In my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around the planet, I teach fellow photographers how to incorporate the elements of Visual Design and composition into their imagery. Negative Space, Vanishing Point, Perspective, Tension, form, Shape, Pattern, Texture, Light, and Color are all permanently affixed to their new ‘Artist Palette’ I use to teach in my online classes. Unfortunately, the founder passe away and the school closed.

I spend extra time on LINE, since it’s the most important of all the basic elements of Visual Design. You see, nothing would exist without Line, planes, trains, automobiles and even people all have an “outLine”.

In my workshops. we also spend time on Silhouettes, and Shadows (Shadows are your best friend). In the photo of the two young girls, Stephanie was given the color red and the word “indifference” to use in a single photo. It’s a wonderful example of what the title is all about.  Not only does this photo contain several elements from her ‘Artist Palette’, it’s also a perfect example of how shadows can make a huge difference in our photography. it’s certainly a benchmark for workshops to come!!!

The following is a slideshow from one of my workshops. A first class collection of Lines, Silhouettes, Shadows, and all the elements tof visual Design they all brought with them.

Enjoy!!!

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Visit my workshop at: www.joebaraban.com and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Check out any up and coming workshops. Come shoot with me sometime.

JoeB

One of my most favorite of all the workshops I’ve conducted was the one in Paris…“Boy oh boy do I love Paris.”

I had led a group of my fellow photographers to Provence for one of my yearly workshops. We met in Arles and for three days photographed many of the areas where Vincent Van Gogh roamed the streets and countryside looking for subject matter including: Arles, Avignon, Saint Remy de Provence, Les Baux, and Chateauneuf de Pape.

From there we traveled by van to Nice and for the next three days photographed this beautiful city by the sea, a sunrise in the magical village of Eze, then a train  one afternoon to Monte Carlo.

Many of the photographers had taken my online classes with the BPSOP, and studied the elements of visual design with me. There were so many that had been on prior workshops, and some as many as three, four and five before coming again with me to Provence. It ‘s always like a family reunion with several people returning to shoot with me again, and this time it was to celebrate my 70th birthday…which we did!!!

All I can say is that there were so many great images that it was difficult to get it down to the number I finally wound up with. I realize that it’s a lot of photos to look at, but it was the best I could do to reduce the size to what I consider a good representation of the area, the light, and the people.

Enjoy the show:

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Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com<, and follow me on Instagram: www.instagraam.com/barabanjoe.  Watch for upcoming workshops and come shoot with me again, or for the first time.

JoeB

Last January, I lead a photographic cultural tour to Cuba. It was a great experience not only for the group that was full, but for yours truly as well. BTW, it was my eight time!

It’s a fantastic country, with wonderful, friendly, and engaging people. The photo opportunities range from the cultural events we go to as part of the tour, as well as the “dawn patrols” and afternoon to late evening shoots we all go out shooting on our own.

I’m going again next January 3rd, and you might think that after being there eight times I would have seen and photographed enough to fill a long slideshow to the family. But as I often quote a 19th century French novelist named Marcel Proust to my online class with the BPSOP, and in my own “Stretching Your Frame of mind” workshops I conduct around our planet, “The only real voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes”.

One could keep going back to Cuba and find new photo opportunities each and every time, and I’m looking forward to doing just that. Here’s a slideshow of photos not that I took, but those from my group. As you can see, they’re truly indicative of the kinds of subject matter you see when you’re there with me. I would put a lot of these images up against the majority of self-professed professional photographers that are out there right now.

Enjoy the show:

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I hope these images reach down into the soul of every photographer out there looking for places to see and photograph while inspiring you to join me. If Cuba has always been on your bucket list, I strongly suggest you see it before it changes forever as our government’s relationships with theirs becomes more and more open.

I can guarantee you as I did with all the photographers work you’ve seen in both these posts, an experience you’ll be talking about for years to come. Come join me next January 3rd. as I see things again with new eyes. For those that are interested, I can tell you that my group fills fairly quick. If you’re interested, you can send me a n email to joe@joebaraban.com.

Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Check out my workshop schedule at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime.

JoeB

Not long ago I conducting my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshop with the Pacific Northwest School of Art on Whidbey Island, and a big part of my workshop deals with what I call Chasing the Light. As in all my workshops I encourage shooting in the Golden Hour. This refers to the time right after sunrise, and the time right before sunset. In the forty-two years of being an advertising and corporate photographer, I can safely say that 75% of every photograph (outdoors of course) I’ve taken during that span of time has been shot during these hours.

I tell my students that LIGHT IS EVERYTHING; you find the light and you’ll find the shot.  When we’re out on location together, I help my students gain a better understanding and sensitivity to light as it affects all the elements on their Artist Palette…which I also give them during the workshop.

The light is just softer, warmer, and prettier. Notwithstanding the fact that the shadows become dominant and long, and as I always tell my students…”SHADOWS ARE OUR BEST FRIEND”.  They should be embraced, not feared as some would have you believe. For one thing, Form, being a basic element of visual design, comes to us with only two dimensions: height and width. It’s the shadows that add Depth, the third dimension.

After scouting Deception Pass with my Sunpath readings and my Morin 2000 hand bearing compass before the workshop started, I knew where there would be a glow in the water as a result of being backlit I took the class there to shoot, but before we went we gathered a couple of props to be used after the sun had set over the water, hiding all the beautiful scenery one will find there.

The photograph above is one that was taken by an online student. He and his girlfriend came over from his home in the Netherlands to take my workshop.

A really nice photograph, and an even better model. That would be me!!!

Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com, and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe.  Check out the workshop schedules I put at the top of this blog. They fill fairly quick then I take the description down. Come shoot with me sometime.

JoeB

As I write this, today marks the anniversary of my workshop on Whidbey Island. The unique locations for photographers to photograph, and the quality of the light. Both of these came to bear when I took my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshop there for a week. As I always say both in my workshops and my online class with the BPSOP, LIGHT IS EVERYTHING!!! You find the light and you’ll find the shot. In this case finding the light at a wonderful location is just about as good as it gets.

We were shooting at one location late one afternoon in June when the sun disappeared behind a large bank of dark clouds, and it looked like we were done for the day. We were heading back to the offices and classroom when I looked over and saw that there was a small hole between the horizon and the dark clouds. One of my students that was familiar with the area told me about Admiralty Head lighthouse, and that it was high enough in elevation to catch the sun break through the clouds before it set.

I immediately thought to myself about Eddie Adams, a famous Pulitzer Prize winning photographer. He once said, “When you get lucky, be ready”. This has been my mantra for the last fifty-three years, and it has helped me take some incredible photos; so off we went chasing the light, my favorite pastime!!!

When we arrived, the temperature had dropped significantly, and the wind was howling at us. It was mighty ‘freaking’ cold up there that night and I have to take my hat off to the students that went with me. As they say in Texas, “Sometimes you just gotta cowboy up”.

While working with another one of my students I said  that Light is so fleeting that it will change in just seconds. I took this shot and had her run with me around to the other side to show that the time it took for us to get there the light and color  had changed dramatically.

As I always say, “Never stop shooting until you can’t see anything, because as long as you can see it, you can photograph it!!!

Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com, and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Check out my workshop schedule at the top of this page and come shoot with me some time.

JoeB

As usually, I like to write a post and show my student’s images.on one of my workshops, and here’s one I love to show since several of therm will “stand the test of time”.

The Maine Media Workshop is the granddaddy of them all, and was founded in 1973. Since then, there’s been several that have started up and has used Maine as the benchmark to a successful and professional organization with improving student’s skill as just one of their main objectives.

My workshop is called “Stretching your Fame of Mind”, and it’s the same material we cover in my online class with the BPSOP. The big difference is that I’m teaching and working in the field, and the classroom discussion is live with all the participants interacting among themselves.

I’m proud of my class this year and rightfully so, as you’ll see in my slideshow of their work taken throughout the week. All photos were taken by my  class.

