Education

Classes and workshops are held either digitally via Zoom, or at the Clubhouse 4 Photography Classroom. Announcements of upcoming classes are emailed to all members.

Dates and times for educational events are listed as soon as schedules are confirmed.

Scroll down for details about Workshops, Classes, and other educational resources available through our Club.

View the Club Calendar Online.

Workshops / Classes 2025

• If you are interested in teaching a class or workshop, contact Mary Madden, Eduation Committee Chair, and let her know your area of expertise.

• July

• iPhone Photography
  Gene Holloway
  MONDAY JULY 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th (4 weeks), 1-2:30PM
  Mac Club Learning Center
  3rd Floor, Laguna Woods Village Community Center, 24351 El Toro Road, Laguna Woods. 

  This four week class starts at the beginning level, and builds upon each week’s material. Handouts will be available for future reference.

  Donations to the Mac Club of $2.00 is due per class, per person, day of the class.

  You may attend each class individually. Limited to 25 participants.

• June

• Design Elements – Field Trip Critique
  Penni Rubin
  THURSDAY JUNE 26 10am – 12pm
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom
• Field Trip Dana Point Harbor – Design Elements
  Penni Rubin
  THURSDAY JUNE 12 10am – 12pm
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom
• How to Submit Images for a Critique
  Rodney Cooper
  TUESDAY JUNE 10 10am – 12pm
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom

  A workshop presented byRodney Cooper (Chair Showcases/Critiques, Past Club President), and other Critiques Team members.

  The presenters have plenty of Critique submissions under their belt, and they know the pitfalls, highs, and lows of the Critiques.

  The presenters will review the guidelines for a Critique, and how to prepare your image. There will be time for questions and feedback on your images.

  This class will:
  – Teach you how to prepare your images for submission
  – Give you feedback on some of your images
  – Discuss the Critique Categories
  – Discuss the Submission Rules

  Critiques can be a lot of fun, a real challenge, and a great way to grow as a photographer.

  For more information, see the Critiques web page.

  Registration is required.

  Limited to 20 attendees.

• May

• Composition in Photography
  Penni Rubin
  THURSDAY MAY 29 10am – 12pm
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom

  Composition is more than knowing the Rule of Thirds but it is a major factor. Learning the placement of objects or angles for scenes can make a difference in going for nines from the judges.

  Penni will help you learn the nine concepts of composition and perspective so you can line up your camera and take better photos.

  Bring in some of your work for critique and see how you fair with creating good composition.

  Register for this class

• Creative Aspects of Slide Shows
  Esther Spektor
  DATE TBD
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom

  The Camera Club has an annual slide show competition where many of our talented members create innovative and entertaining slide shows on many different subjects, from travel documentaries to stories.

  Esther Spector has won awards for her previous entries to the slide show competition. She will share with the club how she develops an idea for a slide show and her work flow that she uses to make that idea into a reality

  Registration link soon

• Black and White – Conversion & Printing
  Barry Evans
  TUESDAY MAY 13 6PM – 8pm
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom

  Learn to use Lightroom’s Development Module to convert color images to Black & White …

  Learn to use Lightroom’s Print Module to create a print that you’ll be proud to display!

  During this class, Barry will discuss setting up your camera for Black & White success, using Lightroom to convert color images to Black & White, and preparing your image to yield a print that truly represents your vision.

  Register for this class

• How to Make a Photo Book– NEXT
  Mary Madden
  THURSDAY MAY 8 10am – 12pm
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom

  Have you returned home from a wonderful trip where you took many photos but have no idea what to do with those photos? Creating a PhotoBook will allow family and friends to see your trip in an organized sequence and create a wonderful memory.

  Mary Madden will walk you through the creation of a Photo Book using Shutterfly. She will explain how to sort the photos and import them to the Shutterfly site using templates that are available.

  Register for this class

• April

• Night Sky Photography: A Conversation on Tools & Planning – COMPLETED
  Ted Koelsch
  THURSDAY APR 17, 2025 10:00am – 12:00pm
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom

  Now that the core of the Milky Way is visible in the northern hemisphere, come join us for an interactive presentation and discussion on EVERYTHING (probably not quite everything – but who knows!) you need to know to capture the beauty of the night sky.

