Take a closer look at what it takes to be a wedding photographer in this fun and informative 8 week course.  Experienced wedding photographers, Karen and Tim Tallevi, of Tallevi Studios, will lead students through a course designed to prepare new and aspiring wedding photographers to succeed in a competitive industry.  Karen and Tim will share what they’ve learned in their five years in business, from efficient workflow solutions and the best way to photograph family formals, to their favourite lenses and suppliers.  

They’ll cover the technical skills necessary to take great pictures in any environment. Through practical shooting exercises and classroom discussions, you will be introduced to lighting techniques for portraiture using natural light. On and off camera flash for the conditions commonly found at weddings will also be introduced. Tips for creating that perfect “posed candid”, as well as traditional posing techniques and composition will be covered. You'll practice what you’ve learned during an engagement photo shoot.  An in depth discussion of the gear required to shoot a wedding at a professional level will help you make smart decisions when it comes to choosing the right equipment for the job and when considering future purchases. They'll also share their workflow tips and techniques to help you keep all of your photos organized and improve your efficiency so you can spend more time shooting and running a successful business.

They’ll devote just as much time looking at what it takes to run a successful photography business.  They'll examine different styles of wedding photography and how style relates to your brand. A fun an informative exercise will help you define your style and give a direction to your branding efforts. A cost of doing business exercise will help you determine how to set up an effective pricing structure and choose a business model suited to your aspirations. They'll discuss marketing, advertising, contracts, customer service, networking and studio management. They'll also dive into the constantly evolving world of social media, website and blog development.

Course is $450 with an Early Bird Discounted price of only $395 (for the first 3 people registered).

 

Week 1
Instructor and participant introductions.  Business basics: how we got started, setting up your business and business models. 

Week 2
Cost of doing business analysis, pricing for profit (services and products), creating packages and choosing your suppliers.

Week 3
Branding, marketing and advertising. Hands-on exercise to help you define your style (students required to bring prints – details will be discussed in first class).

Week 4
Seeing the light: the 5 characteristics of light and light modification techniques.  Posing, composition and what makes a good wedding photo.

Week 5 – 6:30 pm start
On-location engagement session shoot.

Week 6
Gear: The gear you need to do the job right and how we use it, including cameras, lenses, flash, computer hardware and software. 

Week 7
Review of images from engagement shoot. The client experience: initial consultation, contracts, planning the wedding day timeline, deliverables and setting expectations.  Typical problems you’ll encounter at a wedding and how to resolve them. 

Week 8
Workflow: How we use Lightroom and Photoshop to organize and edit our files.  Preparing files for Facebook, blog, slideshows, online galleries, vendors, album design and proofing.

NOTE: Order of classes may change

Tim and Karen Talevi of Tallevi Studios:

Karen fell in love with photography in high school.

Whether it was the magic of seeing a print come to life in the darkroom or capturing the true expressions of her friends, she's been hooked ever since. I was the one who always had a camera with me on my adventures in the mountains. My friends skiing crazy lines or climbing steep rock faces and beautiful mountain scenery, I knew it just had to be photographed.

When we met in 2000, Karen told me my point and shoot wasn't going to cut it anymore! She introduced me to her SLR and the rest is history. While continuing to shoot action and sports, I went back to school to master the finer points of the modern world of digital photography.

When we're not walking the dog, puttering in the garden or riding our bikes, we're constantly working to refine our art and practice our craft. We regularly attend workshops to stay current with the latest trends and technologies and to be inspired by amazing artists.

Karen and I enjoy meeting so many interesting couples from all over the world and we're privileged to be able to tell the story of one of the most important days of their lives. Sharing our passion for photography with every couple we work with to create unique, beautiful photography is the highlight of our job.

The images below, and a lot more of their accomplished work, can also be seen on their website and/or blog.

The images below, and a lot more of their accomplished work, can also be seen on their website and/or blog.

 

Level:

Intermediate Level. Participants should be comfortable working with their camera, and know about aperture, shutter speeds, ISO etc. No previous experience with flash is required, but would be an asset for anyone taking these workshops.

Enrollment:

Maximum 14 participants.

Will be discussed in Class One.

 

Equipment Needed:

You will not need equipment on Day One...

Bring your camera (must have manual controls) and at least 1 lens.
Optional: additional lenses, camera flash and tripod.

