Two Special Classes for Artists

How to Photograph Your Artwork. Simple techniques using the equipment you have to photograph your artwork. November 5, 9:30 to 11AM.

Making Postcards and Business Cards. Spread the word of your artistic skills by putting your art on your business card, and by making postcards. You will need the skill set equivalent to Introduction to Digital Photography to make sense of this class.

November 5, 12:30 to 3 PM. Each class is $25 in advance (or $30 on the day of class). A 15% discount will be given to those registering for both classes.

For questions on these classes or to register, please contact Steve Allen at 221-0363, e-mail him at: steve.sjaphoto@gmail.com, or visit his studio at the poudre River Arts Center: 406 North College #216, Fort Collins, CO 80524 (Entry near the NorthWest corner of the building).

Painting With Light

Use a mini-maglite ™ to photograph a floral arrangement or still life in a dark space??  Are you kidding?  Well, no I’m not.  It’s amazing!  Come to this class with your camera and check it out?  You will need a camera that can be operated in manual mode and a tripod!

December 10, 9AM to 1PM.  $30 in advance, $36 the day of class.  Registration deadline for this class is October 29.

 

 

Very Undigital Photography

All this digital stuff got you down? Tired of all those people walking around in a smartphone induced stupor? Does FaceBook(tm) give you the vapors? Do you wonder what ever happened to REAL instant photography? In this class weʼll have some fun, use the new film for Polaroid(tm) cameras made by the Impossible Project, do some image transfers, discuss the incredible art of Lomography, and maybe even hand color a photograph. Several of theseundigital techniques will be demoed on First Friday, October 7. Class will be on Wednesday October 26 from 3 to 6PM, and Saturday October 29 from 1 to 5PM.

The Instructor: Steve Allen is a Fine Art Photographer and Painter. He is a member of the Poudre Studio Artists. Steve has been taking photographs since he was 8, and has been exhibiting professionally for the last 12 years. You can find out more about him at: stephenjallen.com or on his blog: stephenjallen.wordpress.com.

What you will need: A Polaroid (SX-70 or 600) camera would be terrific if you have one. Availability of these cameras will be discussed in class. If you have some 35mm slides that would be great (to make transfers from). For fun and more info, please visit theimpossibleproject.com and lomography.com. Cost for the class is $50 in advance, or $60 the day of class. Registration deadline October 19. Remember: The Future is Analog!

For questions on this class or to register, please contact Steve Allen at

steve.sjaphoto@gmail.com, or visit his studio at the Poudre River Arts Center: 406 North College #216, Fort Collins, CO 80524 (Entry near the NorthWest corner of the building).

The Eloquent Landscape in Digital Black and White

Stephen J Allen Fine Art

Photographing the landscape is a spiritual experience. Using our digital SLR cameras, we will set out to find the secrets of the beauty within the Northern Colorado landscape. During class, we will work on a digital workflow using Adobe LightRoom(tm) and other digital processes to express our points of view. We will finish up our adventure by learning how to create and display exhibition photographs in a gallery setting. Our show, The Eloquent Landscape, will open First Friday December 2nd in the Small Gallery at The Poudre River arts Center!

This workshop is for intermediate photographers who own a digital slr, a computer, and have access to Adobe LightRoom ™. A free 30 day trial version of LightRoom is available from Adobe.com. Classes will be held 6 to 9 PM Tuesday September 6, 20, October, 4, 11, November 1, 8 and 15. Field trips will be scheduled in September and October.The Instructor: Steve Allen is a Fine Art Photographer and Painter. He is a member of the Poudre Studio Artists. Steve has been taking photographs since he was 8, and has been exhibiting professionally for the last 12 years. You can find out more about him at: stephenjallen.com, or on his blog: stephenjallen.wordpress.com.

The first half of the class will feature demos, lectures, and discussions. If you have a computer you can bring to class, please consider staying for the computer lab during the second half of the class. There may be additional charges in relation to the classʼs gallery show. Registration deadline is August 30. For the six sessions, the pricing is as follows:

Demos and discussions: $115 (in advance) $130 first day of class Demos, discussions and computer lab: $165 (in advance) $180 first day of ” class

For questions on these classes or to register, please contact Steve Allen at 221-0363 or e-mail him at: steve.sjaphoto@gmail.com, or visit his studio at the poudre River Arts Center: 406 North College #216, Fort Collins, CO 80524 (Entry near the NorthWest corner of the building).

