grand masters
Greg Daly was the winner of the 2010 Yervant Bridal Award which featured a one-week workshop with seven of the world’s top photographers on the beautiful debt-free Greek island of Corfu. Here’s how it went for him.
I
had won an opportunity to share, network, create new portfolio imagery, and spend a week with seven great masters of photography, seven of the world’s best photographers. The prize from the 2010 Master Photography Awards promised “stunning models in designer bridal gowns – LIVE photo shoot sessions with all seven Masters, learn, share, be inspired. Each Master brings a wealth of experience and seven individual approaches. Plus Anie on business and marketing.” We are Greg Daly and Mary Ashford of Ashford Daly Pho- tography – Professional UK and Destination Wedding Photog- raphers, employing a fusion of contemporary photography with fine art finishing. This workshop could not have been better for our profile.
Hosted by Yervant and Anie Zanazanian of Yervant Interna- tional, the guest VIP photog- raphers were Bambi Cantrell (USA), David Beckstead (USA), Graham Monro (Australia), Laslo Gabany (Russia), Nick Pekridis (Greece), and Michael Greenberg (Canada). We arrived on the Sunday evening and Yervant introduced all the VIP presenters to dele- gates, I was brought forward as the winner of the MPA Yervant Bridal Award. “I know and be- lieve Greg is a great photogra- pher”, Yervant was kind enough to say. We were introduced to Ara Hagopian from Canada “another upcoming talent”. No pressure then... On the opening Monday, each of the seven Masters did a short presentation about who they are how they started and where they are now in terms of their businesses. Then we were all aboard the coach to Corfu Town for live photo sessions in the Island capital, where there
we were back in the classroom where the presenters shared with us some more of their work and inspiration, before leaving for a second afternoon shooting in and around Corfu Town. This time we had Nik Pekridis (checking light sources, use of colour and composition through backgrounds and environment, daylight shooting with a video light); David Beckstead (use of light, looking for reflections shapes for dynamic composi- tion, looking for backgrounds to place subjects into and dynamic silhouettes); Yervant (commu- nication with subjects, using shapes, colour and texture, use of video lights, interaction of subjects with the environment regardless of where you are and who is around you); Bambi Cantrell (lighting, posing, in- teraction with subjects through directional posing techniques, vocal instructions and sugges- tion, being emotionally aware of how the image will appear once finished).
seemed to be no problem work- ing in public spaces despite the size of our party. There were seven presenters, and seven models in designer wedding gowns. Delegates were equally divided into seven groups and headed off with three present- ers for three separate one hour master class sessions on posing, lighting, compositions, commu- nication and techniques. Our group was assigned to Laslo Gabany (fashion angles, use of wide angle lenses); Michael Greenberg (off camera flash, composition); Graham Monro (use of light, composi- tion, engaging extras into photos, reportage style, rapport with general public).
On day two in the morning
Top: Yervant in action. Above: a shoot in Corfu town with Nik Pekridis. Below: Graham Monro’s live shoot helped create this shot as featured on the cover of the magazine.
Our evening involved the preparation of two images from the live photo sessions in Corfu Town, to be critiqued by the presenters during live judging the next day. Before this, each of the presenters talked about their finishing techniques and presentations. There was also a talk by Alex Nozdrin from Rus- sia, winner of the WPPI album award with his album titled Circus. He talked via a translator about the winning album, and photography in Russia today. Later Yervant shared some of his advanced Photoshop skills. In the evening our gurus did a live critique of the images submitted by each delegate, a valuable insight as to what judges look for in competitions and how they mark, suggestions for improvements or changes to enhance.
MASTER PHOTOGRAPHY 27
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