I teach an online class with the BPSOP, and I also conduct my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops around the planet. One of my Springtime Workshops, I conducted was in Tuscany. We were based in Sienna, and each morning and afternoon we set out for various locations that I had scouted before the start of the workshop.

For most of the week we had great weather, but one morning we set out to capture the beautiful rolling hills and rows of Cedar trees indigenous to the Tuscany landscape. As we drove farther away from Sienna, on a very narrow two-lane highway, the skies became darker and darker, and rain was imminent. Katka, the woman that produced the workshop for me knew of a small pull out where we could park the van and cars. The morning light wasn’t going to happen, and then the rain came. Not a downpour, but even the light rain falling was enough to totally bum out my group.

We had parked  about fifty feet from a major curve that had arrows pointing around it, so I immediately began thinking of a way to turn the overcast, gloomy, rainy day into something positive and fun for the workshop. That is the ones that wanted to get out into the rain, which by the end of the shoot included almost everyone.

I had Petr, the co-producer get in one of our cars with one of my walki-talkis. I had him drive slowly around the curve, directing him via the walki-talkis to keep his foot on the brakes so we could introduce some color; while the workshop shot long exposures.

After a while we hardly noticed the rain and my fellow photographers were able to create several pretty damn good photos… I’m proud to say.

So, as I’m often heard saying, “You gotta do what you gotta do”.

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

JoeB

One of my annual workshop, I conduct every year was in Tuscany, Italy. I have to say that it was one of the best workshops I’ve been to since 1984 when I conducted my first one at the Maine Media workshop. Although several had taken my online class with the BPSOP, and some had taken my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops, several people had just read about it on this blog.

We based out of Siena and traveled to various locations in and around this medieval town. I had arrived a few days in advance so I could scout all the locations with Katka, the woman who lives in Prague and produced not only the one I just finished in Tuscany but the one in the Czech Republic as well. Without her expertise my workshops would not have happened; certainly not as smooth and professionally run.

Katka took me to several locations where I used my Sunpath program and my Morin 2ooo hand bearing compass to determine which ones I should take the class to at sunrise and/or sunset. When the workshop participants arrived, they were picked up in Florence and driven to Siena. After a get together over wine and cheese, we were all set and ready to shoot in the next morning’s sunrise.

For the next five days we shot at other medieval towns, as well as vineyards in Chianti and of course fabulous late afternoon and early morning landscape opportunities scattered around the region.

It was a full class and I have to say that it was not only a great time meeting and working with all of them, but the level of work was and is impressive for people that are not professionals. Their work actually surpassed a lot of working pros I see out in the commercial and corporate world.

Walking up to the top of towns like Volterra and Pienza was quite an exercise, but the class took it in stride and never faltered. The payoff was well worth it as you’ll see in the following slideshow of their work. You’re sure to be as impressed as I was when we had class every day to discuss and critique their work shot the previous day.

Enjoy the show!!!

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Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com and follow me on Instagram. Check out my workshop schedule at the top of this blog.. I’ll be working on my next for 2023 somewhere in Europe so be sure to watch for it. My workshop in Tuscany filled in five days so when the time comes, don’t wait too long to sign up.

JoeB

I constantly see my online students with the BPSOP and those that attend my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” standing too far back from their subject. Most of the time it’s because they just don’t think about it. I’ve also been told that they are afraid or intimated to get too close. Then there are those that have admitted to being a touch on the lazy side.

There are two ways to look at it: If you’re content in making your goal to become a “halfway decent photographer” (as is the case of one of my students I talked to), then by all means continue on the path you’re currently on; you’ll be fine! On the other hand, if you’re goal is to become the best photographer you can be and work hard at taking your photos “up a notch”, then you’re going to have to get over the ‘hump’ concerning getting toooooo up close and personal.

Here’s what it can do for you: first, by getting up close and personal, you’re anchoring your subject in the foreground which in turn will create “layers of interest”. This is a key ingredient in Perspective by creating Depth. This is just one of the items you’ll find on the Artist Palette that I share with my students.

