Mollie Isaacs is a dynamic, inspirational speaker. Her programs are infused with a gentle sense of humor, a wealth of professional photographic experiences, and a library of diverse and creative images. She has presented her innovative seminars to photographic organizations and conferences throughout the country. If you are interested in having her come and speak to your organization, please contact her.

 

Tips Sheet  –  NANPA Mighty Macro Webinar

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes,

but in having new eyes.”  –Marcel Proust

The webinar covered 6 areas:  Tools, Tech, Props, Lighting, Techniques, and Art

TOOLS  –  camera body, macro lens or extension tubes or close-up filters, occasionally a tripod.

TECH  –  shoot RAW, use Auto White Balance, set camera on Aperture Priority, do NOT use Auto ISO, always use a lens hood, use ISO 400 as a starting point, use a shutter speed of 1/125 sec. or higher when hand holding your camera.

PROPS  –  find great subjects (glassware, plastic serving bowls, small vases, etc.) for Macro at Dollar stores, along with colored papers.

LIGHTING  –  use window light, or natural light outdoors, or artificial light. Avoid strobes and flash since they do not allow you to see exactly what that light will do (quality or direction). Learn to “see” the quality of the light (soft or hard) and its direction (front, side, back). My favorite artificial light is the Promaster LED 120 SS Super Slim Rechargeable, available at Hunt’s Photo and Video. Call the store at (781) 462-2383 and ask for Alan Samiljan and tell him Mollie from Awake The Light sent you – that will get you excellent service and very fast delivery. Or email Alan at asamiljan@huntsphoto.com

TECHNIQUES  –  for an artistic look, use shallow Depth of Field at around f/2.8 or f/4. For sharp images when hand holding your camera, turn your body into a tripod – balance the weight of your camera and lens in your left hand, use your right hand to steady the right side of the camera, squeeze your arms tightly against your sides, and place your feet about shoulder width apart.

ART  –  learn about composition, use leading lines, use shallow Depth of Field to blur distracting backgrounds, look for line and shape in your subjects, use repetition of color and / or shape, learn about color contrast and color harmony, don’t be afraid to crop your images, and ALWAYS use image optimization software to enhance your images – I use Lightroom since it is the easiest and the best for most optimization needs.

Now you are on your way to New Road. It is a road on which you will listen to yourself and not to others, you will listen to your heart, you will learn new things about yourself and your talents, you won’t let your equipment hold you back, and you won’t let your head hold you back.

LEARN MORE  –  If you are ready to learn more, consider attending the upcoming Wildflowers and Wildwater Photo Workshop in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on April 17 – 22. This is the time of year when the wildflowers are at their absolute best! The workshop concentrates on macro photography of flowers, but also covers techniques for photographing moving water, scenics, spectacular sunrises, wildlife, and more. Details here http://awakethelight.com/wildflowers-wildwater-great-smoky-mountains-national-park/

If you prefer a more adventurous trip, join me in Denali National Park for the most incredible Alaska experience you can imagine. This autumn trip, September 2 – 8, puts us there when the tundra is ablaze with fall colors, and the wildlife is at its best. We’ll see grizzly bear, caribou, dall sheep, and the beautiful snow-capped Alaska Range with the famous Denali (formerly Mt. McKinley), the highest peak in North America. All this, plus our lodge puts us in the lap of luxury while in the wilds of Alaska. Details here  http://awakethelight.com/denali-national-park/

FREE NEWSLETTER  –  Subscribe to the FREE educational newsletter simply by sending me an email at awakethelight@charter.net, and put “YES” in the subject line.

EDUCATIONAL BLOG  –  View the informative Blog, updated several times a week, at http://awakethelight.blogspot.com/

FACEBOOK  –  Follow me on Facebook

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”  –Edgar Degas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEMINARS

Below are a variety of  programs that I can present to your organization.

I can also create a custom program to fit your time frame.

