfields region for a shoot. We had already scouted the area and knew that our first port of call was going to be the apparent birthplace of AFL legend, Ron Barassi. This old stone home is now in ruins and is such a wonderful backdrop for some really creative photography. Blessed by clouds and good weather, Glynn and I were able to work through some dynamic images in preparation for a workshop event we have planned for that area in the first weekend in March 2011. Stay tuned for an announcement on our photography workshops website. 

Shelton Muller

How the West was Won

Model: Samantha Shvetsova

No folks, I am not speaking of the classic western of the same name. In truth, I am speaking of the recent Creative Photo Workshops events in Perth and Bunbury in Western Australia. Perhaps it is a presumptuous title for this blog, but I have to tell you that I feel rather positive about how everything went over there! This was our first time in Perth and the fact that everything went so well was, to be honest, a bit surprising. Our workshops were well supported, we met some wonderful and lovely people and had a great time. To me, it was a victory - over perhaps my own concerns that our first time in Perth and Bunbury would be only an introduction of ourselves to the photographic community there and not actually contain filled events. After all, CPW has never been there before. I was in Perth a few years ago working for Kodak and photographing the Crusty Demons, but that has been about it. This was our first time there as a workshops company. So I have reason to feel victorious I suppose. I don't get to do as much photography as I would like at these events because its all about our customers. But here are a few images from the six days we spent in the wild wild West.

Glynn and I have been in discussions with the fabulous people at Camera Electronics for some time. Without doubt they are the best photo retailer in that part of the world. A very active business that is all about photography. They organise workshops and seminars on a regular basis and we felt that our business would fit perfectly with theirs. We met owners, Saul and Frank, at PMA in Anaheim, California, earlier this year and immediately felt a synergy and built a rapport. It didn't take much to get workshops organised with them. They are very switched on in this regard and their business is built on the passion that photographers feel for their craft and not on selling boxes filled with black plastic things. For me, this has always been and will always be the secret to successful photo retail - especially in these days of grey imports, internet bargains and online shopping. For photo retail to survive, an atmosphere of photography needs to be built within the bricks and mortar. It needs to be a place where people go to feel more than just a need to haggle a price or ask how many pixels this camera has when compared to another. Why do people prefer one bar or pub over another? Its rarely about the beer. The same is true with photo retail. Cameras can be bought anywhere, but you can't feel the fun and passion of photography clicking a mouse and buying a bit of plastic online. Because our business is all about the fun and passion of photography, our philosophy and theirs were immediately on the same page.

Model: Keshia Menasse

We ran 5 workshops and one evening event while we were there- two Natural Light People Photography workshops, one beach event complete with sax players and swimsuit models, a Creative Flash Workshop and our Creative Wedding Photography workshop. During the course of those few wonderful and busy days we met some great people. I would like to thank all those who attended, most of whom had never heard of us! Our models were wonderful also. Thanks to Tahlia, Kate, Samantha, Caitlin and Keshia, all of whom were great sports and willing to take a bit of teasing. For our models, that is a necessary quality. Good looks come a distant third to personality and a good sense of humour. Admittedly not all of our models have the first two. Thanks also to WA surfing photographer, Russell Ord, who not only came to three workshops but even posed as our groom for the wedding workshop on the final day. Russell even hired a suit to do so! Apart from his surfing photography, Russell also shoots a few weddings.. It is this part of his business that he wants to develop. He felt that by being a groom, he would understand how to direct people. At the end of the day he candidly told the entire group that he had learned much about direction by being photographed. For a people photographer, this is an excellent lesson. His testimonial about the workshops is even more candid than that. And..I quote....

'Stale' is the word I used today when describing my photography work, which basically means it is not fresh, pleasant, new or exciting to me anymore.It has come to a point where I am not enjoying my work like I have in the past, just going through the motions and not challenging myself.  That has all changed with a couple of creative photography workshops with Glynn Lavender and Shelton Muller - two guys I could not thank enough for restoring passion back into what I love – photography.