  For those who have never attempted Night Sky Photography we will go over the basics:

  What type of camera?
  What lenses?
  What settings?
  Can I use my phone?
  For those who have ventured out into the darkness – bring your questions and experiences.

  Additionally, we will go over what tools are available to help you plan your night sky adventure, including but not limited to Google Earth, Stellarium, PhotoPills and Planit Pro, and use them to actually plan a shot at Crater Lake – or a location of your choice.

• Flower Photography – COMPLETED
  Adriana Greisman
  THURSDAY APR 10, 2025 10:00am – 12:00pm
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom

  Learn about flower photography from one of our most experienced club members. Adriana Greisman is an award winning photographer in many categories, including flowers and macro flower photography.

  This class will consist of a lecture as well as a hands on practice session. Since flower photography is not always macrophotography or highly focused shots, Adriana will cover some flower photography choices such as fields of flowers /multiple flowers, soft focus shots of individual specimens, highly focused shots – including focus stacking techniques.

  Information will be provided on equipment that can be utilized in flower photography, camera settings, locations, weather, etc.

  After the lecture portion of the class, we will head outside to photograph the flowers surrounding Clubhouse 4. Please bring your cameras, lenses, tripod, remote cord, focus rail, extension tubes, closeup filters, reflectors/diffusers, plamps, etc. (if you have them).

• Workshop: Making Slide Shows using Apple Keynote – COMPLETED
  Steve Comstock
  TUESDAY APR 8, 2025 10am – 12pm
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom

  Keynote is a presentation app that is used to create and deliver visual presentations, typically in the form of slideshows.

  This class will cover many of Keynote’s capabilities, including themes and customization, animations and transitions, and media integration. Steve has found Keynote to be both fun and rewarding to use and hopes you can join him in the workshop on April 8th.

  Attendees should bring an Apple computer with Keynote installed. They will be provided with media to use in the workshop.

  Note: If Keynote is not already installed on your computer, you can get it for free from the App store.

• Color Theory – COMPLETED
  Penni Rubin
  THURSDAY APR 3, 2025 10am – 12pm
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom

  Most of you know that complementary colors can have a profound influence on your photographs, but did you know that there are seven other color schemes in color theory that can enhance your work? Join Penni Rubin to find out about some schemes that will knock the socks off judges, if you know what to look for. Bring in some of your work for a critique to see if you use any of the schemes.

• Beginning Printing – COMPLETED
  Jack Salvador
  TUESDAY APR 1, 2025 1:00 – 3:00pm
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom

  – what makes a good print
  – evaluating your image for printing
  – what steps are needed to produce a good finished print
  – how printers can improve your prints
  – why are prints important for photographers
  

  Jack will show how printing actually begins in the camera, how to address typical image problems that interfere with achieving a good print, and how you can use the Camera Club Photo Lab to advance your printing skills.

  Print examples by master photographers will be referenced.

• March

• Lightroom A-Z – COMPLETED
  Adriana Greisman
  FRIDAY MAR. 21st, 28th, APR 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th (6 weeks), 10am – 12pm
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom
  $60 fee

  This 6 session class will cover importing photos directly to LR & via Photo Mechanic, catalogs, keywording, basic editing sliders, histogram, masking, tone curve, color adjustments (white balance, mixer, grading, calibration), sharpen/denoise, effects, lens blur, transform, lens corrections, integration with photoshop-topaz/HDR/focus stacking, presets, plugins, & workflow recommendations.

  This class will be a combination of lectures & demonstrations – with a lot of time spent working with students on their computers, assisting them in importing, keywording, editing photos, and addressing questions or problems they may have encountered in completing assignments. Students must have Adobe Lightroom installed on their computers, preferably LR Classic.

• Using and Creating Light for Enhancing Your Photography – PART 2 – COMPLETED
  David Wells
  TUESDAY MAR. 18th 10:00AM-12:00PM
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom 

  In Part 2, David will show lighting patterns, lighting positioning, lighting mistakes and posing. Using both flash and continuous lighting, and how to capture great portraits.

  David will also show participants how to use the Camera Club’s studio lights.