Enjoy the show.

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Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/baraban. Come shoot with me sometime.

JoeB

Soumyajit, who lives in India, just asked me ,”How do you decide the the correct zoom range when you have a restless subject as this one.” I’m not sure I’m understanding “zoom range”, so I’ll go on the premise that she wants to know the best composition and the best way to frame this very weird critter.

For me, the basic problem here is the lack of believability. It doesn’t feel natural, and the reason is that she says she used a black t-shirt to hide the background; therein lies the problem. Why would there be light just on the spider and not anywhere else? That is, if she was trying to make this look like he was in his natural environment.

The area right under his left legs (camera left) is very confusing and hides his legs, so I would work on making this composition more of what I refer to as a “quick read”.

If the zoom range means how big or small to make him in the frame, I would want to not only make him larger, but I would also want to make it easier for the viewer to see all of him. Perhaps showing scale as well. Right now I have no idea how big this guy really is. He could be the size of a quarter or he could be large enough to swallow the entire city of Tulsa Oklahoma…at one sitting.

One of the pearls of wisdom I often say to my students is to, “consider the scene and its outcome”. Did this photo do/say what you intended?

Visit my website at:www.joebaraban.com, and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Check out my workshops at the top of this post, come shoot with me sometime.

Thanks Soumyajit for your submission, I hope this helped.

JoeB

I had conducted my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshop at the Maine Media Workshops in Rockport, Maine. One of the locations I took my class was Pemaquid Lighthouse, and it was always a great way to introduce the class to painting with light.

Sitting in the shadow of the lighthouse at Pemaquid Point with an incredible view, my class and I enjoyed lunch provided by the workshop. I had taken them there to scout the lighthouse, and with my software called Sunpath and a hand bearing compass called a Morin 2000, I showed them how to determine where the sun was going to rise (to the exact degree) and when it would hit the horizon. By the way, it’s a hell of a lot accurate than any app you can put on your phone.

The next morning we met at 3:30AM for the drive to Pemaquid. I wanted to be there an hour before sunrise to give us enough time to set up. That day dawn began at 5:05AM, with the actual sunrise coming at 5:27AM at 81 degrees. I knew we had twenty-two minutes before the sun came up to paint the lighthouse with my RedLine tactical flashlight. I had the class set up and shoot while I ran around and showed them how to paint while keeping their camera shutter open.

It was a beautiful morning, and the class really enjoyed the experience. Afterward, we had my traditional breakfast at Moody’s Diner in Waldoboro, Maine.

What fun!

JoeB

In my recent Paris Workshop, that incidentally was a huge success, I had ask the class to photograph the Eiffel Tower sometime during the week. Since it’s the most iconic structure in France, or any country for that matter, I thought it might be fun to have a juried exhibition and award a special memento to the photo that was judged (I stayed out of it) by  three independent people (artists in their own right) as being the most unusual and creative photograph taken during the course of the workshop.

Several photos were taken after our farewell dinner at Procope, the oldest restaurant in Paris. A private coach picked everyone up after a fantastic meal and great wine and went to the Eiffel Tower at sunset ( 9:41pm) for one last shoot. I gave the first place winner a Crystal Eiffel Tower made by Swarovski.

The second, third, and honorable mention are the first three in the slideshow. All the rest were finalists.

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Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Check out future workshops at the top of this blog.

JoeB

I was invited to bring my workshop to the Julia Dean Photo Workshops in Hollywood, California. It was my second time, and it’s always a special treat to teach there because after all it is LA, and the weather can’t be beat for shooting pictures; not to mention the great staff at the workshop who are very professional and accommodating to me and the students.

I teach an online class with the BPSOP, and I also conduct my workshops all over the world. I took one of my workshops to the Getty Center to photograph the wonderful architecture, and once we were there they spread out looking for the ‘elements’ of visual design found on their new ‘Artist Palette‘ (they began working on it the first day of the workshop), as well as ways to incorporate the Theory of Gestalt into their photos.

