Desired Focus Photography Workshop

In Depth Photography Course

2012-03-02T11:22:00.000-08:00

Ever dream about:

Taking a close up of a butterfly?
Getting sharp and bright indoor gym shots?
Figuring out how to focus your camera on the right spot?
Going to unique locations in Columbus to get creative shots?
Getting to know other people who love photography as much as you do?

What is the In Depth Photography Course?

Sarah Kobunski, professional photographer of Desired Focus Photography, will teach an 8 class course that builds on the basics functions of the camera in Manual Mode.
(You do not need to be advanced..it's a course that we can practice key elements of Photography In Depth.)
Each 2 hour class includes

In depth instruction
Hands on (your camera) instruction at unique locations in Columbus!
(Ok, was that too corny?)

Columbus Classes start May 19!

Class dates:

5/19 Basics: Shooting in Manual, Rule of thirds, Focusing
6/16 Simplifying the background, Multiple shots, Shutter Speed
6/30 Diagonals, White Balance, Aperture
7/14 S-curve & Framing, Vacation/Landscape Photography
7/28 Repetition & Sports Photography
8/11 Symmetry & Rules of Odds, Detail Photography
8/25 Posing & People Photography
9/8 Perspective & Pet Photography

The first location will be the Columbus Zoo.
I'd love to know where you'd like to go for the 7 other classes.
(Tell me about the most unique places!)
I'll match the places with the classes! Thereare plenty of outdoor locations in Columbus that will meet our needs.

Admission is not included in the cost.

Please Register Here.

(P.S. Early bird registration has started! It only goes until March 15th. You'll be able to get half off if you register early!)

If you need any help registering, please call Jim at 740.297.4955.

We look forward to seeing you!
Sarah and Jim

Details on Photo Editing Course

2011-11-16T09:30:00.001-08:00

This class is for the person who wants to enhance and edit their digital images. There are several editing programs available. I will use Corel's Paint Shop Pro on a PC to guide you through:

correcting and enhancing lighting to make it more vibrant;
smoothing complexions, softening wrinkles, removing zits, brightening eye areas, removing double chins and whitening teeth;
making a few steps into an "action" to enhance a few images quickly;
fixing hundreds of images at once; and
saving your image for print and the web.

You will need to bring a laptop with the free trial of Corel Paint Shop Pro X4 downloaded.

After the workshop, you can apply what you learn in other programs to edit your images, but if you use Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro, the content of the course will be more relevant.

So..what if you have a Mac or use Adobe's Photoshop? Please let Jim know and he can get you into a class specifically for you in January 2012. His email address is jim@desiredfocus.com.

2011-11-07T05:52:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Everyone,

I just wanted to let everyone know that our office will be closed November 7th & 8th and will reopen on the 9th.

If you have any urgent questions you can email me at jim@desiredfocus.com and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

I hope everyone has a great week and I will talk to you soon.

Jim Kobunski
General Manager

New Personalized Classes!!! Register now!

2011-10-07T21:19:00.000-07:00

So..you really like Photography and so does your best friend..and you'd love to learn how to really use your camera at your pace and not at the pace of a bigger class.

You want all the goodies of the Intro to Photography Workshop like learning how to create an emotional response through composing an image, learning how to use your camera on manual mode and actually using the different settings on your camera.

I have the solution for you...personalized "2 on 1" classes!

But..what if you have more than one friend interested in getting the most out of their camera or just learning how to do something creative together?

I have another solution for you...personalized "4 on 1" classes!

I'll tailor each class to each unique couple or group.

Maybe you love food, exercise, chocolate, shopping, biking, racing, anything, and want to share it with the world through a blog or a book and would love to take your own pictures...I can help you learn how to specialize your photography!

Maybe you have kids in sports but your pictures are boring or blurry..I can help you take action packed, clear images!

Maybe you just had a baby and want to remember the incredible moments and looks of the first year and the rest of his or her life!

Register for classes at a convenient location of your choice.
Check the registration page for available dates for the Personalized Classes.
I selected different areas in Columbus on certain days, so we can meet in a convenient location for you and your friend(s).

A personalized lesson for a group of 2 is worth $750 and $1500 for a group of 4. This lesson will include hands on instruction and time to practice with guidance for an hour and a half.

