Photography Lectures, Classes And Shoots
February 11, 17 and 25; March 3

Tom Boggan Photo "Walk-A-Bout"
February 11, Saturday
8:30 - 10:30 AM
Do you have a fancy new digital SLR, or even a digital point-and-shoot camera that you're eager to learn to use more effectively? Our monthly 'walk-a-bout' photo workshopwith Gilbert artist Tom Boggan offers that chance. Tom's once-a-month outdoor shoots help improve your camera skills on a relaxed outing surrounded by beautiful gardens and alongside a pro -- and with plenty of chances to ask questions about the dials, settings and controls on your own camera.
Pro photographer Tom Boggan has a talent for portraits and a passion for nature photography, and he generously volunteers by dedicating a morning each month to be here helping our visitors improve their camera skills. Workshops with Tom are limited to eight students. Pre-payment of $29 is required ($20 for BTA annual members). Enroll by phone, have your credit card ready and call our staff at 520-689-2723. Check out this gallery of images from Tom Boggan Photo Classes at Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Join us for a chance to improve your basic photography skills, including composition, lighting and exposure -- and for one-on-one time with Tom helping students understand the different between aperture, exposure and light balance. View other workshop images on the Tom Boggan Arboretum Flickr Gallery.


Fine Art Photographer Michael Madsen's "Switching To Manual"
February 17, FridayFILLED
and we have seven (7) spaces left for MONDAY February 27
10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
$30 for BTA members, $39 non-members
February's guest artist in our Visitor Center Gallery, Michael Madsen, has traveled to Thailand, Mexico, Morocco, Jamaica and the Bahamas in search of the perfect picture. February 17 he will lead a class here -- that has filled, and we added a second session Monday, February 27, which still has spaces available. Madsen will coach beginner-to-intermediate photographers who are ready to spend a morning learning to harness the horsepower of their digital cameras by choosing to ignore the 'auto' settings in favor of controlling their own aperture, shutter speeds, ISO and white balance. Two hours in the classroom from 10:00 a.m. til Noon will be followed by a lunch break, and then two hours spent in the field where we will "switch your camera to manual mode and take charge of our cameras and explore the creative side of photography, "said Madsen." You will be taught how to adjust your camera settings, and the photographic effects that occur based on these settings. After classroom instruction we will head outdoors into the Arboretum to apply techniques students have learned, and experiment with camera settings together, and one-on-one." See more of the artist's work at http://heartsrock.org/1/Home.html

John Aho "Painting With Light"
High-Power LED Night Shoot
February 25 from 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Bet you've never seen the Drover's Shed, the old Dodge Power Wagon or our gardens lit quite as they appear in these scenes by Patsy Akers and Dave Langdon, familiar plants and scenery scenery rendered a candy-colored rainbow of colors after dark by custom-made, high-power LED light boxes strategically placed and arranged by artist and local luminary John Aho. His painting-with-light nighttime shoot Saturday, February 25, is limited to eight photographers. View our Nocturnal Painting With Light Photo Workshopson YouTube. The $30 fee for these special-access evenings is a fundraiser for the Arboretum ( $39 for nonmembers). Have a credit card ready and call 520-689-2723 to reserve your spot; please make sure to spell out your email and give your current cell# or home phone to our clerks when you sign up so we can provide specific meeting/parking instructions just ahead of Saturday's shoot. If this class has filled when you call, make sure to leave your name, phone and email (again, please take a minute to spell it out so we have it right) so we can alert you to November and December shoots as dates are added to this calendar.
See more of John's surreal nighttime scenes -- such as Superior Architecture, and these scenes from Besich Park Downtown.


