After a terrific busy week, a weekend in Calgary and a workshop in the Phoenix studio with temps outside ranging in the mid 1-teens, I am a bit exhausted. What better way to have some fun than to look at some images from the pool and from some workshop attendees.

But first: I have to let everyone know about some Workshop Changes. I have had to move the schedule around a bit for the end of the year. It has been a tough 3rd quarter for a lot of us, and the workshop sign ups showed it. One of the most glaring truths I have found is that without someone on the ground in the city/town I am coming to, it is pretty hard to build momentum. I do love coming to out of the way places, but it is much harder when there is no one there to help me connect.

I am looking for some help in Savannah, GA and Minneapolis, MN. I also need some help in the Raleigh Durham area. Next year will see a substantial change in how I do and promote the workshops… and that is why the schedule is not up yet. I want to make sure they are still viable and that I can keep the price down as other costs are rising. If you can help, drop me an email and I will get right back to you.

So coming up are:
October 9, 10, Cincinnati
October, 30, 31: Norfolk, VA

November 6, 7 Minneapolis
November 13, 14, Houston
November 20, 21 Raleigh, Durham

December 4, 5, 6 Anna Maria Island (This is a truly exciting end of year workshop. The workshop is three days and it rocks.)

Some Posts that I want to make you aware of:
How Do You Hit a Home Run If You Never Swing At The Ball? It is a look at the fear factor and how to clear it from your mind.
Style Week Posts:
Selina Maitreya Day One
Daron Shade Day Two
Christian O’Dell Day Three
Ivar Teunissen Day Four
Kirk Tuck Day Five

The 5 day post was a look at images and a conversation with photographers on what they thought of when thinking about their style.

More on the workshops at Learn to Light and here is a link to a thread at the Strobist Group discussing 2010 Workshops. I think you may find it kinda cool… I certainly did.

OK, now on to a look at some cool portraits over on the Flickr Lighting Essential Pool. As always, please visit the photographers represented here and leave them a comment if you like the image.

The cover image is one I did of a buddy who is a choir director. I wanted to do something with the light to show him as so many of his friends and students do… somewhat mystical. There was a bit of whimsy with the flare, and it turned out kinda like I wanted.

Let’s head out to look at some of the members of the Flickr Lighting Essentials Pool.

I do love this shot… the simplicity of the light and the pose work well together. I think the choice of background sets the subject up and away, showcasing the smoothness of her face with the roughness of the wall.

This shot has a nice feeling of high contrast black and white printing to it. The pose, wardrobe and funky processing make it seem very Vogue late 80’s to me… and I like that.

)This is a shot of my new Accounts Payable person. He has really stepped up the client payment… heh. 😉 )

I like the pose… LOVE the gesture, and Kudos to the talent for letting it all out there. The capture is balanced with a bit of humor and terror and the post makes it all work to advantage.

A lovely lady and a bit of mystery is well presented here. The pose and the light tell the story very well. The very comfortable pose lets the image be a bit sexy without being overtly so.

I just laughed out loud when I saw it… and if a photo can do that to me, then it is a good shot. The fun of the shot was matched by the very tightly controlled technical details. Post processing adds to the interest of the shot.

Beautiful light and a well composed shot. Two items that make an image rock. The pose has an air of classicism… and I do love that light.

Hey… this one just plain knocks me out. Simply beautiful… and the post is perfect for this shot, don’t you think? Oh, and yeah, I love babies. I sometimes wish I wasn’t too old to get another one of those precious little angels… then my teenagers come in. Yeah, we good for now.

I am a big fan of this kind of lighting. Stronger light from the back has an emotional air to it. The story it tells can pull us into the image… and the wrapping warmth of the light as it begins to flare a bit has an edgy feel.

Wonderful fashion feel to these. I don’t know if the photographer was shooting it with a glamour shot in mind, but the image ends up making me remember some great work from the 70’s and 80’s in the hayday of black and white fashion. The light is so nice and the pose from the model is exceptional. Nice work, guys.

What a nice shot… and well lit, well pose and wonderful post. The model has a great ‘gesture’ that draws us into the image, and it is enhanced by the angle of the photographer working hard to show us something from a new viewpoint.

So many wonderful imagery out there.

Well thanks for taking a few minutes to look at some of my favorites from the Pool. I hope if you like the image, that you will drop the photographer a note and let them know that you like it as well.

See you next time. If you want to follow along on Twitter, here is the link. And of course there is the workshop page at Learn to Light… a place for the workshops.