Yesterday I beat up a Black Belt

Yesterday was my test to advance to a Yellow Belt in Kenpo Karate.  It was pretty hard but I'm sure they are only get harder as I advance further.  After the test my Sensei Jose allowed some fun shots since he's such a cool guy, so technically I got to beat up a 3rd degree black belt...with his permission of course.  Jose is so fast that when I try and block his punches he usually can get in three before my block even gets close.  It's humbling but OH SO MUCH FUN!  Thanks to Sensei's Jose, Andrew, Hunter, and Laura for all you guys do for all of us.  It's been an amazing time and we can't wait to do more!

Test Picture

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Live Streaming Question and Answer with award winning photographer Jason Lanier

Off Camera Back Lit Flash- don't forget to join me Sunday night September 30, 2012 at 6pm (Pacific Time) for my second Live Streaming event...and it's FREE! Click on the link below to get to the event..

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/jason

-lanier-photography

Next Workshops:

Morgantown, West Virginia- October 22, 23, 24, 2012

http://howimadeitworkshops.eventbrite.com/

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina- November 6, 7

http://mytlebeachphotoworkshops.eventbrite.com/

This image was taken at my workshop in Chicago 10 days ago. The city center of Chicago has some amazing places to shoot. So we went there at night, I set up my flashes with pocket wizards, and started shooting. Thanks to Tyler Vines for being such an amazing model!

Camera settings: Nikon D800, 1/60 sec at f/4.0, 26mm at ISO 3200, flash fired. Taken at 9:59pm on September 19, 2012 by Jason Lanier.

Photography Workshops by Jason Lanier- Tampa, Florida August 28th and 29th, 2012

http://tampaphotographyworkshops.eventbrite.com/

Come join ME in beautiful Tampa Florida August 28th and 29th, 2012!  I am offering all of the sessions either individually or as package bundles.  You will save significantly when you buy them as package bundles as I believe these allow you the best opportunity to enhance your photography knowledge and skills.  Please see below to see everything that is available:

*Tuesday 12pm-7pm: Group Shoot Day 1: if you've ever attended another workshop where they just go around and take shots, this isn't that workshop.  We go to REAL LOCATIONS with REAL MODELS, which means you will get REAL RESULTS.  We meet in the hotel lobby and where we will then carpool to our locations to shoot.  Travel time can vary between 30-60 minutes which gives us plenty of time to get to know each other and discuss our various needs prior to us shooting.  I always keep my workshops flexible but below is a rough outline of the items that we will cover:

• 12pm- Meet as a group in the hotel lobby-  don't be late as we will be leaving promptly at 12:15pm.
• 12:15-1pm- travel and set up time for our shoot.
• 1pm-3pm- Location #1: Posing using natural light and reflectors: start shooting where we will cover the following points of photography; quick review on shooting in manual mode.  This will be a short review as we provide this training in the mini prep session prior to the group session.  We will then review in depth the fundamentals of posing during this session using hands feet, creating space, posing with motion, etc.  Posing is very difficult for many photographers and this first part of the group session will be completely dedicated to posing to really bring you up to speed on how to make your images with people look fantastic.
• 3pm-4pm- Lunch break with Q&A session.  We will find a quick place to eat (nothing fancy) that allows us the time to speak about the sesion we just completed and discuss what we're going to do next.  Bring around $15-$20 to be able to eat!
• 4pm-6:30pm- Location #2: Composition and Alternative Lighting- using what we learned in the session on posing, we will then incorporate our model and posing into creating great composition and will start using alternative lighting.  This session we will work on how to compose the shot, what goes into making great compostion and the factors that are key to creating a killer shot.  With the day starting to grow to a close, we will have the opportunity to shoot during the "magic hour" right before sunset which will be amazing.  We will end the shoot at sunset which will allow us the chance to use external flashes, video lights, and some off camera flash to create some stunning results.  Also make sure to bring your tripod as we will use it if the conditions are right.  
• 6:30pm-7pm- Travel back to our original location where we met to take you back.  This time will allow us to have another Q&A in the car and review our shooting from the day.

