Current Workshops

We'll do our best to keep this up to date, but we don't update every day (or even every week) but you can scroll down to check the dates for the courses that you still have time to get in to.

Lightroom 2™ Taking your images to the Next Level
With Kinu Grove
Four week course
Thursdays, November 6th – 26th, 2009 from 7:00 – 9:30 PM
Cost $144

"Master Lightroom™ so you can spend more time behind the lens"

Photos by Kinu Grove

In this class you will learn to master the Lightroom 2™ interface and take your work flow to the next level. You will be working hands on with your own images and will see first hand the difference that setting up an organized work flow can make. Each class we will have “optional assignments” that are designed to help you to put your new skills into practice.

The second half of the final class we will be a special editing showcase. Each student will show there best before and after photos from the class. There will be time for discussion and feedback from other students.

Course Highlights 


• Learn time saving tips and shorts cuts
• Sort and edit your photos quickly with the library module
• Perfect your images with the powerful and easy to use developer module
• Fix common photo problems on your own images
• Advanced editing with local adjustments
• Creating slide shows with music
• Setting up custom print templates
• Use powerful plug-ins to automate online image sharing

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Students will require a PC or MAC laptop
Lightroom software is required for courses longer than 4 sessions. For 4 session courses, you can download a free demo version.

Enrolment Limit: 8 students


The Telling Portrait:
Introduction to creating beautiful photographs of people

With Noelle O’Brien & Femke Randeraad

4 Session Workshop

Saturdays, November 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th, 2009

9:00am to 12:00pm

$190 + GST

Photo by Noelle O'Brien



Time and again we are asked to make “beautiful” pictures of someone—your mother, child, friends etc. Through hands-on work with natural, flash and studio lighting, we will examine face shapes and features to determine the most appropriate lighting strategies and angles to flatter your subject. We will also touch on poses, gestures, expressions, and the rolls clothing and make-up can play, especially in more formal photography. You will learn to 'see' light and use it to enhance your portraiture as well as learn practical tips on how to create a rapport with and generate a response from your subject



We will discuss formal, informal as well as environmental portraiture—using your subject’s natural “environment,” be it their home, garden, or workspace, to illuminate aspects of their character. Through demonstrations, slide-shows and in-class shooting assignments, (using each other as models) you will learn how to communicate, direct and move into a creative space with your subject. You will learn to pay attention to details, to creatively fill your frame, to anticipate and work with speed and perceptiveness.



Weekly creative assignments and personal feedback will deepen your understanding of the concepts presented and help you to grow as a portrait photographer. Students are encouraged to work on a personal project through the course to learn the importance of returning to a subject multiple times. By the end of the course you will have a mini-portfolio of portrait images and a deepening awareness of your personal photographic vision.



COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

A digital or film camera- point and shoot or SLR is required.

Enrolment Limit: 14 students


Point and Shoot with Style Part II:

Making More Interesting Photos

With Trina Koster

One-day Course

Saturday, November 14th, 2009

9:00am – 12:00pm

$48 + GST



Now that you understand how to use your camera it’s time to have fun and make some art! Learn how the rectangle on your camera can be the canvas to your world!



Many adults love photography because it is an excess-able way to make pictures. When we were kids we made pictures all the time and derived much joy from doing so. We feel great when we express our creativity, because we are then expressing our true selves.



As a photographer, Trina’s mission is to help people connect with their creativity. She will help you to express yourself more clearly through an understanding of visual language. Through a slide-show of excellent images you will learn the elements and principles of design and become more visually aware of how to compose your pictures.

During this one day workshop you will have the opportunity to go out and photograph an assignment and receive valuable feedback on your images.





Documenting Artwork
With Elisabeth Feryn
Two session workshop
Sunday, November 15th & 22nd, 2009 9:00-12:00 PM
Cost $120

Save time and money photographing your own artwork.

Photo by Elisabeth Feryn

An essential part of presenting yourself as an artist is to have professional quality photos of your work. Almost all art juries, gallery directors and granting agencies require photos of a certain format. Your artwork will only come across as well as your photos.