Workshop Registration

2011-09-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

Did you buy a Groupon for both workshops?
Did you try to register and the Groupon code only works for one of the Workshops?

Email me at sarah@desiredfocus.com with your desired date(s) and specific info like Name, (first and last) phone number, Groupon number, address, type of camera you use, type of photo editing software you may have used. I'll register you for your desired class.

Sorry for the inconvenience. I'm working on the registration page and hope to have this part working by Wednesday.

Some dates and locations may change in the next few days. If you chose one that ends up changing either location or date, we will work with you to get a workshop that works best for you. Please register for your desired date now.

Upcoming Photography Workshops?

2011-08-10T16:02:00.000-07:00

Desired Focus Photography is offering Photography workshops and Photo Editing Workshops!

The Photography Workshops will help people who have a DSLR camera learn how to use it on manual mode and how to take better pictures.

The Photo Editing Workshop will cover everything I use for my clients. We will use an incredible program called Corel Paint Shop Photo Pro X3 to enhance images. It is also very affordable!

The cost of the Photography Workshop is $250 and the Photo Editing Workshop is $599.

The workshops will be held at Expression's Floral Design Studio. The address is 1319 Stoneridge Dr, Columbus, OH 43230.

Click on the register here link above to see available dates.

The Photography Workshop will empower you to use your camera and the Editing Workshop will help you improve your images and make the images burst with life! The Photo Editing Workshop is the created from 8 years learning how to effectively use Corel Paint Shop Photo Pro. (This was a huge challenge and I hope I can make it so much easier! I wish I had someone to teach me when I first started out.) I did painfully sit through the 16 hours of Photo Shop Classes, but unfortunately the class didn't even cover many topics relevant to Photo Enhancing!!! I'd love to save you from the frustration I endured. I've developed a way to create a faster and a more effective process of enhancing images. These classes are worth every penny! (I'm giving all my secrets away!)

A couple reviews of the Photography workshops!

2011-03-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

Liann, one of the Photography workshop students emailed this message:

"Hi Sarah! I am still very excited from the workshop that I attended this past Saturday. I felt it was user friendly and you were so encouraging. It provided me the right enough information to really begin trying to take better photos.

I am less overwhelmed with my new Canon and look forward to utilizing the information provided. I know it was super cold when we went to the creek, but to be able to go out and implement the info just learned was empowering and so helpful. You are truly gifted at what you do and to share so openly is such a blessing. I am hoping to take another workshop from you soon."

A couple weeks ago the class decided to go to Creekside in Gahanna.

Dan, another person who came to the Photography workshop, said, "It was a great seminar and the flowers were beautiful. I enjoyed my first trip to Creekside."

Here is an image he took of a swan.

Photo Editing Workshop

2011-03-01T08:40:00.000-08:00

What is the Photo Editing Workshop

In this workshop, I will teach you everything I use to enhance images for my business in only an hour and a half! You will still need to practice at home to develop the skills and to continue learning, but what I teach in this short time can help you:

Correct the lighting in your image and make it more vibrant.
Make complexions smooth, soften wrinkles, remove zits, brighten eye areas, remove double chins and whiten teeth.
Make a series of steps into an action to efficiently enhance a few images.
Fix hundreds of pictures at once.
Save your image for the web and for print.

For the class, you'll need your laptop and a copy of Adobe's Photoshop free trial downloaded or Corel's Paint Shop Pro free trial download. You can then apply what you learn in class to the programs you normally use, if you don't want to continue using these programs.

Thank you to everyone who has registered for a Photography Workshop!

2011-02-22T20:35:00.000-08:00

I feel incredible!

I love that everyone that I have talked with on the phone or through an email has been kind and excited for the opportunity to learn how to use their camera better! I enjoy hearing your stories! I love hearing why you love photography and how the Photography Workshop will help you get those incredible images on vacation or for an art show.

I love how people registered for the Photography Workshop as gifts to Fathers, Husbands, Daughters, Nieces and Friends! I can't describe how good it feels to be part of a gift! I love that the Workshops will bring friends together too!

One group of friends has know each other since childhood but all live in different states now. When they saw this deal, they decided this would be the perfect way to get together!