*Wednesday 12pm-7pm: Group Shoot Day 2: On Day 2 we expand upon the lessons taught during day 1 and really hammer home We meet in the hotel lobby and where we will then carpool to our locations to shoot.  Travel time can vary between 30-60 minutes which gives us plenty of time to get to know each other and discuss our various needs prior to us shooting.  I always keep my workshops flexible but below is a rough outline of the items that we will cover:

• 12pm- Meet as a group in the hotel lobby-  don't be late as we will be leaving promptly at 12:15pm.
• 12:15-1pm- travel and set up time for our shoot.
• 1pm-3pm- Location #1: Posing using flash photography: posing is key for all people photography, and posing using flash is even more complex as you have to worry about shadows reflection and more.  This part of the course will help you to understand how to properly use your on camera or external flash.  The keys to making your shots look great!!
• 3pm-4pm- Lunch break with Q&A session.  We will find a quick place to eat (nothing fancy) that allows us the time to speak about the sesion we just completed and discuss what we're going to do next.  Bring around $15-$20 to be able to eat!
• 4pm-6:30pm- Location #2: Composition using off camera flash- using what we learned in the session on posing, we will then incorporate our model and posing into creating great composition and will start using off camera flash with triggering systems.  We will find the neatest areas in the city to showcase how you can create masterpieces using off camera flash in your image compositions.
• 6:30pm-7pm- Travel back to our original location where we met to take you back.  This time will allow us to have another Q&A in the car and review our shooting from the day.

**Weather concerns: Should the weather turn bad we will have other indoor locations we can shoot in.  Weather is a constant friend or foe to photographers so learning to adapt to it is critical for your learning curve.  Regardless of the weather we will find a way to shoot and make it amazing.  Some of my most amazing images have come during rain, snow, cold, or extreme heat when I had to find a way to get it done.  Regardless we will find great places and create beautiful imagery.  Please also note that we will always make sure everyone has the opportunity to stay comfortable.

*Please let us know if you will not have your own transportation so we can help you make carpool arrangements.

*Please make sure to wear comfortable clothing on all shoots and use your best judgment to make sure you bring appropriate clothing to factor in the time of day you will be shooting.  You might want to bring an extra pair of sandles/shoes as I have been known to get feet wet quite frequently.

*Please bring snacks and bottled water as many of the places we go will not have any services available for food and beverage.  We also highly recommend to use the restroom prior to our group shoot.  We will always make sure to get to a restroom location during the middle of the shoot to give everyone a break when we go for lunch.

*Please bring all the gear you have including monopods, tripods, reflectors, flashes, etc. and plenty of batteries.  Also make sure to charge all of your gear 100% prior to the shoot so you don't end up running out.  Make sure to clear your memory cards and have at least 12gb available to shoot with.  We personally recommend even more if you can.  We will really encourage you to shoot in RAW so having the appropriate amount of memory is very important.

We can't wait to see you and look forward to an amazing time together!!!!  For any questions please email us at info@jlpros.com, or give us a call at 213-494-7744 or 909-260-3332.

Thanks!

Jason Lanier Photography

Getting Ready Wedding Photography by Jason Lanier

"Getting Ready" I love shooting through mirrors for so many reasons; the different angles, perspectives, etc. But I really love using them because in a situation like this it can help to show what the bride was looking at during this very special moment. It also enabled me to be able to capture much more of the bridesmaids faces rather than their backs...hope you like it! This was at my wedding just last Saturday for Jesse and Janelle...it was a beautiful wedding..:)

Next Workshop: August 28th and 29th- Tampa, Florida

Camera settings: Nikon D700, 1/60 sec at f/3.5, 28mm at ISO 1000, flash fired. Taken at 4:16pm on August 4, 2012 by Jason Lanier.

Writing Wedding Vows by Jason Lanier Photography

"Writing Vows" this image was taken at my wedding yesterday for Janelle and Jesse at the Boulder Creek Ranch here in Southern California. I asked Janelle to give me some extra time before the ceremony so we could take the time to get some shots like this one. I used two video lights and my flash to light this shot, and turned off all the lights in the room so I could control the lighting better.

When I first arrived she told me she couldn't start shooting because she still hadn't done her vows, so I said, "No problem! I'll just set up the place for you to do them and let you do what you need to do...I'll just get some cool shots of you doing it." And this is the result...hope you like it!

Next Workshop: August 28th and 29th- Tampa, Florida!

Camera settings: Nikon D3, 1/80 sec at f/4.0, 20mm at ISO 800, flash fired. Taken at 2:37pm on August 4, 2012 by Jason Lanier.

