Capturing the Spirit of Chinatown

September 10, 17 and October 1, 2011

$150.00

Offered through PhotoCentral – http://photocentral.org

San Francisco’s Chinatown is not only the oldest Chinatown in the Americas but home to the largest Chinese community outside Asia. It is also one of the most photographically-rich neighborhoods in the Bay Area. We will spend the first day photographing during the Autumn Moon Festival. We will begin with a quick orientation to Chinatown and discuss various ways to best capture the spirit of a festival. The second day includes a tour through some of Chinatown’s hidden gems. Explore the lively markets, shops, parks and narrow alleys and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant as part of the workshop. The final meeting is at PhotoCentral where we will show off our best images from the two days. The images can be displayed digitally or printed. Please be familiar with your camera’s functions prior to the workshop. This course is open to people with any type of camera – film, digital, even a camera phone of that’s how you take photos. Let’s be creative and have fun!

Prior to our first meeting, I will send out an email introducing myself, my background and philosophy. I will include some tips and tricks on gear – just suggestions, don’t worry, you can bring whatever gear you feel most comfortable bringing. I will also include a Chinatown map, including the parade route, information about parking, and a schedule for the first day. The map will have my cell phone number and a list of regular meeting spots listed/marked for us where we can gather throughout the day where I can answer questions, review photos and offer guidance.  I will have my camera with me so I can work with people who prefer to watch as I work before heading out on their own. This can be helpful when taking photos of people. I find that this is one area where many photographers freeze up.

I would have preferred to reverse the schedule of the workshop and have our meetings so that the parade is our second meeting but the Labor Day holiday falls the weekend immediately before the Lunar Festival weekend.  Instead, we will have a fun time making great photos during the festival, at the parade, and street fair on our first day, and then on our second day go back for a tour through the main streets, markets, parks and alleys of San Francisco’s most interesting neighborhood. Let’s make the most of it and enjoy everything Chinatown has to offer.

Please feel free to email me at neeley@dhp.com if you have any questions about this workshop or future workshops.

There are just a few seats left. To register visit PhotoCentral’s website and click on “Photo Classes/Workshops”.

You can view some of my Chinatown work here: Chinatown by the Bay

My book was chosen as  Blurb Staff Pick of the Week

Now that I travel as an adult with a camera, I’ve come to realize that my second love is photography. The three of us are a match made in heaven.

Click on the image below to see the rest of the photographs that I made during that week.

Even though Vegas is known for garish lights, black and white is what worked best for me. The lights and colors distract from the reality of Las Vegas. There are more stories to tell and pictures to make. Next year, I will take more pictures, definitely.

Click on the image below to see all the images.