Are you a hands-on learner?

As the wife of a teacher, I hear about all different types of learning. One line that always makes me smile is my husband saying “Are you the SAGE ON THE STAGE or the GUIDE BY THE SIDE?”  and he’s exactly right.  There are all sorts of online classes and workshops you can pay for — and yes, they are sometimes inexpensive and you can stay at home in your pajamas — but is that the learning environment you need?  An in-person workshop offers so much more!

Finn b on b

We teach you each technique using YOUR camera, in the company of a small group of other photographers that also share their experiences and love of animals. And we’ve got a massive amount of lighting equipment that you can experiment with as you decide which works best for you.

 

unleashed workshops teresa berg photography

How exciting is it to meet other pet-inspired photographers from around the country (and sometimes other countries) and hear about what they shoot and sell?  What equipment they use and how they use it?  One of the reasons we teach is to expand our learning, too!  We say good-bye to each group with a refreshed perspective on our own style and projects and through the private online facebook group, the learning and friendships continue for years to come.

We work with live models, hand-selected by Teresa and dog trainer, Robin Terrell of Good Dog Fetch so you get a variety for your portfolio – and so you get the experience of managing dogs during a photo shoot.  We talk about dog body language, temperament, how to light different types of fur, and every aspect of making them look good.

unleashed workshop teresa berg dallas

 

Afraid to pick up your camera in front of other photographers?  Don’t be! We’re a small group and NOBODY knows it all. More than anything else we want you to be successful — whether you’re just starting out, just adding pet photography to your portfolio, or just wanting to do a better job for your local shelter.  We will give you so much good information your brain will yell “stop!”

This year we’re adding a segment on WORKFLOW – so you’ll see images shot during the workshop go from RAW files to finished ready-to-print jpegs (or TIFF files).  Need help speeding up the editing process?  Removing leashes? White balance? We’ll cover it.

Our 2017 workshop is $995, which includes lunches and snacks.  Our Saturday night group dinner at a nearby restaurant is optional, but tons of fun. We have a group rate at a nearby Marriott for only $78 per night and you won’t need a rental car. You will only need transportation to the hotel from the airport but after that, we have plenty of people with cars to shuttle back and forth to the studio.

So let us be your GUIDE BY THE SIDE and join us this summer! Call the studio at 972-250-2415 or email us : TERESA@teresaberg.com

Make your summer photography plans now!

Our 2017 Studio Shooters workshop is open for registration.  And besides being one of the BEST workshops for shooting pets in the studio, we are moving to a great new space with two camera rooms and lots of room for all your creative ideas.

Join us July 14-16th at Teresa Berg Photography in Dallas for 3 days of intense, fun-filled shooting with live models and just about every lighting toy you have ever thought about trying. All you bring is the camera!  Call to register by phone with a credit card (workshop fee is $995) or email us  :  teresa@teresaberg.com and we’ll answer your questions and reserve your spot. 972-250-2415   Only 10 attendees will be accepted so everyone gets lots of hands-on shooting time.

pet photography workshop Unleashed
Meatball poses in the studio

Studio Shooters 2016 was a hit!

We just wrapped up our fourth annual Studio Shooters pet photography workshop and had a great group of photographers sharing ideas and learning.  We covered so many different techniques that I know they left with their heads spinning — but hopefully we de-mystified some of the behind the scenes work that goes in to photographing dogs in the studio.

With a variety of backgrounds (thank you, Intuition Backgrounds for donating one of their awesome designs as a door prize) and lighting systems, each attendee can now choose the system that fits their needs. Whether it’s a portable set up that travels to client’s homes or studio strobes that live in a permanent creative space — they all got experience and can now choose which system they will focus on.  And now, without fear — they are UNLEASHED to be even more creative with light.