A professional fine art photographer will be able to capture the colour, textures, detail and scaling of your work, as well as doing colour correction, and preparation of the digital file to meet requirements. This is often an expensive service.

Each class session brings a mix of hands-on experience and lecture on technical information in order to provide participants with a solid base so to be able to create the images that they desire.

Session One

• equipment needed
• the importance of camera settings, colour balance and correct exposure
• optimum backdrops and camera positions
• various lighting scenarios and how to avoid glare – both indoor and outdoor set-ups using materials at hand as well as professional equipment
• documentation of indoor and outdoor art installations

Session Two

• in class feedback session on the results of documenting your own artwork
• image size and resolution
• file format
• image preparation applications such as cropping, resizing, brightness and contrast, etc.
• saving and renaming your images

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: 

A digital SLR or Point & Shoot camera with Manual functions is required for this course.

Enrolment Limit: 10 students


Point and Shoot with Style Part III:

Now You Shot It... Time to Store It!

With Trina Koster

One-day Course

Saturday, November 24th, 2009

9:00am – 12:00pm

$48 + GST



With the ease of digitally photography also comes some new responsibilities like “backing up” you photos.



We will teach you how to back up your collection of photographs and explain why you have to back up images in the first place.



With the world gone digital there are so many choices out there!



Often beginners to photography do not understand the value of a good editing program and storage devices. We will demonstrate how to use Picasa, iPhoto and Flickr.
 How to email a photo to friends, how to export a picture to a USB key or CD, how to bring an image to a store to have printed.




Come to Photo Cuba! 2010!

This very special workshop has become so popular that we're running it twice this year, and there's still room in the second class for you to come to PhotoCuba 2010! It's running form February 21-28. Call us at 519-767-2948!

Escape the cold this winter! Have fun in the sun and improve your photography while you explore the real culture of Cuba. Share good times with other travelers, all for an amazing low package price!

“The highlight for me was how welcoming the people were to us. The fact that these “strangers” are opening up their lives to us and giving us their time, wanting to share their culture with us was so amazing to me. I am very sad to be leaving and I really want to come back next year and contribute more to them.”
– Melissa Glidden, Photo Cuba ‘09 participant

For details go to www.photocubaworkshop.com or call our studio in Guelph ath 519-767-2948.

Trina Koster Photography has been running this workshop every year since 2006 and it's always been a big hit. May participants have called it the experience of a lifetime. Join us in Cuba and have an artistic and cultural experience you'll never forget.

Connect with Creativity!
Trina Koster, Scott Mooney, and the TKP Team

Workshops we've Offered in the Recent Past

Learn Photo: Digital Fundamentals

With Trina Koster

Six Week Course

Tuesdays, September 15th to October 20th, 2009

7:00pm – 9:30pm

$240 + GST



Photography is all about light. How many of us pay attention to the light around us? Join us for a course that will open your eyes to a new way of seeing, of interpreting the world around you. You will learn both the technical and creative ingredients essential to making exciting, compelling images. This beginner workshop takes place in the fun and relaxed atmosphere of our professional studio, where questions are encouraged and the uniqueness of each student’s emerging creative vision is supported and celebrated.



Gaining technical control of the manual function of your camera is a liberating experience; you are smarter than your camera! Through hands-on demonstrations, visual examples, we will reveal the “mystery” of how ISO speeds, shutter speeds and aperture settings combine to create the best exposure.



We will study master photographers’ work to discuss the principles and elements of design, the artistic language of composition. You will be encouraged to experiment with angles, perspectives and creative ways to fill the frame (the subject doesn’t always have to be in the centre!). Throughout the course you will be introduced to the various styles of photography—landscape, portrait, documentary, still life and more.



Optional weekly assignments will deepen your understanding of key concepts as well as allow you to work and grow at your own level. The small group size (15 maximum, 2 instructors) provides the valuable opportunity of weekly feedback and individualised attention on your images. These feedback sessions are a highlight of the course for many students. By the end of the 7 weeks, you will have a mini-portfolio of images and a growing sense of your personal photographic vision.