WILDFLOWERS IN ARIZONA - Back-To-Back Morning And Afternoon Presentations March 3, Saturday
 9:00-11:30 am Saturday morning lecture, slideshow and outdoor photo walk -- book signing from 11:30 - 1:30 -- then the morning session repeats for afternoon visitors 2:00-4:30 pm. NO ADDITIONAL FEE, each session with Colleen is included with regular daily admission of $9 for adults.
Saturday we offer a chance to Meet the author or "Wild in Arizona: Photographing Arizona's Wildflowers, A Guide to When, Where, and How," to see a slideshow of colorful images, and accompany her on a photography walk into the gardens during either of two sessions March 3 that are open to the public, do not require pre-registration, and are included with daily admission of $9 for adults. Chandler author Colleen Miniuk-Sperry describes her new 224-page guidebook as packed with 60 descriptions of the most beautiful spots to see wildflowers across Arizona. The book showcases 60 different types of flowers, provides 17 instructional photography tips, and offers a bloom calendar to help plan your visit. "This presentation is an introduction to the book and will help people discover little-known places to experience and enjoy amazing scenery within Arizona with their friends and families. I'll also share a few tips and tricks about capturing photographs at each location, no matter the camera, no matter the skill level. With easy to follow maps and directions provided for each location, it's a foolproof way for anyone to get outside this spring, not just photographers!



Tom Boggan Outdoor Portraits
March 11, Sunday
8:30 - 10:30 AM
Scottsdale professional photogapher Tom Boggan offers something different for March -- a class focused specifically on taking better outdoor portraits. Tom will guide students through the basics of outdoor portrait photography using available light and strobe. Learn tips from a veteran newspaper, wedding, portrait, race and event photographer known for his creative composition skills, lighting, and ability to capture the moment. This class is geared to photographers who already understand and know how to use basic camera settings for aperture, exposure and white balance -- and who'd like to sharpen their skills at photographing people and pets outdoors (if you're looking for a "basic photography" class teaching settings - watch this space for Tom's April or May shoot). Classes with Tom will help improve your camera and composition skills on a relaxed outing surrounded by beautiful gardens and alongside a pro -- and with plenty of chances to ask questions and seek his advice. Pro photographer Tom Boggan has a talent for portraits, no matter the lighting conditions or time of day.Workshops with Tom are limited to eight students. Pre-payment of $29 is required ($20 for BTA annual members). Enroll by phone, have your credit card ready and call our staff at 520-689-2723. View other workshop images on the Tom Boggan Arboretum Flickr Gallery.

Wildlife Photography Presentation With Stan Cunningham
DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED slideshow and lecture at 10:30 am
fall foliage photo walk 1:30-3:00pm
For 25 years Stan Cunningham lived an adventurous life you'd expect to see depicted on film: crawling into black bear dens during wintertime as a wildlife biologist for the Arizona Game & Fish Department, and spending a summer month every year in Alaska as a professional photographer shooting vivid pictures of Brown and Kodiak bears for tourist lodges, and also leading Alaskan photo safaris and ecotourism trips. A professor of wildlife biology at Arizona State University since 2006, Cunningham is known for his decades of research about bears, mountain lions, and the ecological effects of wildfire. Nov. 19 (Saturday) he will show some of his most breathtaking wildlife photography during a slide show and presentation in the lecture room here at Boyce Thompson Arboretum from 10:30 a.m. til noon.
"I plan to talk about wildlife, primarily bears, and photographing them -- and some of the experiences I've had and what I've learned," said Cunningham. The talk and slideshow of his photography is open to all visitors that day; then following a lunch break he will guide a Fall Foliage photo walk for 10 pre-registered participants seeking just-before-peak color in BTA's famous grove of Chinese Pistachio trees."I have been taking pictures throughout my career," said Cunningham, "but only in the past five years have become serious about it. Now I shoot with any of three different Canon camera bodies and with lenses ranging from a 500 mm lens, to a 70-to-200, 17-40 wide angle." Sign up for the photo walking tour and shoot with a call to 520-689-2723; the fee is $30 for BTA annual members, $39 for nonmembers. See more of Stan's award-winning photography at Cunninghamoutdoors.com