Thanks to everyone for their willingness to look at things in a different way and share.

pit bull portraits teresa berg

Four seats left to our Studio Shooters Workshop: July 8-10

Our annual Studio Shooters workshop is right around the corner and we’ve got a great group of photographers flying in from around the country to explore creating light. In this world of “everybody’s a photographer” it’s more important than every to differentiate yourself from the crowd.  Studio lighting doesn’t just happen in a studio –it applies to many lighting situations and is what will set you apart from all the hobbyists in your area. And that’s the name of the game. Setting yourself apart. One of my favorite quotes is from Steve Martin (the comedian) who says, “Be so good they can’t ignore you.”

For me, that meant developing skills that other photographers in my area didn’t have. Interesting and creative ways of using light. I want someone to look at my images and 1) feel an emotional response, and 2) wonder “how did she do that?”

This workshop is really special to me. It’s a treat to take the time and shoot creatively (and not just try to get what the client wants). I get to drag out all my favorite pieces of equipment and try new things while we all learn together what’s possible. It’s hands on from the start, and you’re learning with YOUR camera in your hands. We have a great list of dog models lined up (and even a few people to pose with their dogs) for us to use.

We’ll learn studio strobes, continuous light, video light, speedlites, natural light in the studio, ring lights, and every combination of the above that we feel like exploring. Many of our attendees are setting up their first studio and need to figure out what lighting system to buy for the amount of space they have available. So bring your questions and we’ll tailor our learning to the needs of the group.  But you have to sign up!  The tuition is $995 which includes lunches and snacks. Our negotiated hotel rate at the nearby Marriott is $72 per night (which includes breakfast) and rental cars are optional since once you get to the hotel, we car pool back and forth to the studio and there are 200 restaurants within walking distance (really!).

Either Dallas airport will work (DAL  or DFW)  as they are both about a 20 minute cab ride from the hotel.  American or Southwest airlines is usually the best option since they are both based in Dallas and have lots of flights in and out. We start at 2pm on Friday, July 8th so that people can even fly in that morning. We finish around 4 on Sunday afternoon.

Call the studio for more information or email me: Teresa AT Teresaberg.com

dog portrait - Mae- the beagle

What’s in your tool kit?

We all have a few tricks up our sleeves. You get in a jamb, the dog won’t cooperate, it rains, the client suddenly decides it’s a family photo session without telling you — you know, real life. I’ve said it many times. You can’t photograph pets unless you can think on the fly and think fast.

When it comes to lighting, you’re at the mercy of mother nature as well as your clients whims unless you have studio space. Let’s say for a moment you don’t have a studio. Do you know how to add supplemental light to your scene?  Do you pack back up equipment?  What if you arrive at the client’s home and they have dark red walls and dark hardwood floors and it’s a dreary day?  Can you pull it off?  A professional photographer knows what to bring (and often hopes they don’t have to use it). You can’t call yourself a pro if you only know one lighting setup!

At the very least, you need to know how to fully utilize a small portable flash. A great resource for that is The Strobist. If you’d rather learn from a book, check out The Speedlighter’s Handbook or The Hot Shoe Diaries .  And of course, there are many great free videos online on YouTube     What we hear from Unleashed attendees is “it’s so much easier to learn by DOING IT”  or “I like working in small groups so I will remember each step” but we’re just helpful by nature — so there you go.

My favorite speedlight toy, er, I mean MODIFIER, is The Mag Mod system which I saw for the first time at WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) last year.

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All of these cool silicone toys mount on to your speedlight with magnets and you can stack them — like the filters on top of the grid on top of the snoot if you want to — very quick and convenient to use.

We can talk about what we pack in to our camera bags for hours and no two photographers will agree, but as far as what tools to have right by your side during a photo shoot?  I stand by my little basket of fun (see below).  Paper towels are self-explanatory.

studio_0110.JPG If you’d like to spend a few days digging through my pile of toys, er, I mean, EQUIPMENT — join us for the Studio Shooters Unleashed workshop in July. We have six seats left.  We close the studio to the public and have a crazy indoor photographer’s shootfest with live models and backdrops and all sorts of lighting systems. It’s a great way to try before you invest a lot of money in a studio of your own. Call Teresa Berg Photography to ask questions or sign up. Tuition is $995 which includes lunches and snacks.  972-250-2415.