From Ordinary To Extraordinary. This popularly acclaimed 1-hour program is packed with inspiration and information designed to energize your creative juices and to show you how to elevate your photographic images from the ordinary to extraordinary. Learn how to shoot from your heart, not just your head.

Meet Your F.A.T.E. Take control of your photographic destiny as Mollie helps you to clarify the process of crafting impressive photographic art with the use of simple creative techniques and basic image optimization. This 2-hour presentation covers the creative force behind the making of beautiful images as well as a primer in digital post-production optimization.

Silence The C.R.I.T.I.C. Many times the stumbling block to producing striking works of photographic art lie not in our techniques, but in our attitudes. My photographic examples and information will assist you in silencing your inner critic and in magnifying your enjoyment of photography.

The Fresher Eye. Avoid the pitfall of stagnation. Learn when to follow the rules, when to bend them, and when it is best to break them. This invigorating 1-hour program will give you a fresh way of looking at photography and provide you with the creative jump start necessary to reinvent your artistic vision and expand your photographic library.

Tragic Or Magic. Not every trip of our shutter will produce an award-winning photograph. Seize the moment. Put bold genius and engaging power into your image making. Learn how to transform your time in the field into captivating works of art with the illustrations and pointers from this 1-hour show.

Work It, Baby! We all take our photography very seriously, sometimes to our own detriment. This tongue-in-cheek presentation will give you insight into our approach on how to best work a variety of subjects, capture the images you desire, elevate the overall quality of your work while having fun along the way.

 

FULL DAY WORKSHOPS

Awake The Light teaches a variety of all-day workshops. Enjoy the perspectives and styles of an aware-winning photographer. Each workshop is a blend of instruction, photographic illustrations, detailed information, and gentle humor. Mollie Isaacs id a seasoned educator who shares a passion for teaching AND photography.

The two main workshop topics are listed below. However, you are not limited only to these topics. Mollie can customize any workshop to best meet the needs of your club members. To schedule a workshop in your area, please contact her.

Digital Photography Workshop

This is an all-day, intensive workshop that covers in-depth camera techniques, creative approaches, and finishing touches. The objective is to instruct, inspire, and enlighten participants in the areas of nature, wildlife, and macro photography. I explore such topics as documentary vs. interpretive approach, and the benefits of both pre-visualization and opportunism while in the field. A variety of information is provided to expand one’s artistic vision, to illustrate a numerous of creative camera techniques, and to demonstrate how to see and use available light effectively.

Optimization Techniques Workshop

This is an all-day, comprehensive workshop that covers Image Optimization from a photographer’s perspective. The objective of this workshop is to streamline your workflow so that you spend more time in the field capturing images and less time on the computer optimizing. This course is designed BY a photographer FOR photographers. The presentation will cover those adjustments that are held in common by all the major post-production software programs. The techniques presented and the information imparted are designed to give your photographs a “natural,” finished look that brings out their full latent beauty.

Mentor Workshop

This is an all-day, engaging workshop that incorporates a half-day of shooting in the field at a location of your choosing in your area, followed by a half-day classroom session on post-capture optimization. If you have ever wanted a professional photographer to stand beside you to assist you while you are photographing, this is the workshop for you. Mollie will give you guidance on camera settings and compositional options in the field to assist you in expanding your creative vision and improving your technical proficiency. Then, everyone adjourns to the classroom in the afternoon to process those latent images completing the finishing touches to transform your captured photographs into works of art. 

Half-N-Half Workshop

Having trouble making up your mind? This 1- or 2-day workshop is a customized combination of any of the above offerings. This flexible approach takes the best of the available workshops and customizes it to fit your particular interests. It can be designed to encompass a 1 or 2 day time frame that best meets the needs of your photographic organization. You may choose to do a full day of Photography followed by a full day of Optimization, or you may prefer to have a full day of shooting in-the-field in combination with a full day of Optimization. Perhaps you would like specialized instruction in macro photography, grand and intimate scenic photography, or wildlife photography. If you can dream it, I can teach it.