Black and White Wednesday - "Workshop Weekend"

July 28, 2010

I am finally coming up for air after a TRULY FANTASTIC weekend!!! It exceeded my expectations in every way. The group of ladies that traveled across the country and one from Canada(Hi Wanda) were just incredible!! The weather was absolutely gorgeous....a little hot, but not too bad in the shade...and everything went according to plan without any glitches.....phew.

Let me give you a quick rundown of the our weekend.......

Friday night I made dinner reservations at a great Italian BYOB right on Main Street.....walking distance from the hotel. It was a wonderful meal except it was EXTREMELY HOT. It is tiny and they had a big brick oven running the entire time. We dominated most of the restaurant and we all had a great meal despite the heat.

After we finished our dinner, I was getting antsy to leave and everyone told me to just relax and we would take our time getting back to the hotel. Little did I know that they had a little surpise up their sleeves.....

The Cake By Karin

I was so shocked that I couild barely compose myself and did not do a good job of holding back the tears. Many of these ladies I had just met for the first time only moments before and they were giving me gifts and a beautiful cake. I was so touched by their generosity that I was completely speechless.......something that rarely happens to me.

After the festivites came to an end, we headed back to the hotel so I could hand out the binders and goody bags that I had put together for everyone and even though we hung out gabbing in the lobby, we didn't stay up too late because we all knew that we were going to have a long day ahead of us.

Saturday morning we started learning bright and early......By 8am we all piled into the conference room to learn about exposure, aperture, ISO, shutter speed, metering, and light.

After about two hours of technical instruction and lots of "ah ha" moments, we headed outdoors to work with models, putting what we learned to the test! We had an action packed day and shot from 10am until 4:30pm with an hour lunch break. It was an awesome day!

Once everyone had some time to cool off and clean up we headed up the street for a very nice dinner and a few cocktails. We were all starting to drag a little bit, but we still managed to hang out in the lobby of the hotel until midnight until we all finally turned in and called it a night.

Sunday we had an intense 4 hour photoshop session and then it was time to say goodbyes. Something I am not good at...... I hate good-byes...... but we all promised that we would get together again soon!! Most of the ladies are ready for workshop number two.

I am BEYOND proud of these ladies and all that they accomplished in one short weekend! They learned so much and really utilized their new skills.

A lot of the girls are still working on their photos and editing, but some of them were very speedy and started posting their pictures immediately.

I was so BLOWN away as I looked through them and really wanted to post their pictures instead of my own this week.

I did throw in one or two and so did my parnter in crime, Marla:) Just want to give her a quick shout out and a GIANT thank you for coming up to help me run this workshop. I could have never done it without you girl!

Okay....on to the MANY MANY photos taken during the workshop. I know the amount of photos in this post probably borders on obnoxious, but I counldn't help myself because I really wanted you to see what these ladies did. I think their work speaks volumes and I couldn't wait to show it off.

Take a look......

Some of the behind the scenes photos of all the girls in action thanks to Felicia and Donna.
Collage of the girls in action By Felicia

Maddy and Dita By Donna
Maddy and Dita

Action Shot By Donna
Wanda, Marla, and Terri.

Cocktails before dinner
Marla, Felicia, Denise, and I just before dinner Saturday night.

Catherine Up Close BLOG
Our First Beautiful Model, Catherine.........

By Stephanie

Catherine By Wanda

Watermark1[1]

Anthony By Marla
Anthony, a handsome young man who happens to be Catherine's brother.

Anthony Taken By Felica

Anthony BY Terri

Anthony and Catherine By Wanda
A very cute moment between brother and sister....captured by Wanda:)

Lina By Marla
My beautiful friend Lina who posed for a few while her children(catherine and anthony)were being attacked by the mamarazzi!!

Kelly and Tom Casual By Denise
Our beautiful Bride and Groom, Kelly and Tom.

Bride and Groom By Marla

Kelly and Tom By Denise

Tom and Kelly By Kim

Kelly and Tom By Felicia

Alicia By Casey
The lovely Alicia!!! The girls are still amazed that she is only 13 years old.

Alicia 2 By Denise

Alicia 2 By Casey

Alicia and the hat By Marla

Skater Dudes BLOG
Our adorable skater dudes...Will and Zach. Aren't they the cutest?