I walked into Camera Electronics on Friday just to get some cameras cleaned and dream a little while walking the shop floor. Saul, the owner, suggested I go along to a natural light portrait workshop. Alarm bells went off in the head immediately. All I could imagine was some stereotypical photography nerd boring me to death with technical jargon, reading word for word from the latest wondrous instruction manual. If I did not sink five double shot coffees before morning tea washed down with sugar coated chocolate donuts I would be in a coma, snoring my head off. But he convinced me otherwise and I reluctantly went. After all,  I could do with a good relaxing sleep on a Sunday morning. Within the 20 minutes I knew I couldn’t get enough of the exceptional information provided. Glynn and Shelton would have to the best instructors, trainers, tutors, comedians, people etc etc I have ever come across. They never once lose your attention and they know their work inside and out. Yes, don’t worry about some great big dirty manual on the front desk for reference.They are both walking books of knowledge and they problem solve at speed. My photography improved in an instant and as a professional surf photographer I was not expecting that at all. Four days later I have just finished my third workshop. They were all brilliant and having driven three hours back home to Margaret River, all I want to do now is go shoot some photos. Stale? I am not stale. I just didn’t have the tools in the kit bag. I can’t thank the lads from Creative Workshops enough!

Cheers Glynn and Shelton, see you in Melbourne.

Cheers again

Russell Ord – improved surf photographer.

That is perhaps one of the highest compliments I have ever been paid, and I know that Glynn would feel the same. Thanks Russell. To reignite a passion for your art is indeed an honour. Thank you WA! It was fun!

Shelton Muller

Brisbane Workshops - Again!

The lovely and ever reliable Eve Hendrickse

Ok! Ok! I know. Its been at least ten days since I came here to care for this blog and its contents. And I am sorry. I really am. But its been a very busy ten days..and I gotta tell ya - hotel internet isn't what it should be. But here I am. There are still stories to be told about our US workshop too, and don't think I won't be getting back there very soon. For now, just a few words about our recent Brisbane photography workshops. 

You are always a little unsure when you set about organising an event interstate. You commit yourself hoping that the response is enough to justify the expenses and the planning. I have to say that our recent Brisbane workshops were a complete success. We had a wonderful response from photographers, some of whom traveled great distances to be there. Some came from the Gold Coast, Hamilton Island, Byron Bay, and Cairns. The lovely Robyn (aka Brian - its a long story) came from some small town in the back of somewhere I can hardly remember. Glynn and I feel very honoured when we know that we are not the only ones who do the traveling. After all, we have to be there! 

Model: Cassandra

Model: Daniel Cohen

First of all, Creative Photo Workshops would not have been able to run these events as successfully as we did without the wonderful assistance of PhotoContinental, who hosted the event in their building. We are very grateful to this very switched on photo retailer and its manager - our good friend Mark Schleicher. 

We arrived a day early to do a personal workshop with Debbie, a photographer who has attended our workshops before but wanted some two-on-one time to sort out specific issues she is having in her studio. She provided two wonderful models -Daniel and Cassandra - and we had a great day. I think we sorted her problems out. I hope so anyway! 

Model: Eve Hendrickse

The next day was a long one. We ran our wedding photography workshop and our Film Noir event in the one day. That's a big day. The problem that immediately faced us was the typical CPW weather. That is also a long story. It was raining, and so another location was needed. We were directed to the Breakfast Creek Hotel, whose welcome and kindness was overwhelming. It was a great location that enabled us to shelter from any rain when it fell and still use outdoor light. The lovely Eve Hendrickse was our bride. She is such a pleasure to work with and with a little work could be a very successful model. Rob Bampton was our groom. For our Film Noir event that night, the lovely Melanie Surplice offered us the foyer area of her residence in the beautifully renovated old woolsheds where she lives. We were accompanied by Emma Boucher, Felicity Allman and Rob Bampton as models for that event and they played their parts well. Much of that is the simple yet arduous task of standing still while a group of photographers works itself around the many angles and options for each setup.

The next day was our workshop was our Creative Flash Photography workshop. I won't even mention the model with whom we worked as she was not particularly talented and her promises to be at our next few days of workshops turned out to be disingenuous to say the least. Lesson to models: Don't make life difficult for the photographers you are working with. They are often your lifeline to future work. I will not only never work with this model again but I will dissuade other photographers from doing so. Her utter silence since she left our workshop is deafening in its disrespect and indifference. The workshop itself went well, however, and once again proved that anywhere is a great location with the right light. Our 'paradise' for this shoot was the loading zone of a local supermarket. From there we went to a very ordinary park to continue our off camera flash lessons. 

