For a number of years, Grays of Westminster has presented and hosted a number of comprehensive photographic seminars and workshops covering a wide variety of subject matter including Mike Maloney’s recent House of Lords Photographic Event, wildlife and natural history weekend workshops in Pembrokeshire and Sussex, flash, general photographic technique, portrait and macro training sessions, and many more.

Due to overwhelming demand, we are delighted to announce a special flash seminar to be held in central London, at Fitzroy House, 37 Fitzroy Street, London W1T 6DX on Saturday, May 22nd, 2010.

The seminar will be presented by Simon Stafford, technical director of Nikon Owner magazine and respected author of many Nikon books, and will take place from 2.00 p.m. until 5.30 p.m. It will be limited to under 25 delegates so that each attendee will be able to benefit more fully from the tuition. The cost of the session will be £155 with a special price of £95 if you are a current Nikon Owner subscriber. To book, please email me with your full name, daytime mobile and landline, or call between 2.00 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. Monday to Friday on 020 7828 4925 or for International calls telephone + 44 (0)20 7828 4925, and ask to speak to me, Gillian Greenwood. gillian.greenwood@graysofwestminster.co.uk

Agenda for the session

Part One: Flash basics

• Introduction to Nikon Speedlights and the Nikon Creative Lighting System
• Understanding light, sync speeds, flash modes, and flash sync modes
• Shooting with one Speedlight on your camera
• Modifying light, its colour, quality, and direction
• Taking the flash off camera, using a cable
• The Advanced Wireless Lighting system

Part Two: Digging deeper

• Advanced Creative Lighting System features: FV Lock and Auto High-speed Sync
• Shooting with multiple Speedlights using wireless control
• Controlling light: get creative with filters and light modifiers
• Practical considerations for location shooting

Part Three: Shooting with one light

• A practical demonstration of setting up and shooting a portrait photograph, using a single Nikon Speedlight and the few simple lighting accessories

Please note: there will be ample opportunity to ask questions throughout the event.

About Simon Stafford


Simon Stafford is considered by many to be one of the foremost technical Nikon experts in the UK . With over twenty-five years of experience using the Nikon system, he brings his considerable expertise to bear both as technical editor for Nikon Owner, and as author of a number of comprehensive books on the Nikon system, including his best-seller series of Magic Lantern Guides on the Nikon D70s/D70, the Nikon D80, the Nikon D40, D40X, D50, D60, D200, D300, D700, D90, D3. The series includes a Magic Lantern Guide on the Nikon AF Speedlights & Creative Lighting System, and he is currently working on a fully updated, second edition to include the latest Nikon SB-900.

Special Nikon Owner discount off the price of the course

Enrolling on this course as a current Nikon Owner subscriber will allow you the benefit of a discount of £60 off the normal price of £155 for the session.

About Nikon Owner

Nikon Owner is a worldwide users’ group initially founded with the purpose of assisting Nikon owners to make full use of the Nikon equipment they own, to give advice on a wide spectrum of photographic queries and problems, and at the same time to offer ideas to bring about an increase in photographic skills. As a subscriber to this group, you will receive an array of offers and assistance, which includes:

Nikon Owner Magazine

For a number of years, Grays of Westminster has presented and hosted a number of comprehensive photographic seminars, workshops, tutorials and events covering a wide variety of subject matter including wildlife and natural history, flash, general photographic technique, portrait, macro and many more.

Following the success of Simon Stafford's recent flash seminar, we are delighted to announce our next photographic training session which will cover the different aspects of general photographic technique. It will be held in central London, at Fitzroy House, 37 Fitzroy Street, London W1T 6DX on Saturday afternoon, March 6th, 2010.