The course concludes with a wine-and-cheese critique celebrating your best work. By this point, you will have completed the cycle from shooting to printing to matting your completed image. On this night we will discuss how to speak about art in an informed, clear way.



This course is designed for never-held-a-camera beginners, as well as for those who have some knowledge of photography and wish to deepen their understanding and exploration of the medium. Upon completion of Learn Photography you are welcome to take any of our intermediate level courses. If you cannot commit to the six week course, please check out our Crash Learn Photo.



COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

This course is for anyone wanting to develop the ability to understand their camera. A digital SLR or Point & Shoot camera with Manual functions is required for this course.

Enrolment Limit: 15 students



Photo Club

With Trina Koster

Thursdays; September 15th, October 15th & 29th, November 12th & 26th
7:00pm – 9:30pm
Sunday, October 4th
8:30-11:00am
$225 + GST

Maximum 12 participants so we don’t get in each other’s way!



Photo Club is a fun and interactive way to be around other image makers who are passionate about photography like you! Our North American culture of work, work, work deprives us of “play” time. Engaging with your creativity is a fulfilling way to experience life. Scheduled photo shoot sessions ensure you get out there and make time for yourself.



There will be four photographically inspiring locations pre-arranged for this intimate size group. The locations will be specifically chosen to take advantage of the best light. While “in the field” you will be able to candidly receive feedback and creative input from both Trina and your fellow photographers. It is always eye opening to compare how other image makers perceived what you also saw. Each shooting session will offer a creative challenge for you to try experimenting with.



The alternating weeks allow you to have time to play with your shot images on your own. The course will wrap up with an in-studio wine and cheese critique on June 25th. Photo Club participants will be expected to bring in four finished prints and a slideshow of images from the photo shoots.





Photo Smarts: Critiques & Techniques

With Trina Koster

Thursdays; September 24th, October 8th, 22nd, November 5th, 19th & December 3rd, 2009
7-9:30pm

$155 + GST

Maximum 12 participants



Join this class to improve your visual literacy and to stay connected to photography and your creativity.



Time and again students say that critiques are the highlight of a workshop experience. Feedback sessions are, by far, the most powerful learning opportunity. We also find that when students are not enrolled in a workshop, they are not making pictures as much as they would like to be. Stay active with your photography and creativity. Join Trina as she leads you through a variety of creative challenges and techniques that will help you take your photography to the next level.



The focus of this workshop will be to improve your visual literacy by expanding your critiquing abilities when looking at yours and others photographs. Develop a more advanced eye for composition, lighting, tones and colour and elements of design. Together we will analyze the concept behind your pictures and discuss how your story is translating to the viewer.



All sessions will take place in studio where we will watch clips from movies and look at master photographers images as ways to influence your own photography. Students will share tips, techniques and links to useful resources. Creative challenges will be assigned to inspire new directions, development of new work. Students will photograph the assignment and personal projects outside of class. The biweekly class will allow time for students to process their images and come to each session with 1-5 images for critique. It is highly recommended that students continue to work on a personal project for the duration of this workshop.



Requirements: Participants must have a good understanding of how their camera works and be committed to bringing images to EACH session for critique.





Intro to the Strobist Approach
With Kinu Grove
One day Course
Saturday, September 26th, 2009 12:00 – 3:00 PM
Cost $48

Create big impact with small flashes and take your photography to the next level with off camera flash.

This course is designed to teach people the basics on how to use your Speedlight in new creative ways. We will cover the basic gear you need to setup a compact, inexpensive lighting kit. This is an introductory course that will open your eyes to the exciting world of Speedlight and Strobist photography.

Course highlights:

Beyond TTL using your flash in manual mode
Ways to connect an off camera flash to your camera
When to use a snoot, gobo or grid for more control of your light
Setting up a Strobist™ lighting kit

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
DSLR Camera
*Bring your external flash (*if you have one, but this is not required)

Enrolment Limit: 12 students


Diving into Off-Camera Flash
With Kinu Grove
Six week course
Tuesdays, October 6th – November 10th, 2009 from 7:00 – 10:00 PM
Cost $225

Light like a pro... on the go!