Thank you for being so generous with your kindness and gentleness over the phone and email! I can't wait to give you the tools to use your camera better!

Thank you so much! I can't wait to meet you!

This Intro to Photography class featured Babies and Flowers.

2011-02-14T09:51:00.000-08:00

A couple summers ago, I shot Sarah and Steve Wolfe's Wedding. Although I started shooting weddings in 1998, Sarah's wedding was one of the first weddings I covered after opening my business. They were the perfect couple to work with because they wanted an engagement session. That always helps when I arrive at the wedding because we get to connect and in this case we even became friends.

Anyway, Sarah had a baby a year ago. While I was thinking about subjects for the photo workshop, Sarah and her baby came to mind.

She looks great and I couldn't imagine a cuter baby..Ok..maybe I can! ;) But every mom thinks their babies are the cutest!

Look how much fun we had with the gorgeous babies!

Here are some of the pictures I took of Sarah and Steve's sweet daughter.

I took a picture of the beautiful mantel at Florafinos too!

At this workshop, I said I'd have a photo contest, but so far I've only gotten one picture. If you want to participate in the photo contest, please email me your favorite picture by Wednesday so we can start voting! My email address is sarah@desiredfocus.com.

If you came to this photography workshop, please leave a comment below to let others know what you thought about it! Thanks!

The answer is YES, I will have Desired Focus Photo Editing Workshops too!!!!

2011-02-07T08:59:00.000-08:00

At the last Photography Workshop, when we were taking cute pictures of babies and stunning images of flowers, a few people came up to me and asked if Desired Focus would offer Photo Editing Workshops.

I've been enhancing images for publications for 8 years and would love to share my secrets that will help you enhance images with ease. I learned these painfully and slowly along the way. So, the answer is yes, of course I will have photo editing workshops!!! I don't want you to suffer! I just want you to create the images you know you can create!

The image I shot below didn't come out exactly as I had hoped.
Oops!

I don't like the purple hue on the Hummer Limo and I hate that I can barely see this girl's face! The techniques I used to fix this photo will be the ones I teach in the workshop.

So, here is what you can learn during the Desired Focus Photography Photoshop Workshop:

How to correct the lighting in your image and make it more vibrant.
How to make complexions smooth, soften wrinkles, remove zits, brighten eye areas, remove double chins and whiten teeth.
How to make a series of steps into an action to efficiently enhance a few images.
How to fix hundreds of pictures at once.
How to save your image for the web and for print.

The classes will only last an hour and a half, but we will cover enough information to help you edit images with confidence and the courage to explore Photo editing on your own.

It's like you are moving to a new city and I can introduce you to the best restaurants, movie theaters, best schools, great neighborhoods, the most convenient Post Office and grocery store. Then when you move to the city, you'll feel more comfortable and you'll save a ton of time knowing exactly what you want. You can then take your time to explore the city, at your own pace and have fun along the way.

To be prepared for this class,

Bring your laptop with
Photo Editing software downloaded on it and
a few images of your favorite people ready to enhance during class.

If you haven't purchased Photoshop yet, you can download the newest 30 day free trial version of Adobe's Photoshop. Or you can use the more affordable Corel Paint Shop Pro. I love this. If you want the most affordable photo shop option, just download Gimp..it's free but when I used it, it felt limited and looked old.

Here's another picture that was missing beautiful color and brightness. I worked on the lighting, her complexion, eye area, lips and now it looks vibrant.

I remember when I first started looking at other photographer's incredible images. When one photographer bravely showed her before and after photos, I felt so empowered. I realized I take so many pictures like her image before it was enhanced. I could learn how to enhance my images so they looked just as amazing!

The class costs $599. I will have the workshop dates and an option to register online soon.

Please leave a comment below if you have any questions or recommendations. Thanks.

The Image that won the most Votes is Image Number 1!!! Congratulations Brendan Dube, you win a Portrait Session!!!

2011-02-01T17:22:00.000-08:00

Brendan, your image won the most votes!!! It had 337 votes out of 641!

Congratulations!!! I know you wanted this! Now you can get your 5 generation picture!

If you helped Brendan win by voting on her image, please post a comment below!

Now you Brendan gets to have an hour photography Session with me at her favorite location(s) with her favorite people! I'll also enhance the best 20 images and give them to you on a DVD!