While working with Rina, one of my students, this is one of the shots she took. Not only is it about Line, Texture, Pattern, Negative Space and Perspective (all of these found on her ‘Artist Palette’), but it’s also a great example of one of the concepts of Gestalt I also teach called “The Law of Common Fate”. I’ll be sharing this concept with you in a coming post, so stay tuned.

Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com, and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Check out my new workshop schedule at the top of this blog. Come shoot me sometime.

A really good photo Rina!!!

JoeB

“STRETCHING YOUR FRAME OF MIND”

When you sign up for my online class with the BPSOP, or consider taking my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” digital photography workshop I teach around the globe, this is the first part of what you’ll read in my workshop overview:

THE ARTIST’S PALETTE:

Imagine yourself standing at some location with an artist’s palette in your hand. A recently stretched canvas is waiting on an easel, and a jar full of cleaned brushes sits on a small table next to you. Cobalt and Ultramarine Blue, Raw Sienna and Burnt Umber are positioned side by side while Chromium Oxide Green, Cadmium Red and Yellow lie together opposite them; Mars Black and Titanium White sit in the middle. They all have been squeezed from tubes and anxious to be mixed together.

Now, imagine that instead of all those wonderful pigments on your palette, there are the elements of visual design and composition.  Terms like: Vanishing Point, Negative Space, Perspective, Tension, Color, Light, Texture, Pattern, and Line, have been etched into the aged wood.

Everyone knows what happens when you mix red and blue, right? You get purple. How about when you mix blue and yellow together? Green, right again. But, what happens when you add Tension, a few Patterns, and Perspective together while taking your daughter’s portrait during an outdoor birthday party? Or Negative Space, some Texture, and a Vanishing Point when you’re composing a street scene in a small Tuscan village? Or a small fishing town, like the one shown below that I shot while with my class at the Maine Media Workshop.

What happens? Well you’ll get the picture.

Check out my website at www.joebaraban.com and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Check out my workshop description at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime!!!

JoeB

 After exhausting efforts to finally solve the mystery as to why Chicago is nicknamed ‘The Windy City’, I now bring you absolutely no conclusion…as of yet.

Why you ask? Does anyone besides me really care? Why did I waste so much of my time searching for the answer?

Well, my fellow photographers the reason is because Chicago is the site of my next workshop beginning with the “meet and greet” on September 4^th, 2024, ending on September 11^th.

Since most of my recent workshops have been in Europe, I have been asked by several of my past workshop attendees to do one in the good old U.S. of A.

The main reason is the outrageous cost of airfare. I have looked at several fares from several departure and return dates for cities throughout the states, and there are several that have doubled since last year.

Having said that, I have also heard from a lot of you out there that they have never been to Chicago. It seems hard to believe, but it’s a fact. Also, so many have wanted to come to one of my workshops but couldn’t afford the entire cost.

So, as is usually the case, I started to look up potential photo ops there and found enough amazing locations to fill at least two workshops.

Below are the ones I have narrowed it down to, and after I have scouted all of them before the start of the workshop, I will make my final selections.

It will be based on the days together, the logistics involved in getting us from one location to the other, and most important, places where all of us can shoot without tripods tripping over one another. If possible, I will try to fit in all of them!!!

But first of all, to get you in the mode, I give you this:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vE2FmiBHCg 

The Magnificent Mile: Given its nickname in the 1940’s, is an upscale section of Chicago’s Michigan Avenue. It serves as the main thoroughfare between Chicago’s business district and the Gold Coast. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g35805-d109779-Reviews-The_Magnificent_Mile-Chicago_Illinois.html

Chicago Union Station: “An iconic building and a marvel of modern transportation for nearly a century, Chicago’s Union Station was originally designed by Daniel Burnham and completed by Graham, Anderson, Probst and White. A grand building worthy of the city’s status as a national railroad hub, it is a treasured part of Chicago history and a valued asset for Chicago’s future.”