Are you intimated by off-camera lighting? For many photographers strobe lighting has become an exciting new technique to create interesting photographs with cool light.

In this course we will teach you how to develop using your flash in manual mode, how to use reflectors and umbrellas, create effective multiple flash setups, using gels to balance mixed light. You will also have the opportunity to learn how to make your own grids, snoots and gobos and learn how to use them effectively to attain the lighting that you are trying to achieve. Once learning the fundamentals of lighting, 2 nights of the course are dedicated to shooting on locations with models.

The course takes place in a relaxed atmosphere where questions and open discussion are always welcome. Each class session brings a mix of hands-on experience and lecture on technical information in order to provide participants a solid base so they may support their own creative journey.

Optional weekly assignments will deepen your understanding of key concepts as well as allow you to work and grow at your own level. The small group size (10 maximum, 2 instructors) provides the valuable opportunity of weekly feedback and individualised attention on your images. These feedback sessions are a highlight of the course for many students.


The course concludes with a wine-and-cheese critique celebrating your best work.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

This six week course is designed for advanced and intermediate photographers that want to take their flash photography to the next level.
A digital SLR camera and external flash are required for this course. Helpful Extras off camera flash cord

Enrolment Limit: 10 students


Intro to Lightroom™
With Kinu Grove
One day Course
Saturday, October 24th, 200912:00 – 3:00 PM
Cost $48

"Beyond Picasa, Learn to Organize and Manage your Photos like a Pro"


In this course you will learn to take control of your images with a practical step by step Lightroom 2 work flow. It has never been easier to manage and edit all your photos in one application. If you have a hard drive full of photos and want a simple way to find organize and edit them this is the course for you.

Course Highlights:

• Learn a work flow for processing all your images
• Configuring the Lightroom software for your specific photographic style
• Manage potentially 1000's of images with collections and keywords
• Learn important keyboard shortcuts that will save you time
• How to create and use presets
• Editing multiple images at the same time
• Fixing common photo problems
• Exporting your images for web and print

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

*PC or MAC laptop
* Lightroom software is not required for this course as we can help you install a free demo.

Enrolment Limit:12 students


Digital: Beyond the Basics
With Trina Koster
Six Week Course
Tuesdays, October 27 to December 1, 2009
7:00pm – 9:30pm
$240 + GST

Ok so now you have the basics covered, but what next?? Lenses, flashes, storing, printing, so much to cover in such little time.

The objective of Digital: Beyond the Basics is to familiarize you with the different equipment and techniques once you have mastered the basics of ISO, aperture and shutter speed.

Designed for intermediate level digital photographers, this course will probe deeper into lighting using flash, lenses and composition, as well as teach students how to develop their own professional digital workflow, master the shooting and processing of RAW files, and begin to previsualize images based on their ability to enhance their photographs in post, as well as understand the techniques of master photographers by reviewing and discussing their work. Weekly creative assignments and critique promote implementation of newly learned techniques and encourage experimentation using post-production to maximize your photo’s impact.

This intermediate workshop takes place in the fun and relaxed atmosphere of our professional studio, where questions are encouraged and the uniqueness of each student’s emerging creative vision is supported and celebrated.

Each class session brings a mix of hands-on experience and lecture on technical information in order to provide participants a solid base so they may support their own creative journey.

This course is designed for intermediate level digital photographers with an understanding of light meter, ISO, shutter speed and aperture. Upon completion of Digital: Beyond the Basics you are welcome to take any of our advanced level courses. 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
This course is for anyone wanting to develop the ability to take your photos to the next level. A digital SLR functions is required for this course.


Point and Shoot with Style Part I:

Understanding Your Digital Camera

With Trina Koster

One-day Course

Saturday, October 31st, 2009

9:00am – 12:00pm

$48 + GST



De-mystify those buttons and get the picture results you want!