Second, by getting up close and personal, you can generate Visual Tension (another item on my Artist Palette) in one of two ways: Putting your subject close to the edge of your frame and minimizing the Negative Space between the subject and the edge of the frame. And last but certainly not least, by getting up close and personal you can hide the fact that you might be shooting on a gray day.

All these suggestions will keep the viewer looking at your photos longer by taking control of what he or she processes and perceives while they’re hanging around.

Andy, one of the students that took my workshop was shooting along with the rest of the class on a fishing pier, It was right after sunrise and the light was not very strong as it was hidden by clouds filled with water vapor. The water vapor that makes up the humidity is usually not a photographer’s friend.

 Andy was taking a photo of a fishing rod and reel, but was too far back to create anything worthwhile…by his standards, not mine! Just too much gray and uninteresting environment. I walked up to Andy and reminded him of our discussion back in the classroom about getting close to his subject. He took my advice and was able to walk away with a fairly interesting photo. By getting close he was making pictures, not taking them.

Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com, and follow me on Instagram www.instagram.com/barabanjoe come shoot with me sometime.

JoeB

One of my all time favorite ‘Pearls’ that I constantly refer to in my online class with the BPSOP, and in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshop I conduct around the planet, is called my “Fifteen Point Protection Plan”. I want to introduce you to it because it could be the most important tool you’ll have in your ‘camera bag’.

I can’t remember when I came up with this tool, but I’m guessing over thirty years ago, and I have done well by it.

Imagine a clear piece of acetate in your viewfinder with fifteen evenly spaced (imaginary) black dots on it. After I’ve decided what my final photo is going to be, and it’s framed in my viewfinder, I look at each of the black imaginary dots and all four directions around them. Remember that these dots cover the frame, so I look all the way from the dot to the edges of the frame they’re next to.

What that does is it helps me check to make sure everything in the photo I’m about to take is the way I want it. I don’t want to be surprised when I get back to the studio and wonder why I didn’t notice the tree growing out of someone’s head, or why I cropped out something important…or put in something not so important.

Give it a try. Once this becomes second nature to you and a permanent part of your thought process, I can guarantee you that your imagery will go “up a notch”.

Here’s the diagram placed over a photograph:

Visit my website at joebaraban.com, and check out my upcoming workshops at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime.

JoeB

Besides conducting my personal “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops and teaching online with the BPSOP, I just returned from my workshop in Cuba as part of the Santa Fe Workshops, and it was a wonderful experience. Good as my other four trips, and in some ways better. This time we based out of Remedios, which is mostly East and a little South of Havana; very close to the coast.

Remedios couldn’t be more different than the three workshops I have done in Havana. Where Havana is full of energy (and tourists), offering a diverse set of photo ops, Remedios is on the other end of the spectrum. It’s a lot closer to the feel of Santiago.

Here is the program Kip put together of all the participants: https://youtu.be/Pli8lOkJCX4

Being less considered a tourist destination, Remedios is a centerpiece for what would be the old and traditional colonial town one might think of when talking about Cuba…after Havana, that is.

The group of people was absolutely great as well as talented. When you mix that with a fun, friendly, accommodating, and very professional staff of very good Cuban photographers, I just can’t think of a place I would have rather been. Thank you Jorge, Claudia, and Sandor for your help and friendship.

Special thanks to Kip who is the program director and after at least a hundred trips, he still approaches it as though it was his first; he’s in love with Cuba.

Here are a few of my images, including the one at the top:

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As I have said, When I’m out shooting I don’t expect to see everything I want to photograph. I look for different pieces of the puzzle and try to put them together to form the finished one. Right after the last piece has been put in, that’s when I shoot.

That’s not to say that I’m not always looking for ‘moments’ because I am; my background includes shooting for the wire services. For me, those “rare special moments” are elusive and don’t come easy, so I fill the time taking pictures of what I’d like to see. Having a background in painting and design, a camera on a tripod is just like a blank canvas on an easel.

That said, virtually all of my images were actually shot as I saw them, which is sort of rare for me; not planned, just a coincidence. Besides showing a few of my photos, I have also included a short program we put together to showcase all the photographers in my group.

Visit my website at www.joebaraban.com, and check out my workshop schedule at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime.

