Camera Love Class Giveaway

**GIVEAWAY at the end of the post**

A few months ago I had the opportunity to attend a photography workshop for parents hosted by Kristie Cromie from L Photographie based here in St. Louis, in the Central West End.  Kristie's "Camera Love Class" is designed to teach parents how to take better photos of their kids, whether you're using a DSLR or an iPhone.  Topics covered include things like shooting in low light, high action, difficult areas for Auto (like beach and snow), how to find catchlights, capturing the details of childhood and life, how to shoot multiple kids with a low aperture, etc.  

The class is geared towards parents that currently shoot in Auto and want to learn all the basics of the exposure triangle, as well as how to get creative with composition, do basic editing and find storage solutions.  It's aimed at beginners and those with very little "technical knowledge" but it's also a great class for any parent, regardless of skill level.  Kristie began the class by going over the basics (aperture, shutter speed and ISO).  She broke everything down in easy to understand terms, gave great examples and provided us with handouts explaining the concepts where we could take our own notes.  She talked about the importance of light and how that affects every photo you take.

Everyone had their DSLRs with them and as she went over settings we all adjusted the settings on our cameras.  Our class had 5 students and 2 teachers, so we had lots of access to help if we needed it.  We were also encouraged to take some time and walk around the studio taking photos of items (toys and flowers) in Manual, adjusting the settings as we went to see what kind of difference it made.  I loved this part of class.  Kristie let me borrow one of her lenses (since my favorite lens was in the shop at the time) and I had a blast playing with the dinosaurs and messing around with my settings.  I used to do things like this when I first got my camera, but haven't done it in years, so it was a really great exercise for me to get back to the basics.  

Once we'd covered the basics, we moved on to things like composition, action shots and nailing the focus.  This is where I feel like I got the most use out of the class.  I had lots of questions about focusing and how to adjust settings for different scenarios.  It was great to be able to sit down and talk to a professional photographer about what I'm doing without them being dismissive that I'm just a "hobbyist."  Kristie was really down-to-earth and easy to chat with.  We talked about our boys as she walked me through some adjustments on my camera to help me with focusing better.  She also went step-by-step through how she adjusts the focus quickly during her photo shoots, just to give me an idea about what I'm doing right/wrong.  

She had lots of examples of photos that she'd taken of her son to show us different techniques and scenarios we'd discussed (shooting in the dark, shooting in snow, capturing movement, getting little details, finding catchlights, etc.).  Her photos were GORGEOUS and made me itch to go home and get my camera on Mac.  Here are a few:

The last part of the class was on printing photos, photo storage and book/framing options.  Kristie had examples of photo albums and prints for us to look at, cool ideas on how to use frames/mats on display photos and great tips on how to store all those digital files.  I've since purchased external hard drives for my photos and feel MUCH better that my pictures are safe and secure.  Our handouts also had discount codes to use on purchases and printing from her favorite vendors, if we were interested.  And then she also had a few items to giveaway as attendance prizes.  It was such a fun class.

Since I took the class, I've noticed a big difference in my photography.  I feel like I'm more purposeful in the photos I take and pay much more attention to my settings (which inevitably produces better photos).  I'm doing better with taking my time when I shoot, as opposed to just aiming and taking a thousand photos in the hopes that 1 will turn out.  I'm also paying more attention to composition and trying to get more creative shots (although sometimes that's hard to do when you're 8+ months pregnant and can't move around as well).  So, even though the class was aimed at "beginners," I learned a ton and felt like I got a lot out of it.

GIVEAWAY
I am so excited to announce that Kristie and the ladies of L Photographie are giving one of YOU the opportunity to attend the Camera Love Class free of charge!  LUCKY YOU!

Since I took the class, they've done a bit of restructuring to it.  Instead of one 4+ hour class on a weekend, the class is now divided into 4 parts, each during the week (over your lunch break) at The Nest in Frontenac.  The classes are non-sequential and can be taken in any order, on the dates of your choosing.

Classes are only 1 hour each and are offered on Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m.  The Nest has great food, so if you work during the week, you are welcome to grab food and eat in class (multi-tasking, baby!).  They also have babysitting on-site for children 5 and under ($10 for 2 hours), if you want to bring the littles. Newborns are welcome to sit in the class with Mom.  After class, an app for phone/tablet is sent for a free download of all the presentation notes to take home and keep practicing.

class 1: { light, perspective, and composition } This one hour will completely change the way you take and view photography. ANY camera type is welcome to join this class. 

class 2: { BFF your D-SLR } A friendly lesson in manual-mode basics that will stop your D-SLR from being a fancy point-and-shoot. 

class 3: { iPhone-ography } Getting the most out of your iPhone camera. Learn phone basics, easy tricks, Apps to enhance phone camera - like how to separate exposure & focus (huge!), the best editing Apps, App printing, lens accessories, plus some DIY projects & inspiration. 

class 4: { Organization, Storage and Printing; bringing your photos to life } A collaboration with Emma Hand, founder of Indie Mats.  Indie Mats are a bright, DIY easy alternative to traditional framing, with fun designs and no nails needed to hang! Emma has over 10 years experience with using words, art, color, and photos to create uplifting spaces that create comfort and happiness. Part 4 is a fun wrap-up to the series that will totally get you inspired to print and DO something with your photos. 

How to Enter: If you live in the STL area and would like the chance to win free registration to the class, use the Rafflecopter below.  The giveaway will be for one person to join the full series, so 4 classes. (Classes $30/each, so value of $120).  The classes can be taken in any order, during the next two series that are running at The Nest during June, July, August.  Giveaway is open now through Sunday night.  Winner will be contacted on Monday, June 16.

Discount:  And because we love you and want you to take better photos of your kids, if you'd like to take the class, mention this blog post when you register and get a discount (all 4 classes for the price of 3). Woo hoo!

a Rafflecopter giveaway