• Major Photography Competitions: Do’s & Don’ts – COMPLETED
  Adriana Greisman
  TUESDAY MAR. 11th, 10am – 12pm
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom

  This class will cover several of the major competitions and what each is looking for today. Topics such as how to select your photos, postprocessing for competition, how to enter, & benefits other than prizes that you gain from entering competitions.

• iPhone Photography – COMPLETED
  Gene Holloway
  MONDAY MAR. 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st (4 weeks), 1-2:30PM
  Mac Club Learning Center
  3rd Floor, Laguna Woods Village Community Center, 24351 El Toro Road, Laguna Woods. 

  This four week class starts at the beginning level, and builds upon each week’s material. Handouts will be available for future reference.

  Donations to the Mac Club of $2.00 is due per class, per person, day of the class.

  You may attend each class individually. Limited to 25 participants.

• “Get the Picture” – Design Elements – COMPLETED
  Penni Rubin
  THURSDAY MAR 6, 2025 10am – 12pm
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom

  There are 10 design elements that will enhance your photography and inspire you to get better results.
  Learn how to spot these elements and shoot fabulous photos using tricks of good design.

• February

• “Bakers Half Dozen” – Beginning Photography – COMPLETED
  David Dearing, & Friends
  MONDAY FEB. 10th & TUESDAY FEB. 11th (2 days), 1:30-3:00PM
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom A two session workshop. 

  For Beginner to Intermediate photographers, we will cover a broad range of topics: composition, lighting, post processing and sharing among others. Taught by some of the Club’s most recognizable long-time members.

• Intermediate Photoshop – COMPLETED
  Art Ramirez
  TUESDAYS JAN. 14, 21, 28 FEB 4, 11, 18, 25 (7 weeks), , 10AM-12PM
• Beginning Photoshop – COMPLETED
  Art Ramirez
  FRIDAYS JAN. 10, 17, 24, 31 FEB 7, 14, 21 (7 weeks), 10AM-12PM
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom 

• January

• Using and Creating Light for Enhancing Your Photography – COMPLETED
  David Wells
  THURSDAY JAN. 30th 10:00AM-12:00PM
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom 

  Member David Wells will show how adding additional lighting to your photos can be easy, whether it is indoors or outdoors you can improve your photos by controlling the light. We’ll cover camera settings, light modifiers, lighting equipment, using flash and continuous lighting and how to capture great portraits.

• How to Submit to a Critique – COMPLETED
  Rodney Cooper, Jack Salvador & Friends
  FRIDAY JAN. 24th 1:00-3:00PM
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom 

  Rodney and Jack will review the Camera Club Critique rules & guidelines, explain how to prepare your images for submission, show how to submit your images, and explain how the Critiques work. Time will be allowed to answer some questions from attendees.

  This class is both for newbies, and members who want a refresher on Critiques.

• Mounting & Matting Photographs – COMPLETED
  Jack Salvador, Stuart Rubin
  THURSDAY JAN 16th, 10AM-12PM
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom 

  Learn the fundamentals on how to mat and mount your photographs, with examples of classic methods of this essential part of displaying your images. Matting materials will be provided for some hands on practice.

  Registration is required, and limited to 20 participants.

• Intermediate Photoshop – COMPLETED
  Art Ramirez
  TUESDAYS JAN. 14, 21, 28 FEB 4, 11, 18, 25 (7 weeks), , 10AM-12PM
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom 

  This seven week (7) class will introduce you to more advanced methods of editing your photos. Topics covered include: Adjusting Light & Color, Using Layers & Groups, Working with Masks, Removing Objects, Working with Text, Sharpening Images, and much more…

  ($10/each class)
  Register for this class

• Beginning Photoshop – COMPLETED
  Art Ramirez
  FRIDAYS JAN. 10, 17, 24, 31 FEB 7, 14, 21 (7 weeks), 10AM-12PM
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom 

  If you have never worked on a photo program before, Art has 2 words for you…
  DON’T PANIC!

  This class will introduce you to the basics of adjusting your Photographs. Some of the topics covered will be: How to Adjust Light & Color, Cropping, Removing Unwanted Objects, Adding Text, and Working With RAW Images, plus a few more. Be sure you have Photoshop Creative Cloud installed on your computer.

  Art will supply images for the class.

