The Speedliter’s Extended™ workshop is an intense, hands-on week. In a small group environment, you will learn about gear, technique and most-importantly the Speedliter’s vision. Knowing how to turn features on and off is one thing. Knowing the when and why of using Speedlites to pursue your vision is entirely another.

You will be shooting every day in a variety of situations and locations. Monday starts with a very safe assignment: make portraits of a classmate. (Insider’s tip: you’ll learn far more about being a photographer by standing in front of the lens than behind the camera with this assignment). For the rest of the week, you’ll be photographing a range of models in a variety of locations around Paso Robles. Since Paso is Syl’s hometown, you never know who is going to show up as a model: a winemaker, a dancer, a mechanic, an artist, the fire chief… Our locations will be indoors and outside.

As for gear and technique, we will thoroughly explore one-, two-, and three-flash set-ups. Along the way, we’ll explore the when and how of using Speedlites in both manual and E-TTL settings. We’ll get our Speedlites off-camera in both corded and wireless situations. We’ll learn how to how to use a wide range of modifiers on our Speedlites – including umbrellas, softboxes, grids, and snoots. We’ll master Canon’s built-in wireless control and then move beyond with newer technology – like RadioPoppers. We’ll learn to mix Speedlites with other sources of light and how to use gels for color-correction and dramatic effect.

More importantly – we’ll step outside the realm of gear and technique with an on-going dialogue about how to use Speedlites to express your vision as a photographer. We’ll compare how you see versus how your camera sees. We’ll talk about light – both the light around us and the light we create.

Paso Robles Workshops / PRW

Paso Robles is a charming small town in the coastal hills about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It is also Syl Arena’s home town. In 2009, Syl launched the Paso Robles Workshops as a boutique photography school that produces just a handful of programs each year.

During it’s first year, PRW produced two week-long workshops for Joe McNally and the first-ever week-long Strobist workshop for David Hobby. For 2010, PRW shifted its focus to producing Syl’s Speedliter’s Intensive seminar tour in the US and UK. The Speedliter’s Extended marks the return of the week-long workshop format to Paso Robles.

For more information about PRW and to see galleries of student work from past workshops, click here to jump over to the PRW site.

Meals: The workshop provides lunches daily. Don’t expect it to be a quickie deli sandwich. Paso is the hub of California’s central coast wine district. We have many great restaurants, bistros, and cafes. Most students head home after a week in Paso with as many memories about the food as they have about the photography. For more about dining in Paso Robles, jump over to this page on the PRW site.

Lodging: Paso Robles has a wide range of hotels, motels, B&Bs, and guest rooms. For a list, check out this page on the PRW site.

Student Galleries from 2009 Workshops

• Joe McNally ‘Hot Shoe Diaries’ Workshop – April, 2009
• David Hobby ‘Strobist’ Workshop – May, 2009
• Joe McNally ‘Hot Shoe Diaries’ Workshop – October, 2009
.

Typical Workshop Outline*

• Monday – Canon Speedlite 101: The how and why of getting your Speedlite off your camera, the basics of manual flash, basic light modification. Mixing ambient with flash in one-light portraits.
• Tuesday – Canon Speedlite 102: Decoding E-TTL. Intro to wireless Speedliting. Location shoot focusing on two-light set-ups,
• Wednesday – Mixing manual and E-TTL flash. More one- and two-light photography on location.
• Thursday – High-speed Sync: how to dim the sun and stop time. Location shoot focusing on high-speed sync and 1- to 3-Speedlites.
• Friday – Gang Light: crafting unique light with a dozen or more Speedlites (and why studio lights can’t do this).

* Workshop Outline is subject to change at the discretion of instructor – based upon location availability, weather and student resources.

Registration – Seats are still available. To register – click here to jump over to the PRW registration page.

Enrollment – This workshop is limited to 15 students.

Team Structure – Students will work in teams of 3 on location shoots – with each student rotating through the position of photographer, grip and assistant.

Skill Level – Novice-plus to Advanced, Students must be familiar with the basics of digital photography and their Canon DSLR. You need not be versed in the use of Canon Speedlites.

Portfolio Review – A simple portfolio review is required for admission. For details click here.

Camera Gear – Required: Canon DSLR, a couple of lenses, at least one Canon Speedlite (with rechargeable batteries and charger). Optional: more Canon Speedlites, small light stands, modifiers, radio triggers

Computer Gear – laptop with Lightroom, Aperture or Bridge/Photoshop. You will want to be able to get your best images collected for daily critiques.

Suggested Reading -

• Syl Arena Speedliter’s Handbook (coming summer 2010)
• Syl Arena LIDLIPS Lessons I Didn’t Learn In Photo School
• David Hobby Strobist.com
• Joe McNally Hot Shoe Diaries

Tuition – $1,550 – includes 5-day workshop, location and model fees, lunch daily and class dinner (Thursday or Friday night). Not included: transportation, lodging, breakfasts and dinners (other than workshop-hosted class dinner).

Installment Plan / Discount – An installment plan is available that will spread tuition payment out over several months. Or, you can SAVE $100 by paying your tuition as a lump sum upon your acceptance into the workshop. Details are described on the registration page.

Registration – Seats are still available. To register – click here to jump over to the PRW registration page.

^ Gang Light – only Syl would come up with something so… innovative.

[mappress]