Photography Made Simple Workshop at Santana Row

What a super fun weekend!! Over 100+ photographers attended our Photographer Made Simple workshop in Maggiano's Little Italy in Santana Row, San Jose.

Everyone loved the breakfast and lunch!

We got some great comments and emails from the attendees. Here are some great ones,

1. "Michael, the workshop exceeded my expectations. In addition to being very informative, it was also most enjoyable. From the first minute to the very end I was captivated. Thank you" - Trevor Ngo
2. "I especially liked Michael's philosophy that to make pictures stand out, they have to be taken from the heart, and it shows in his work"...read more - Michelle Ma
3. "It was like 10 years of professional skills of composition, lighting, creative view, crop, portrait demo, to some photoshop retouching technique packed into an injection. Voila!" ...read more... - Dee Lee

Here's a shot of the back of my head, facing my class in Maggiano's Little Italy, Santana Row, San Jose.

Now, doesn't it reminds you of this product?

Model Photography Workshop

"I'll help hold your reflector" is what a fellow photographer will nudge into my ribs when they see my modeling portfolio work. They are interested to work with gorgeous models but has nothing in his portfolio...yet.

It's a catch-22. You can't attract a 8/10 model to work with you if you don't have images of other 8/10 models in your portfolio and you can't have a portfolio full of 8/10 models if you never work with a 8/10 model!

So, how do you go from point A (zero portfolio, zero interest) to point B (beautiful models calling you to have you shoot them, and PAY YOU $550 while you're having your fun)?!?!

I suppose everything comes at a price. You can of course start by investing a lot of time working with the 5/10 models. It will take you some time and if you're lucky and have the charming personality of car salesman, you may coerce a 8/10 to work with you.

The alternative, is to find a good model photography workshop that you can get get some immediate air time with great models in a nice friendly location. They'll even sign your model release form while rubbing shoulders with you, handing off more of their friends to you.

While you are at it, you do also get to learn about lighting, how to work with models, communications, workflow, tips and tricks that you can't learn anywhere else.

It's no secret that I'm trying to put workshops together and one may think this is a shameless plug.

The truth is, this really isn't my main line of work where I'll make my millions. I love teaching, I love sharing and I love shooting models. And if I can get paid while doing what I'm passionate about, I'll be in heaven.

Workshop info provided here, http://www.soophotography.com/workshop/ These shots are done at Libby's dad's 300+ acre ranch in the east bay, a location that I'm contemplating on doing the model shoot workshop. There are full of wonderful spots, props and rustic background that will fill your portfolio to the brime with amazing landscape (location work) and model work in one.

On top of that, it's private and is only a mere 1.5 hrs away from most bay area cities.

When is the model photography workshop? It's still undecided. I'll let it swirl in my head a bit longer. Email me if you are interested. msoo (at) soophotography (dot) com

Of course, here is a thread to the SooCool Forum with all the images from that day.

- MS