Light Studies Photography and Critiquing Workshop 2015
- David H. Wells, photographer & instructor
- At Peter Miller Fine Art Photography Gallery
- Saturday August 15, 2015 from 2 to 9pm (Waterfire Providence)
& Sunday August 16, 2015 from 1 to 4pm - Class limited to 12 participants
- Registration fee $200 per person (register by August 1, 2015 for $150)
Master light, shadow, night and twilight… the tools David H. Wells uses as he makes his award winning “Light Studies”, photo-essays exploring optics, atmosphere, and location. On August 15, 2015 David will guide through the strategies, subject matter, location scouting, and shooting of the art performance “Waterfire” in downtown Providence Rhode Island. The next day David will lead a review and critique of images shot. Please join us for this award winning photographer’s favorite workshop!
David will share specific techniques and particular images that highlight:
- Specific issues of time of day, and morning vs. evening light
- Quality and direction of light
- Scouting a location with a compass to plot the play of light
- Importance of the photographer’s position
- Use of lines, shadows, light and dark
This lecture and shooting class has extensive visuals to introduce you to the important and useful approach to using available light. Participants will gain a better understanding of natural light, how it is shaped by the time of day, seasons, and the photographer’s perspective.
The class will meet Saturday August 15 2015 from 2 to 7pm at PMFA photography gallery then photograph the set up, lighting and other rituals of “Waterfire” until about 9pm.
The class will meet the next day August 16, 2015 from 1 to 4pm at PMFA photography gallery to review the works since photographing AND critiquing work is the VERY BEST way to improve your photography. For more workshop details please visit the PMFA website.
Registration fee: $200
Register by August 1, 2015 for $150
Class size:
Limited to 12
What happens during the workshop?
Saturday August 15, 2015: Intros, techniques, and shooting
- 2:00 – 4:00 pm: David’s “Light Studies” presentation
- 4:00 – 5:00 pm: Walk all around the basin/river as a group and talk about options (location scouting)
- 5:00 – 7:00 pm: Set up for shoot and eat dinner (participants are on their own, dinner is not provided as part of the workshop)
- 7:00 – 9:00 pm: Shoot “Waterfire”. Both David and Peter Miller will walk among the participants and provide advice as needed.
Sunday August 16, 2015, Review, Critique, and Discussion
- 1:00 – 4:00 pm
- Bring about 50 images, JPGs only, about 2000 pixels (+/- ) on long dimension. JPGS out of camera are good! No need to post process
- 5 to 10 situations (no more!),
- 10 or 20 images per situation (work situations!)
- Bring images on HD or USB drive or flash card/memory card (no CDs or DVDs please)
Who is the workshop designed for?
The workshop is designed for photographers of many levels who want to improve their skills — from the weekend shooter to the advanced photographer. At minimum, participants need to be comfortable using either manual exposure or aperture or shutter priority automatic exposure setting. You will need to know how to download images from your camera’s memory cards to your computer and select the best 50 of the 200 plus you will shoot during the class.
What kind of equipment do I need?
A semi-advanced digital camera, mirrorless, or DSLR with zoom lens with autoexposure and manual settings. Please email or call with any questions.
Where is the workshop?
Peter Miller Fine Art (PMFA) Photography Gallery, Providence RI, 118 North Main Street, 2nd Floor, Providence RI 02903
Directions and parking
About David H. Wells
David is a freelance editorial photographer who specializes in producing photo-essays on location, across the globe. His finished “Light Studies” have been published in general interest magazines as well as photography magazines, and have been displayed in numerous exhibitions. is also a photo-educator. He was voted one of PDN’s Best Workshops Instructors!
David is based in Providence, Rhode Island, affiliated with Aurora Photos. One editor described him as a “…specialist in intercultural communication and visual narratives that excel in their creative mastery of light, shadow and sound, stills and video.”
His project on the pesticide poisoning of California farm workers was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize by the Philadelphia Inquirer. Over the years he has worked on assignment for such magazines as Fortune, Life, National Geographic, Newsweek, The Sunday New York Times, Time, etc. He also worked for corporations such as Consolidated Natural Gas and DuPont as well as for non-profits such as the Ford Foundation and the New Israel Fund.
He has received two Fulbright fellowships, a grant from Nikon/N.P.P.A., a fellowship from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and fellowship from the MacArthur Foundation’s Program of Research and Writing on International Peace and Cooperation.
His work has been in over fifty exhibitions and he has taught workshops at the International Center for Photography in NYC and at the Maine Media Workshops. He was featured in Photo District News as one of “The Best Workshop Instructors.”
Cancellation Policy
Cancelled Workshops
- If we are forced to cancel a workshop for any reason, your entire tuition will be transferred to another workshop or you can have it refunded to you.
- For anyone traveling to workshops, we highly recommend purchasing trip insurance to cover your expenses in case of cancellation.
What does it take to cancel a workshop?
- A lot. An act of God, really. If there’s rain in the forecast, snow in the forecast, thunderstorms in the forecast, we will typically still hold the workshop. This type of weather can make for some incredibly dramatic images and it’s prednisone not something we shy away from. In addition to that, we are cognizant of the fact that our students have purchase plane tickets, made hotel reservations, rented cars and even gear and canceling these things can be a big hassle (with or without travel insurance).
- The only time we will ever cancel a workshop is if conditions are absolutely guaranteed to bring un-shootable and/or miserable conditions or some sort of (God forbid) family emergency that can’t be ignored. Again, if tadalafil something like this happens we will work with you to move your registration to a later date or get you a full refund.
Personal Emergencies
- If you have a personal emergency such as a death in the family, please contact us as soon as possible, we are willing to work with you to reschedule or refund your fee on a case-by-case basis.
Under-subscription
- Partnered workshops require a minimum of 6 participants. In the event we don’t sell out or reach our minimum we reserve the right to cancel the workshop. In this case your registration will be transferred to another workshop or a refund will be given.