Weddings at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Big Island

Going to the Chapel...in Hawaii- this image was taken at my wedding for Nate and Yvette at the beautiful Hilton Waikoloa on the Big Island of Hawaii. It was such a perfect day, and we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful sunset than the one we got after the ceremony. This property has a long walkway from the gazebo to the chapel which I absolutely loved. The walkway helps to tell the story and makes for a great picture. Congrats to Nate and Yvette!

Next Workshop: Temecula, California- June 26th and 27th

Camera settings: Nikon D700, 1/250 sec at f/16, 16mm at ISO 100, flash fired. Taken at 5:33pm on June 15, 2012 by Jason Lanier.

A Natural Wedding Canopy...Hawaiian Style- this image was taken during my wedding fantasy shoot for Nate and Yvette at the Lava Tree State Park on the Big Island of Hawaii. This place is truly one of the most beautiful on earth and I've been in love with this road since I found it 4 years ago..(there's a landscape shot of the road hanging in my home). So I took the bride and groom down there and we had an absolute blast as we did all types of shots with this gorgeous scenery.

Take the time to get the right shot. Go to the right place, plan the right amount of time, dress up, make sure your gear is ready to go, visualize what you want to capture, and make it look amazing. Great pictures don't come from Photoshop, they come from your creativity and proper planning....

Next Workshop:

Temecula, California (We wil be shooting REAL wedding couples)!- June 26th and 27th

Camera settings: Nikon D700, 1/50 sec at f/6.3, ISO 320 at 35mm, flash fired. Taken at 6:22pm on June 16, 2012 by Jason Lanier.

Solutions for shooting photography in public places without a permit

Photographer Discrimination and Solutions for Getting Around "The Man"- I just had to post a nice message about how much I despise those who discriminate against photographers. Yesterday we were chased off the Golden Gate Bridge by the Bridge Patrol who yelled at us, "No Photo Shoots. You will be cited!" from their loudspeakers on their cars.

It is so utterly ridiculous to treat photographers differently than everyone else, because that's exactly what happens. It's happened to me all over the world, but what disturbs me the most is when it happens in the United States. Every other person with their cheap point and shoot can take as many pictures as they want, of whomever they want. But the minute you put a more expensive camera in your hands, it's ILLEGAL.

I would totally understand requiring a permit or banning a shoot if the photographer/production was holding up traffic, causing a public nuisance, or if it was resulting in the destruction of a habitat. But outside of those scenarios which are few and far in between, we shouldn't be treated differently than anyone else. As long as we are behaving as a non-professional does with a camera, why are we treated differently? How can you legitimately ban one group of people from taking pictures while allowing another group without limits? It's a very simple and direct double standard.

If I take a sunset shot and sell it, I pay taxes on my profits, isn't that enough? Paying for the right to shoot AND sell is double dipping. Of course governments all over the world have done that for centuries so I guess I'm just being naive.

Simply put it's just about a government who wants more money out of us photographers. I'm sure if I paid the right price I could shoot on the Golden Gate Bridge...trust me. Outside of photography I love cops, but I've had so many run-ins with them as they chase me out of places that I am just sick and tired of it. If you're a police officer or are married to one, please don't take offense at this. I know you're just taking orders from those above you. Your job is vital to our safety and you are heroes. Just leave us lowly photographers alone.

Solutions:

1. Take a small amount of gear with you, that lessens your exposure. Tripods are a BIG give away that you're not an amateur. Leave bags in the car, only take your body and a flash.

2. No matter what you're doing on a shoot, you are doing it for "Non-commercial" purposes. I don't care if you've never met your clients before. When you're stopped you tell the cops you're life-long friends and that you're just doing them a favor. Tell this to your clients at the start of the shoot. "No money is being exchanged," is another one to tell them. If you throw in a few shoots "for free" into their photography package you can say this and will still be telling the truth.

3. Carry fake business cards- I have a pile of fake cards that show I work somewhere else, non photography related. I just tell the cops I'm a photography enthusiast with money to blow on expensive equipment. I pulled this one off in Hawaii after getting busted for committing the heinous crime of shooting a sunset on the beach with my tripod. He was in the middle of confiscating my gear when I ran to my car and gave him this fake card, then he "let" me keep my stuff. Seriously, all I was doing was shooting a sunset.....

4. Play Stupid- "I'm not from around here, I had no idea.." For me that's always true.

For the record, I'm non-confrontational with police officers because I believe it's the best way for me to hope I get to "keep" my gear when this happens.