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=chicago+union+station&atb=v336-1&iax=images&ia=images

Chicago Navy Pier: A 3300-foot-long pier running along the North side of Chicago. Opened in 1916, it was originally used as a dock to serve freighters, passenger ships and indoor and outdoor recreational events. Now, it’s one of the most visited attractions in the entire Midwest. That said, September will be considerably quieter…no families and kids!!!

https://duckduckgo.com/?hps=1&q=navy+pier+chicago&atb=v336-1&iax=images&ia=images 

Gold Coast: A wonderful ‘historic district’ that grew in the aftermath of the famous Chicago Fire in 1871. The district was added to the Historic Register of Historic Places.

Nestled close to the Lake Michigan shoreline, the Gold Coast is luxury and romance personified (as the name implies, this is one of the country’s most affluent neighborhoods).

Streets are lined with historic mansions, designer boutiques, celebrated restaurants, and historic hotels.

Gold Coast is also known as an architectural jewel box. It features rows of 19th-century homes designed in various historical revival styles. Th most famous is the Former Playboy Mansion, legendary for Hugh Hefner’s star-studded parties.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Gold+Coast+Historic+District+(Chicago)+Chicago&ia=images&iax=images&atb=v336-1

For those looking for photo ops a little out of the ordinary, I give you:

Wells Kinzie Garage Metro Station: Although the entire location offers great photo possibilities, the elevated level of a parking garage, will give you a fabulous vantage point offering a unique S-shaped view of a glass-paneled bar and the “L” as it passes through the city. At night, the light illuminates and reflects a captivating blue glow that’s complemented by the light trails of the traveling train.

Sounds like a sunset/blue hour location to me!!

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=overlook+metro+trains+at+Wells+kinzie+garage&t=newext&atb=v336-1&iax=images&ia=images

 Millennium Park: Millennium Park is a can’t-miss attraction for any Chicago visit. The lakefront campus, located in the heart of downtown, is home to the iconic statue (aka “The Bean”), interactive fountains, tranquil gardens, free events, public art, skating rinks, rock climbing, and plenty of green space.

https://duckduckgo.com/?hps=1&q=millennium+park+chicago&atb=v336-1&iax=images&ia=images

Chicago Water Tower: The ornate Gothic Revival structure was only built to hide a simple standpipe. Even so, its intricate design serves as a perfect illustration of the value and importance the city put on infrastructure and water supply during the late 19th century. Today it’s seen as an investment made to solve crucial water supply issues brought about by the city’s rapid growth.

https://duckduckgo.com/?hps=1&q=chicago+water+tower&atb=v336-1&iax=images&ia=images&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.britannica.com%2F44%2F93844-050-F5931FD7%2FWater-Tower-one-buildings-Great-Fire-North-1871.jpg

Chicago Riverwalk: The Chicago Riverwalk is a multi-use public space located on the south bank of the main branch of the Chicago River in Chicago, extending from Lake Michigan and DuSable Lake Shore Drive westward to Lake Street. The Chicago Riverwalk contains restaurants, bars, cafes, small parks, boat and kayak rentals, a Vietnam War memorial, and other amenities.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=chicago+riverwalk&atb=v336-1&iax=images&ia=images

Milton Lee Olive Park: Simply a public park in the middle of Chicago: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=milton+lee+olice+park&atb=v336-1&iax=images&ia=images

Buckingham Fountain: One of the largest fountains in the world, Buckingham Fountain is a major landmark in Chicago.

While in operation, the Fountain produces a major water display for 20 minutes every hour.  During the major display, a center jet shoots water to a height of 150 feet into the air.

Major displays begin daily at 9:00 a.m. and continue thereafter, every hour on the hour. Beginning at dusk, a spectacular light and music display accompanies the major display, beginning every hour on the hour for 20 minutes.