  ($10/each class)
  Register for this class

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• 
    2024 CLASSES BELOW ↓
• Travel Photography & Packing Tips – COMPLETED
  Mary Madden
  THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19th, 10AM-12PM
• Uncanny Feeling in Contemporary Fine Art Photography – POSTPONED
  JP Lee
  DATE/TIME TBD
  Clubhouse #4, Educational Classroom

  In this workshop, Jungpil Lee will discuss the photographers’ intentions to see beyond the photograph, the
  emotional and atmospheric elements in a photographic. That what we see in images are not necessarily based on
  realities, with examples of work by well known fine art photographers of our time such as Rienke Dijkstra, Todd
  Hido, Sugimoto Hirosh, and Felix Gonzales-Torrez.

  JP Lee comes to us with a background in journalism, a graduate of the Grad School of Journalism at Indiana
  University, with a concentration in Fine Art and Fine Art Photography.

  This class will be rescheduled in early 2025.

• Canon Cameras Tips & Tricks – COMPLETED
  Larry Goodman
  TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3rd, 10AM-12PM
• Canon Cameras Tips & Tricks – COMPLETED
  Larry Goodman
  THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14th, 10AM-12PM
• Advanced Video & Slideshow Editing Workshop – COMPLETED
  John Lafferty
  FRIDAYS NOVEMBER 8th, 15th, & 22nd 10AM-12PM
• Bird & Wildlife Photography – COMPLETED
  Adriana Greisman
  THURSDAY NOVEMBER 7th, 10AM-12PM
• iPhone Photography, Start to Finish – COMPLETED
  Gene Holloway
  MONDAYS, NOVEMBER 4th, 18th, 25th, DECEMBER 2nd 1-2:30PM
• AI & Visual Creativity – COMPLETED
  Mark Austin
  THURSDAY OCTOBER 24th, 10AM-12PM
• Still Life Photography Basics – COMPLETED
  Esther Spektor
  FRIDAYS OCTOBER 11th and 18th 10AM-12PM
• Intermediate Photoshop – COMPLETED
  Art Ramirez
  TUESDAYS OCTOBER 1st – NOVEMBER 12th (7 weeks), 10AM-12PM.
• Matting & Mounting – COMPLETED
  Jack Salvador
  FRIDAY OCTOBER 4th, 1PM-3PM – TIME CHANGE
• Street & Documentary Photography – COMPLETED
  Keith Leonin
  TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 6PM-8PM/li>

• Mastering “Light” in Lightroom – COMPLETED
  Rick Valasek
  TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 17th, 10PM-12PM – TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 10th, 10PM-12PM
• Sony Cameras Tips & Tricks – COMPLETED
  Weili Chen
  FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 13, 10AM-12PM
• Advanced Printing – COMPLETED
  Jack Salvador
  FRIDAY AUGUST 30, 10:00AM-12:00PM
• Nikon Photography – COMPLETED
  Mark Rabinowitch
  TUESDAY AUGUST 20, 1:00-3:00PM
• Beginning Photoshop – COMPLETED
  Art Ramirez
  TUESDAY JULY 9th – AUGUST 20th(7 weeks), 10:00AM-12:00PM
• Beginning Photography – COMPLETED
  Adriana Greisman
  FRIDAY AUGUST 2, 1:00-3:00PM
• Beginning Printing – COMPLETED
  Jack Salvador
  FRIDAY JULY 12, 10:00AM-12:00PM
• Android Photography: Tips & Tricks – COMPLETED
  Joel Sigman
  TUESDAY JULY 9, 1:00-3:00PM
• iPhone Photography – Start to Finish – COMPLETED
  Gene Holloway, Past
  President of the Mac Club
  JULY 8, 15, 22, 29, MONDAYS: 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM<< /li>

