I have been a regular presenter and judge at camera clubs for nearly a decade now. I see myself as an educator as much as I do an artist and photographer—I love inspiring people. I began at clubs in the MD/DC/VA area where I used to live and continue to be invited to present at those clubs virtually from my new home in Colorado. I recently have started presenting in clubs in the greater Denver area as well. I would love to speak at club in person if in the Denver metro area or virtually if further away.
Below are some examples of presentations I have given to clubs in the past and are ready to go at a moment’s notice. All of these presentations run about an hour, unless otherwise noted.
I can also create a custom presentation based on your club’s interests or upcoming competition topic, as long as it is aligned with the types of photos I take (see my Portfolios).
- The Original Influencers
- This presentation explores some of Greg’s favorite master photographers from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s. During this dawn of photography, it was common for photographers to be inspired by the works of their peers. Greg has built a collection of photo comparisons over the last several years of reading his extensive collection of photography books. Whether these photographers were intentionally copying or just inspired by each other, this presentation will look at photos with similar subjects, composition and style.
- This will also be a educational exploration of master photographers such as: Edward Steichen, Alfred Stiglitz, Man Ray and Dorothea Lange; and perhaps an introduction to lesser known photographers such as George Tice, Jaromir Funke, Vivian Maier and A. Aubrey Bodine.
- The presentation concludes with a comparison of how Greg’s photos have been inspired by these master photographers. Sometimes Greg was consciously thinking of their photo when he composed his, while other times Greg discovered similarities later.
- Note: This presentation can not be recorded (i.e. during Zoom presentation)
- Pairings
- In this presentation, Greg shows pairings of his photos of completely different subjects but with similarities in style, composition and color choices with respect to how he composed and processed my images. The collection contains some of Greg’s favorite images and represents his diverse photographic interests.
- While compiling this collection for a book, some of these pairings quickly presented themselves, while others were more subtle, allowing Greg the enjoyment of searching his archives to find matches. Sometimes, multiple matching photos were discovered, allowing him to selected the best or most interesting match.
- Greg hopes this presentation inspires you to investigate your own portfolio, to discover common threads in your style and find a unique way to share a collection of your photos.
- Elements of Design in Black & White Photography
- In the absence of color, black & white photographs rely on use of elements of design to form a pleasing composition and to establish the photographer’s point of view. While many monochrome images are defined by the quality and intensity of light, Greg will discuss how line, form, pattern, texture, depth, and visual weight give additional structure and strength to black & white photographs
- Lines can be used to frame an image, provide direction to focus the viewer’s attention or link elements of the image together. When groups of lines join to create a pattern, they can unify an image. Including shape and form makes your flat image look three-dimensional and real. Emphasizing light and texture can provide added depth to the image, allow the viewer to ‘feel’ the photograph and impart an emotional impact for a stronger connection to the viewer
- Adjusting your compositions to maximize the impact of these elements will improve your photographs and enable you to express your vision more deliberately
- How to See in Black & White:
- In today’s digital world, where a camera is as close as your phone, it is easy to capture vivid color images of all life’s events. However, pick up any magazine or book, or walk through any gallery and you will still see many black and white images. Why are B&W images still relevant in our color world?
- In his presentation, Greg Holden, will explain why B&W images are not only still relevant, but often the better choice for showcasing your images. Greg will show side-by-side color and B&W versions of his images to demonstrate how removing color from an image forces the viewer to focus on the shapes, lines and lighting in the image. Greg will discuss how he learns to pre-visualize images for later black & white conversion.
- This is my most requested presentation
- Continuing to See in Black & White:
- This is a follow-on to his presentation entitled “How to See in B&W” and will begin with a brief summary of that material before diving more in-depth to how Greg pre-visualizes his monochrome images and the choices he makes in post-protection to achieve his vision for each.
- Greg will show side-by-side color and B&W versions of his images to explain why he felt that image looked best in monochrome. He will also share his thoughts for other monochrome conversions such as sepia, selenium (blue tone) and bi-color grading in Adobe Lightroom.
- Abstracts All Around Us:
- Abstracts are one of Greg’s favorite things to photograph. To Greg, an abstract is capturing a small part of a larger scene and attempting to offer an alternate perspective. Both natural and manmade objects can form the basis for an abstract image. It really is about learning to see things in different or unusual ways.
- As a child, Greg’s art teacher father showed him a set of French curve stencils to which his father explained could be used to draw every possible curve. It was this early understanding that shapes can be reduced to a series of lines and curves that stuck with Greg and later influenced his photography. This presentation will showcase Greg’s continuing quest the see the world around him not as people, places or things, but as a series of shapes, lines and curves.
- This is my most popular presentation and second most-presented— always praised for opening eyes to seeing
- Learning to See Creatively:
- Photographer Elliot Erwitt once said, “To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place…I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” In this presentation, Greg will discuss how he sees the world around him and how he captures that through his photographs.
- Greg will discuss his approach for finding different viewpoints in common scenes and how he creates interesting abstract images by isolating a part of a scene. Whether it is iPhone photos taken in his kitchen or DSLR images from local parks, Greg’s photos will demonstrate that you do not have to travel to exotic locations or spend hours using software manipulation to make creative images.
- Leading Lines (30-45 min):
- In this presentation, Greg answers the question: “Where are the lines taking me?” He will explain how lines, zig-zags, and curves within an image are used to guide the viewer in and around the subject matter. Lines direct the viewer to the main subject of the image but can also be used to guide the viewer through the photo and the supporting elements of the image.
- High-Key / Low-Key (30 Min):
- High-Key/Low Key photos add impact to your image by creating a strong contrast between lights and darks. Typically, high-key photos have large amounts of pure white, while low-key is the opposite with lots of dark space occupying your frame. This is one of the times where “breaking the rules” and blowing out highlights or clipping shadows is expected! This presentation provides some examples of both B&W and color images utilizing this technique.
- What Judges Look For (30 min):
- Greg has been providing critiques and judging camera club competitions for nearly a decade now and has developed his own checklist of things he looks for in successful image. The checklist includes: Impact/”Wow Factor”, Lighting, Composition, Technical execution/Editing, and overall presentation and Adherence to the theme.
- This presentation will discuss those checklist items and provide examples of the edits he performed on my own images to meet those criteria.