The seminar will be presented as before by Simon Stafford, technical director of Nikon Owner magazine and respected author of many Nikon books, and will take place from 2.00 p.m. until 5.30 p.m. It will be limited to a maximum of 19 delegates in order that each attendee will be able to benefit more fully from the tuition. The cost of the session will be £145 with a special price of £95 if you are a current Nikon Owner subscriber. To book, please call only between 2.00 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. Monday to Friday on either 0207 828 8971 or 020 7828 4925 or for International calls telephone + 44 (0)20 7828 4925, and ask to speak to me, Gillian Greenwood; alternatively send an email with your full name, daytime landline and mobile telephone number to:

gillian.greenwood@graysofwestminster.co.uk


General Photographic Techniques



Part one: Camera skills

• Understanding f/numbers & shutter speeds
• Learn how to optimise white balance and ISO
• Mastering camera menu settings
• JPEG versus RAW: the pros and cons of both
• How to achieve accurate exposures
• Understand how your camera’s metering system works
• Learn the benefits of digital histograms
• Improve your focus techniques with AF and manual focus

Part two: Shooting skills

• Learn good camera handling
• Camera support systems, tripods, monopods, and alternatives
• Understanding and using depth-of-field
• Choosing and using filters
• Imaginative use of shutter speed
• Creative use of white balance

Part three: Beyond the camera

• Planning and visualising the picture
• Techniques of composition
• Transporting photographic equipment
• Tips for location shooting

Please note: there will be ample opportunity to ask questions throughout the event.

About Simon Stafford
Simon Stafford is considered by many to be one of the foremost technical Nikon experts in the UK . With over twenty-five years of experience using the Nikon system, he brings his considerable expertise to bear both as technical editor for Nikon Owner, and as author of a number of comprehensive books on the Nikon system, including his best-seller series of Magic Lantern Guides on the Nikon D70s/D70, the Nikon D80, the Nikon D40, D40X, D50, D60, D200, D300, D700, D90, D3. The series includes a Magic Lantern Guide on the Nikon AF Speedlights & Creative Lighting System, and he is currently working on a fully updated, second edition to include the latest Nikon SB-900.

Special Nikon Owner discount off the price of the course
Enrolling on this course as a current Nikon Owner subscriber will allow you the benefit of a discount of £50 off the normal price of £145 for the session.

About Nikon Owner
Nikon Owner is a worldwide users’ group initially founded with the purpose of assisting Nikon owners to make full use of the Nikon equipment they own, to give advice on a wide spectrum of photographic queries and problems, and at the same time to offer ideas to bring about an increase in photographic skills. As a subscriber to this group, you will receive an array of offers and assistance, which includes:

Nikon Owner Magazine

Three-year warranty
A three-year warranty is available to Nikon Owner subscribers only for any new Nikon purchases made at Grays of Westminster. An eighteen-month warranty has just now also been made available for Nikon Owner subscribers purchasing second-hand kit from Grays of Westminster’s superb second-hand department.

Technical Helpline
Full use of our Technical Helpline, which is run expertly by Simon Stafford. There is an encyclopaedic list of Q&A’s on the Nikon Owner website, or subscribers can email him directly with any photographic queries, no matter how small or large.

Interactive website
Interactive subscribers' only website: subscribers' message board, subscribers' gallery (post your own images), press releases, technical equipment reviews, subscriber events, etc, etc.

Discounts off courses
Subscription to Nikon Owner also provides discounts off a range of other photographic courses, including the annual Heather Angel Wildlife and Natural History Workshop, and 10% off all courses at Nikon UK .

Discounts off Think Tank photographic bags
Nikon Owner subscribers also receive a 10% discount off Think Tank photographic bags if purchased at Grays of Westminster.

Events
Special events are regularly organized for Nikon Owner subscribers.

Please email gillian.greenwood@graysofwestminster.co.uk with your name, daytime landline and mobile telephone number if you are interested in enrolling in Nikon Owner or call me after 2.00 p.m. Monday to Friday on either 0207 828 8971 or 020 7828 4925; alternatively, for International calls, telephone + 44 (0)20 7828 4925. The cost of an annual subscription to Nikon Owner is £59.

If you were unable to enrol on the recent flash seminar, do email me your full details and daytime phone numbers, and I will contact you when we have organised an additional seminar on this subject.


With best wishes,
Gillian ( Greenwood )
Features Editor, Events’ Coordinator