The Friedman Archives

High-impact Photography Seminars

A fun weekend getting to know your camera and learning the secrets of taking "Wow!"-type images.  A shorter learning curve doesn't exist!

Got a great camera, but unhappy with your pictures?  Overwhelmed when visiting online discussion forums (or reading the manual)?  Having trouble getting your arms around just what's important and what's not when it comes to great photography?

You're in luck!  The Friedman Archives High-Impact Photographic seminars can come to a city near YOU!  

Geared toward anyone who owns a digital camera, this pair of day-long seminars is for anyone who has ever said to themselves, "I spent money on a great camera.  So why aren't my pictures better?"  They are geared toward beginning and experienced photographers who would like to learn more, reinforce what they already know, experiment, and become inspired to become better photographers.  All in a fun, friendly, and nurturing environment.

These seminars are structured differently from almost all other photo courses.  Whereas most other courses bombard you with the technical stuff first, The Friedman Archives Seminars recognizes that modern cameras do a pretty good job with focusing and exposure, but do a miserable job with composition and the art aspect of photography (realms best left for the HUMAN).  So the first day emphasizes composition, light, art, capturing emotion, and how to get high-impact photos -- all without ever leaving AUTO mode.

As the seminar progresses the subject matter delves into the technical aspects of digital photography, making for a very well-rounded weekend.  As many who have attended can attest, this weekend seminar cuts through the confusion and gives you everything you need to know to start shooting confidently, improve your photography, and participate in online discussion forums intelligently.  :-)

Here’s some of the things you’ll learn from this seminar:

Day 1 ("The Creativity Day", or "The camera can do quite a bit by itself.  Teach me about creativity and light and things that only the human can do!")

• How to take great pictures from ANY camera!

• The secrets of outstanding travel photography

• The difference between snapshots and photographs (and why both are important)

• How to "see" light, and making the most of available light

• The "inner game" mindsets used by all the photographic masters

• Compositional rules derived from the world of fine art

• Hands-on experience with wireless flash

• How quality of light can affect emotion

• In-class exercises for creativity and composition.

Day 2 ("The Technical Stuff")

• The four variables of exposure

• The three types of metering, and when to use them.

• How your exposure meter thinks.

• Color balance and Human Perception

• The benefits and drawbacks of RAW mode

• How to avoid horrific .jpg compression artifacts

• Color space (RGB vs. AdobeRGB), bit-depth, and when working in 16-bit mode is useful

• Print vs. screen resolution

• The most-useful Post-processing functions

There will also be ample discovery exercises to allow you to become familiar with your camera’s operation and experiment with certain features. 

Remember, the overriding goal of photography is to have FUN, to experience your world, tell a story, and to give you an excuse to go out and do things you wouldn't normally get a chance to do.  These courses were designed to be an engaging and fun way to jump-start the process, no matter what brand of camera you own!

How much does it cost? 

• The cost is affordable, and varies by city.  An exact price will appear on the signup page for each city (below).

What cities will you be visiting?

Here's another factor that sets these seminars apart from all the others: THERE IS NO SET SCHEDULE!  We can travel and present these seminars anywhere in the world when enough people in one region express their interest.  Below is a list of our currently schedule seminars.  If you don't see your city listed, please scroll down further and register your interest!

Currently Scheduled Seminars:

Prior Events

Don't see your city listed above?  Please share with us your interest by filling out the form below!  Once your region attracts critical mass we will notify you and start the process of logistics.

What others are saying about the Friedman Archives High-Impact Digital Photography Seminars

“I’ve been taking pictures for 30 years, and your demonstration of exposure principles was brilliant. Whereas I was fuzzy on the concepts before, I now intuitively understand them!” - Rod Schultz

“It’s the best money you’ll ever spend for a photo class. Gary obviously loves what he does and can also make a complex topic easy to understand, which is a great combination. It made me a better photographer!” - George Saadeh

"In a world of dry, artsy information, you bring a vibrant, humorous and fun approach to the subject. Best of all, I feel a renewed enthusiasm for photography. You are an excellent teacher.” – Lee Friedman (no relation)

“Best two days of learning I’ve had in my life! Take two days and see what you’re missing.” – Archie Lappi

"Well worth it!! Learned sooooooo much from Gary in San Mateo! My wife went for the 2-day, and raved about it so much after Day 1, I signed up for Day 2! Ya, that good - thanks for all the after-seminar advice, and 'being there' for technical questions, a year later! Fun and informative." – Daniel Devane

“Best seminar I have ever taken. – THANK YOU!!!” -Joseph R. Conklin

"[Y]ou helped me find the fun in photography again, and for that I am very grateful.” - Brian Dennick

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(Are you a member of a photo club?  Fire off an email to [email protected] and ask how to get the seminar to your area sooner!)

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