It’s time, and we are ready to go with a new round of 5 West Workshops! And, yes, you read it right. They’re free, so don’t miss out. Sign-up for our newsletter, if you want to stay on top of the workshop schedule.

All workshops will be held at the 5 West Studios office in DUMBO at 10 Jay Street #203A. Capacity is limited, and seats are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis, so hold your spot now! Workshops open 2 weeks in advance of the workshop day itself. To sign-up, just send an email to workshops@5weststudios.com, and we’ll get back to you to confirm your spot.

If you want to attend Kickass Composition on May 8, we’re filling spots now. Looking forward to hearing from you!

May 8: KICKASS COMPOSITION
1 hour at 6:30 p.m.

Whether it’s your Facebook photos or you’re gearing up for your professional debut, great framing can turn the mundane into the masterful. Find out how you can compose your images to impress your friends, confound your enemies, and just look all around awesome.

While geared towards beginner and intermediate photographers, we’ll cover topics for all. Get the inside scoop on both basic and advanced compositional strategies by signing up now!

May 23: BRILLIANT NATURAL LIGHT
1.5 hours at 6:30
No light, no pictures, right? But seeing it like it is is anything but easy. We’ll do our famous DUMBO walk and talk, as we look at the world the way the camera sees it. If you’ve ever wanted to create pictures with a silky, soft look that blows people away, then come on out. This is great for beginner and intermediate photographers.

June 12: GET STARTED WITH WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
1 hour at 6:30
Making your way into the industry and trying to figure out where to go with your craft and your business? We’ll spend 1 hour talking about anything and everything, from what it’s all about to where you want to go and what it takes to get there. You name the subject, I’ll answer it. Come with questions.

June 25: EYEBALL POPPING TONING
1 hour at 6:30 p.m.
You can’t walk down the street without some high drama toning work poking you in the eye. What you want is something striking and resonant. What you don’t want is punch drunk eye candy that will fade in a year.

Find out what’s involved behind the scenes, so you can take control of your effects. Whether you’re using your phone or you’re post-processing your images in Lightroom with your DSLR, this is the perfect way to learn how to turn the plain and simple into the picture you imagined.

Alex and Oresti were perfect. Relaxed, fun, stylish, and up for anything, including waiting in a chill towards the end of the day, as we busted out some all-new techniques (more on that later), this spring day couldn’t have been any better. A set of dark, rich, velvety tones from the light of the Green Building were the perfect match for a wedding so full of heart. Absolutely lovely, indeed.

It was just a simple, beautiful, beautiful sort of day. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen more hugs and smiles at a wedding as I did on Jay and Jon’s day, and being there to see it and soak it all in was a privilege.

Unassuming. Genuine. Warm. There aren’t many things more satisfying than spending time with people who are simply enjoying the moment and being with people they love. If there’s a better way to finish out a weekend, I don’t know what it would be.

And onto the final day. After an amazing few days in Colorado, Karen and Danny celebrated with friends back in Manhattan – fantastic!

Sometimes you just know. You know right when they walk in the door for the first time, you know right when you see a couple for the first time during the day. Meri and Al were one of those couples. Relaxed, full of heart, and just wonderful to be around, it was hard not to love being there for the wedding day.

And we continue on from the previous post. Onto the wedding day from Karen and Danny’s wedding. Love it!

It’s always a pleasure to really get to know what my couples are like – getting to spend the time before and after the wedding is a distinct privilege when it happens. There’s just something very special about day-to-day life that you only get a glimpse of during a wedding itself, and having the bookends to Karen and Danny’s wedding was a treat. Their wedding took place just outside of Vail, Colorado, and I had the privilege of covering their pre-wedding party, the wedding day itself, and then flying back a week later for their reception in New York City. What a whirlwind ride to see a week full of joy and happiness, anchored by two people who I could tell cared so much about friends and family. Perfect!

Best thing in my mind? Being able to say you just had a good time being there. And I had a good time being there. Thanks Blake and Tim for letting me be part of the day. Wonderful!

Had an amazing time with this couple at one our favorite spots – The Green Building over in Carroll Gardens. It was the perfect way to finish out 2012!