• “Story Telling with Photography” – COMPLETED
  John Cornell
  FRIDAY JUNE 21, 10:00AM-12:00PM – FRIDAY JUNE 28, 10:00AM-12:00PM
• “Black & White Conversion and Printing” – COMPLETED
  Barry Evans
  TUESDAY JUNE 18, 6:00PM-8:00PM
• “Organizing Your Images in Lightroom” – COMPLETED
  Mary Madden
  FRIDAY MAY 31, 10:00AM-12:00PM
• “Macro Photography” – COMPLETED
  Art Ramirez
  TUESDAY MAY 28th, 10:00AM-12:00PM
• “Processing Night Sky Photos” – COMPLETED
  Ted Koelsch
  FRIDAY MAY 10, 10:00AM-12:00PM
• “Dry Mounting” – COMPLETED
  Stuart Rubin
  TUESDAY APRIL 30th, 1:00-3:00PM
• “Street & Documentary Photography” – COMPLETED
  Keith Leonin
  TUESDAY APRIL 23rd, 6:00-7:30PM
• “Composition” – COMPLETED
  Penni Rubin
  TUESDAY APRIL 16th, 1:00-3:00PM
• “Color Theory” – COMPLETED
  Penni Rubin
  FRIDAY APRIL 5th, 1:30-3:30PM
• “Begininng Matting” Workshop – COMPLETED
  Jack Salvador, Stuart Rubin
  FRIDAY APRIL 5th,10:00AM-12:00PM
• “Intermediate Photoshop” – COMPLETED
  Art Ramirez
  TUESDAY MARCH 19th through TUESDAY APRIL 30th, 10:00AM-12:00PM (7 Classes)
• “Intro to Night Sky Photography” – COMPLETED
  Ted Koelsch
  MARCH 22, Friday 1:30-3:30PM
• “Planning for Successful Photography” – COMPLETED
  Tom Elenbaas
  MARCH 19, Tuesday 1:30-3:30PM
• “Begininng Matting” Workshop – COMPLETED
  Jack Salvador, Stuart Rubin
  MARCH 1, Friday 10:00-11:30AM
• “Baker’s Half Dozen: Beginning Photography” – COMPLETED
  David Dearing, Joel Goldstein, Mark Rabinowitz, Peter Battin
  FEB. 26 Monday, AND FEB. 27 Tuesdays 1:30-3:30PM
• “Get the Picture Using Design Elements” – COMPLETED
  Penni Rubin
  FEBRUARY 13, Tuesday 1:30-3:30PM
• “iPhone Photography – Start to Finish” – COMPLETED
  Gene Holloway, Past President of the Mac Club
  FEBRUARY 6, 13, 20, 27, 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
• “Action Photography: Post Processing Using Adobe Camera Raw, Topaz and NIK Software” –
  COMPLETED
  Ken Furuta
  JANUARY 26, Friday, Time 10:00-11:30AM
• “Color Management” – COMPLETED
  Faro Mohahedi
  JANUARY 23, Tuesday 10:00AM-12:00PM

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Photo Lab – Fred Granger Learning Center

Located at Clubhouse 4 in the Photo Lab, The Fred Granger Learning Center provides a classroom like setting for various in-person workshops and classes available through our Educational Program.

The Photo Lab also has a wide range of equipment and supplies for use by Camera Club Members and Laguna Woods Village residents.

Supervisors can provide guidance during open hours on using the Lab computers, software, printers, tools, and equipment.

Lab hours: 10:00AM–2:00PM Monday-Friday, and Tuesdays until 8PM.

Map of the Clubhouse (JPG, 175 KB)

The Resources/Lab Page – details about the Photo Lab.

Saddleback College Emeritus Institute

The Institute was established as an educational opportunity for the pursuit and enhancement of lifelong learning, primarily for the older adult. The Emeritus Institute offers several photography-related courses – free to Village Residents – that meet in the Clubhouse 4 Photography Classroom.

You can pick up a copy of the class catalog at the Emeritus Institute office in Clubhouse 4.

Emeritus Institute Classes: http://www.saddleback.edu/emeritus/.
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Handouts / Guides

Photographic Guides Helpful in the Photo Lab 2025

Matting & Mounting Guide 1 (PDF)

Matting & Mounting Guide 2 (PDF)

Beginning Printing with Photoshop (PDF)

Making Test Prints in Photoshop (PDF)

UpRez Images with Topaz Gigapixelin Photoshop (PDF)

Recommended Smart Phone Apps for PhotographersBy Erin Manning, Travel Photographer

An informative list of smarting phone apps for photography, video, and travelling.

Photographic Apps, by Erin Manning (PDF, 157 MB)
Print MattingHandout from Alan Pollock’s class, May 6, 2013.

