Adult Opportunities

Photography Workshop: Nature in Macro and Abstract

Explore the world of close-up and abstract nature photography in this intermediate workshop at The Morton Arboretum.

Content Detail

In the natural world, the close-up photographic exploration of macro subjects and abstracts requires looking at the world in fresh and exciting ways. While macro (close-up) photography and abstract photography are different, they employ similar tools and techniques that require a significant departure from the traditional way we most often photograph. Students in this intermediate photography workshop at The Morton Arboretum will explore these tools and techniques and use them to create macro and abstract nature images of flowers, plants, and insects.

Over the course of five sessions learn about specialized and simple equipment available to capture subjects in macro. Discuss lighting considerations and additional tools to refine images. Then stretch your photographic vision through the creation of nature abstracts that invite viewers to interpret your images in unique and personal ways.

Through a mix of classroom sessions and practice, students will learn and practice:

  • determining the approach to show your subject in the strongest way with emphasis on technique and lighting
  • special considerations for macro and close-up photography, including depth-of-field, focus stacking using Adobe Photoshop, and other post-production software
  • conquering the difficult aspects of close-up photography including moving subjects, wind, and weather
  • tapping your innate creativity by creating powerful nature abstracts from the unlimited opportunities within every scene.

This workshop is appropriate for any photographer who is comfortable with the manual controls of a DSLR camera and with post-production software such as Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom.

This program meets in person at the Arboretum.

Instructor: Dan Pollack, photographer

Age: 16 and older

Course number: P346

Dan Pollack, photographer

Dan Pollack has been a photographer since 1983. In 1985, he began a successful commercial photography studio and was featured in advertising campaigns for several Fortune 100 companies. His stock photography has been chosen for advertising campaigns worldwide. In 1998, he narrowed his focus to the subject matter he loves most, landscapes and wildlife. Since then, Pollack has been an instructor for courses in black-and-white darkroom techniques, large format camera techniques, digital capture, and post-production image processing. Learn more at his website.

What to Know

This program meets indoors and outdoors. Check the forecast and dress for the weather.

Please bring the following with you: DSLR camera, tripod, and any lenses you have.

Program Schedule

Thursday, July 20, 2023, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Saturday, July 22, 2023, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Thursday, July 27, 2023, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Saturday, July 29, 2023, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Thursday, August 3, 2023, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Thornhill Education Center

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