Learning to Photograph Everyone

Some time ago while browsing around at the Penn Camera store, I saw an ad for Clay Blackmore & Co. Clay was going to have a seminar on April 29 called How to Photograph Everyone and he had a great photo that he used for the ad. I picked up a postcard about the seminar and read how the seminar was to emphasize posing, lighting, composition, and expression. The seminar was to also talk about what people like and don't like in portraits and to have the photographer confidently produce consistent results using a few thoughts and techniques. Clay is one of Canon’s Explorers of Light and a member of the elite Cameracraftsmen group. I'm always up for building upon the foundation of what I've already learned in photography and I also believe in getting back to the basics.

The seminar was at the visarts center in Rockville Town Center and I was amazed at the visarts center with the classes and things offered there. As I walked into the room where the seminar was held, I was impressed with the set up of the room. As Clay started his seminar, I was immediately drawn to his candor and speaking style. He went through his seminar sharing practical information and showed us examples with his photography and with the use of people to show lighting and posing. A couple assistants along with people who know Clay helped him out during the seminar and I got the sense that he had good relationships with the people in the room. He spoke with respect and admiration for Monte Zucker, the master photographer that Clay assisted and learned many things from about photography.

The seminar went for about four hours and afterward a few of us helped Clay & Co break down everything to store it upstairs. In one of the rooms I got to see more of the tribute that Clay & Co have for Monte Zucker, especially with a large and detailed lightbox that was on a wall that showed some of his life and times. Monte passed knowledge to Clay and many people are the recipients of that knowledge. I got the Capture & Creativity DVD from Clay which talked about much of the things he taught in the seminar he gave this night. I was able to get in a couple pictures with Clay and hang out with the crowd that was left at the end of the night at Gordon Biersch.

This was a great night and a very inspirational one at that. One of the main things I took away from this seminar is more of a recognition of making people look good and feel comfortable about pictures of them and the relationship with them. Another take away is to do what I can to get the shot right and not just settle. I've done these things, yet I want to keep building on these qualities. You could know a lot about technique, but if your heart is not into it, then where is it?