The Meaningful Image
Advanced Course 2023
Online and Week-long in person
workshop in Bandon, Or (Feb 18-23)
beginning
Fall 2023
Price $3000
There is an option for 3 payments.
The total cost of the workshop is due before the first day, which will be in mid-late October. If you want to pay in two or three installments, please email me for details and information.
If you are on a waiting list, you will only be charged a deposit fee or tuition once space becomes available and you confirm your desire to register.
The Advanced Course
The Meaningful Image Advance Course is an intense online and in-person workshop focused on further developing your voice and vision as a photographer that builds on the foundations developed in the core class. This course delves deeper into the heart of photography, emphasizing the development of your unique artistic voice and creative vision. Through engaging exercises, hands-on projects, and thought-provoking discussions, you’ll further refine your photographic skills and discover how to infuse your images more deeply with emotion, meaning, and personal expression. Unlike the core class, this course has an in-person component to the class. Everyone who enrolls in the class will also spend a week together at an amazing Airbnb in Bandon, Oregon, at the end of February. You must be able to attend the session in Bandon, Or to register for the workshop.
As for the high-level concepts of the course, we will be focused on several central themes:
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Mastering the art of visual storytelling, utilizing the interplay of narrative and aesthetics.
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Honing your significant personal expression and creative intention in each photograph.
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We will focus on how to discover and focus abstract ideas and emotions into tangible visual representations.
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Engage in constructive critiques and receive valuable feedback, helping you refine your images, broaden your perspective, and discover methods to achieve visual consistency across your portfolio, creating a cohesive body of work that reflects your artistic vision.
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Undertaking a week-long personal photography projects that resonate with your passions and interests, guiding you toward a deeper understanding of your unique creative vision.
Online Sessions
Much like the core class, there will be online sessions every two or three weeks. Each session will be focused on a different goal or outcome. There will be some small group work as well that will occur between sessions. While the course focused on helping you understand the nature and purpose of your voice, vision, signature and style, this course is about expanding how you approach and think about your voice and approach to your work. Several reading assignments will be given out along the way with each session. Any books that will be required reading are all available in numerous formats and from local libraries.
Week-long session in Bandon, Oregon, from Sunday, February 18th – Friday, February 23, 2024
The highlight of the course is our week together in Bandon, Oregon, for a week of shooting, project building, printing, critiquing, eating and conversations. I will be picking everyone up in Seattle on the morning of February 18, and then we will drive the seven hours down to Bandon, where we will all be staying in an amazing AirBnB house I have rented. This will be our home base for the week. The house sits overlooking some ocean and sea stacks, has plenty of room for everyone (although some will need to share a bedroom), kitchen, pool table, and did I mention the fantastic ocean view and just a few steps from the beach?
We will be working on a week-long project while in Bandon; I will bring a printer, paper, and many supplies to dive deep into the process and workflows. You don’t want to miss out on this chance to put into practice all the ideas and skills you have been working on within a safe environment with people with the same goal—your success. There will also be many conversations and time to look at other work and projects.
We depart Bandon on Friday morning, and everyone will be back in Seattle by around 8:00 at the latest, depending on traffic in the Portland and Seattle area.
The price of the workshop includes the cost of the Airbnb, travel to and from Seattle. You are still responsible for getting to and from Seattle, food, souvenirs and other expenses.
You must be able to attend the session in Bandon, Or to register for the workshop.
Itinerary
The Advanced workshop is focused on making and understanding the images we create. Some possible topics include:
- Storytelling as an art and craft
- How personal expression manifests itself
- Creating work and facing our inner critique and self-doubt
- Learning and articulating what your photography means to you and its purpose
- Learning how to speak about photographs
- Mastering your skills for editing and sequencing
- The Nimble approach to working
- Developing editing, organization techniques, and workflows for your style and voice consistency.
- Making prints
Guidelines
We treat each other with mutual respect.
We do not engage in disruptive or unsafe behavior that disturbs others, threatening others physically, or engaging in verbal harassment.
We don’t act unreasonably or interfering with others’ use of the facilities (online or in-person) or class time.
When providing feedback, we provide honest, open dialogs about our work and the work of others in a respectful manner.
Silly Dog Studios does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, political ideology, or status as a Vietnam-era or special disabled veteran.