JoeB

I recently returned from my amazing workshop in San Miguel, and it was everything I had read about.  I had seen beautiful images shot by other photographers that had been there before me, but it’s just not the same as seeing it with your own eyes.

Sponsored by The Santa Fe Workshops it was, as usual, professionally run and no attention to detail was spared.

Besides San Miguel, I have also participated in four workshops in Cuba with Santa Fe, and I always look forward to fully committing myself to working with my fellow photographers and not having to worry or think about anything else; they always have the students in mind…and my back!

I spent a week shooting alongside and working with a great group of people, looked forward to seeing their work in the daily reviews. I also enjoy putting together a post highlighting their art, and I’m confident you’ll be as impressed as I am at the level of work submitted by everyone.

These photographers either represent students that have taken my online classes with the BPSOP or have been with me in other “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops…or both.

Enjoy the show:

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Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com, and check out my upcoming workshops at the top of this blog

I wanted to send out this post dedicated to the new 2018 workshops I have coming up.

I want to share two new workshops I have planned this year. The first one is the Maine Media Workshop beginning July 29th. I will be celebrating my 30th anniversary there and after all these years, I still love going there. I’ve always had it the same week, as it’s the week of the Lobster Festival just down the road in Rockland. The reason is that it offers a completely different set of photo opportunities than the Maine coast, fishing villages and lighthouses. At the festival there’s color, design, energy, people watching, and being able to shoot various environmental portraits of people (sometimes in costume) willing to be photographed.

Here’s the link: https://www.mainemedia.edu/workshops/item/stretching-frame-mind-jul-29-aug-4-2018/

Here’s a couple of links from past workshops images taken by students:

https://joebaraban.com/2016maine-media-workshop/

https://joebaraban.com/workshop-stuff-maine-2017/

https://joebaraban.com/2014-maine-media-workshop/

The second one is in conjunction with the Santa Fe Workshops. Beginning October 2nd, I’ll be leading a workshop in San Miguel de Allende. This is not a city you might think of when considering Mexico as a destination. San Miguel is an oasis high up in central Mexico.

Here’s the link: https://santafeworkshops.com/workshop/Light_Color_People_San_Miguel/

Here’s what Lonelyplanet has to say about this beautiful city:

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/mexico/northern-central-highlands/san-miguel-de-allende

Also Wikitravel: https://wikitravel.org/en/San_Miguel_de_Allende

I hope some of you will join me in the fun well as shoot alongside me.

JoeB

I recently returned from my photo tour/workshop I conducted with William Yu. To say that it was an experience/adventure is putting it mildly. We visited places in rural China very few westerners will ever see; sometimes as close as a few miles from the northern Vietnam border.

We went in January because that’s the time of year the thirteen hundred year old rice paddies are flooded, in preparation to the planting. Thanks to William and his very good friend and local guide Junyong Ma, we were able to view the fields from several lookouts both early in the morning and late in the afternoon.

Although we were hampered by an unseasonably cold front, gray skies, and fog almost every day,  we still managed to take some great photos; especially in the tribal villages where we shot both close-up and environmental portraits.

We were also very fortunate to be there the same time as the yearly festival where the various local tribes bring their specialty dishes for all to taste; placed on over four hundred tables that run throughout one of the villages.

With me were photographers that had taken both my online classes with the BPSOP and several had taken as many as 2,3,4,5,6,7,8, and even nine of my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind Workshops” I conduct around our planet.

For those that are seeking “new horizons where few men have gone before”, I can recommend William to be your captain.

These are not mine, but represent my fellow photographers that were with me. I know there’s a lot of photos, but you should have seen the list I first began with. Just sit back and click on the slideshow at your own speed.

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Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com, and check out my new 2018 workshop schedule at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime.

I have just added two new workshops for 2018. The first one is my next Maine Media Workshop to begin the end of next July. It will be the 30th anniversary there so come celebate with me. I’ve always held it the same week as it’s the week of the Lobster Frstival down the road in Rockland. It offers a completely different set of photo ops than the beautiful coast, lighthouses, and fishing villages where we shoot at. You’ll be surrounded by color, lights, design, energy, people watching, and food.

