The Photography Issue
Ready, Aim, Shoot!

Inside:

Meet Our Instructors
Photography Tips & Techniques
Lights, Camera, Action! – Classes for Anyone
Film vs. Digital Photography

Meet Our Instructors!
By Jenny Diersen

Mark Maziarz

Photographer Mark Maziarz loves taking pictures his easy-going manner and years of professional experience will help you enjoy your own photography more (and take better pictures, too.) His teaching style is based on your specific needs, with the ultimate goal being to develop your vision rather than the distracting technical aspects of the photography. Since moving to Utah twenty years ago, Mark’s photo work has evolved from an early focus on individual sports like skiing and mountain biking, to include local Park City scenes and to his most recent passion of evocative portrait work. Mark lives in Park City with his wife, musician Mary Beth Maziarz and his daughter Daisy.

In a recent conversation with Mark, I asked him for one tip for the aspiring photographer and this is what he said, My top tip would be to make sure you have a camera of some type; even your phone camera. Get in the habit of taking photos all the time. Document your life, even if it seems mundane. So what if 99% of them are no good. It’s that one out of a hundred that really matters.

Robert Hall

Robert Hall, a Utah native and 4th generation photographer, has been passionate about photography for more than forty years. His professional work includes fine art photography, professional portraiture, figure studies, and commercial imaging. Robert’s true love and major focus is large format photography. He uses 8″x 10″ and 12″x 20″ view cameras that create a negative of that size. He then contact prints the negatives by hand using platinum, palladium, silver, and gold. These are archival procedures that may outlast even the landscapes they honor.

Robert photographs “not to record or document, but rather to capture and hold, just for a moment, the essence of something greater that exists just beyond our view.” His work focuses on connecting forms, lines, and space to create a perspective beyond what is seen in a glance.

I asked Robert for a tip on photography and he said, The camera is just a tool. Photography comes from the eye and from the heart, never from the camera.

Rebekah Stevens

After graduating from St. Michaels College in Burlington, Vermont with a B.A. in English Literature, Bekah decided to do what all English Lit graduates do, something completely different. Growing up skiing on the east coast and the urge to leave the bitter Vermont cold lead Bekah to move out west; her final destination Park City. During her off time Bekah continued pursuing her passion for photography. In the summer of 2007 she graduated from Rocky Mountain School of Photography in Missoula, Montana. She now uses her skills and passion as a photographer to capture individual’s experience skiing in the backcountry for Park City Powder Cats. On her days off you will find Bekah taking advantage of the beautiful state she resides capturing it’s essence with her camera along with numerous self-projects that keep her continually busy and very fulfilled.

Jessica Hilton

Jessica Hilton currently works at the National Ability Center and teaches riding lessons to students of various abilities. In addition, Jess has been teaching art classes for about 3 years in a variety of media including sculpture, mixed media, small metal working and darkroom photography. Jess teaches students from 2 through teens.


Photography Tips &Techniques:

1. Know what your camera can do! Make sure you understand how your camera works and what it is capable of doing. Photography is all about timing and if you are fiddling with your camera from a lack of understanding how it works, you can miss a lot of photo opportunities.

2. Charge up! Batteries lose their charge more quickly in cold weather. When shooting in cold weather it is essential to carry spare batteries for all of your equipment. Keep the spare batteries in a coat pocket or other relatively warm spot. However, be careful not to let the batteries be too warm as this could cause condensation when they are placed back into the cold equipment.

3. Keep your photos and files organized! After each shoot, pull images into a separate file and an external hard drive for back up. Label both the file on your computer and the external drive with the same name. Within the files create sub-files categorized by type of photography, such as portraits, family sessions, weddings, landscape, pets, seasons etc. You may also wish to include certain information in your photos like the time of day, type of weather, and date. This will help you stay organized so things are easy to find and help you remember how you took your best shots!

4. Steady your camera! When trying to get the best shot, use a tripod. Having a steady base for your camera is important when taking any photo. If you do not have a tripod, find a rock, fence, bench or something to help you steady your camera.

5. Get down on their level! Hold your camera to the subject’s eye level! This is especially important when shooting pictures of young children and pets. You can experiment by shooting the same subject twice, once standing up, and the second time bent down at the subject’s level. You’ll be amazed at the different view point of your photographs. You can try to change your eye level with other subjects as well. Try taking landscape shots at different view points as well!

6. Check Out the Background! When shooting your subject, check to see what is in the back ground of the image. Are there trees, poles, twigs that are sticking up? If so, try to find a solid background as it will emphasize your subject.