Do you never take your camera off the “easy” mode, but you have always wanted to?

Do you measure the resolution of your camera in “mega-pickles”?

Do camera manuals make no sense to you?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then this one day workshop is for you!



Trina takes great joy in helping people understand how to get the most from their camera in a simple, fun and interactive way. Through demonstrations and visual examples you will learn what the most important features are on your camera and how to use them most effectively.



We will teach you about; image quality settings, digital photo memory, ISO settings, how an image is captured, what aperture and shutter speeds are and when and why to use different “scene modes”.



Our encouraging attitude and relaxed studio environment will put you at ease to be able to ask us ANY questions.



You will get a chance to try out all the buttons and features download your images for feedback and go home feeling like you have made friends with the tool that will capture your memories and record your stories.





The Magic Paintbrush:

Intro to Photoshop

With Femke Randeraad

4 Session Workshop 
Mondays, November 2nd, 9th, 16th & 23rd, 2009

7-9pm

$144 + GST

Discover the masterpiece hidden within your digital image!

Adobe Photoshop is the most powerful program out there that will help you get that ‘WOW’ factor in your photos.

Photo by Femke Randeraad



Our hands on Introduction to Photoshop workshop will teach you how to get started with using the basic functions plus more.



Techniques Taught;

• Using the Image Menu
• Opening, Creating a New File, Closing and Saving your file.
• A tour of the Toolbox
• Selection Tools (Marquee, Move, Lasso, Magic Wand, Crop and Slice)
• Retouching and Paint Tools (Healing Tools, Brush, Clone Stamp, History, Eraser, Fill Tools.
• Sharpen, Blur, Dodge, Burn and Sponge)
• Drawing and Type Tools
• Annotation and Measurements
• Foreground Color and Background Color
• Screen Modes
• Saving Images for Web
• Filters
• Layer Management and Working with Layers
• 6 things Photoshop will do for you automatically
• Cutting and Pasting
• Watermarking images
• Enhancing your portraits


There will be take-home assignments to help deepen your understanding of the concepts presented and provide valuable one-on-one feedback. These feedback sessions are often a course highlight, with many an exciting breakthroughs to follow.



By the end of the course you will have a greater awareness of how to take your images to the next level!



COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Students will require a laptop computer and an understanding of where their photographs are saved on the computer. Your laptop requires a copy of Photoshop CS, CS2 or CS3. 30-day demonstration copies of Photoshop are available at the studio.

Enrolment Limit: 8 students




Photo Cuba 2010, and Private Lessons!

PhotoCuba! Cultural Immersion with Camera
Workshop leaders: Trina Koster & Photo Cuba Team
February 21-28, 2010 at Los Galeones Hotel in the village of Chivirico, Santiago de Cuba

Photo Workshop fee/ Early Registration: $595 + GST (includes overnight trip to Santiago)
Registration after September 9th, 2009: $650+ GST (includes overnight trip to Santiago)
Registration after December 1st, 2009: $695+ GST (includes overnight trip to Santiago)

Cultural Workshop only $250 + GST ( includes overnight trip to Santiago, language and culture lessons only)

Travel fees approximately $1050 CAN/based on double occupancy (includes flight, air tax, hotel, food and all inclusive bar for 1 week)

Travel with Purpose! Have fun in the sun, get off the resort and experience the real Cuba! Meet wonderful people and connect with culture through photography.

With her 15 years experience as a portrait photographer, Trina will lead you in photography lessons on visual storytelling,the decisive moment, composition, sculpting light and capturing gestures. An emphasis will be made on connecting with people while immersing yourself in a new culture. This workshop is suitable for image makers coming from different levels of photography. If you are a beginner, you will not be lost, if you are advanced you will not be held back as each person will have their photographs personally reviewed and critiques customized to your level.