Will By Kim

Will By Stephanie

Zach by Maddy

The boys By Maddy

Tiffany Angle BLOG
Will and Zach's gorgeous Mom, Tiffany. She and I went to high school together and recently reconnected through facebook. I am so glad that we did, it was so nice to see her again after all these years!

Tiffany Laughing BLOG

Tiffany by Terri

Well, this concludes the longest post ever.

Thanks for hanging in there with me......and a special THANK YOU TO THE ATTENDEES and MODELS that made this workshop a huge success.

The wheels are already turning for the next workshop, if you have an interest make sure I have you on my email distribution list.

In my opinion, this workshop weekend went so well that it will be very hard to beat, but I am certainly going to try.

71 comments:

Donna said...

Lisa, it was amazing fun! And I learned so much! I'll never forget the wonderful time I had at this workshop. Thanks for all of your hard work and your instruction! I'm so glad you made those binders for us too. I'm using the heck out of mine and my girls LOVED the cookies (I didn't tell them I ate all of them except two!). ;)

Donna
Our Blog: Double Happiness!

Mary Lou said...

How I wish I'd been there! I loved seeing the photos.

Anonymous said...

What an awesome weekend! I'm so glad I attended and I'm still in shock that the pictures I took were all in manual!!!!! YAY!!!! I owe it all to you!

I loved meeting everyone and I cant wait for workshop #2 to take place!

Thanks again!

Unknown said...

all of these photos are fantastic, definitely looks like it was a successful weekend!! So much talent!

Wanda said...

Lisa, I meant to get back to my post to put up a few more pictures but I got caught up in your post and the memories of our fabulous week-end together. I learnt more in 2 days than...well.....ever! And had an absolute blast doing it.

Thank you so much for your incredible efforts in making this experience so unforgettable. If you have a sign-up sheet for workshop #2.....put my name at the top. I am there baby!

The exambles of some of the other participants that you posted is proof that you worked your magic.

Love you.....
xoxo

Anonymous said...

What an amazing organizational task you took on, let alone the responsibility! Great job - your photos are amazing - it is wonderful of you to share. You all looked like you had an amazing time and I am looking forward to seeing more through other posts as well.

Kim said...

Congrats! So happy to hear that everything was perfect. Those ladies turned our some great shots!

Raymonde said...

Hi Lisa, I am really pleased for you your workshop went well and beyond. The photos are great. Thank you for sharing.

Have a fantastic week. xxx

Julie said...

Oh to have been there!!! SOunds amazing. Gorgeous photos.

patty said...

beautiful images... and looks like a lot of fun! wish you were nearby!

www.pattysblackandwhitephotography.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

What a AWESOME WEEKEND!!!!!

Great photos Ladies!

fleur de lis cottage said...

OH Lisa, it was the best combination of learning and fun. And, I agree, I don't know how you're going to top this one, but knowing you, you will!!!

Thanks again for a great, great weekend and workshop :)

Mimi said...

Lisa, the amount of photos in your posts could never come close to obnoxious. One and all of them are FAB!
So glad the weekend went well, and you were appreciated so beautifully with the cake (polka dots and all)!
Some day I hope to make it all the way over to the US to do one of your workshops.

Anonymous said...

Lisa - The weekend was just as you described and so much more! Not only did we learn so much...I don't think it mattered what skill level you were at pro or beginner, there was something there for everyone!! The models were so patient and incredible! And the ladies....well that just has to be my favorite part of the weekend - making some friendships that will hopefully last for a long time!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for putting this together!! I can't wait till the next one!

Freckles & Dimples Photography said...

thanks for posting pictures! i so wish i could have done saturday...but, i was watching a few of the ladies edit their pics on Sunday and it was cool to see them posted here! I learned a lot from you...you are one talented lady! thanks for putting it all together :)
Mindy

Natalie said...

Looks like such a fun weekend! The pictures look great.

Love Letters To China said...

I'm so happy everything turned out as you planned. These pictures are amazing! I can't wait to see some of the other blog posts from your attendees. Congratulations to a job well done!!!

Jodee said...

Holy cow! What a fabulous workshop weekend! It looks like everyone had a blast! My favorite pictures are the skater dudes and the bride and groom! I can't wait to see more!

Nancy E said...

So great to see the photos from the weeekend. There are some wonderful shots---- the twin boys are so cute (reminds me of my Schuyler!). Great work by all. :)

Thanks for sharing.

Nancy

Nancy E said...

