Master photographer Bruce Hudson starts off each of his classes by asking students why they want to learn photography in-person, rather than through tutorials on Youtube. The answer varies for each set of students in his popular 7 Steps to Better Photography Class, but the answer is most often that hands-on learning offers an experience that is more practical and useful. This is the answer Hudson is looking for!<\/p>\n
With over three decades as a full-time professional photographer, Hudson’s experience has been vast and rewarding. His portrait work has given him the opportunity to photograph presidents, governors, celebrities, and hundreds of clients from Japan to Jamaica, Tuscany to LA, and all over the great State of Washington. His background in teaching, he was the high school band director at Tahoma High School in Maple Valley, WA from 1978 to 1982, compounded with his photography expertise, led Hudson to teach classes to photo enthusiasts and then eventually to develop Hudson’s Photo Workshops.<\/p>\n
“Photography is a powerful medium for recording history, telling a story and preserving heritage for generations to see”, says Hudson, at the beginning of every class he teaches. The popularity of his classes quickly grew organically although their initial success was a bit of a surprise to Hudson. “My son Josh gets all the credit for convincing me to start the photo workshops. But, get this: we actually received several hate emails from some of the local professional photographers in our area, who were upset that we were training more competition! They compared it to a magician sharing secrets to the public!”, Hudson explains.<\/p>\n
In reality, with digital cameras being the new norm, budding photographers are interested in the craft and looking to expand their knowledge which Hudson believes is a good thing! The majority of students enrolled in Hudson’s Photo Workshops are parents and grandparents learning to take better photographs of their kids and grandkids; or hobbyists, such as hikers, who want to capture some great images along the way. The workshops, offered at Hudson’s studio in Tukwila, draw students mainly from the Puget Sound region, however students from Spokane and Bellingham, and as far as Vancouver, Canada have sought out Hudson’s expertise.<\/p>\n
Hudson’s Photo Workshops offers a four-hour introductory class that emphasizes learning the basic function of today’s modern DSLR. The class also covers artistic strategies, lighting techniques, tips and secrets for making subjects look great, and a tutorial on how to take a typical snapshot and turn it into a work of art. “My goal with every class is to share a ton of information that will take my students’ photography to new heights and put them in control of their camera, well beyond basic point-and-shoot”, says Hudson. Students are given the tools needed to operate their camera in manual mode for the ability to control the technical and artistic outcome of each image captured.<\/p>\n
As Hudson’s Photo Workshops have gained popularity, requests for advanced classes and trip-based photo shoots have evolved leading to the creation of an entire suite of classes. From 7 Steps to Better Photography and Advanced Level Photography: Artsy or Techy, to Beginner Photoshop, there is a class to fulfill the learning needs of any aspiring shutterbug! 2017 will also see the addition of a week-long photo cruise expedition to Alaska and a Mediterranean cruise to put skills to the test on the road!<\/p>\n