Count down to Studio Shooters Unleashed! One seat left…

dallas dog photography teresa berg

The most common feedback we get every time we hold an Unleashed workshop is “Wow! I really didn’t think I’d like shooting in a studio — now I want to go home and set one up!  And it’s really true that on a certain level, studio shooting is LESS complicated than shooting outdoors where the light and the environment is constantly changing.  When we set up our lighting for a session we meter once, take a few test shots and we’re off to the races.

This is a shooting workshop.  No business stuff, no contracts, no marketing — in other words, it’s all fun stuff. We work with live dog models and all of the images you shoot can go in YOUR portfolio.

But we know that not everyone is comfortable with hand-held light meters and different looking light modifiers and lights. So we start out with the most simple one-light portrait set up and build on it. Big lights, small lights, changing the angles and shooting and re-shooting.  It really is magic.  And it’s something that will CLICK and make sense because you’re actually doing it –with your own camera — and seeing the results instantly. You’re not watching a video or reading a book. You’re in it.  Digital cameras make learning studio work so much easier!

If you’re on the fence, call us (at Teresa Berg Photography  972-250-2415) , we’ll answer your questions about the agenda and anything else you might want to know.  But don’t wait, we’ve got only one seat left!

Studio Shooters Unleashed coming in July

teresa berg photography

Our spring and summer workshop schedules are finalized and with air fares down (because of gas prices) it’s the perfect time to plan a trip!  We’re teaching our Studio Shooters Unleashed at Teresa Berg Photography in Dallas on July 10-12th this year.

If you’re a hands-on learner and want to shoot with live models in a full-time working professional studio, this is the right opportunity for you.  We cover a very wide range of techniques including studio strobes (with tons of different light modifiers – umbrellas, softboxes, reflectors, flags, scrims and grids), ring flash, continuous light, even using speedlites in the studio.

Please note: this is not a business and marketing workshop. It’s all hands on with cameras.

Two full days with live dog models and all these toys?  How could it not be fun?  We have a great hotel just up the street ($64 per night includes breakfast) so you won’t need a rental car to get around.  Email for more information: teresa@teresaberg.com.

What’s happening for us in 2015

unleashed pet photography workshops

2015 looks like an exciting new year in photography and there’s always something going on in Pet Photography. Don’t forget to check our facebook group for updates.  Teresa is planning the summer STUDIO SHOOTERS UNLEASHED at her studio in Dallas tentatively schedule for July 10-12th. This is the perfect time to dive in to studio shooting with both feet and learn HANDS ON in a working studio. Stay tuned here for updates.

In early August, Teresa travels to the Minneapolis area and is possibly getting together a 1 or 2 day shooting workshop.

Keep shooting and check back with us soon for more details.

Studio Shooters Unleashed with Teresa Berg

Don’t be intimidated by studio lighting! Join Teresa in a relaxed creative two and a half day adventure in photographing pets in the studio. The second annual Studio Shooters Unleashed workshop will be held in Dallas July 18-20th –and this year’s workshop has been expanded to 2 1/2 days so that we have time to cover some post processing and workflow topics. This is ALL ABOUT THE LIGHT! We will not be talking business and marketing at the class but we’ll have lots of time to work with different types of lighting. Studio mono lights, all kinds of reflectors, continuous lighting, video lights, speedlites and all sorts of equipment you might want to try. Lots of furry four-legged models and also a few people thrown in with them for those of you who need practice with two legged models.

Teresa Berg pet photography workshop
Get Unleashed in the studio this summer
Work hands-on in a small group setting and have a ton of fun with us this summer! Tuition is $900 which includes lunches and snacks. Click on the Agenda page for more details.

Our heartfelt thanks

Unleashed Pet photography workshop photographers
Our 2014 Dallas Unleashed Pet photography workshop photographers
Just wanted to officially say THANKS to a great group of photographers that arrived from all over North America to share and learn and shoot with us this past weekend. You guys were AWESOME!