Hope this helps! I get asked this question a lot and I'm personally okay with fighting against something that I think is wrong...and this is. Stop trying to milk us small business owners for all our money. Try controlling what you spend rather taking what we work so hard to earn.

Watermarking your photos online- making it hard for people to steal your images!

Watermarks- make 'em loud and proud! So many times in this digital era we have our images "stolen" or used without permission. In my opinion this is wrong on all accounts, but if we don't do something to protect ourselves I truly believewe are asking for it. I know we shouldn't "have to" do it, but we need to stop being naive in our belief that just because people shouldn't that they won't.

People will always steal, and I'd dare those reading this to be honest with themselves and ask if they've ever downloaded a song they haven't paid for. Personally I've never downloaded a song or movie that I didn't pay for, but back in the old days I did make mix tapes by sharing friends' cassette tapes with each other.

Solution 1. Make a good sized banner on the bottom of your image so everyone can know where the image came from. Sometimes people are just excited to show your image, so it's important that you give yourself credit because more often than not, they won't.

Solution 2: Put your name in three or more areas across your image diagonally so it crosses many different areas of your shot. I do it at 25% opacity. This means any user will not be able to crop it in Facebook without your name appearing. They'd have to take it into Photoshop and clone it out which is time consuming. On top of that the images that I post on FB are so low res that their attempts to edit them will not succeed, there's just not enough data there to do it.

In summary, stop whining about people using or taking your shots without your permission and do something about it. Be proactive rather than reactive. If you've done all I mention above and they still do it, go to war with them. Because at that point they've shown that they are willing to do whatever it takes to steal your shot.

Until next time, I hope this helps!

San Francisco Casting Call for Female Models and Couples

Casting Call for Female Models and Couples for San Francisco- if you are interested in modeling for me next week on Tuesday or Wednesday, or Thursday (May 29th, 30th, and or 31st, 2012) this is your chance! I am looking for the following looks and people:

*People- female models and possibly male models if they are currently in a dating relationship with the female models that are accepted. I need chemistry!

*Themes- pin up, high fashion, wedding, and something wild. Remember, you will be providing the wardrobe so it will depend on what you own or will buy or rent for the shoot. The "Something Wild" means if you have a crazy idea that you want to shoot let me know what it is and maybe we can do it.

*Body Types- looking for fit people in the age range of 18-35. I do not shoot minors. What does "fit" mean? Look at the pics of the people on my Facebook page. I'm not looking for ultra-thin (emaciated), in fact I prefer "Normal" or "The Girl Next Door" looking people. In other words if you have a "tummy" like me this isn't the shoot for you.

*Compensation- this is a TFI (Time For Images) shoot meaning you will receive images for FREE from me for each day that you shoot with me/us. You will be required (standard practice) to sign a release prior to the shoot. I won't shoot you if you don't have a signed release.

*Wardrobe- I will NOT be providing wardrobe, that will be your responsibility.

To be considered please send me an email at JASON@JLPROS.COM with the following information. You will NOT be considered if you do not send me all the information I ask for below:

**3 pics of yourself showing 1 close up shot of your head/face, and two showing your body. Pics using your camera phone are just fine, they don't need to be professional.

**Measurements- please provide them. If you aren't sure try to measure yourself or have a friend help. For female models if you don't know your measurements please provide your bust size.

**Date and Time Availability- the more available you are the higher chance you have of being chosen. But if you only have 1 day available and it works for me you could be chosen so make sure to reply if you want to be considered.

**Clothing- please tell me what type of clothing you want to wear for the shoot. If you are chosen you will be required to send me pics of you wearing the outfits prior to the shoot.

I usually receive A LOT of response and I try to take as many people as I can, BUT I can't choose everyone. I look forward to hearing from you!!!

Picture Settings for Facebook using Lightroom

Picture Settings for Facebook- I get asked a lot what the right settings are for posting shots in Facebook. The main concerns are posting a shot that looks really good, but at the same time isn't large enough so someone can steal it. The key things for posting images onto Facebook are Quality, size, and resolution. I use Lightroom to export all of my images onto Facebook, and here are my settings. I've included a snapshot picture to show you what I do:

*Quality: Between 65-67.
*Resize to Fit (LONGEST EDGE) 1000 pixels
*Resolution: 200 PPI (Pixels per inch)

These are my settings and they work great for me, hope it helps!