Oops -- can you delete my first link? Not sure how that happened? :) One more note to you --- I have been writing on my cancer journey blog too --- it has been quite healing and hopefully helpful to others.

http://nancycancerjourney.blogspot.com/

Cheers to you --- :)

Rebecca said...

looks like a blast! They got some wonderful images

Humble Bee said...

Fabulous opportunity for everyone. Looks like it was pure fun!
~Becki

CM said...

I'm so jealous! Looks like you guys had a great time! How fun!

I linked up again today!

Denise said...

Lisa, as I have told you countless times, you are a gifted photographer and teacher. Thank you for a wonderful weekend. I am still on my Bethlehem "high"!

Robin said...

Beautiful Pictures! It looks like everyone had a wonderful time, I know you hated for it to end!!


Blessings,
Robin

Anonymous said...

I'm back. You are a wonderful teacher! The pictures from the other ladies are posting are just stunning. I can tell you worked very hard and fast!

Anonymous said...

Fabulous photos! Looks like it was an incredible workshop!

Courtney said...

Gorgeous pictures! Looks like it was a huge success. Hope to make one of these weekends sometime!

Briana's Mom said...

Oh my goodness Lisa! How amazing! The pictures turned out just gorgeous and it sounds like you have a bunch of happy attendees. I'm going to get to a workshop one day! I will!!!

Gail said...

I've had to come back a couple of times and take my time to look at all the pictures. One word...FABULOUS!!! I can tell it was amazing, and wonderful. I would expect no less from you Lisa. I have a big smile on my face!!!

Have a wonderful Wednesday and rest of your week.

xo

Gail

Sharon said...

Great photos from great women! Looked like such a wonderful time!

Keisha said...

These are all Wonderful Lisa! I see you are a GREAT & Awesome Teacher! ;) I love the fact that you posted a sample of everyone's take on the "shoot".
And.. what a sweet surprise they had in store for you too!

Keisha said...

These are all Wonderful Lisa! I see you are a GREAT & Awesome Teacher! ;) I love the fact that you posted a sample of everyone's take on the "shoot".
And.. what a sweet surprise they had in store for you too!

Football and Fried Rice said...

Wow. CAn I just say, WOW and leave it at that?

WOW.

Kim said...

Wow - looks like a wonderful weekend!! Hope some day to have at least half that talent!

Don and Lisa Osborn said...

It looks like the weekend was perfect in every where--despite the oppressive heat. I am glad it was such a wonderful weekend!

I used to drive through Bethlehem on the way to ESU when I was in college...Oh to go back and stop and see the beauty.

Unknown said...

hi Lisa,
I am not a terrific photographer and don't have a great camera yet.. but I was interested to see your pictures and hear about the workshop.. I live... in Ny near PA where was the workshop held?? and if you have another here is my email addres eatmywords40@yahoo.com
thanks Lisa

DiJo said...

Please add me to your list!!!
dijorouse@yahoo.com

Thanks,
Diana
(Denise's friend!)

Formerly known as Frau said...

Gorgeous pictures ladies! Sounds like a fun and great learning experience! Maybe next time...I have lots to learn.

JinXiu said...

Wow, I love all the amazing photos and very interesting story. it sounds like you all had a great time. wish i was there. Thanks so much for sharing

asj said...

looks like a blast, thanks for sharing the pics!

elizabeth said...

I wish I had been at the workshop looks like it was amazing - maybe next time - again - your pictures are great!!!

Unknown said...

The workshop was so sensational. You are a great teacher and you did a fabulous job! I don't think you needed any teaching help because you were approachable and a great instructor! Be confident because you are wonderful!

I think I am about to publish the longest post ever when I publish your interview : )
I think it is nice though because it gives people a great taste of your pictures!

Marla said...

Woohoo! Look at all these gorgeous pics!! You did an amazing job girl and I have a feeling you'll be doing a LOT more of these in the future. Thanks for inviting me along for the ride!

Belinda said...

Looks like you guys had a wonderful time! Leslie told me that she loved it and had an awesome time! wish I could have come!
Belinda

4 Lettre Words said...

Gorgeous, Lisa!

Loved your interview with Becky!!

Dita said...