Introduction to Digital Photography for Fall 2011

Stephen J Allen Fine Art

We live in a visual age. With the new digital technology, photographs are everywhere.Are you in a quandary about how to find your visual voice? Do you want to be part of this visual conversation? This is a class in how to get started, and we will start with the basics. By the end of the class you will hopefully be confident with your camera, and be able to share your photographs with satisfaction. Six classes on Thursdays 3 to 6 PM on September 8, 15, 22 and October 6, 13 and 27 and a walking field trip to Old Town Fort Collins.

What you will learn during this class:

1. What kind of camera do you need?
2. How to take better photos.
3. How to use digital editing software to improve and enhance your photos.
4. How to organize and keep track of all your new photos!
5. Ways to display your photos.
6. How to share your photos with family and friends across the internet.
7. And more!

The Instructor: Steve Allen is a Fine Art Photographer and Painter. He is a member of the Poudre Studio Artists. Steve has been taking photographs since he was 8, and has been exhibiting professionally for the last 12 years. You can find out more about him at: stephenjallen.com, or on his blog: stephenjallen.wordpress.com. What you will need: A digital camera, and a computer capable of running Adobe Photoshop Elements. A free 30 day trial version of PhotoShop Elements is available from Adobe.com.
The first half of the class will feature demos, lectures, and discussions. If you have a computer you can bring to class, please consider staying for the computer lab during the second half of the class. Registration deadline is September 1. For the six sessions, the pricing is as follows:  Demos and discussions: $90 (in advance) $100 first day of class Demos, discussions and computer lab: $140 (in advance) $155 first day of class
For questions on these classes or to register, please contact Steve Allen at 221-0363 or e-mail steve.sjaphoto@gmail.com. You can also visit his studio at the poudre River Arts Center: 406 North College #216, Fort Collins, CO 80524 (Entry near the NorthWest corner of the building).

Steve’s PhotoNar Series

Steve’s PhotoNar Series

What’s a PhotoNar? A photography seminar. Come join long time photographer Steve Allen as he discusses current topics in the land of pixels and light and watch some demos.

Being Resolute about Resolution: The basics of digital photography. How do you transfer files from your camera to your computer? What is resolution, anyway? Backing up is (not) hard to do. These, and other basic photography questions will be answered during this seminar. Thursday March 10th, 6-8 pm. $10.

Steve’s 10 Favorite Digital Editing Tips: Always edit in layers. What the heck is a layer? Come find that out, and more as Steve uses PhotoShop Elements to improve photographs using this basic digital editing software package. Wednesday March 16th, 6 to 8 pm. $10. If you are new to digital editing, you may want to try: Basic Digital Editing with Photoshop Elements on February 23. $15.

Organizing and Finding your Digital Photographs: Okay, your photo files are on your computer. So, do you have to store your computer in a shoe box along with all of your old negatives? How is img_0362.jpg different than img_4498.jpg? This can be figured out. Help is out there. Really! Wednesday February 23, 6 to 8 pm. $15.

Making Business Cards and Post Cards. You have a nice photo of a painting or something you need to tell people about. Why not display it on a postcard or business card, so you can spread the word far and wide? Thursday March 3, 4 to 6 pm. $10.

Composing A Good Photo: Some photographs you won’t even show your mother. And, without knowing, you may have a photo that belongs in a gallery, where people will be able to stare at it for hours! What’s the difference? And how can we aim for better photos every time we shoot? Thursday March 24, 6 to 8 pm. $10.

Doing the Digital Black and White Rag: Back in the BD (before digital) days, black and white photography was enjoyed– and became a passion– by many. Digital changed that, for a while. But Black and White is back! And you don’t have to spend extra money on plug-in software, either! Monday April 4, 6 to 8:30. Please bring your laptop computer, if you have one! $15

Basic Digital Editing with Photoshop Elements: Can I PhotoShop that out? Wouldn’t a flying hotdog look good over Long’s Peak? We won’t be talking about these advanced subjects. But, we will talk over the very basics to get you started on your road to pixel paradise! Saturday February 26th, 9:30 to noon. $15.

