Thanks!

"Corey Ann is a Wedding and Portrait Photographer in Northeast Ohio. Her work has been featured in books and magazines across the country. You can read the original blog post here Brides Against Breast Cancer."

The first ‘agenda’ for WPPI was my Plus Class with Cliff Mautner which I signed up for with two good friends from last year, Kate McElwee and Zach Goodyear. I was going between who to take a class with and I’m glad that Kate and Zach helped me choose Cliff. His class was by far one of the best I have ever attended and I learned so much in two days it is unimaginable. The first day we focused on using available light, any time of the day and the second day we focused on flash and how to set up great shots during all parts of a typical wedding day. Cliff is a great teacher – probably one of the best that I have learned from – and has a great personality. So many things that always seemed beyond me just ‘clicked’ when he broke it down and explained it in layman’s terms. Any photographers out there thinking of taking a class with him should absolutely do it, he’s amazing!

The first day we got a lot of hands on experience so I’m going to show a few pics I took on Thursday. Friday we watched Cliff since there were a lot of issues with shooting indoors with the casino (boo on them!) so I don’t have much to show from that day but I promise I learned a lot

Next post… Vegas Wedding Project!

Here we are using window light for bridal portraits similar to what we would do the day of a wedding for getting ready images at a hotel.

Recognize Andy? He was our model last year for my Plus Class with Mike Colon.

This is when we went into the courtyard (which is not pretty!) to use ‘ugly’ overhead bright sun to create good bride and groom portraits. I didn’t get a lot but I do love this shot!

A blend between rim lighting and a silhouette. I kind of like it

"Corey Ann is a Wedding and Portrait Photographer in Northeast Ohio. Her work has been featured in books and magazines across the country. You can read the original blog post here WPPI 2009: Plus Class with Cliff Mautner."

Rosanna, Mike Colon, Jared and Mike Mijangos head to the first spot for shooting for the day. 

Natalie Norton goes into the fields for the perfect shot.

Scarlett Lillian showing off her perfect photography posture!

Mike Mijangos gets creative and uses a plaque to help steady the shot.

Just another day of shooting the gorgeous Rosanna and handsome Jared! (L to R) Mike Colon, Mike Mijangos, Sommer Holden, Erin Kline, Johanna Tano and Gavin Wade.

Natalie Norton has the craziest poses of anyone I know but she gets awesome shots for going the distance! She’s in the pic above but Mike Colon is blocking her in my shot.

It wasn’t easy getting a clear shot of Rosanna and Jared (as you can see from the shot above) so I looked up and loved the pattern of the branches of the tree and shot that instead. Kind of bizarre but I like it!

After the third or fourth car got us off the road with the trees, we decided to head down to the beach and continue shooting there. I am a beach girl so I had to take a few shots of the gorgeous landscape that my eyes beheld!!!

This is the first time I’ve ever seen serious surfers in action so I had to take a shot of someone hangin’ ten!

Mike borrowed my shorter lens to work with the off camera lighting so I got to play with his monster 200 2.0 lens for a bit. Again, I couldn’t get a clear shot of Rosanna and Jared so I went for Mike but he caught me!

Scarlett makes the BEST faces for the camera!!!! She’s too fun to shoot!

Scarlett getting her winning shot of the day of Rosanna and Jared on the beach after sunset. Mike Mijangos is assisting by holding the light off to the side of the frame.

Final shot of the gorgeous beach after sunset – again, I love moon shots over the ocean!!!

"Corey Ann is a Wedding and Portrait Photographer in Northeast Ohio. Her work has been featured in books and magazines across the country. You can read the original blog post here Hawaii Day Three: Kapaula Sights."

 

I believe Jared had licked her cheek! 

Not the best technically but the sequence made me giggle, wonder what she told him???

This shot of Rosanna and Jared in the field won me one of the top pic choices of the day of the class! Scarlett Lillian won but gave up her spot since she’d won already (aww) so this is technically the runner up but it still made me giddy!

The other choice for the top pic after Scarlett’s two and the other one above! Made for a great ending to my week!

I love the look of this shot, reminds me of a cologne ad.

Shot with Mike Adrian’s one-light setup with pocket wizards.

Shot with onboard flash unit using settings that Mike Colon taught me while others were taking their turns with the off camera lighting setup. I really love this shot, probably due to the moon! I have a thing with moon shots over the ocean…

"Corey Ann is a Wedding and Portrait Photographer in Northeast Ohio. Her work has been featured in books and magazines across the country. You can read the original blog post here Hawaii Day Three: Rosanna and Jared."

Now… the post! Day two of shooting in Maui – this time around the area where the house was located at where the workshop was held. The house was in Lahaina but in the foothills of the West Maui Mountain. There was an interesting forest behind it which made for some unique pictures and the skies were really interesting that day changing light constantly. Enjoy the shots!