Pete Rendek Nighttime Workshop and Shoot Night Photography Shoot
DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
$30 for Arboretum annual members -- $39 nonmembers.
Call 520-689-2723
Learn approaches to nocturnal landscape photography from award-winning Chandler photographer Pete Rendek on A DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED during a special evenng of after-hours access. $30 pre-registration for members -- or $39 nonmembers -- includes an indoor presentation and discussion in the lecture room from 4:00-5:30 on night landscapes, lightning and monsoon photography. The discussion will be followed by a field session shooting after-dark landscapes on the arboretum grounds under moonlight, ending around 8:00. Bring your camera, tripod and cable release, and try your hand at something new -- photography after dark.
See more Pete Rendek Arboretum Photography
"This workshop will teach techniques applicable whether you have a high-end DSLR or a digital point-and-shoot, approaches to photographing long-exposure photos after darkness such as star trails and nighttime landscapes." The workshop will be offered indoors (in air-conditioned comfort!) and will include discussion of equipment and techniques, followed by a photo shoot in the gardens. Photographers may want to bring their cameras and arrive early, though; the workshop fee of $30 for Arboretum members and $39 for non-members includes BTA admission for the day, so Rendek suggests arriving early and shooting the gardens and trails before the workshop. Call 520-689-2723 during daytime business hours to register. Click the "night photography" gallery at imagesofaz.com to see Rendek's star trails and long exposures. connect with Rendek as well as other Arboretum volunteer photography instructors at facebook.com/boycethompsonarboretum .
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Date To Be Announced
The Zen Of Fall Foliage Photography-- With Andrew Henry
Cost: $30 to BTA annual members, $39 nonmembers. Call 520-689-2723 to pre-pay

Mesa artist Andrew Henry leads seasonal workshops in 'Zen photography' here at Boyce Thompson Arboretum; for a description of what 'Zen' photography mean, below he describes a shoot that was held Sept. 17, 2011.

Q. How would 'Zen' photography be different from my own personal photographic visits to BTA?
A. "Zen photography combines being in a centered place with good photographic technique. I teach mindfulness and Zen daily as a part of my work as a Dialectical Behavior Therapist. I've been studying and practicing photographic technique since 2005. At some point I began to realize that I could combine the two and offer Zen Mindfulness and Photography together, as a class."

Q. What's special about a September Saturday morning at Boyce Thompson Arboretum?
A. "For one, we're being allowed to enter the gardens shortly after sunrise, and during a time BTA that has not yet opened to the public. We will photograph what is there, from a centered perspective, and surrounded by this beautiful environment. I prefer that everyone have with them a tripod for this macro class; no other special equipment necessary beyond that. I do recommend all participants spend a little time with your manual at home during the week prior to class -- become more familiar with your camera before bringing it to the Arboretum that Saturday morning. Learning Zen techniques is probably most appropriate for those who are passionate about photography and are already have an understanding of basic settings and controls. But that doesn't mean this workshop is only for adults, I've taught Zen techniques to teenagers before with success. If a child or teenager has a passion for photography, and a willingness to listen, they're invited as well."
Q. What's inherent about the gardens and trails that makes this place ideal for contemplative, inward-looking photography?
A. "Boyce Thompson Arboretum has a seemingly limitless variety of subject matter for a photographer to hone their skills on. Zen principles that I teach allow the photographer to focus on what is in front of them without being distracted with what is not there, or should be there, or could be there -- instead seeing what truly is there."
Sign up for this class by calling Arboretum staff at 520-689-2723, and have your credit card ready to prepay.
Got specific questions about Zen photography? Email [ andrewhenryphotography AT gmail DOT com ]
See work by this artist and also student works from Andrew's prior classes at http://www.flickr.com/groups/1570273@N24/

Photo Class comments from students:

........following Pete Rendek's August Night shoot, David wrote "the class was GREAT...Pete always does a nice job. His classes are always informative and I always get at least one very useful 'nugget' of information from each class I take from him. Please thank Pete and feel free to share my comments with Pete.