Model: Anesu

Our Studio Essentials Workshop was our next event. It is always a challenge because patience is required from all who attend to avoid the tendency to take photographs between changes in lighting and the establishment of different lighting setups. But it never fails to astound our customers just how straightforward the principles of core studio work is. Beginning with just one light and building from there, we reduce the alleged complexities of studio work to that which is essential for the creation of beautiful portraits, evocative maternity photographs or basic product or still life work. Our customers appreciate the disassembling of images as the very thought of studio photography frightens so many who really want to give it a try but are apprehensive to begin.

We were accompanied once again by Eve and were joined by models Gavin Hain (left) and Anesu (above). Being stunningly African, Anesu provided us with a different look and complexion that offered a different perspective on lighting. Eve was her very pretty self and Gavin gave the girls a bit of fun with his somewhat well put together physique, but I take this moment to remind all that we run family friendly events...ok? But seriously, I do enjoy running this workshop very much as it enables me to control light rather than be at the mercy of that which is given.

Model: Nicole Payne

Our Natural Light Portrait Workshop came next, and this workshop never fails to amaze our customers as we often choose the most unlikely areas and locations to prove that light is everything and location matters little. Our location was the parking lot of PhotoContinental. It proved to be perfect for proving our point. We used every trashy and ordinary corner of that place. Because the aforementioned model did not turn up, Rob Bampton found one for us at last minute. Nicole Payne (above left) was lovely to work with and we are very grateful for her assistance at the last minute. Thanks Nicole! Thanks Rob! 

Our last day was our Advanced Flash Photography workshop in which we bring out the Honl gels and grids, the Fotobestway softboxes and other modifiers to show what can be done with a little ingenuity and some imagination. Everything from quick, convenient studio setups are established right through to outdoor multiple flash setups that either alter or enhance reality. Rob (right) once again played it up for the ladies when we created a 'shaft of light with a simple stobe and a Honl grid. Apart from that, this is also a difficult workshop requiring patience from all, but the learning curve is a pretty cool one indeed. Rob's chest became enough distraction between setups for a little while at least...

For myself, I want to thank the wonderful photographers and friends who came, many to each event, for making our time in Brisbane so enjoyable and our photography workshops such a complete success. Thank you so very much.

Shelton Muller

Day 7 - And on the Seventh Day, they...worked their butts off...

In Allentown, Pennsylvania there is a fabulous photo retailer - Dan's Camera City . Dan's is one of the most forward thinking and customer oriented photo retail outlets I have ever known. It even has its own 'University' where classes are regularly programmed to teach their customers the principles, techniques and processes connected with so many aspects of their photography. For this reason, Creative Photo Workshops became a part of the scenery. Yes, Glynn and I found ourselves, of all places, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. We were there to run three separate workshops. They became four before we left. More on that later. The first of them was our Creative Wedding Photography workshop. 

The wedding workshop is perhaps the most difficult for us in some ways. In fact, it can even become a little awkward at times. It is difficult because there is always a keenness to shoot the setups Glynn and I establish - which is fine - except that there has to be time for explanation too and this workshop requires a little more patience than some other workshops. It is also difficult because there is an expectation on our part that our customers have already attained a certain level of prowess and knowledge in their photography before they take on the responsibilities of wedding photography. Glynn and I have never run a wedding workshop in which at least some of those who have attended have returned for our Understanding Your Camera workshop so that they can learn about shutter speeds and apertures. For us, this is a real eye opener. And, once again, it proved to be the case in Allentown among some of those who attended. For some, a basic understanding of metering was not present, and so much of the time was simply spent establishing shots in which lessons on proper incident or spot metering techniques were necessary. Unfortunately, that is time taken from the more specific aspects of wedding photography, such as posing and managing the shoot. This is not a criticism of our customers. Rather, it is an education for us, alerting us to some of the misconceptions about modern photography. The whole "take 4000 pictures on Auto and hope for the best' mentality is somewhat pervasive within that aspirational new collective of neophyte wedding photographers. It is an entirely inappropriate and unprofessional approach to the couple's Day of Days, but that is the fault of the industry, not entirely the photographers themselves Every time we run our wedding photography workshop it is adapted for those specifically in attendance, which is fine, but wedding photography has unique difficulties and challenges associated with it that we prefer to spend more time addressing. I never get to actually shoot much at a wedding workshop, which in this case was ashame as Mike, the owner of Dan's Camera City, had arranged for a wonderful location with some beautiful lighting opportunities and I would have loved to gone a little ballistic, I have to tell you....

