Below are two photos from our late night Old Hollywood Shoot.  Besides talking about the lighting with video and other constant light sources, we talked about how to evaluate a location when you first walk into it.  What do you see?  How do you use it?  How do you adjust it if need be?

I love the second photo not only for the reflection, but also the figure in the background that serendipitously walked through the scene – giving it even a better sense of space.

June 7 & 8, 2010

How do you become a better photographer?  What makes a photograph dynamic and full of life?  Do you know where to find inspiration for your work?  Are you comfortable using all different types of light?  Do you want to connect better with your clients?  Do you need practice and advice on your work?

Discover the answer to these questions at an  intense two-day workshop and shootout with Chuck Arlund and Stephanie Zettl.  The workshop will be held June 7 & 8, 2010 at Stephanie Zettl’s studio in St. Louis, MO. It will focus on getting those creative juices flowing and giving photographers the opportunity  to apply what was learned.  We’ll be shooting a whole range of people and models and then finish the course with kind, helpful guidance and advice about the images shot during the two days.

The workshop is recommended to all photographers interested in portrait, fashion and wedding work.  Basic understand of how your camera works is required.

What you will take away from the workshop:

Knowing how to see, use and shape the light
Knowing how to use your flash on and off camera
Knowing how to find inspiration and apply it to your work
A review of your work and an understanding of what you can do to improve
Some sweet Photoshop techniques
Advice on how to make a better album and be time efficient.

More info…

Schedule:

DAY ONE

Inspiration: 9:30 – 12:30   Seeing, Using and Shaping the Light.  (Instruction and demonstration)

Lunch & Portfolio review: 12:30 – 2:00  Casual lunch provided at the studio with a chance to talk with fellow classmates.  Take advantage of having up to 10 of your images reviewed and discussed by the instructors in a safe environment.

Application: 2:00 – 6:00  Shooting.  Students will be split into smaller groups and will be given the opportunity to apply of what was learned in the morning.  Instructors will help coach students on how to direct people and problem solve lighting situations.  There will be a lot of interaction and coaching during the shootout.  The shootout is intended to teach how to create better photos, not just shoot pretty models.

Dinner: 6:00 – 8:00  (Local restaurant.  Students are responsible for their own meals.  Hang out with your classmates.)

DAY TWO

Inspiration:  9:30am to 11:30 pm – Life and Light – the essence of any good photograph.  A conversation about what makes a good photograph, how to find inspiration and how to apply it to your work.

Lunch & Portfolio review: 11:30 – 1:30  Casual lunch provided at the studio with a chance to talk with fellow classmates.  Take advantage of having up to 10 of your images reviewed and discussed by the instructors in a safe environment.

Inspiration and Application:  1:30 – 3:00  Chuck’s awesome Photoshop techniques.

Inspiration and Application: 3:00 – 4:00 Stephanie’s advice on album design

Advice: 4:00 – 6:00  Review of photos shot the day before.  Photos will be reviewed in small groups to provide critique and guidance.

Cost of workshop: $595.00 for 2 days.

Class limited to 14 students.

Click Here to Register Online for the Worshop or call Zettl Photography at 314.454.6612

Chuck Arlund has an incredible amount of experience and talent and it shows in the gorgeous and stylish images.  He’s been shooting commercial photography since 1999 and prior to that he was a graphic artist and a part time art and music industry photographer.
He started shooting wedding and portraits in 2004.  In 2008 Chuck was hired to shoot Hootie and the Blowfish and that stimulated his passion for the  music industry and fashion photography again. While he is still shooting weddings and seniors, his attention these days is all about commercial fashion and music photography.
Within the 5 years he has been apart of the wedding and portrait industry Chuck has won multiple awards and accolades for his imagery.  He’s also gaining a lot of attention for his commercial work.  See more of his work at www.chuckarlund.com and his blog at: www.arlundphoto.com/wordpress

Stephanie Zettl began her career as a newspaper photographer and shot everything from Ram’s football games to Pope’s visit to St. Louis.  But she quickly fell in love with the powerful emotional images she could create on a wedding day. The majority of her current work is weddings and portraits.  She credits a lot of her success to her ability to connect with her clients to bring out and capture the best in them.
Stephanie also has a great deal of interest in the music and fashion world and her work is often inspired by great fashion photographers, painters and musicians.  She’s recently garnered a lot of attention for her music inspired fashion shoot and cover of St. Louis Bride Magazine.
She and her husband Peter have owned Zettl Photography for 7 years.  www.zettlphoto.com

More news on some incredible sponsors (including FundySOS and Simply Canvas) will be coming shortly.