Thanks!!


Jason

New York Central Park when it rains

Central Park when it rains- this image was taken last week during my workshop in New York. As anyone who has done a workshop with me will tell you, I shoot during any type of weather, rain or shine, snow or hail, we'll find a way to get a shot. Why? Because that's what it's like to be a real photographer. Sometimes you don't have another chance to just postpone the shoot. Well, it called for rain the two days of the workshop and we got some awesome pictures because of it. True, there isn't blue sky and clouds in this shot, but you have to look at what we did get. We got Central Park EMPTY....how many times does that happen? I got beautiful streaking water down the trunks of the Elm trees. There's always something beautiful to capture, you just have to look for it.

Next Workshop: San Francisco, CA- May 29th and 30th

Camera settings: Nikon D3, 1/125 sec at f/4.0, 30mm at ISO 100, flash did not fire. Taken at 4:57pm on May 15, 2012 by Jason Lanier in New York City, NY.

Solar Eclipse 2012

Tonight was a pretty awesome night as we were treated to a once in every 25 years treat Solar Eclipse.  This is the first one I've ever witnessed in my 37 years on the earth and I loved it.  I had to underexpose the shots significantly because it was still pretty bright in California when it occurred, but it was still pretty awesome.  Hope you like the pics!!

Batman Wedding Rings

"Bat Rings" this image was taken at my wedding last Saturday for Patrick and Christina at the Christmas House Inn and Gardens. It was so funny when I asked for the rings to do detail shots prior to the ceremony because when I did they all started laughing. It wasn't until they handed them to me that I understood why...they are a very fun couple and they were so excited to be unique in the rings they chose for their big day. Hope you like it!

Upcoming Workshops:

New York, NY- May 14th, 15th, and 16th
San Francisco, CA- May 29th and 30th
Honolulu, HI- June 17th and 18th

Camera settings: Nikon D700, 1/60 sec at f/4.5, 105mm at ISO 100, flash did not fire. Taken at 4:52pm on May 5, 2012 by Jason Lanier.

Active D Lighting Tutorial

Active D-Lighting turned to high, meaning it does everything it can to compensate for the darkness of the image.

Active D-Lighting turned off, meaning there is no compensation made by the camera to increase the dark areas in the image. I purposely shot a dark image to show the difference that Active D-Lighting can make.

I was asked recently to comment on the difference that Active D-Lighting can make with your images. Active D-Lighting is a term used by Nikon, the equivalent for Canon is called Highlight Tone Priority. Nikon describes Active D-Lighting as follows:

"Active D-Lighting optimizes high contrast images to restore the shadow and highlight details that are often lost when strong lighting increases the contrast between bright and dark areas of an image. It can be set to operate automatically or manually, and it's also possible to bracket pictures to get one with Active D-Lighting and one without."

In easier terms it means that the camera will help you adjust the exposure levels when you take a picture where you have a big difference between the dark areas and the light areas in the image. This is done automatically by the camera if you turn on the Active D function. The camera is defaulted with it, "off" so if you want it on you have to turn it on through the menu in the back of the camera under shooting.

So I left my D3 and D700 at home and took out my D7000 around the local lake to take some shots to show you what it does. I chose to use the D7000 because I wanted to use a camera that is more likely to be used by many more people as it's in the $1,000 range. Below is a rundown of the images and the different settings I used to get the shots. All of the images were shot in manual mode and all of them have been completely unedited. I had to use Screenshots from my Lightroom tab because the pictures will actually change once they are imported into Lightroom. Why? Because Active D-Lighting only applies to jpegs because the information must be baked in by the camera. So in essence this is the camera's way of editing the shot in the camera rather than afterwards. And the only way the camera can edit and save the image is if it's shot as a jpeg. So, if you are the kind of person that wants immediate gratification without having to edit afterwards, Active D-Lighting is great for you, otherwise stick to Raw and enjoy yourself!

The only possible workaround to this issue is if you use your Camera's software to import the images, otherwise it won't work with Adobe.