“I love the opportunity to take digital photography classes at the Kimball Art Center from experienced photographers like Mark Maziaz. Mark provides constructive and encouraging instruction along with personal attention and inspirational ideas for each assignment. His love of photography comes through in all his classes.” – Jane Lindeman, Park City Resident and Photography Student

Lux and the City: Nighttime Photography in Park City with Mark Maziarz
Thursdays
February 2, 9, 16
6:00-9:00 p.m.
$150 (10% discount for members) + camera
Stumped by trying to take pictures at night? Join instructor and local commercial/editorial photographer Mark Maziarz on an exploration of how to make photographs at night. We will spend less than a third of our time in class, discussing different types of night photography, such as town scenes, star trails, light painting, moonlit scenes, night skiing and more. The rest of our time will be outside with our cameras, so dress warmly. Any type of digital camera, including small point-and-shoots, are OK, but a digital SLR is advantageous because they generally have better low light capabilities. A tripod is also convenient. Come to the first class thinking about what kinds of photographs you would like to capture at night. Some samples of Mark’s work are available at http://ParkCityStock.com FYI, lux is a somewhat obscure measurement of light intensity.

“I’m excited about my new class: “Lux in the City: Nighttime Photography in Park City.” It’s the first time this class will be offered and it will be filled with tips, tricks and techniques for photographing at night. Shooting at night is one of my favorite ways to appreciate the beauty of Park City and it’s quite meditative, too.” – Mark Maziarz, Park City Resident and Photographer

Beginning Darkroom Photography with Robert Hall
Tuesdays
February 28; March 6, 13, 20
6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
$110 (10% discount for members) + materials and camera
Under instruction of photographer Robert Hall, students learn basic density and contrast controls for both the negative and the print. Students learn to develop film properly and prepare chemistry. Class discussions will reveal how to make the best possible negatives and prints with full tonal range while exploring basic darkroom procedures, safety, printmaking techniques, burning and dodging, toning, archival processing and print presentation. Students will need to provide their own materials and will leave the last day of class with prints ready to take home and frame.

Digital Photo for Tweens & Teens with Rebekah Stevens
Tuesdays
April 24; May 1, 8, 15
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
$125 (10% discount for members) + camera
Students learn about in-camera control. Learn about the functions in your camera while in automatic and manual settings. Each day students show photographs on a projector and then discuss new techniques. Students go out and take photos around Main Street with the instructor during class exploring downtown, City Park and our beautiful city.

Phone Photography with Robert Hall
Tuesdays
April 24; May 1, 8
6:00 – 8:30
$75 (10% discount for members) + cell phone camera
Have you ever wanted to know how to use the camera on your phone to take better photos. Our phones are tools that have helped us excel though modern times. Now learn to use your cell phone as your newest artistic instrument!
“You have an artist within you. Learn from those who have something to teach and make it your own. You should always have a camera with you, even if it’s a cell phone!” Robert Hall – Avid Photographer & Instructor

Digital Photo for Adults With Rebekah Stevens
Wednesdays
April 25; May 2, 9, 16, 23
5:30 – 8:00 p.m.
$150 (10% discount for members) + Digital Camera
Learn how to take great pictures in the late part of the day. Since it should be staying lighter longer by the time this class starts, the class will be doing some exploring both at sunset and at night. Class emphasis will be on People Portraits and Landscapes. Students will meet in class at the Kimball for the first class and then meet at different locations to shoot and practice new techniques learned. New techniques taught will include Manual Functions, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Exposure Compensation and White Balance Control and Composition Techniques and Tips.

Digital Photo for Adults: Day Session with Rebekah Stevens
Wednesdays
April 25; May 2, 9, 16, 23
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
$150 (10% discount for members) + Digital Camera
Class emphasis will be on People Portraits and Landscapes. Students will meet in class at the Kimball for the first class and then meet at different locations to shoot and practice new techniques learned. New techniques taught will include Manual Functions, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Exposure Compensation and White Balance Control and Composition Techniques and Tips.

I remind myself of what Ansel Adams said; ” There is nothing more useless than a sharp photograph with a fuzzy concept.” This always seems to steer me back to what is most important, my vision as an artist. Without the vision and the passion, the technique is utterly useless.” Rebekah Stevens, Park City Photographer and Instructor

Darkroom Photography for Kids with Jessica Hilton
Mondays
May 7, 14, 21
4:30 – 6:00 p.m.
$75 (10% discount for members) materials included
Students will learn about the old school way of making photographs. By exploring the darkroom and creating their own prints from negatives, students will experience what it was like in a world with out digital cameras. Each student will leave with several prints by the last day of class.

“I think the progress in photography is incredible. I also think it is important for children to learn about the techniques used in the past. Photography is a relatively new artistic medium, it is important to teach children about the entire process of photography, not just the new digital age, so they can understand and experience the history and process of it!” Jenny Diersen – Education Director, Kimball Art Center