Speaker: Essdras Suarez - “Street Photography, The art of seeing beyond the obvious"
 
During my Street Photography presentations, I take the viewer from the most basic of compositions i.e. one person in an urban landscape to the more complex compositions that might include multiple subjects, multiple layers of information and multiple decisive moments all within the same frame.
 
We will take a visual journey through dozens of images and together we will analyze the qualities that make these extraordinary.  This analysis is done in such a manner, the audience learns by understanding and not by memorization. 
 
Usually, by the end of my presentations, the audience themselves end up being able to tell what elements are the ones making these photos work as well as they do. They start recognizing patterns that work effectively as well as gaining a considerable amount of understanding of the psychology of good Street Photography. And as an added bonus, they'll leave the presentation with a better idea on how to best approach dealing with strangers in public places when it comes to "making" photos.

Essdras M Suarez, a photographer based out of Alexandria, VA, was a full-time photojournalist until 2014.

During that time, he was a staff photographer at the Boston Globe for 12 years, where he received national and international accolades for his news coverage for stories, such as the Boston Bombing Marathon, Sandy Hook Massacre, the Tsunami aftermath, Iraq war coverage and others.

As a photojournalist, he earned many prestigious awards, including the 2000 Spot News Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the Columbine Massacre in Co.  And in 2014, he was part of the team that earned another Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of the Boston Marathon Bombing.

His photography has also received multiple national awards in the categories of portrait, food, product and travel photography. He’s had his images published in publications, such as National Geographic, Time Magazine, Mother Jones, NYT, Washington Post, Le Figaro, etc. to name a few.

Then, after moving to Washington, DC, he shifted his focus to teaching workshops, speaking engagements, and freelance work. From 2015 to 2017, he was the chief photographer for a photo- sharing platform startup called million eyez©
Suarez, who is also a USDOS expert speaker in Photojournalism specializing in Latin America, has worked in over 60 countries and has led over 50 international workshops locally, nationally and internationally.

As a sought-after speaker, he has given presentations at many institutions of higher learning, such as MIT, Harvard, Northeaster University, John Hopkins University and University of Florida among others. He has taught as an adjunct professor at the Boston University College of Communications, is a Nikon- sponsored presenter for photographic conventions and, more recently, has became an official NikonZ7 social media influencer for Nikon Latin America.

In 2018, he had two major exhibits at Xpsoure International Photography Festival: A Life in Images, which was a retrospective of his career as a photojournalist. And A Cuban Eye, a compilation of his daily-life photography in Cuba throughout his more than 40 trips to this island nation.  He’s been invited back to Sharjah to teach Street Photography and participate as a panelist on the same topic.

Born in Panama, he graduated from the University of Florida with BS in Journalism and was awarded the Alumnus of Distinction in 2010.

Visit his website @ http://essdras.com

Speaker: Charles Needle -“Creative Macro Photography”

In this webinar, you’ll learn how to create unusual and striking close-up images both in the field and in your own backyard and/or home studio. Award-winning fine art photographer and workshop leader, Charles Needle, will guide you through all the necessary steps to take your macro photography to the next level. In this webinar, Charles will discuss specific methods for shooting water droplets, reflections on iridescent glass, mylar, and everyday household objects. He will also cover more advanced topics, such as selective-focus macro, “shooting through” with a telephoto lens, close-up lenses/diopters, artistic macro with Lensbaby and Kaleidoscopic lenses, Soft-Glow Montage macro, and wide-angle macro.

Charles Needle is an award-winning, Colorado-based fine art photographer, author, speaker and workshop leader with a unique eye for design and artistic interpretation. His popular “Art of Nature” creative macro workshops have attracted students nationwide. 

In 2018, Charles earned an honorable mention in the Macro category of the 8th Annual International Mobile Photography Awards Contest. He was also a semi-finalist in the 2014 Nature’s Best Photography Winland Smith Rice International Awards photo contest. In 2011, Charles was selected as a finalist, among 15,000 entries worldwide, in the International Garden Photographer of the Year photography contest, sponsored by The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (London, England). This exhibition traveled throughout the United Kingdom. 

A popular conference and camera club speaker for more than two decades, Charles has authored three cutting-edge instructional books: Tiny Worlds: Creative Macro Photography Skills (Amherst Media, January 2015), Impressionistic Photography: A Field Guide to Using Your Camera as a Paintbrush (March 2014), and Creative Macro Photography: Professional Tips & Techniques (2011).