Looks like another sunset/Blue Hour location to me.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Buckimngham+fountain&atb=v336-1&iax=images&ia=images

North Avenue Beach at sunset/blue hour: After checking it out, during the scout, it might be a good location for a sunset shoot.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=North+avenue+beach+skyline+pictures+at+night+in+chicago&atb=v336-1&iax=images&ia=images&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.fineartamerica.com%2Fimages%2Fartworkimages%2Fmediumlarge%2F2%2F12-chicago-skyline-at-sunset-viewed-from-north-avenue-beach-miroslav-liska.jpg

Rookery Building: As far as photo ops go, the Rookery Building is a gem.

As one of the most historically significant buildings in Chicago, The Rookery is a unique enclave for businesses that value a prestigious presence. An icon in the center of Chicago’s downtown Financial District,

The Rookery seamlessly combines the flair of an era gone by with state-of-the-art building systems and technology. Designated a Chicago Landmark in 1972 after being added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, The Rookery is universally considered an architectural wonder.

A great place to shoot during the middle of the day, or if it’s cloudy while we wait for the sun!!!!

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=rookery+building&atb=v336-1&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images

Well, my fellow photographers there you have it. This trip promises to be one of the best visually stimulating experiences you’ll have in one of my workshops. Great memories that will be remembered by you as a photographer or as a tourist while visiting the great sights of Chicago. An extraordinary set of locations, and something for everyone!

The cost is $1900.00 for the photographers and $900.00 for your spouse, cousin, mother-in-law, partner, friend, and significant other. Sorry, no service animals.

The workshop will be limited to ten shooters so if you’re at all interested, I strongly suggest you reserve a spot as soon as you can.

The critiques in the mornings are for just the shooters. They have become more of an interaction review where I’m not the only person doing the talking. Everyone becomes involved which makes it a more productive morning.

For those that would rather not submit, that’s fine. They can just sit in on the discussions. Or if you would rather not attend, that’s also fine. I want these workshops to be enjoyable and filled with the least amount of stress. We’re there to have fun and take some great photos. As usual, I will always make myself available for any private one-to-one discussions.

My workshop fills very fast, and to have one in the States will make it that much quicker.

It’s entirely possible these days that we can be there for the turning of the leaves. Wouldn’t that be spectacular?

As far as Chicago being called the “Wndy City”, we’ll talk about it over wine during the meet and greet at the famous Gino’s East:

https://duckduckgo.com/?hps=1&q=gino%27s+east&atb=v336-1&iax=images&ia=images

This is a destination that’s not only for photographers, but anyone that loves to just walk around and see wonderful sights in Autumn.

Last, but not least, there’s also my final dinner!!!

For more information or to reserve a space, email me at: joe@joebaraban.com

For those of you that have never attended one of my workshops, here are remarks by some people who have:

Ed

Joe, I just attended my first workshop. It was amazing on every level. I can’t say enough about all the amazing historical locations we visited. I absolutely loved the workshop.

We visited villages that were founded by Romans in the 4th century. Can it get any better??? I appreciate the quality of the critique interactive reviews and look forward to bringing my photography to the next level. I absolutely loved the chemistry with all the participants. It was a spectacular week.

Alain

I recently completed my third workshop with Joe Baraban, and all I can say is that I will be coming back for more. All aspects of the workshop were fantastic. Joe’s approach to teaching, the shooting locations, the daily reviews, the accommodations, the planning and organization, and the communications were all at the highest level.

From the “meet and greet” reception the first night, to the final dinner, Joe paid strict attention to every detail to make sure we were well taken care of…all the time. Joe’s selection of locations is always diverse and challenging and present many, many opportunities for great shots and learning.

The daily reviews are a wonderful educational experience as you discuss your own work as well as the work of the other photographers. Joe teaches how to “make pictures”, not just take them. The quality and creativity in my images continue to ratchet up a notch with every workshop as I continue to learn from Joe.

I highly recommend Joe’s workshops and online classes.

 Nick

I recently completed my 12th workshop with Joe and his team, and I find myself returning for more, drawn by numerous reasons. Firstly, the photography lessons and critiques are exceptional, significantly contributing to my growth as both a photographer and an artist. Joe’s approach to photography, viewing it through an artist’s lens, has profoundly altered my perspective on the world, enabling me to convey stories through my images. Joe serves as an outstanding and supportive teacher and mentor, and the workshop’s structure perfectly facilitates these objectives.