What can I say, Lisa...except the workshop was absolutely incredible. It exceeded my wildest expectations...the binders with all the "cheat sheets" for me when I get stuck at home, the hands on instruction, the classroom instruction in the conference rooms you had set up for us...the yummy bagels, muffins and coffee for us in the classroom in the morning, the beautiful hotel,the MODELS...the locations, the restaurants you had set up...nope, you didn't miss a trick...and those COOKIES...well, I ate the whole bag before we even left the hotel. Weight Watchers is cursing you now!
I can't wait to edit all my photos from the workshop and to use all the new techniques I learned this weekend in my shooting and editing.
The group of women you assembled was absolutely fantastic and I so enjoyed each and every one of them.
Thank you for such a memorable weekend...and for the gift of your talent and friendship..which you give so freely and lovingly!

xoxoxo
Dita Darling

fowler said...

My first time with B&W Wednesdays!

The Oswalds said...

Please add me to your list too! Looks like a perfect weekend! Would love to do one someday!

Shauna
oswald.com@gmail.com

Courtney said...

Looks like you guys had a blast!!! Would love to attend one myself one day!

Patricia said...

FABULOUS photos!!! What a wonderful opportunity for everyone involved! You are not only a great photogrpaher, Lisa, but a great teacher too!

Ashley Sisk said...

These shots are great - such talented ladies. I only wish I could have been there!

day by day said...

Hey Lisa...I am so glad that your workshop went well..of course it did! :) Wish I could have joined you...maybe next time. I am also glad that you ladies had such fun!! I was wondering why you didn't ask me to come over and model for you. JUST KIDDING! lol! I do not like having my picture taken so couldn't resist that little joke.

hope you are having a great week!!

love,
Michelle

Michelle R Photography said...

Can you believe that I can't see any of your pictures?!? They are not loading. UGH!! I am sure they are fabulous. I will have to keep trying. I am so glad your weekend went so well. I would expect nothing less from you, Miss Organized! I hope you have caught up on some sleep. I am sure you needed it after such a whirlwind of a weekend and all of the preparations in advance.

Jboo said...

Wow -- sounds like it was fabulous! What a fun group! Photos are phenomenal!

Janet

Heather{Our Life In a Click} said...

That looks like so much fun and all of the shots are amazing!!

-heather

Anonymous said...

I have been waiting to see your photos! They look amazing and it sounds like a wonderful time was had by all. What a beautiful group of ladies! I'm so happy to hear your workshop was a success!

Hugs to you...

The Byrd's Nest said...

Awesome photos.....13 years old...really???? Wow! She is beautiful!

Everyone looked great and you deserved your cake...your gifts and much much more my friend...you have the heart of a servant:)

Everything Beautiful Shay said...

What an awesome post. I LOVED seeing the photos the girls shot. You are obviously one amazing teacher!!! So happy your weekend was so fun and successful!!!
Blessings,
Sharon

Kim said...

That would have been so wonderful to attend!

So....

You'll just have to have one out here in Los Angeles!! :)

a Tonggu Momma said...

Oh, how painful this post was to read! Next time I HAVE to crash the party. I can't believe I was only an hour away...

But enough about me *grin* - GO! YOU! (And Marla, too.) Congrats on such a successful and fun-filled weekend. So excited for you!

Ricki said...

Lisa-
Could you add me to your email distribution list? I am very interested in photography, but want to learn more. I'm hoping you can help.
The workshop photos are beautiful!
Thanks!

Jacki said...

Please add me to your list for one of your next workshops, I hear "old dogs" can learn new tricks. And I even think my son wants to come. Are guys welcome?
Thanks, Jacki

Casey said...

What a weekend!! Thanks so much for hosting it! I had THE best time.

And all of these photos are just amazing!!

Valerie said...

Wow, this looks like it was so much fun and makes me want to take up photography, well, it makes me want to go to photography workshops at the very least.

So glad it was a success, and so happy to hear, you are so close to referral, the real wait begins when you see her face!

Wishing you peace of mind until referral day.

Love Valerie

Anonymous said...

Interesting Platform
Me Heart :)

Amy said...

Beautiful pictures!

Anaiz said...

That picture looks so great, lucky him! Very cute blog!

Killlashandra said...

I imagine he is having a wonderful time at the beach. I can't remember the last time I went to a beach where you could actually swim in the water. :-D Lovely shot and composition of your shot.

Smile Peace Love said...

You have a knack for shot composition ! Great Job!

JMCS said...

Congrats Lisa, looks like a fantastic time was had by all who attended. Great images too! :)

Hugs,
Jonni