Silly Dog Studios values and celebrates the diverse backgrounds, cultures, experiences, and perspectives of people in our community. Encouraging and protecting diversity creates an environment that promotes freedom of thought and shared learning.
Anyone who violates these guidelines will be removed from a workshop, course, or program. No refunds will be given.
Common Questions
What do I need to bring?
Each workshop has a different set of needs. Once you register, you will be sent a detailed handout about the workshop or event. The booklet contains details about the workshop content, locations, directions to the studio and complete workshop schedule. It also includes a list of required materials and optional materials.
However, for most workshops, participants need to bring their computers. Digital cameras are required for on-location or shooting workshops. The studio equipment (printers, scanners, etc.) is available for participant use during each workshop. While we run Macs in our studio, workshops are mostly Adobe-centric or universal software centric, so Windows-based PC users should have few concerns about compatibility. I also worked for several years at Microsoft and have lots of Windows experience.
We use a variety of media. If you want to print on alternate substrates, please bring your preferred media.
For online workshops, you only need access to the Internet and a working device to connect to the session via the provided link.
Is there some way to reduce my financial risk if I can't make it for some reason?
I understand that things happen, and you can read our refund policy below or in our Terms of Service. I highly recommend that you purchase travel insurance for your workshop. Having that in your back pocket can reduce your risk and put your mind at ease. Travelex is a good company, as are many other options.
All payments made are non-refundable. Funds paid are transferable if you cancel more than 60 days before the start of your workshop. Daniel J Gregory Photography reserves the right to cancel a reservation if full payment has not been received by 45 days before the workshop begins.
Silly Dog Studios dba/Daniel J Gregory Photography is not responsible for cancellations due to medical or travel emergencies. Participants are still responsible for any losses regarding flights, travel, lodging or other undefined expense. Again, please consider travel insurance to remove any worries you might have. We recommend you purchase travel insurance through Travelex.
If Silly Dog Studios dba/Daniel J Gregory Photography must cancel a workshop, all fees and deposits are refunded in full or transferred to another workshop.
What about COVID-19 and vaccination requirements?
For in-person workshops, we require that attendees be vaccinated. If you fail to produce your vaccination status, you will forfeit your spot in the workshop, and no refund will be provided.
What is your payment and refund policy?
For most in-person workshops, payments are due in full at the time of registration. Our approach is that your payment for the program is a commitment to participate, just as it is our commitment to provide the best experience possible. It is a commitment on both our parts. So, the short answer is we don’t provide refunds on workshops, classes and courses.
If you need to cancel your reservation with more than 60 days notice, funds paid are transferable to a future workshop space permitting. With less than 60 days until the workshop, there are no refunds or transfers. There are no refunds or transfers for any reason once the event, class or workshop date has begun. We highly suggest that you get trip insurance to reduce your risk.
Do I need to bring my own computer?
Yes, you will need to bring a computer. We don't have computers for you to use. If computers are not required for the workshop, we will let you know in advance.
For smaller workshops or online sessions, many of our attendees prefer just to take notes the old fashion way.
Are there any prerequisites for attending a workshop?
For almost all of the workshops there are no prerequisites. In the event a workshop does require some advanced or prior knowledge it will be specifically called out on the workshop registration page. If you are ever concerned about the specific topics or technical requirements for a workshop, please don't hesitate to contact us and we will do our best to answer any of your questions so that you can feel great about your decision to sign up.
Do you offer any discounts?
Some workshops do offer an early-bird rate. The early bird rate, when offered, will be automatically calculated in the price. The rate is available for workshops with early-bird pricing until four weeks before the workshop start date.
I also offer a discount for alums and referrals. If you want an alum or referral discount, please get in touch with me before registering for your discount code.
Alum discounts may not be used for any online class or workshops except for the Meaningful Image full-length course.
Can I be put on a waitlist?
Absolutely. Life happens and we want to make sure that we can get you in a workshop if at all possible. If the workshop is full, we will take down your name and contact you if a spot becomes available.
Do you offer payment plans?
Some workshops do have a non-refundable, transferable deposit, but unless noted, a workshop payment is due in full at the time of registration. We do understand that sometimes it makes sense to be able to pay for the cost of a workshop over time. If you want to discuss that as an option, please contact us and we can figure out something that will work for you to be able to attend the workshop.