Future PhotoNars:

All Those Apps: I don’t know about you, but my iDevices are filling up with photo apps. I’ve heard good things about them, but are they worth it? Are they worth figuring out how to use, or are they one more gadget that gets in the way? Can you really use them in the field?

More to come!

Questions? Or to register, please e-mail Steve at steve.sjaphoto@gmail.com or call him at 970-221-0363. I MUST KNOW one week in advance if you would like to come to one of my PhotoNars, so I can have enough materials ready, and make sure there is enough interest in the subject. If you have any subjects to suggest for future PhotoNars, or if you are interested in one of the seminars but can’t make the time, please let Steve know! Popular PhotoNars will be scheduled again in the future!

PAINTING WITH PASTELS: An Introduction

PAINTING WITH PASTELS: An Introduction
Where: Poudre River Arts Center PSA Classroom
When: Monday March 14 from 6 to 8 PM
Doodling on your iPad got you down? Can’t find that one digital photograph that’s somewhere on your 1.5 Tb hard disk? Why not be a part of 350 years of image making! Once you see the brilliance of pure color pigments at work, you’ll wonder why the fascination with digital media!
Come join pastel artist Steve Allen for an introduction to the world of pastels, and have a chance to rub some colored chalk across some paper, just like Leonardo da Vinci did. This class is for the beginner , and will cover basic materials and pastel techniques. The instructor will demo all techniques in the class.
The Instructor: Steve Allen is a member of the Poudre Studio Artists. Steve has been painting with pastels for 10 years, and has been exhibiting his work throughout Colorado. You can find out more about him at: stephenjallen.com, or on his blog: stephenjallen.wordpress.com
What you will need: Materials will be provided. All you need is your willingness to learn! There will be a $10 materials fee for the class. You must register by March 7 to insure a seat in this class.
Questions? Or to register, please call Steve at 970-221-0363 or e-mail him at steve.sjaphoto@gmail.com.
To find the classroom, please enter the PSA gallery at 406 North College (on the NORTHWEST corner of the building, off of College Avenue).

BASIC DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Where: Poudre River Arts Center PSA Classroom

When: Six Wednesday Evenings, 6 to 9PM, Starting February 9, 2011

What you will learn:
What kind of camera do you need?
How to take better photos.
How to use digital editing software to improve and enhance your photos.
How to organize and keep track of all your new photos!
How to share your photos with family and friends across the internet.
Other cool stuff!

The Instructor: Steve Allen is a Fine Art Photographer and Painter. He is a member of the Poudre Studio Artists. Steve has been taking photographs since he was 8, and has been exhibiting professionally for the last 10 years. You can find out more about him at: stephenjallen.com, or on his blog: stephenjallen.wordpress.com
What you will need: A digital camera, and a computer capable of running Adobe Photoshop Elements version 6 or better. Computer commands differ from editor to editor, and instructions will NOT be provided for other software. If you can bring a laptop computer to class, great! Please let me know when you register.

Cost: $125 for the 6 sessions. There will be a minimum of 3 participants for the class, and a maximum of 8.

Special Class Ad-On: Making your own business cards and postcards using your favorite photos. The cost for the extra class is $25. This class will be held March 2nd.

Questions? Or To Register, please call Steve at 970-221-0363 or e-mail him at steve.sjaphoto@gmail.com.
To find the classroom, please enter the PSA gallery at 406 North College (on the NORTHWEST corner of the building, off of College Avenue).

New Class: Basic Pastel Painting

Where: Poudre River Arts Center PSA Classroom
When: Six Thursday Afternoons, 3 to 6PM, Starting February 10, 2011
This class is suitable for the beginner, and will cover basic materials, pastel techniques, composition, and more! The instructor will demo all techniques covered in the class.
The Instructor: Steve Allen is a Fine Art Photographer and Painter. He is a member of the Poudre Studio Artists. Steve has been painting with pastels for 10 years, and has been exhibiting his work throughout Colorado. You can find out more about him at: stephenjallen.com, or on his blog: stephenjallen.wordpress.com
What you will need: Materials will be provided for the first class. As the class progresses, please feel free to bring your new art supplies!
Cost: $125 for the 6 sessions. There will be a minimum of 3 participants for the class, and a maximum of 8.
Questions? Or To Register, please call Steve at 970-221-0363 or e-mail him at steve.sjaphoto@gmail.com.

BASIC PASTEL PAINTING class handout