February 10, 2010 – Nashville, TN

Are your photos dynamic and full of life?  Do you know where to find inspiration for your work?  Are you comfortable using all different types of light?  Do you want to connect better with your clients?  Do you need practice and advice on your work?

We are thrilled to announce the creation of an intense all day and night workshop / shootout to be taught by Chuck Arlund and Stephanie Zettl.  The workshop to be held February 10th, 2010 in Nashville, TN will focus on getting those creative juices flowing and giving photographers the opportunity  to apply what was learned.  We’ll be shooting a whole range of people and models and then finish the night out with kind, helpful guidance and advice about the images shot that day.

The workshop is recommended to all photographers interested in portrait, fashion and wedding work.

Schedule:

Inspiration: 9:30 – 12:30   Seminar style presentations talking about and demonstrating art inspiration, lighting, style, interaction with clients, and the general feel good belief that you can create something wonderful.

Lunch: 12:30 – 2:00 (Local restaurant.  Students are responsible for their own meals.)

Application: 2:00 – 6:00  Shooting.  Students will be split into two groups that will  be given the opportunity to shoot models, shoot their classmates and have their own photo taken.  The shoot out is to provide application of what was learned in the morning,  help coach students on how to direct people and  give the students the experience of being in front of the camera.

Dinner: 6:00 – 8:00  (Local restaurant.  Students are responsible for their own meals.)

Advice: 8:00pm – whenever   Review of photos shot that day.  Unedited photos will be downloaded to instructor’s computer and reviewed in small groups to provide critique and guidance.

Cost of workshop:  $225.

Sign Up Here

Chuck Arlund has an incredible amount of experience and talent and it shows in the gorgeous and stylish images.  He’s been shooting commercial photography since 1999 and prior to that he was a graphic artist and a part time art and music industry photographer.
He started shooting wedding and portraits in 2004.  In 2008 Chuck was hired to shoot Hootie and the Blowfish and that stimulated his passion for the  music industry and fashion photography again. While he is still shooting weddings and seniors, his attention these days is all about commercial fashion and music photography.
Within the 5 years he has been apart of the wedding and portrait industry Chuck has won multiple awards and accolades for his imagery.  He’s also gaining a lot of attention for his commercial work.  See more of his work at www.chuckarlund.com and his blog at: www.arlundphoto.com/wordpress

Stephanie Zettl began her career as a newspaper photographer and shot everything from Ram’s football games to Pope’s visit to St. Louis.  But she quickly fell in love with the powerful emotional images she could create on a wedding day. The majority of her current work is weddings and portraits.  She credits a lot of her success to her ability to connect with her clients to bring out and capture the best in them.
Stephanie also has a great deal of interest in the music and fashion world and her work is often inspired by great fashion photographers, painters and musicians.  She’s recently garnered a lot of attention for her music inspired fashion shoot and cover of St. Louis Bride Magazine.
She and her husband Peter have owned Zettl Photography for 7 years.  www.zettlphoto.com

More news on some incredible sponsors (including FundySOS: awesome album design and production solutions) will be coming shortly.

One of most valuable lessons I learned from him was that as parents we are not really taking photos for ourselves, but for our children.  Thirty years from now when our children have children of their own, that photo of them as a child will mean all that much more.  But even more meaningful is the photo of the child with mom and dad.   The photo taken now shows us as young and vibrant, guardians and caretakers – the way we want to remember our parents.  I insist that parents be photographed with their children.  I do this for the children.

David came to St. Louis almost two years ago and spent some one-on-one mentor time with the talented Pam Bredenkamp of Signature Studios.  As part of the visit he photographed Lily and her father Brian.  It was a beautiful lesson in the relationship and connections between a father and daughter.  As David explains, “This is the image I Love. I Love it because I said to Lily ‘Cuddle Daddy’…and she knew that all of him mattered and she grabbed the nearest piece. I will ALWAYS be moved by the way he instinctively started brushing his hand on her leg with moist eyes.”

Brian, who was a medic in the US Army, was killed last week while serving in Afghanistan.  He leaves behind a wife and two small children. You can only imagine how valuable this photo has become to his daughter.  He was taken from her too early in life.  But she will never doubt that he loved her.  This photo proves it.

Our thoughts are with Brian’s family.

Photo by David A. Williams