If becoming a wedding photographer is something you aspire to, become proficient with your camera manually. No racing driver has only an automatic licence for his car, and it could be said that wedding photography is the Speed Racing equivalent of professional photography. 

Shelton Muller

A workshop in the Otways

7th Generation owner, Tom Dennis, models reluctantly for our workshop

Ok. Lets take a break from this America thing for just a moment. Don't worry, I will return to that subject. But there is much more to tell. The problem is that there are so many other exciting things happening in life at the moment that I can't blog it all without missing something. But...the weekend just passed was an enjoyable one and I suppose I just wanted to tell you about it.

A few weeks ago I received a call from Lindy at Otways Tourism with a request to come and speak for their Otways in Focus event, a photography event for the local region. Of course I made the date free, and asked if Glynn and his wife and daughter could come also. It was agreed, and our accommodation and workshop location at the fabulous Tarndwarncoort homestead near Colac were confirmed. Fabulous.Tarndwarncoort was built in 1848 and it is a wonderful retreat for you and a group of friends or family. We intend on returning to run more photography workshops there next year. It still remains with the descendants of the original family. In fact, Tom Dennis, one of the sons of the current owners, Wendy and David Dennis, was so friendly (and handsome!) that we even asked him to model for us. He obliged with a typically country sense of humour and willingness and then roped in his friend Ross also.. We were also joined by the lovely Gayle who wore a great combination of jean jacket and oriental style dress. Love it. What was great about these three wonderful souls is that not one of them had modeled before, leaving us and our customers with the real experience of photographing real people and not experienced models. It is somewhat disingenuous to hire experienced models who provide a great experience through their knowledge of posing and light, only to leave our customers believing that this is how every wedding photography or portrait session will actually succeed. Gayle, Tom and Ross were all very real and easy going people who were certainly good looking enough for our cameras and also real enough that we could teach real lessons. Perhaps the most experienced model for the day was Emily Lavender, Glynn's 3-year old daughter who poses for the camera with such delight and expertise you would think that the cover of Marie Claire awaits her.

Experienced model, Emily Lavender
assists with the
pre-workshop establishment
shots...

Ah, the iPhone. Every handy...

After a restful morning spent having coffee and a well earned break in the homestead, our official duties began on Saturday when Glynn and I spoke at COPAC on the subject of Travel Photography. We discussed the need for a photographer to assess whether he is a photographer who travels, or simply a traveler who photographs. The images and opportunities that result manifes themselves in the images. To prove the point , I showed two video slide shows of my travel images and together we spoke about some of the necessary techniques and philosophies behind successful travel imaging. One of the videos is included here..

Sunday morning we were prepared for the 20 or so customers who had paid the princely sum of $10 to come along and learn some techniques. We intended to do about two hours of setups and explanations, realising that there would be less chance for those who attended to actually shoot, or at the very least achieve the best vantage points for each shot. But for $10 they certainly got their money's worth as once again Glynn and I explained the benefits of finding light and metering for it. I am constantly astounded at how little of this is actually understood by those who attend our workshops before they come. I am also thankful as without it, Glynn and I would not have been able to assist as many as we have over the past two years. Even with the rain, the shoot went very well, and everyone learned something worthwhile. At the very least they had a giggle. That is an essential part of every workshop we run. Without the fun, we don't want to do it!

Ok, there you have it.  A deviation from the America narrative and one I hope you didn't mind. I will be back on the subject of our US tour very, very soon. We are also off to Brisbane this week to run a series of workshops there. So there is much to tell. See you soon!

Shelton Muller