I have just received the link to my next workshop in conjunction with the Santa Fe Workshops to be next October 2nd in San Miguel de Allende. A fabulous oasis and artist community.

JoeB

I wanted to repeat some of my earlier posts that dealt with photos taken from my Maine Media Workshops to show you some great images that are taken during the week. This coming July marks my 29th year there and I look forward to teaching there every year.

There’s several workshops going on that week so the energy level is way up there. All classes eat all three meals (great food) at the homestead so there’s constant photography chatter and you see people taking pictures all around the campus. Each year starting from the beginning I’ve picked the same week because it coincides with the Lobster Festival just down the road in Rockland; the reason is simple.

Beside what my fellow photographers have come to expect as far as small fishing villages, lighthouses, flowers in peak season, and landscapes in general, the Lobster Festival offers a completely different set of photo opportunities: color, light, design, great people watching and portraiture, and lots of movement; not counting the variety of foods including seafood and plenty of lobster.

As I do in my online classes with the BPSOP and my own personal “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around the planet, I show photographers how to incorporate the elements of visual design into their photography. I go out with the class in the mornings as well as the sunset shoots to see what people are thinking and I’ll always talk to each one individually offering advice and perhaps a different way of looking at the same subject.

Here are some classes:

2015 is not shown because of the recovery of hip replacement surgery.

Since I know that so many photographers have to plan so far ahead for vacation time, I wanted to send a link out now so people have a chance to read the description and sign up:

https://www.mainemedia.edu/workshops/photography/stretching-your-frame-mind

Visit my workshop at: www.joebaraban.com, and watch for new workshops at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime.

Send me a photo and question to: AskJoeB@gmail.com, and I’ll create a video critique for you.

JoeB

I recently returned from my 28th year at the Maine Media Workshop. The campus is located in Rockport, Maine, and it’s one of my favorite things to do every August. I’ve picked this week every year because it’s the same week as the Lobster Festival down the road in Rockland.

This year was no different and with a good group of photographers we spent a great week together shooting and discussing their images.

My workshop is called “Stretching Your Frame of Mind”, and I teach people how to incorporate the elements of visual design into their photography. I also show students that take my online class with the BPSOP how to make these same elements work for them as well.

As I’ve done in the past when I get back home, I put together a post that’s made up of entirely their photos taken over the course of the week. These photos were taken at locations I’ve been going to for many years, as in the photos taken at Pemaquid Point lighthouse…along with a photograph that calls for a production; as in the photo the class did together of Ghost face…a character in the Scream series.

Enjoy the show:

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Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com, and check out my 2017 workshop schedule at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime…come to Maine in 2017

Send me a photo and question to: AskJoeB@gmail.com and I’ll create a video critique for you.

JoeB

One of the posts I look forward to writing is right after one of my workshops. As most of my followers know I recently wrote a post on my last “Springtime” workshop, this time in Paris this last May. It was followed by a second post on the Eiffel Tower competition where everyone went out to capture the famous structure as creatively as they could.

The end of this last July, I conducted my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” class at the Maine Media Workshop, and it was the twenty-sixth year I had done so. The Maine Media Workshop is the granddaddy of them all and it’s where many of the know-famous workshops got their beginning. It was a great time with a great class, and the resulting images they took are among some of the best I’ve seen in all the years I’ve taught there. The lasting friendships and experiences all of us came away with, are indelibly etched in the minds of not only all my fellow photographers who took my class, but mine as well.

As I trek towards my thirtieth year teaching in Maine, next summer I hope I’ll have an opportunity to meet some of you that have followed my blog over the years. FYI, I also teach this same class with the PPSOP, probably the top online school out there.

Meanwhile, enjoy the slideshow created solely by all my recent students.

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Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com, and be sure to watch for my 2015 workshop schedule coming out in a couple of months. Although my workshop, in conjunction with Santa Fe, to Cuba is full, you can still put your name on a waiting list. I still have two spots open for my workshop with Epic Photo Tours to Myanmar next February.

Don’t forget to send me a photo and question to: AskJoeB@gmail.com.

JoeB