If you were in the Intro to Photography class on Saturday, February 29th, please email me your favorite image by Wednesday and you can be entered to win a mini-photography session! I will post your image on this blog and the image with the most votes gets a half hour session at your favorite location (around Zanesville) with your favorite people! You will also get 5 enhanced images on a DVD!

Next Photography Workshop for people who want to learn how to use their cameras and take better pictures: Jan. 29th from 3-6pm starting at Florafinos Flower Market!

2011-01-21T09:45:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken at Florafino's Flower Mart by Sarah Kobunski at the last workshop.

Florafino's Flower Mart will host the next Photography Workshop! It will be January, 29th from 3-6pm. We will have the in class portion from 3-5pm in the shop and then venture into Zanesville for the photo safari till 6pm.

The class will include learning how to take better pictures by learning

basic rules of composition,
how to use the flash,
how to help people look better in pictures, and
how to use your camera by using:

ISO,
aperture,
shutter speed and
white balance to measure light correctly for the right exposure.

When you email me at sarah@desiredfocus.com to register for the class please let me know what type of camera you have and if you have a favorite image you'd like to share, attach it to the email.

The cost of the class is $250 and may be paid before the workshop.

Oh, and you can win a chance for a Free photography session! After the workshop, just email me your favorite images taken at Florafinos and during the photo safari. I'll upload the images to this blog and the person who took the image that gets the most votes will win a Mini-Photography session! It will include 30 minutes of photography at your favorite location within Zanesville and you'll get 5 enhanced high resolution images on a CD!

Photo Contest for Intro to Photography Workshop

2011-01-18T12:17:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, I told the Photography Workshop students that they could enter their images, taken during the Photo Safari part of the workshop, into a contest. If their image received the most votes by January 31, then he or she would recieve a FREE Photography Session worth $250. It will be a one hour session at their desired location and will include 20 enhanced high resolution images.

Click here to vote for your favorite image below!

Remember, you can vote as many times as you want. Please visit this blog to get to the survey each time.
Image One:

By Brendan Dube of a lily from Imlay Florist.

Image two:

By Tess Robinson of a Cardnal in a nest at Florafino's Flower Market.

Image three:

By Danielle Miller-Bruce of an orchid at Florafino's Flower Market.

Image four:

By Danielle Miller-Bruce of a floral arrangement at Florafino's Flower Market.

Image five:

By Danielle Miller-Bruce of a bridal bouquet from Imlay Florist.

Image six:

By Tess Robinson at Florafinos Flower Market.

Image seven:

By Brendan Dube of Danielle King at the Welcome Center.

Image eight:

By Brendan Dube of Danielle King at the Zanesville Welcome Center.

Image nine:

By Tess Robinson at Florafinos Flower Market.

Thank you for voting! I can't wait to see which image gets the most votes. I'll keep you updated on the voting!

Yesterday's Photography Workshop at Florafinos was incredible!

2011-01-16T13:12:00.000-08:00

Florafino's Flower Market hosted yesterday's Intro to Photography Workshop! Greg, the owner, even got us gourmet cookies and coffee cake from Giacomos and provided a nice spot for the workshop in his flower shop. It was fun to meet new people and discover what they loved about Photography!

I couldn't believe how rewarding figuring out how someone else's camera worked could be. It was like a little adventure. After we figured out how to use the basic parts of the camera like the shutter, the aperture and ISO controls; discussed how to compose a picture; how to photograph people to get natural poses; adjust white balance; and how to use the flash, we took pictures of the incredible flower arrangements that Greg, Laura and Tess put together!

This beautiful arrangement is at Florafinos Flower Market!

Greg even shut off the lights and lit some candles to let us shoot in a different setting with the flowers. (I love being in his shop because it just feels life-giving and refreshing with all the live and fresh cut plants and flowers.)

After the in-class portion of the Photography workshop, we had our Photo Safari part. We drove over to Zanesville's Welcome Center where they were hosting the 2011 Prom, Pageant and Bridal show. I had talked with Vicki King, the Executive Director, and she gave us permission to work with vendors and models. We were able to practice the new photography skills with Danielle, a model who won the Fresh Face Model contest, the prom dress she wore from Jillian's Formal Wear and more gorgeous flowers from Imlay Florists.

