Seminar Summary Friday

This week I was able to attend two very good but different photo seminars. One was the Digital WakeUp Call with David Ziser on Tuesday evening and the other was the Beauty and the Beast Tour with Hanson Fong and John Woodward all day Thursday. Both were absolutely amazing and filled with valuable information. Below I will attempt to bring some insight into each of these seminars.

The Digital WakeUp Call was an evening event that started at 5:00. The actual program started at 6: and we got out about 10:40 with about a 15 minute break in the middle. David Ziser and his wife LaDawn run a very successful Wedding studio in the Cincinnati Ohio area. He also is an avid sharer of information on the ins and outs of photography. Not only in technique, but is post production and the running of the business. Very valuable stuff that he shares daily on his Digital ProTalk blog. At the seminar David is very approachable and kind. There was so much information fire-hosed at us I am not going to try and go into detail. It could be summarized though by saying that Ziser is emphatic on lighting. Making the subject look their best by elevating depth and definition with light to that of posing. After being at David' seminar I had to resist the temptation to run out and purchase a Quantum Flash set-up. But is sure is on the list though.

Hanson Fong is from the west coast and John Woodward is from New York. Both are very successful photographers with about 75 years experience between the two of them. This seminar was very different from the Digital WakeUp Call in there were not only two presenters but two different subjects. The main focus of both instructors was lighting. Woodward spoke more technogeekology than Fong did but were both extremely knowledgeable, talented, informative and humorous. The New Yorker came out in Woodward a number of times and the softer more laid back west coast personality was evident in Fong' presentations. Hence the Beauty and the Beast moniker. 

The Woodward presentations were at times like being in a college lecture on lighting. Very technical, and rich with information. Other times there would be very free spirited jousting between the two of them. Of course having been doing these as long as they have it is part of the presentation. But it works.

Hanson Fong comes off as a very likable and genteel Chinaman. Always smiling as he presents his knowledge in a soft but very understandable voice. Fong' claim is that there is not a posing challenge he can not make look good or else he will give you his camera which is a black 50D. (A black camera is one that is a pre-release from the manufacturer and has no visible marking of the model). One of the challenges the audience gave him was a selection of people that were all different heights and sizes ranging from 4'-7" to 6'- 8" and 110 lbs to 300 lbs. There were six in that pose that was supposed to be a family and he made it work. Really good stuff there.

Summary

There was so much good information between the two seminars I would like to sit in them again. One thing that was lacking in both was material to take with you. The Ziser seminar had a booklet that had outlines of the presentation but you really did not have time to take notes. David has so much to present that it causes him to speak so fast you must totally focus on what he is saying.

On the other hand the Fong/Woodward seminar had nothing to take with you. I have been to a couple NAPP/Kelby Training seminars and you can either take notes or just sit there, watch and listen because in the booklet they give you all the information covered in the seminar is in there. That is very nice. Ziser makes an attempt at this but comes up a little short and Fong/Woodward make no attempt what so ever. The technical stuff that Woodward presents is available in a $350 ($250 at the seminar) CD containing an 1100 page pdf on his research. He make clear this information is available numerous times during his presentations. I thought it was a little cheesy not to have some form of hand-out for what was covered at the show. That would be a better teaser than just saying it's al on the CD.

Anyhow, both were extremely informative and very enjoyable to attend. Coming from a profession of continual training and updating of the information we work with, attending seminars are a valuable way to expand your knowledge base on what we do.

Take care all... Doug