An accomplished speaker, photography juror and teacher with international workshops in Monet's Garden (Giverny, France for 20 years in a row, with exclusive private access), Keukenhof Gardens (Holland) and The Butchart Gardens (Canada), Charles is a FujiFilm USA Talent Team member and North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) Showcase Award winner nine years in a row. 

Charles’ photographs have been selected for publication in Nature’s Best, Outdoor Photographer magazine, Nature Photographer magazine, Inner Reflections Engagement Calendar, The Chicago Tribune, SELF Magazine and are in private and public collections nationwide and abroad. 

To learn more about Charles' work, including his workshop and private lesson offerings, visit www.charlesneedlephoto.com.

One of the greatest things about photography is its ability to communicate something to the viewer. Your images are immensely powerful tools which can reach out and touch people, crossing all language and age barriers. Every color, line and shape you choose to include in your final image has an emotional effect on the viewer. During this presentation, Steve will talk about how all these different elements within your image can more effectively communicate your chosen message to your audience. 

Steve, along with his wife Nicole Sudduth, lead nature photography tours to exciting destinations around the world. They enjoy sharing their knowledge of the natural world and helping people capture amazing images of our planet. Steve has over 30 years of nature photography experience and has been recognized through numerous awards. These include being a multi-award winner of the BBC’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year and recognized in the prestigious Nature’s Best photography contest. His images are often featured in National Geographic and other nation-wide publications. Nicole has over 15 years of nature photography experience and enjoys discovering and sharing wild connections with others.

Website: https://stevegettle.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steve.gettle

Steve Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevegettle

Nicole Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolesudduth

Alan Shapiro: “A Plea to Photographers: Use Your Words” – A compelling argument for the value of using both images and written words to tell stories. This is a webinar in the MPA’s Artistic Spotlight series. Invitations will be sent by MPA to all members. It begins at 7 pm. MPA website

Irene Sacilotto: “A Passion for Wildlife Photography, the Stories Behind the Images”

Irene’s presentation is based on her more than 35 plus years’ experience photographing wildlife and will cover the requirements, strategies, techniques, and equipment required to capture engaging animal images. She will include information on lighting and composition, plus locating, attracting, and approaching wildlife. The program is interwoven with some entertaining stories behind some of the images. It also contains a lot of new material plus images from COVID 19 confinement.

About Irene Sacilotto: “For more than 35 years, I have shared my photographic experiences and love of nature with thousands of individuals through more than 300 photo classes, workshops, lectures, and tours in both the U.S. and abroad including Kenya, Iceland, Newfoundland, the Falkland Islands, the Brazilian Pantanal, South Dakota Badlands, Bosque del Apache, Chincoteague NWR, Tangier Island, etc.  Program sponsors have included zoos, nature centers, camera clubs, and conservation organizations such as National Wildlife Federation and the Assateague Island Alliance.  For many years, I have taught photography classes at Johns Hopkins University and other educational institutions and have written “How To” articles on nature photography for national publications such as Outdoor Photographer and Birding.  My images have appeared in magazines, calendars, and books published by National Wildlife Federation, Natural History Society, Audubon, and Sierra Club.  Credits include the book “Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, an Ecological Treasure.”

Irene’s website: https://www.ospreyphoto.com

Member Critique Night: Two images per member.

Upload your images to Visual Pursuits/ “Member Programs – Critiques” Gallery/’Member Critique, Oct. 1.

Critique Gallery Upload Instructions

Kah-Wai Lin: “The Art of Landscape Photography”

Dr. Kah-Wai Lin is a professional landscape photographer based in New Jersey. He is the Goodwill Ambassador and former Chapter, Clubs and Councils Vice President of Photographic Society of America (PSA). Dr. Lin is the director of Global Elite Photographer, ambassador & education advisor of NiSi, ambassador & global marketing advisor of Fotopro, ambassador & global marketing advisor of Feiyu, pro team of Spiffy Gear, and ambassador & international liaison officer of Studio of Masters. He also operates a camera store, Stetinden Photo, in New Jersey. Over the past few years, he has been presenting over 200 seminars worldwide, and has received over 200 awards in photographic contests. Notably, he is the recipient of Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from US Member of Congress.

In this presentation, Dr. Kah-Wai Lin will tell you the pro tips in seeing the unseen and crafting better images in landscape photography: how to use the lights to create visual emotion; how to use long exposure to create visual dynamism; how to use field of vision to create visual perspective; and how to use composition to create visual continuity and story.

Website: www.kahwailin.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kahwailin

YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/kahwailin

Member Instruction Night – An opportunity to learn from club members who are willing to share their knowledge and skills. More details will be sent to all members when the program is fully developed. Stay tuned!