This creative bouquet was created by Imlay Florists! I bet Susan Hoskinson designed it!

I love the contrast of the feathers against the flowers.

Above is the Fresh Face Model, Danielle King wear the a blue gown from Jillian's Formal Wear.

Brendan, one of the Photography Workshop participants, is taking her picture.

This week, the participants that attended the Photography Workshop will email me their favorite pictures they took during the Photo Safari. I will put a few of their best ones on this blog. Please vote for your favorite image once I get them up here! The person who's image is voted on most, gets a FREE photo session worth $250! It will be an hour long and include 20 enhanced high resolution images on a DVD!

If you came to the Photography Workshop, what did you think? Please leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you!

Above, Photography Workshop attendees, Danielle and Brendan are photographing flower arrangements designed by Imlay Florists.

Intro to Digital Photography Workshop Saturday, January 15th at Florafinos in Zanesville from 2-4pm with Photo Safari till 5pm

2011-01-09T06:48:00.000-08:00

I know several of you have been looking forward to the first Intro to Digital Photography Workshop! The first one will be in Zanesville, this Saturday, January 15th. Florafinos will host the in-class portion of the workshop from 2pm to 4pm. The owners of Florafinos, Greg and Laura, will even give us the opportunity to photograph their beautiful flowers and arrangements! Look at their gorgeous pictures on this post!

You can expect interactive discussions, hands on practice with your camera and straight forward teaching.

Some pretty incredible opportunities are opening up for the Photo Safari portion of the workshop. I'll keep you updated on the location, models and products. This part of the workshop will last until 5pm.

For the workshop please bring your camera, its manual and whatever will help you remember like a notebook and pen, ipad, netbook or laptop. (Make sure your batteries are charged and there is a memory card in your camera. It's easy to overlook minor details that have a major impact!)

After the workshop, you will get an intro to Digital Photography booklet for easy reference when you are practicing on your own. This is a free gift!

The cost of the workshop is $250. Please e-mail me at sarah@desiredfocus.com to register for the class.

Space is limited, so please register by Tuesday to ensure you get a place in the class.

Like I said above, all flower arrangements were created by Florafinos.

Photography Workshop Photo Contest

Since we will take pictures of local businesses' products and models, it would be mutually beneficial to offer these businesses and models the best images we take. To encourage this, I will offer a photo contest.

Each workshop participant can submit their three best images from the workshop to me. I will upload these images to this site where the images will be voted on for one week. I will give a Portrait Session to the person who's image has the most votes.

The Portrait Session will be one hour, at your favorite location(s) and will include 20 enhanced images on a CD.

Desired Focus Intro to Photography Workshops in 2011!!!

2010-12-11T14:35:00.000-08:00

This Christmas, many of you will get amazing cameras! A New Year's Resolution could be learning to use that camera to it's fullest!

What's the best way to learn how to use it? That depends on you and your learning style!

A Photography Class workshop may be the answer, especially if you think reading the manual is boring or difficult to understand!

(Workshops are great if you learn best by

listening,
working with your hands,
interacting with others and
seeing in person, what may be challenging to just read about in a book.)

Sarah Kobunski is offering Intro to Photography Workshops in 2011!!

Here are a few things the Intro to Photography courses will include:

How to Shoot in Automatic mode to get pictures that look professional!
by learning Keys to Composition

Getting the right amount of lighting for perfect exposure in Manual mode!
by correctly using:
*aperture
*shutter speed
*ISO
*metering

How to use natural lighting, flash, and white balance.

How to photograph people so they look beautiful and natural!
*preparing for portraits,
*posing, &
*natural photojournalist portraits.

We'll even have an hour to practice what you just learned with the class!

*There will be an hour of learning to use your new skills with models and interesting details we find in the city along the way!
*Sarah Kobunski will be available to help too!

Plus you'll get to take home an easy to understand reference booklet with pictures!

The dates and venues will be announced soon.
Class sizes will not exceed 20 people to ensure personal interaction.
To reserve a spot in a class you will need to register and pay for the class two weeks in advance.
The cost is only $250.
You will need to bring your Camera and it's manual.
To help Sarah prepare for your class, when registering, make sure to include the type of camera you use.