2017 is going to be a great year of teaching and art fairs! Hope everyone gets out and enjoys the arts!!

Charleston, S Carolina – Photographic Workshop Tour                 

April 2 – 6 2017 $695.00, Limited to 8 Students

Charleston’s Gas Lights

Botany Bay – Boneyard Photographic Workshop Tour

April 6-7, 2017 $175/ Limited to 8 Students

Botany Bay’s Skeleton trees processed with Topaz Labs Star Effects

Smoky Mountains –  Photographic Workshop Tour                           

April 23-26 2017 $495.00, Limited to 8 Students

Spring Dogwoods at rustic cabin Smoky Mountains

Amalfi Coast – Photographic Workshop Tour

June 25 – June 30 2017 $1150.00/ Limited to 8 Students

Provence Photographic – Workshop Tour

July 2 – 6 2017 $1,150.00/ Limited to 8 Students

Sunflowers in Provence

Lake Michigan Lighthouse – Photographic Workshop Tour

Aug 13-16 2017 $345.00/ Limited to 8 Students

Big Sable Lighthouse – Ludington

Zion National Park and Painted Desert – Photographic Workshop

Nov. 5-9 2017 $695 Limited to 8 Students

Cottonwoods along the Virgin River

Southwest Slot Canyon – Photographic Workshop Tour

Nov. 9-11 2017 $350 Limited to 5 Students

Tumble Weed – Antelope Canyon – Camera raw

I Hope you rang in the New Year with peace and joy in your heart!!

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Charleston Church Steeples – April 3 – April 7, 2016

This beautiful city is known as the “Holy City” because of the abundance of churches on the city skyline. As they approached Charleston from the sea, the colonial sailors could see 20 church steeples. Charleston boasts over 400 places of worship of many different denominations throughout the city, religion is deeply embedded in this city’s rich culture.

This Steepled church in the historic Battery Park section of Charleston is one of my favorite to take clients to during the blue light hour.

Charleston Steeple – Battery Park

Charleston Photographic Workshop Tour
April 3 – April 7, 2016
$695/ Limited to 8 Students

Click here to get to my Links page for the 15% off discount code for any of the Topaz products.

Charleston Photo Workshop – March 29 -April 2, 2015

After teaching last springs Charleston workshop Jonathan sent me a nice email and a few of the great images that he captured while we were on location.

Civil War Memorial

This infrared composition that Jonathan shot in a Charleston graveyard that we visited is amazing.

Old Charleston Church

Hi Paul, Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your workshop.  I learned so much on this workshop that I am looking forward to going out with you to Las Vegas next year. I was really touched by the way you welcomed me and Gina into your group even though I was the only shooter you did not leave out the non shooters. It was a pleasure to meet you and learn from you.  You are a very gifted photographer and teacher. Here are a couple of images I processed.Thank you again for sharing your knowledge and friendship.
Great Workshop!
Jonathan and Regina Davis

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Charleston’s Spring Photo Workshop

This morning Charlie W and I worked on a early morning reflection image he captured during last spring’s workshop in Charleston. Charlie’s composition and exposure were great and we only needed to spend a few minutes working in Lightroom 5.7 to make the image sing.

Live Oaks Charleston processed in Lightroom

On this cold winter night I am looking forward to capturing images and working with clients in late March and early April when Charleston’s spring colors explode.

Live Oaks Charleston unprocessed

Charleston Churches-Charleston Photographic Workshop

The churches in and around Charlestons  are some of the oldest in our country and the photographic opportunities are amazing. I found the ruins of this old church during my last visit to Charleston and am looking forward to spend more time photographing the grounds during next springs photographic location workshop.

Sheldon Church processed using Nik HDR efex pro 2

 To process this image I used the Deep 1 preset in Nik software HDR Efex Pro 2

Sheldon Church processed using Nik HDR efex pro 2

All images need a little post processing. If an image is exposed properly it can be turned into a great image you can hang on your wall in a few minutes. This is the unprocessed raw CR2 file that took me 10 minutes to process.

Canon Raw CR2 file

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Panoramic of Manarola in the Cinque Terre at sunset

The last couple of years while teaching the locations workshops I have been looking for images whose compositions would make a nice panoramic over a couch or a queen size bed. This image from the Manarola in the Cinque Terre was captured last October and will be on display for the 1st time this Labor Day weekend at Arts Beats & Eats in Royal Oak as a 24″x60″. If you are at the show this weekend stop by my booth #130 to check out some of the new panoramas that I will be displaying.

Processed 24×60 Pano crop of Manarola Harbor Cinque Terre

To bring out the colors that were in the water and sky in the Cinque Terre at sunset in late October I processes this image using Lightroom and Topaz Clarity.

Unprocessed CR2 image of Manarola

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Barns of Michigan

During the Lighthouse working along the West Coast of Michigan we spent some time photographing some of Michigan’s wonderful barns.

Northern Michigan Barn Processed with Topaz Software

Barns are normally red and to have a white barn in perfect condition was fun to capture. This barn in the northern Lower Peninsula is one of the best I have ever seen and I will be visiting it with clients for every workshop I give in Northern Michigan.

Unprocessed barn image

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Botany Bay – Boneyard Beach Workshop April 2-3 2015

Botany Bay_Boneyard South Carolina

Next spring On April 2-3 2015 I am going to be giving a 1 day workshop at Botany Bay also known as the Boneyard just South of Charleston, South Carolina. This will immediately follow the Charleston Spring workshop March 29th through April 2nd 2015. The Bone Yard which is over an hour drive from where we stay in Charleston is too far to drive back and forth for either a sunrise or sunset location shoot.  Several clients have been asking to spend time in the Bone Yard and I have decided to schedule a one day class immediately following the Charleston workshop to enjoy this rugged stretch on National Seashore on Edisto Island.

Botany Bay_Boneyard South Carolina

Morning Reflections – Charleston

One of the best parts about teaching is seeing the enthusiasm the students have especially when they are capturing great images. This images from the morning shoot at the Audubon Swamp during the Charleston workshop was captured by Elizabeth. Still morning reflections have always been one of my favorites and it was fun to see everyone capturing great images.

Swamp Tree-Charleston

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Dark Shadows- Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston is one of my favorite places to teach and from late March through early April is a great time to catch the spring bloom. On the way in to Charleston last night I was able to check out a new location that friend suggested I photograph. The old Sheldon Church framed by live oaks and Spanish Moss has a haunting feel. I have been capturing images in Charleston for 20 years and there is always something new to photograph.

Sheldon Church, Charleston

After capturing this image I used Photoshop to Clone and Heal the ramp and a few other distracting objects before turning it into a black and white in Topaz BW Effects 2 to create the shadows, highlights and great textures.

Sheldon Church-Raw Image

The raw unprocessed image give me a nice starting point.

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