 

View from the house towards the mountain. 

The class heading to the shoot location.

Mike instructs Chris and Katie on what to do next.

(L to R) Rosanna, Sommer Holden, Joanna Tano, Scarlett Lillian, Gavin Wade, Mike Colon and Erin Kline.

Crazy Maui skies.

Luke Edmonson and his monster lens.

Mike shooting Chris and Katie.

Luke shows that photographers will get into some crazy positions to get the right shot!

Shot of the houses Mike & the gang were staying at. The workshop/photog house is the one with the white peak. SUCH a great house!!

"Corey Ann is a Wedding and Portrait Photographer in Northeast Ohio. Her work has been featured in books and magazines across the country. You can read the original blog post here Hawaii Day Two: The Sights."

"Corey Ann is a Wedding and Portrait Photographer in Northeast Ohio. Her work has been featured in books and magazines across the country. You can read the original blog post here Hawaii Day Two: Chris and Katie."

(L to R) The awesome duo of Scarlett Lillian and Erin Kline of Gavin Wade Photographers taking some smokin’ shots of Rosanna and Jared.

The amazing and super sweet Natalie Norton getting into position for a shot of Rosanna and Jared.

Erin gets some advice from Mike Mijangos whom was so awesomely helpful during the workshop.

On our way down Front Street, the access to one of the beaches was being roped off with caution tape.  I looked over the edge of the decking to see why and saw this amazing beauty.  This is a Hawaiian Monk Seal which is an endangered species and only is seen in Hawaii.  I was seriously STOKED.  Don’t worry, this guy (or gal?) is fine.  They just come to shore to chill out from time to time.  I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get a few pics though so I had to take a pitstop while the others kept going to get a couple shots.  I don’t regret it for a moment.  This was one of the highlights of the trip for me.  I’m such an animal lover

Close up of this awesome guy!!!  All taken with a zoom from a respectful distance

Sunset from downtown Lahaina.

The adorable Natalie again. I LOVED her shirts.  This lady has killer taste in clothing people!  AND she warned me about the sea urchin down here I almost stepped on in my bare feet.  YIKES!  That would have outranked my cactus story I think, thankfully she saved me.

Rosanna and Jared sittin’ in a tree… first comes love, then comes a bunch of photographers!!!
(L to R) The Poker Queen Carla Jalbert, Scarlett Lillian and Natalie Norton.

No day is a bad day when it ends like this.  Ahhhhh I miss Maui!

"Corey Ann is a Wedding and Portrait Photographer in Northeast Ohio. Her work has been featured in books and magazines across the country. You can read the original blog post here Hawaii Day One: Downtown Lahaina."

"Corey Ann is a Wedding and Portrait Photographer in Northeast Ohio. Her work has been featured in books and magazines across the country. You can read the original blog post here Hawaii Day One: Joelle and Andrew."

Thanks so much to David for being such a wonderful teacher and Cat for setting everything up!

Shot of the few of us that were there until the end.  I’m in the dead middle (boy the shootsac isn’t very flattering as a silhouette is it?) and David is the one on the far left.  Fun shot!

"Corey Ann is a Wedding and Portrait Photographer in Northeast Ohio. Her work has been featured in books and magazines across the country. You can read the original blog post here Shoot with Beckstead."

 The classes bascially were about the basics of photography and learning how to find and shoot natural light correctly.  Each day we had a morning session of learning the craft and the afternoons were spent with models implementing what we learned during the day.  The first day we had Jen & Adam as our models and the second day we had Krystal & Adam (same guy, different gals) as our models.  I feel that I learned a lot from Mike – especially when it comes to determing light sources!  I also learned how to pay attention more to what is in the background that could be potentially distracting when shooting.  He also had his assistant/friend/sidekick Ray Santana along with him for the class and I also learned a lot from Ray. 

I felt bad for both guys though who were mystified with my manners.  When it comes to fighting 20 people for a shot, I’m the first to bow out.  I got elbowed in the head a few times and someone hit me with their lens (some of these lenses aren’t light!  ow!).  Photography isn’t a contact sport in my world so I chose to go for the odd angles and try and get what I can.  Both Ray & Mike by the second day were trying to not be great teachers but were also shoving me in for the good shots and looking out for me.  They were both fantastic.  I can’t say enough things about them.  Anyone that gets a chance to take Mike’s workshop absolutely should!! 

Below are some shots I got during the two-day class!

 Ray Santana at work… with the new lens I want!

 Some of the class and Mike shooting the models (Mike is in the green shirt):

"Corey Ann is a Wedding and Portrait Photographer in Northeast Ohio. Her work has been featured in books and magazines across the country. You can read the original blog post here WPPI Plus Class with Mike Colón (and Ray Santana)."