We Provide:

Course Notes - Provided on Day One

All model, lighting equipment and location fees when shooting with models on location as part of the course.

Early-Bird Discount:

Most of our courses and workshops offer a 10% discount is applied automatically if you register before the Early-Bird Discount deadline date listed in the registration table below.

Some courses and workshops offer a discount if you're among the first 3 people who register. This discount will replace the 'standard' Early Bird Discount mentioned above, and will be applied automatically during the online registration process (as long as it is available). Check the course/workshop listing page for more details.

Group Discount:

A 5% discount will be appplied if 3 or more people register at the same time for the same workshop. (All 3 tuitions must be paid for by one credit card to be considered a group registration.) Please follow the instructions on the online registration page.

In order to provide the best learning environment possible VPW keeps class and tour sizes limited to 10-15 people (depending on the workshop). This is but one reason that we count on you to attend your chosen class or tour, once you have registered for it.

If you must withdraw for any reason please be aware of our refund policy as follows:

For our Local Lectures, Seminars, and Workshops valued at or under $100, VPW is unable to provide a cash refund. Transfers are limited to one transfer to either the same event at a later date, or a different event of equal value. VPW requires 48 hours written notice in order to make such a transfer (email notice is acceptable). The event you are transferring to must occur within 6 months of the original event you registered for. A $15 fee will be applied to all transfers.

For our Local Workshops, 1 to 5 days in length and our Local 4 to 10 Week Courses, VPW requires 30 days written notice (before the event start date) of your withdrawal in order to provide a refund. (Email notice is acceptable.)

For our Master Photographer Series workshops, 1 to 5 days in length, VPW requires 60 days written notice (before the workshop start date) of your withdrawal in order to provide a refund. VPW may retain 15% of fees paid or $150 minimum in processing your refund. If the tuition is less than $500 the minimum fee drops to $75.

Within 45 days of the Master Photographer Series workshop date all fees paid are non-refundable.

For our Photo Tours (national and international), the following charges will apply:

• If you cancel up to 3 months before the tour start date and we can fill your space, your reservation (or deposit) fee will be refunded
• There is no additional cancellation fee up to 8 weeks before the start of your tour
• From 8 weeks to 4 weeks before the tour: 25% of your balance
• From 4 weeks to 1 week before the tour: 50% of your balance
• From 1 week to 72 hours before the tour: 75% of your balance
• If you cancel within 72 hours of the start of the trip, no refund can be paid
• Transaction charges incurred on accepting and refunding payments will be deducted from the refund amount
• In the (unlikely) event that we cancel the Photo Tour, all monies paid will be refunded in full

We highly recommend that you take out travel insurance to guard yourself against monies lost due to unavoidable cancellation by either party.

Transfers (for all events over $100): If you wish to transfer to a different workshop date, VPW requires a minimum of 30 days written (email) notice. All transfers are based on availaibility, and subject to approval by VPW staff. For courses/workshops with tuition above $101, the transfer fee is $35.

Transfer Fees as based on event pricing:
Tuition of $100 and below, the transfer fee is $15
Tuition of $101 and above, the transfer fee is $35

VPW can give no refunds:

If you registered for any event valued at or under $100
If you do not show up for your registered course.
If you register for a course beyond or below your skill or ability level.

Refunds for all events valued at $101 and above (excluding Master Series Workshops):
If a student wishes to cancel their registration for any of VPW's events, and has provided written notice within the appropriate timeframe, a refund less a $50 administration fee will be provided.

Course Cancellation:

Occasionally, we may have to cancel a course due to low enrollment. In this case, we will issue a full refund of all monies paid to VPW up to that time.

Instructor Replacement:

In the event that a listed instructor is unable to participate because of a change in his or her professional schedule, we will replace the instructor with someone of equal or similar credentials. If we cannot find a replacement in due time before the course is about to start, a particular class may have to be rescheduled.

Liability

In the event that we cancel your course, for any reason, the extent of VPW's liability is limited to the return of all monies paid. We will do everything we can to register you in another equivalent course. VPW will not be responsible for reimbursement of travel expenses of any kind.

Please note: An administration charge of $50 applies to all refunds

Read complete refund and liability policy

The Wedding Photography Workshop is taught by the following instructors:

Tim and Karen Tallevi

Click here to see Tim's and Karen's Wedding Portfolio Website!