What kind of class would you want?

[mlphoto]

What topic would you want covered in a Super Monday class?

[Holly_Howe]

If you've read the thread I started under business - I would like to learn intervieing techniques to selct good employees.

Holly

[Don_Eisenhart]

How about how to show traditional wedding photographers a few pj tricks, and then how to show pj guys a trick or two about lighting and posing?

[PatrickFaries]

How about proper equipment maintenance. It's so essential yet I see so few people who actually do it without help.

[Liz_Vance]

I would love love LOVE it if someone taught a class on framing. Not just the how-to's of building a frame (but including that), but on all the other stuff that goes along with it. How to pick what looks good with what, when to use a mat, when to use spacers, what the difference is with the various glass/plastics, etc. I know some of it, but not everything. I would really like it if one of the framing companies offered a seminar at the state convention (particularly the VPPA, since that's where I'm located!)

And not just framing, now that I'm thinking about it. The whole "what do you after the prints come back from the lab" process. Folders. Boxes. Frames. Bags. All this stuff that you have to figure out on your own. I had no clue how to present my work to clients. I thought, at first, that I was being cool by giving it to them in window envelopes. Blech! I would have saved so much time and money if I could have found all this information in one place.

[john_camp]

Teach classic wedding portraiture, discussing what is actually hauled to and used at the wedding.

Would want to avoid a bunch of 'hand waving' about outdoor portraits, ambient lighting and so on, and stick with classic on site wedding portraits with a background and studio lighting.

[Adam_Squier]

I would love love LOVE it if someone taught a class on framing.

The issue with this is that there are so many people who have different ideas about what is the "right" way to frame. Some would never, ever mount anything that would go into a frame, but insist on a 4- or 8-ply rag mat (where you can count the plies and they're all the same color) with a 2- or 4-ply backing hinged to the mat and the photograph either hinged with rice paper or with clear plastic corners. Then an AF Fome-Cor backing and museum glass.

Others are much less picky. If I were to judge what most photographers frame with by what our local frame supplier sells to them, it's mostly paper mats (not alpha-cellulose) with corrugated cardboard backs and regular glass.

You'll get opinions on whether UV-blocking glass (or acrylic) is necessary for photos. Whether mounting on masonite is a good idea or not. Or mounting on anything, for that matter. The issue is that most photos that are sold are mostly plastic, anyway, so does it matter? I'd say yes, but that is a good argument.

Will the picture turn brown from a paper mat? I don't know. I'd rather be safe than sorry. But then, I come from a fine art background and worked in one of the top framing places in Minneapolis for several years.

So, a class on framing might be more confusing than helpful. ;-)

[Deb_Wat]

I would love to take a class on facial analysis.

[Adam_Squier]

Teach classic wedding portraiture, discussing what is actually hauled to and used at the wedding.

Would want to avoid a bunch of 'hand waving' about outdoor portraits, ambient lighting and so on, and stick with classic on site wedding portraits with a background and studio lighting.

Sounds like you want to take a Monte class. He has a LOT of information on his site about this. He also (for Deb) teaches a lot on facial analysis.

Unfortunately, he's not doing a lot of teaching any more, but he does have several books and booklets available that are very helpful.

www.montezucker.com

[KirkDarling]

I took a couple of semesters at Chaminade University where they had a neat class option. As late as the first day of classes, if any five students could find a willing (qualified) professor, they could immediately set up any course they wanted.