Las Vegas Erotic Nude Photography Workshop - Sept 10/11, 2011

 View this gallery here.

UPDATE: Our workshop base will be provided by Dr. Laura at the Sin City Gallery in Las Vegas. Check her out!

I am currently seeking participants for my first Erotic Nude Workshop in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 10th and 11th, 2011. For those of you who will be attending the PhotoshopWorld Conference, this is an excellent opportunity to extend your educational experience with hands-on photography learning.

What is Erotic Nude Photography? Let’s use my definition: sexy, sensual and suggestive photography. It’s a simple idea, build a rapport and trust with your model, then guide the experience in front of your camera while controlling the light and composition. Erotic photography does not need to be complicated. This workshop will focus on these key points.

This will be a very limited workshop with a maximum of four participants and two models. The schedule will be intensive and we will pack as much information into the program as possible. The main goal of this workshop is to help you develop and improve your eye for tasteful erotic nude photography. We will also discuss how to select and work with models, how to communicate with and direct models, how to visualize and compose your images, and how to edit and post-process. 

Each day will include two three to four hour shooting sessions, one in the morning and one in the evening (locations to be determined), in between, we will have time for discussions and critiques of work shot. 

If, like me, you love to shoot fine art nudes, do not miss this special opportunity to work closely with me in Las Vegas. Contact me directly at info@bryonpaulmccartney.com to register.

Additional Details:

• Description: Two-day photography workshop with Bryon Paul McCartney
• Dates: Saturday, 10th September and Sunday, 11th September, 2011
• Enrollment: Limited to Four Participants with Two Models
• Location: Las Vegas, Nevada and surrounding area
• Theme: Erotic Nude Photography
• Program Content: Guided and individual hands-on shooting sessions, discussions and critiques
• Costs: $950 per participant, includes after-workshop online critiques and Skype follow-ups.

If this seems expensive to you, please keep in mind that you will have plenty of shooting time and plenty of one-on-one guidance. I know from previous workshops that this kind of intensity can really benefit participants. Limiting the numbers gives each participant the chance to go deep into the topic with my guidance. If you are looking for a model sharing opportunity, this workshop is not for you. I am looking for participants who want to learn how I approach and shoot in the genre of erotic nude photography. If you have questions or want more details, contact me to setup a skype conference.

Register Today! Space is limited to four participants only! Email info@bryonpaulmccartney.com to for more details and to register. 

A lesson learned from my own workshop, and a message for 'Chris' the Pirate Hater.

 The disputed image - Gio under the waterfall at Bagni San Filippo

The other day I received an email from a former workshop student. The message was in reference to an image I had on my website (a version of the image above) and the student was asking why I had put my copyright info on his image and used it in my portfolio.

I was a bit surprised because I clearly remember taking the image myself and I would certainly never knowingly take credit for someone else’s image. As soon as I was able, I got on my computer, reviewed the metadata and the date/time stamps of the image and I verified that I had many similar images from the same sequence. The images were taken by my camera as verified by the embedded serial number and camera information.

I reported my findings back to the student, who, naturally, found it difficult to accept that he could have some of my images on his computer. I do not think anything untoward happened, I recalled borrowing a memory card that day and I assume that when I returned the card, it may still have had my images on it.

Honestly, I don’t know for sure, it’s a complete guess how he got them and frankly, it is totally irrelevant to this post. I don’t think he stole my images and I certainly did not steal his, it was just a simple case of mistaken attribution.

Unfortunately, during our back and forth emails trying to sort this out, I received the following email message from another party:

Why would any photographer copy another photographers work and tag it as their own? Just how many stolen photographs do you have in your portfolio?

Chris…

I don’t know ‘Chris’. The contact info he provided was just a fake number and a fake email. Chris, if you are reading this, it’s really easy to make accusations, false accusations in this case, without knowing all the facts. However, in this case, you made a very wrong assumption, and made no attempt to ascertain the facts.

I don’t take such accusations lightly. I have never copied someone’s work and claimed it as my own. It makes my blood boil that some nameless, faceless person may be shredding my good reputation without the facts or truth of the situation.

However, this episode certainly brings to light an important lesson if you are attending a workshop. Be sure you take care to guard and protect your images.

If you borrow a memory card from someone, be sure to format the card before using it and after you are finished with it. Do not let anyone copy your RAW files. If your camera allows you to enter copyright information, be sure it is entered so all of your images are copyrighted upon creation, with your name and any other relevant data. Take all steps necessary to ensure you have your work properly organized and verified. 

In the end, I know these images were mine. It was never really a question for me, I remember many details about that day and this shooting sequence in particular. In fact, I can recall many details about most of my shoots, they are burned into my brain. However, because of some carelessness or sloppy handling of a memory card, I have so far spent several hours trying to collect proof that these were my images. That’s time I could have been doing something much more enjoyable and constructive.

Evolving the workshop experience.

During my Easter break in Tuscany, I had a great time relaxing at il Poggiolo and traveling around the region. The time off gave me the opportunity to think about my upcoming fine art nude workshops and to start to lay some plans and scout new locations that we can recommend to students.

One major change this year is that we will have more of a focus on individual tutoring and reviews. I feel this will allow students more flexibility to decide what, how and where they want to shoot. I have always had a focus on individual development in my workshops, but in the past, we always had a big focus on going to locations together as a group. This year I am planning to give students more control on how they spend their time. Of course, there will still be some group shooting sessions. However, this year, I want to take more time to work with students individually, to help them move in their own unique directions.

I am confident that this will provide both returning and new students a deeper sense of development. I think it will also allow everyone to utilize their time in whatever way they prefer.

For more information, or to sign-up, please click here to visit the ViewFinder Center.

Update! 2011 Fine Art Nude Workshops in Tuscany

Iveta in Tuscany, shot at my workshop in 2010

The past month has flown by me. I had corporate assignments in Mexico City and Houston, Texas, then came back to Europe for an eight hour drive to Tuscany, Italy for my holidays. At the moment, I am completely exhausted, but I already have so much to catch up on. I wanted to quickly update you regarding my Summer workshops in Tuscany.

The big news is that we have added another week of workshops from 26 June to 2 July, 2011. This will give us three weeks of fine art nude photography workshops this year in Tuscany. Our second week, from 3 July to 9 July has only one place remaining and the third week, from 10 July to 16 July, is fully booked. 

The main difference for this added week is that it will focus on what I like to call an ‘intimidation-free’ experience. In other words, no matter what level of proficiency or experience you have with fine art nude photography, this workshop will allow you to find your own creative space and help you to take amazing images with our experienced models.

This will be a no-stress, no-complications experience. You can learn at your own pace and comfort-level. In this workshop, you will learn everything you need to know to: contact, communicate with and direct models; how to find great images and control the lighting and locations to your needs; how to edit and select your images and how to process them for the best result.

For more information, or to sign-up, please click here to visit the ViewFinder Center.

My interview for the Audacity of Nude blog

Audacity of Nude Interview from Bryon Paul McCartney on Vimeo.

In response to a request from model Ameena Payne, I answer questions about my fine art nude photography work.

Audacity of Nude Interview from Bryon Paul McCartney on Vimeo.

In response to a request from model Ameena Payne, I answer questions about my fine art nude photography work.

In response to a request from model Ameena Payne, I answer questions about my fine art nude photography for her blog, The Audacity of Nude. Please excuse the length of this video, it’s uncut, but it will give you an idea about my background and some of the things that got me started in fine art nude photography.