New Orleans Two Day Photography and Editing Workshop by Jason Lanier

Come join ME in the incomparable New Orleans, Louisiana February 28th and 29th 2012! I am offering all of the sessions either individually or as package bundles. You will save significantly when you buy them as package bundles as I believe these allow you the best opportunity to enhance your photography knowledge and skills. Please see below to see everything that is available:

*Tuesday February 28, 2012 9am-11am: Mini Prep Session- this mini session is meant to help prepare newer photographers for our Group Session shoot. If you are uncomfortable or don't know how to shoot in manual mode, meaning you don't know how to set your own shutter, aperture, and ISO to get the shots you want. This mini session is 2 hours of training together where I will help you grow comfortable with setting the exposure on your camera which will help you kick some major butt on our group session later that day. Great photography is about consisent practice, so doing this session right before the group session will help you reinforce everything in the group session, meaning you are really going to learn. You can purchase this session individually for $199, or you can save $150 and come for only $50 when you purchase it as part of one of our package bundle deals. So if you are looking for that major kick start to get you understanding your camera like a professional photographer, this session is for you!!

*Tuesday February 28, 2012 11am-6pm: Group Shoot: if you've ever attended another workshop where they just go around and take shots, this isn't that workshop. We go to REAL LOCATIONS with REAL MODELS, which means you will get REAL RESULTS. We meet in the hotel lobby and where we will then carpool to our locations to shoot. Travel time can vary between 30-60 minutes which gives us plenty of time to get to know each other and discuss our various needs prior to us shooting. I always keep my workshops flexible but below is a rough outline of the items that we will cover:

• 11am- Meet as a group in the hotel lobby- don't be late as we will be leaving promptly at 11:15am.
• 11:15-noon- travel and set up time for our shoot.
• 12pm-2pm- Location #1: Posing using natural light and reflectors: start shooting where we will cover the following points of photography; quick review on shooting in manual mode. This will be a short review as we provide this training in the mini prep session prior to the group session. We will then review in depth the fundamentals of posing during this session using hands feet, creating space, posing with motion, etc. Posing is very difficult for many photographers and this first part of the group session will be completely dedicated to posing to really bring you up to speed on how to make your images with people look fantastic.
• 2pm-3pm- Lunch break with Q&A session. We will find a quick place to eat (nothing fancy) that allows us the time to speak about the sesion we just completed and discuss what we're going to do next. Bring around $15-$20 to be able to eat!
• 3pm-5:30pm- Location #2: Composition and Alternative Lighting- using what we learned in the session on posing, we will then incorporate our model and posing into creating great composition and will start using alternative lighting. This session we will work on how to compose the shot, what goes into making great compostion and the factors that are key to creating a killer shot. With the day starting to grow to a close, we will have the opportunity to shoot during the "magic hour" right before sunset which will be amazing. We will end the shoot at sunset which will allow us the chance to use external flashes, video lights, and some off camera flash to create some stunning results. Also make sure to bring your tripod as we will use it if the conditions are right.
• 5:30pm-6pm- Travel back to our original location where we met to take you back. This time will allow us to have another Q&A in the car and review our shooting from the day.

**Weather concerns: Should the weather turn bad we will have other indoor locations we can shoot in. Weather is a constant friend or foe to photographers so learning to adapt to it is critical for your learning curve. Regardless of the weather we will find a way to shoot and make it amazing. Some of my most amazing images have come during rain, snow, cold, or extreme heat when I had to find a way to get it done. Regardless we will find great places and create beautiful imagery. Please also note that we will always make sure everyone has the opportunity to stay comfortable.

*Wednesday February 29, 2012 9am-4pm: Classroom/Editing Session- get ready to make some magic! In the classroom session we will take the images you took from the group shoot session and help you understand how to improve your workflow, and edit them the way you want! Below is an outline of the items we will cover:

• 9am-9:15am: Review of the shooting session from the group shoot the day before. This will help you to cement some of your learnings from the day before, as well as answer any lingering questions.
• 9:15am-9:45am- Gear Review: I wil cover everything that I use and give you my recommendations for what works and doesn't work. This will help you to save the time and money that I wasted when I started my career. I will answer individual questions from the group that helps everyone understand what they need depending on their interests. I'm not sponsored by any gear providers so my recommendations will be completely unbiased, and I won't try and sell you anything either!
• 9:45am-10:30am- Business Tips: In this part of the session we will review the business tips that made me a success. Sometimes the best way to become successful is to find out how someone else did it and do what they did! We will cover how to make it in many different areas of photography built around my experience. Tips for pricing, finding customers, getting referrals, and making a great living will all be covered!
• 10:30am-12:30pm- Lightroom: During this part of the class we will cover importing images, using external hard drives, creating separate catalogs for each shoot, using presets, creating presets, using the fundamental tools available in Lightroom, using a rating system, editing in Photoshop through Lightroom, and exporting your final catalog.
• 12:30-1:30pm- Lunch: We will find a quick place to find a bite to eat as a group where we can discuss what we learned in the first part of the session. Make sure to bring $15-$20 for lunch.
• 1:30-3:45pm- Photoshop: This will be where we start creating some magic! The most fundamental thing for photographers to learn and use are layers and masks as it changes your ability and opens up all possibilities. This session will also cover using my favorite filters, cloning the right way, and dodging and burning. It's impossible to teach everything about Photoshop, especially in two hours...but we will get you headed in the right direction!
• 3:45-4pm- Final Q&A session: This will be your last chance to ask any and all questions you have before we have to say goodbye until next time.

*Please let us know if you will not have your own transportation so we can help you make carpool arrangements.

*Please make sure to wear comfortable clothing on all shoots and use your best judgment to make sure you bring appropriate clothing to factor in the time of day you will be shooting. You might want to bring an extra pair of sandles/shoes as I have been known to get feet wet quite frequently.

*Please bring snacks and bottled water as many of the places we go will not have any services available for food and beverage. We also highly recommend to use the restroom prior to our group shoot. We will always make sure to get to a restroom location during the middle of the shoot to give everyone a break when we go for lunch.

*Please bring all the gear you have including monopods, tripods, reflectors, flashes, etc. and plenty of batteries. Also make sure to charge all of your gear 100% prior to the shoot so you don't end up running out. Make sure to clear your memory cards and have at least 12gb available to shoot with. We personally recommend even more if you can. We will really encourage you to shoot in RAW so having the appropriate amount of memory is very important.

We can't wait to see you in New Orleans and look forward to an amazing time together!!!! For any questions please email us at info@jlpros.com, or give us a call at 213-494-7744 or 909-260-3332.

Thanks!

Jason Lanier Photography

Las Vegas Photography Workshop by Jason Lanier all around WPPI 2012

Come join us for 4 amazing days of workshop instruction in exciting Las Vegas, Nevada all around the WPPI photographers annual convention. This is NOT a shootout, where you just watch a photographer shoot. This is a true workshop where there is actual instruction. Many photographers who never teach workshops offer shootouts around WPPI to make a few extra bucks, I teach workshops all across the United States and have done so for years. This experience is truly for learning and we are going to do some AMAZING stuff! The schedule for the 4 days is as follows:

*Monday February 20, 2012 5-7pm: 1 on 1 Training Session- this is for 1 person only, it's 1 on 1 training where the 2-hour session is customized to precisely what you want or need to learn. We do a quick review of your portfolio, discuss what you need the most help with, and start teaching! The session is built around you and your preferences. So if you'd like to learn more about posing and shooting people we will get a model, a killer location and shoot! If you are more of a landscape photographer we find a beautiful place to shoot and start shooting! The bottom line is that this is personalized training where you can ask a million questions and get a million answers. This is your chance to get over the hump and get that edge you are looking for. These sessions are first come, first serve, so sign up today!

*Tuesday February 21, 2012 5-7pm: 1 on 1 Training Session- this is for 1 person only, it's 1 on 1 training where the 2-hour session is customized to precisely what you want or need to learn. We do a quick review of your portfolio, discuss what you need the most help with, and start teaching! The session is built around you and your preferences. So if you'd like to learn more about posing and shooting people we will get a model, a killer location and shoot! If you are more of a landscape photographer we find a beautiful place to shoot and start shooting! The bottom line is that this is personalized training where you can ask a million questions and get a million answers. This is your chance to get over the hump and get that edge you are looking for. These sessions are first come, first serve, so sign up today!

*Wednesday February 22, 2012 5-10pm: Group Night Session- this is the first of our two group sessions in Vegas. This group shoot will take place right smack down the middle of the Las Vegas Strip with models. We will meet at the entrance to the MGM Grand Conference Center at 5pm. This will be an amazing shoot where we go over some really essential stuff as well as some really fun and crazy styles including shooting with flash, video lights, off-camera flash, posing, and using natural light in a night-time environment to deliver some astounding results. This is not a session where you follow me around and just watch me shoot. I set up the shoot, and then help all of the other photographers in making sure they are getting amazing results as well. We have small class sizes and will have myself and another one of my lead shooters with me so everyone can get the attention they need. Come join us for an amazing shoot in Vegas! We purposely set up the time of the shoot between 5-10 when there are no platform classes at WPPI, so you won't miss anything! You can either pay $250 for this shoot individually or sign up for both shoots (Wednesday and Thursday for a total price of $450, a savings of $75!

