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Otago Tonic – Full Day Photography Workshop
March 28, 2021 @ 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Otago we’re coming to you! Join us for Otago Tonic, Full Day Workshop this March.
Date: Sunday 28th March 2021
Time: 9AM – 4.00PM
Location: Kakapo Room, Otago Museum
**Note: Morning and Afternoon tea is provided. Lunch can be purchased at Otago Museum. You could also bring your own lunch along, but you’ll need to take it off-site to eat.
What you should bring: Pen and paper or tablet/ phone to take notes, water bottle, your own lunch or money to buy lunch on site.
9am – 9.15am – Welcome from NZIPP Executive Director, Sarah McGregor
9.15am – 10.15am – Top 5 tips for Photoshop Users with Sarah McGregor
Sarah has been a photographer for the past ten years, including a five years as a professional retoucher for photographers in New Zealand and Australia.
Selective colour correction techniques
Image Processor vs Batch automation
Portrait editing skin adjustment
Double chin fix
Creating your own actions, and which actions Sarah uses and more.
10.15am – 10.30am Morning Tea
10.30pm – 12pm Creating Light using Strobist Techniques, with Richard Linton
Richard has been experimenting with, and using Strobist-like techniques ever since being an early adopter of digital capture last century. Being able to instantly review your images permits refinement of lighting to get just the image you are looking for.
Strobist techniques allow you to use small battery powered flash units and lightweight accessories to get sophisticated results quickly. The gear can be relatively inexpensive, it’s portable, flexible, very quick to set-up and promotes experimentation with your photography.
Following the session, with the use of off-camera flash and the lighting techniques discussed your photos will take off to the next level.
Who should attend?
* commercial, portrait and wedding photographers – the techniques discussed are applicable to all types of photography
* photographers who are sick of the harsh, flat look of on camera flash
* photographers that often work alone without assistants and don’t have limited ability to carry and set-up large amounts of lighting
* photographers wishing to differentiate their style in their work
* photographers who have studio flash but wish to have more options and flexibility when on location
This session will look at the equipment that you need to get started and how your system can evolve to over time. This will include:
- flash unit selection
- support systems
- methods of triggering flashes
- light modifiers
- dealing with ambient light and using it to your advantage
Following this there will be a live shoot using this equipment combined with Strobist techniques allowing multiple set-ups in a matter of minutes. During the shoot images will be played back live so you can see the results as they evolve shot to shot.
12pm – 12.30pm Lunch Break
12.30pm – 1.30pm Double Exposures with Belinda Lansley
Belinda Lansley thinks outside the box when it comes to shooting. She is well-known for her award-winning creative double exposures. In this session, Belinda will discuss creativity, using nature as inspiration and what inspires her.
1.30pm – 2.30pm – Creating your own hand-painted backdrops with Belinda Lansley
Belinda also creates her own painted backdrops. This is a fun, experimental process that is rewarding and looks amazing in shoots. Belinda will talk through the techniques she’s using, and what she has found to work well.
2.30pm – 2.45pm Afternoon Tea
2.45pm – 4pm – Business 101 with Richard Linton
Why do many New Zealand professional photographers earn under the minimum wage?
Often it’s our own fault with many of us focusing on creating beautiful images more than focusing on earning a decent living. Being successful in your career is not just about being a good photographer, you also need to be a good business owner.
Many great photographers do not succeed in business, while many average photographers do. Why is this?
“Just because you didn’t originally get into photography to make money doesn’t mean that you should aim to be a starving artist”
This session will be a little fluid and be adapted to suit the needs/experience of the audience on the day, some ideas for talking points include:
- looking at what your costs are for opening the door now and in the future
- what your financial goals are for your business
- working out how much to charge and building your confidence so that you are not afraid to charge what you are worth
- Q & A on any business related matter