........also following Pete Rendek's August 2011 Night shoot, Kathy wrote "Pete Rendek's class last weekend is one of the best I have taken - anywhere. His presentation was very informative. Pete was organized, accommodating and very willing to share his knowledge and experience. He didn't make anyone feel that they were 'in over their heads' which was really nice for the beginners. I got a lot more that I expected from his class. I will be keeping watch on your website for upcoming events and classes. See you soon!

........ re: Pete Rendek's January Night Shoot "I wanted to let you know that I thoroughly enjoyed your Night Photography workshop last Saturday. I found it to be very information and enjoyable. It exceeded my expectations and I've recommended it to several friends. Thanks a bunch!" (Clif)

........re: Andrew Henry's November Zen-Of-Autumn-Color Shoot " Hi Andrew, I so enjoyed our fall color workshop. I am sending you two of my favorites photos from the day. (Karen)

........"We had an awesome time with Tom Boggan at the photography class today. He is so good at making sure that he takes time with everybody individually. My friends and I all had a great time and learned a few new tricks about our cameras (thanks Tom)! What a beautiful setting to learn in! And both of my friends became members today" (Jennifer Mathus, June 6, 2010 post on BTA's facebook page)

........"Tom knows photography. He is able to teach principles of this art form in a relaxed manner," ( Andrew Henry, Nov. 12 on BTA's facebook page)

........"I took two of Maggie Leef's classes last fall -- a beginning class and a class on photographing fall colors. Maggie is a special teacher, who makes her classes both informative and enjoyable. Her best tip: 'Read the camera manual!" The money I spent on an annual membership to BTA is the best money I've ever spent. The arboretum itself, with its beautiful setting and great staff, are exceptional. The events are interesting and well-done. I especially enjoy listening to music in such a beautiful setting. Great job, BTA!" (Stephanie, February 26, 2009)

........"I took Maggie's basic photography class on February 19th and finally understand what I had been troubled with for years! Maggie made the class fun and I now have a better understanding of what I can do to obtain better photos. Thank you Maggie! Also, some of us had an idea that we put to Maggie and she seemed willing to do a class. The class would be for beginners, but rather than classroom, it would be like a followup to the basic photography class only in the field. We could go out on the grounds of BTA and choose different things to photograph and Maggie could talk about the proper camera settings, etc. It would be applying what was learned in the classroom to actual field use. What do you think?" (Cindy; February 24, 2009)

........"I loved the photography class. I really got a lot out of the class and think she is a whiz at teaching photography. Her explanations of some of the phrasing (in the Nikon Manual) made it so that I could actually understand the manual. I look forward to her classes in March -- I will call and
pay for them tomorrow!! (Millie, February 23, 2009)

........"Bob Rice's workshop was very helpful and extremely practical. I appreciate the opportunity to meet other photographers, most of whom are way more experienced than I am. It sure is inspiring! Thank you for these opportunities."

........"Just a quick note to let you know how much I appreciated and enjoyed the May 18 photography workshop. The information was clearly presented with examples and demonstrations. I am now more knowledgeable of Photoshop and more confident to use it."

........"We did join as annual members because of the class and future classes. We are excited to be connected to the Arboretum and we are looking forward to more classes with Sue. We really enjoyed Sue's class and learned a lot. We thought the class fee was a good price and it was good to require the pre-payment to remind us to show up."

........"We did enjoy the class/photo shoot Thursday. I have been actively shooting pictures and had my own darkroom for 50 years or so but still got some good tips at Sue's class. I signed up mostly for my wife who is more of a beginner and uses a fully automatic camera. She did quite well with her pictures. We joined the BTA both to support it and to enable us to come back again and again to see the blooms as they happen in the spring. It's a bargain!