**Please plan on us grabbing a snack towards the end of our shoot somewhere on the strip...nothing fancy but you should bring a little money as we will sit down as a group and discuss some of the things we did that made the shoot so much fun. Reviewing what we did is key to your learning process so you can remember what we did and how we did it. It also gives you a great opportunity to ask questions!

*Thursday February 23, 2012 10am-6pm: Group Say/Sunset Session- this is the second of our two group shoots in Vegas. On this shoot we are meeting at the entrance to the MGM Conference Center at 10am and then carpooling over to the Salt Flats about 45 minutes away. We are going to do a really cool shoot with models on the salt flats which will be a great opportunity to learn more about posing, shooting in the middle of the day, using reflectors, how to properly expose in bright conditions, and incorporating props into your shots. This is a must for anyone who shoots weddings as we typically struggle with these issues on the day of the wedding. We will then pack up our gear and head another 30 minutes east to a beautiful town that is remaining a secret location so we make sure there aren't other photographer shooting there. It has antique cars, old barns, old buildings, trucks, etc. It has been used for countless movies, TV shows, and music videos and it will be the backdrop for our shoot! Here we will incorporate all the amazing scenery and props available as the light turns into the golden hour, and we will continue shooting until the sun sets. Once the sun starts to go down we will again incorporate more video lights and off camera flash which will really raise the bar for creating amazing imagery. The cost for this session is $275, but if you register for both Wednesday and Thursday sessions you get both for only $450, a savings of $75! Come join us for an amazing time in Vegas!!!

Get WPPI Full Registration and Tradeshow included with your workshop! Limited to 3 tickets only, this option allows you to book both days of workshop classes with Jason Lanier AND get into WPPI for only $150 as one of his guests! That's a savings of hundreds of dollars. This is the ultimate experience to learn and grow with Jason and attend the WPPI Convention..the largest in the world!

*Please let us know if you will not have your own transportation so we can help you make carpool arrangements.

*Please make sure to wear comfortable clothing on all shoots and use your best judgment to make sure you bring appropriate clothing to factor in the time of day you will be shooting.

*Please bring snacks and bottled water as many of the places we go will not have any services available for food and beverage. We also highly recommend to use the restroom prior to our shoot at the Salt Flats. Once we get to our second location we will have a bathroom available.

*Please bring all the gear you have including monopods, tripods, reflectors, flashes, etc. and plenty of batteries. Also make sure to charge all of your gear 100% prior to the shoot so you don't end up running out. Make sure to clear your memory cards and have at least 12gb available to shoot with. We personally recommend even more if you can. We will really encourage you to shoot in RAW so having the appropriate amount of memory is very important.

We can't wait to see you in Vegas and look forward to an amazing time together!!!! For any questions please email us at info@jlpros.com, or give us a call at 213-494-7744 (Jason) or 909-260-3332 (Don).

Thanks!

Jason Lanier Photography

Lightroom Presets= receive a free set of Lightroom Presets when you book a workshop with Jason Lanier!

New Years Eve Special! Book a workshop with me and receive a FREE set of my Lightroom Presets, the same ones that I use to edit all of my photos! This special applies to anyone who books a workshop or is currently registered for a 2012 workshop. The special ends on January 10th so don't delay!!

Creating Motion Blur in Wedding Images

Creating motion blur in wedding images- this shot was taken at my wedding for David and Elaine last month down in La Jolla, California. The key to creating a shot like this is to use a neutral density filter and a tripod which enables you to slow down your shutter and shoot on a tripod during the middle of a very sunny day like this one. You have to get the bride and groom to hold still which they did a great job of on this shot. The goal in this image was to get the water to appear as if it's continually moving, which makes it fun because the rocks and wedding couple are completely still. This is a trick that landscape photographers use, and since I am a landscape photographer I know how to do it! Camera settings: Nikon D3, 1/4 sec at f/22, 16mm at ISO 100, flash did not fire. Taken at 1:01pm on November 26, 2011 by Jason Lanier.