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!

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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

2017 pet photography workshops

Our DOG SHOTS workshop, scheduled for Saturday February 25th is now open for registration. This is our most basic workshop with emphasis on using the manual settings on your camera for great pet portraits.

Most of the attendees at DOG SHOTS are animal rescue volunteers and pet lovers who really want to move in to professional quality portraits. The only requirement is that you use a camera that has manual settings, like DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. It’s a great way to learn to use light and all the tricks for getting the dog to pose and look at the camera.

We meet at the Teresa Berg Photography studio in Dallas and then go to the nearby park. This workshop uses only natural light and reflectors (so NOT a lot of expensive equipment) and live dog models. We discuss different backgrounds, light, composition and how to set up your shots. It’s a great way to figure out if you want to be a professional pet photographer!

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Interested?  The one day workshop is $295 and includes lunch. We even have a nearby hotel with great rates for those of you who might come in from out of town. Call the studio at 972-250-2415 with your questions or to sign up. We only take 10 attendees so everyone gets plenty of time to work hands on with Teresa and her assistant.

JULY 14-16, 2017  5th Annual STUDIO SHOOTERS UNLEASHED

Ready for more lighting, more posing, adding people to your portraits, or just want to experiment with lots of different lighting equipment before you make some major purchases?  Then the 2017 STUDIO SHOOTERS UNLEASHED is the one for you.

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As more and more pet photographers are jumping in to the business, your lighting can really set you apart. And if you live in a part of the country with long winters, how do you survive when it’s just too miserable to shoot outdoors?  So you’ve decided to learn studio lighting… But which lighting system is the best for what you want to shoot?   Join us as we explore them all! Spend 3 days in a full-time professional studio (kind of a rarity these days) and see how we do it.  From studio strobes to continuous lights to speedlights to ring lights to every kind of light modifiers we can think of.  Come play with all the toys before you decide which is right for you!  Live dog (and a few people) models and other photographers to shoot with — what could be more fun? We only take a small group, so make plans early.   This class is $995 and includes snacks and lunches.  We have a great group rate at the nearby Marriott. Call us to sign up and ask questions.

Unleashed pet photography workshops
Harper and the PUParazzi at Unleashed

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

Make 2016 a year of growth

teresa berg for Unleashed workshops

Is it time to grow your skills?  We all know that in order to be successful we can’t just copy our competitors. We have to set ourselves apart from the crowd.  What makes your photography different from everyone else in your market area?  Is it your lighting?  Your use of locations or backgrounds? Is it the types of pets that you photograph? Your products?

I can guarantee that since we’ve been teaching pet photography (2009) we have seen lots of trends fall by the wayside.  And every market area is different.  There are also a lot more photographers specializing in pets. In short, if your skills don’t set you apart you won’t last. So how are your skills?

We all know that our clients buy what they see — so show them the type of photography you want to shoot. Do it well and stand your ground.  Use those techniques creatively and consistently and YOU will be the trendsetter the others are copying.  But before you become the trendsetter, you have really know the game.  You need to master manual shooting, and know what your equipment can do. Our belief is that you can’t call yourself a professional if you only know one trick!   So if this is your slow time of year, use this time to create a new slant on something and perfect what you do.  Take a workshop, shoot in an unexpected place, visit some museums, shoot with a friend — in other words, invest in yourself.

Why not develop a LOOK BOOK like fashion photographers use to illustrate a brand?  Even if all the shots in your look book are the same dog, why not get down to it and really explore your style.  Create a book or an album of all the variations (and depth) of your style and show it to a prospective client.  If you ONLY want to shoot on seamless paper in a studio setting then really explore what you can create.

This little pep talk is only the beginning. We’re going to be sharing more this year, both with online video and via our facebook page — and through workshops. We’ll post details here, first. Online learning is great,  but workshops build community and give us both friendship and a safe way to learn and grow.  Learn with us and we’ll all get better, together.

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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.

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!

Registration now open for Unleashed in Dallas : January 18-20, 2014

The dates are final, Robin at Good Dog Fetch is lining up some awesome models, the hotel is a go — all we need is you!  We’ll have a full day of business and marketing, a full day of outdoor and natural light shooting and a full day of studio shooting with two instructors. The agenda is posted on this site, as well as information about the hotel. Email us via the contact page of this site and we’ll send you a registration packet.  We are limited to 15 participants, so don’t delay!

Unleashed pet photography workshops
Harper and the PUParazzi at Unleashed