Throughout the week our team of instructors will give you feedback on your images. You will greatly benefit from this diverse group of artists. Along with Trina, the PhotoCuba team includes photographer and author Laura Taylor (www.lauraetaylor.com), graphic novel and commercial illustrator Scott Mooney (www.moon-man.com), cultural promoter Arisdan Balado Rodrigues and surrealistic Cuban painter, German Portuondo. German is also a professor of Fine Art, and director of the Guerimellio Galleria de Arte in Chivirico (in the village where we will be staying). In particular, German brings great insight and a truly unique Cuban perspective to the students understanding of their images.

By collaborating with local Cuban photo guides, we will help you to quickly connect to real people and the rhythm of daily life in Cuba. Chivirico is not a touristy town, instead you will find babies, school kids, seniors, fisherman, bakers, commuters, dogs, chickens and pigs going about their lives in the most natural of ways. These kinds of photographic opportunities usually reserved for professional journalists will be an abundant part of our program. (Please note, Cuba is one of the safest islands in the Caribbean to be walking around in)

Since you’ll be immersed in Cuban life through photography Laura and Arisdan will be teaching you basic Spanish lessons to help you communicate with your subjects. There will also be lectures in Cuban culture, music, dance and art to enhance your Cuban experience.

Mid-week we will venture out on an overnight trip to historical downtown Santiago de Cuba. Our excursion will include a guided tour of the streets of Santiago with options to visit the best museums and galleries. There will be a sunset photo shoot at El Morro Castle. Following that we will enjoy an authentic Cuban feast on a rooftop terrace overlooking the Santiago Bay Harbour. A private salsa dance lesson will prepare us to hit one of the local Salsa dance clubs afterwards. You will stay in a Casa Particular and experience the warmth and hospitality of Cubans. In the morning we will go to the farmer’s market, visit the Centro de Arte Gallery and then head back to our retreat at our cozy hotel in the mountains.

Los Galeones is a sweet little hotel situated between the Caribbean Sea and the famous Sierra Mountain Range. Chivirico is next door to Umbaro, where Castro and his comrades lead THE Revolution. On top of the small mountain is our laid back hotel where you can take a dip in the pool , enjoy a 360 degree view, gorgeous sunsets, and friendly staff. The hotel also has a private beach with snorkelling and a wonderful dog named “Lobey”

Our night time activities include sipping back Mojitos, while listening to one of the many fabulous musicians that play nightly at the hotel. This is a fun, socially interactive experience for people of all ages from teenagers to retirees, singles and couples. (We encourage travel companions to partake in the Cuban Cultural component.) Although this is a group workshop, participants should feel at ease knowing solitude time will be respected.

Since the inception of Photo Cuba, Chivirico now has a photo club “Photo Che”. In the past, students have brought donations of digital photo and computer equipment and art supplies to help support the access to image making. We also show gratitude to the people of Chivirico by bringing clothing donations to be distributed through the village.

Our Photo Cuba experience will wrap up with a Fiesta and slideshow celebrating the images from the week. This slideshow will go on to exhibit at the local gallery so the people in the community can enjoy the photos of themselves.

Photo Cuba is an adventure into the heart of Cuban culture, to a place as one student said “has soul”. A creative experience you’ll never forget is waiting to embrace you!
For more information please visit www.photocubaworkshop.com. On the “Gallery” page you will be able to see photos from previous students, images of the hotel, village and instructors.
To reserve your spot or if you have any questions please call Trina at 519-767-2948 or email info@trinakoster.com. We will be having an complete information session for enrolled Photo Cuba 2010 participants at Trina’s studio on Saturday November 21st at 11am.
Our annual Photo Cuba fundraiser will take place Saturday January 16th at 7pm at TKP.


Private Lessons
Private photography lessons are catered towards areas and skills that you would like to develop. From beginner to advanced hobbyist -- learn the essentials, absorb an expert philosophy and master your passion! Private mentoring is very informal and fun, yet focused to help you fine tune your vision or get past that mental block that is preventing you from taking your photography to a higher level. All private packages include a curriculum that is tailored for your skill level and existing knowledge in photography.

Single 1 hour lesson $75
Five hour package $325
Ten hour package $500 + one additional hour free