Secondly, the workshop destinations and locations have consistently been spectacular, meticulously planned and well executed. Every detail is thoughtfully taken care of, and the communication is exceptional. Joe and his producers conduct thorough research, scouting, and organization for each location, ensuring a seamless experience for participants to not only immerse themselves in local sights and cultures but also to return with a stunning collection of photographs to share and display.

Furthermore, the line from a Joseph Parry poem “make new friends but keep the old” rings true in each of Joe’s workshops. I eagerly anticipate reuniting with friends from previous trips and forming new connections with like-minded individuals from across the globe. We collaborate in shooting and exchange creative thoughts and ideas.

Lastly, each workshop has been an absolute blast. It’s fun capturing images, exploring, learning, and simply enjoying the company of friends. It’s been an all-around great time. The lingering question remains: where to next?

John B

I wanted to learn more about Joe’s approach to visual design and making great photos after taking one of his online courses.  As a former painter, I really relate to his focus on visual design elements as his artist’s palate and it all came to life in this workshop.

He is an excellent teacher, and it was wonderful to experience this with a group of very talented photographers who supported each other and did some great work.  The format of learning the design principles and discussing them in relation to Joe’s images and the work from the class was a great way to learn – I look forward to future workshops.

Murray

I attended Joe’s Paris workshop and received a lot of valuable information in less than a week.

Joe’s workshops begin with an informal meet and greet where all the participants and spouses can meet each other with food and wine.

Usually, each day start before dawn with an air-conditioned private bus trip to a pre-scouted shooting location. Joe gives suggestions for shooting before and during each shoot. He moves around to each photographer during the shoots and gives “hands-on tips” and suggestions that are wonderful and instructive.

Each day there is a very constructive review of the work that was shot the day before. Joe has everyone involved and he asks people their opinions.

I have not attended many formal workshops and I was happy that the comments of the other shooters and those from Joe were very helpful and allowed everyone to get real feedback so soon after shooting.

I can truly say that the workshop immediately helped me, and I believe that my photos have much improved. It was a wonderful experience and made me a better photographer. It also gave me a chance to make friends with the other photographers.

I would recommend it to everyone that has a camera.

I was going through some of my videos and came upon this one. It gave me so many great memories that I wanted to share it with you. It was a workshop I did years ago in Sonoma and Napa Valley. I have to say that it was one of the best experiences I’ve had teaching. I had a full class and all of them were good photographers, which made it even more fun when it came to the classroom critiques. Every day I looked forward to seeing everyone’s photos and I was never disappointed.

Some of the class had taken my online course with the BPSOP and wanted to actually shoot with me, and some had taken other “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops and wanted to shoot with me again. Since I rarely shoot myself, I spend all the time walking around to see what others are doing. I’ll offer advice or talk to them about what they’re thinking, give them different ideas, and suggest alternate points of view.

Russ and Pat Johnson, who live in Sonoma, had taken one of my workshops and since I  had always wanted to do this workshop I had asked Pat if she would be willing to produce it for me. She agreed, and we virtually spend a year putting it together with Pat doing all the legwork and making contact with the vineyards. We shot at several of the top vineyards in Napa and Sonoma and they were gracious enough to give us a private tour and wine tasting before and after the shoots for the class. Pat also arranged for this years farewell dinner that was hosted by the Michelin rated Sante’ Restaurant in the fabulous Fairmont Sonoma Mission Hotel. It was a perfect ending to a memorable week.

I had a very hard time picking the photos for this post, as there were at least twice as many as I’ve shown here. For the first time I had a photographer who just happened to be Russ Johnson who is also a videographer, create a short film on the workshop. It will give you an idea and show the flavor of what goes on in one of my workshops.

Here’s just some of the images shot during the five days. Enjoy the show!!!

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Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com, and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Be sure to watch for my workshop schedule at the top of this blog. Cone shoot with me sometime.

JoeB