Print Matting (PDF, 637 KB)
Ways to Share Your PhotosPresentations from Joel Goldstein’s class, July 18, 2017.

Sharing Photos Workshop Outline (PDF, 116 KB)
Ways to Share Your Photos (PDF, 2.5 MB)
Learning Google Photos (PDF, 2.4 MB)
How to Take Great Pictures of PeopleHandouts from Cliff Getz’s workshop, September 24, 2013.

PowerPoint Presentation (PDF, 4 MB)
Handout (PDF, 188 KB)
Epson 4800 PrinterHandout from Tim Talbert’s workshop on the Epson 4800 Printer, January 15, 2013.

Epson 4800 Printer (PDF, 767 KB)
Printing GuideA 2-page guide on how to print photos.

Printing Guide (PDF, 652 KB)
Wildlife PhotographyHandouts are from the Wildlife Photography workshop held on February 14, 2012

Wildlife Photography Tom Getz (PDF, 53 KB)
Wildlife Photography Mike Bray (PDF, 8 KB)
Uses for Your CameraHandouts from Joel Goldstein’s workshop on Uses for Your Camera

Uses for Your Camera (PDF, 12 KB)
Valuables Inventory (PDF, 119 KB)
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Other Resources

Adobe Learn

Adobe TV has been phased out and replaced with “Adobe Learn”, with hundreds of informative videos. Adobe “Discover” displays free assets and giveaways.

Adobe Learn
Adobe Discover

Photoshop Cafe

Originally “Software Cinema”, Photoshop Cafe offers a large selection of Free and “Premium” (pay) online tutorials.

Phtographer and educator Tim Cooper has several excellent tutorials in this collection.

Photoshop Cafe
Tim Cooper Tutorials

ON1 Free Adobe Presets

Two sets of Free presets from ON1 and ON1 partners.

Free Camera Raw Presets for Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) work in Adobe Photoshop CS6 or Creative Cloud.
Free Adobe Lightroom Presets work with Adobe Lightroom 4, 5, 6, and Classic CC.

Adobe RAW Presets
Lightroom Presets

Stephen Burns Photoshop Tutorials

Photographer, instructor and author Stephen Burns has a series of excellent short tutorials on beginning and advanced subjects. You can even learn to calibrate your printer.

Stephen Burns Tutorials

LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning now manages the resources previously found on Lynda.com

These classes are an excellent, extensive resource for learning software and processes for photography, video, email, social media, and website building.

Online training is based on either a monthly or yearly fee.

LinkedIn Learning: Lynda

CreativeLive

CreativeLive is a web site offering tutorials on photography, Lightroom, and Photoshop. When a class is being broadcast “live,” you can watch it for free.

You must create an account to participate, but registering does not obligate you financially.

You can also purchase unlimited viewing rights to any of their classes.

Highly recommended are the Photoshop classes taught by Ben Willmore and Leza Snyder.

CreativeLive Photography

Simplephotoshop.com

This site has free tutorials on basic topics. You can also order an online book that has a more in-depth set of tutorials.

View Tutorials
Purchase Photoshop Book

PhotoPills

More than 35 eBook photo guides, workshops, a blog, camps, and a Photo App are part of the PhotoPills mission to “help you improve your photography, and have lots of fun doing so”.

Go to PhotoPills

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Location Ideas for Shoots

Heritage Hill Historical Park, Lake Forest

Heritage Hill Historical Park, near the Ralphs Shopping Center at Serrano and Lake Forest Drive in Lake Forest has historical buildings and old farm equipment that you can photograph. The park is open on Wednesday through Sunday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Admission is free. During the school year, be aware that groups of school children frequently tour the park in the mornings, so it is best to plan your visit for the afternoon.

Flower Fields

The 50-acre Flower Fields in Carlsbad is a great place to shoot spring blooms. The site is open only rom early March through early May, so be sure to plan a visit. Hours are from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm daily. Visit their website for the lastest info for visiting the Carlsbad fields.

Laguna Niguel Regional Park

Laguna Niguel Regional Park at 28241 LaPaz Road offers opportunities for images of Great White egrets, geese, and squirrels before noon. A small stream flows through the park near the entrance. Further into the park there is a lake with fishing from the shore and small boats.

San Juan Capistrano

The City of San Juan Capistrano offers several areas for photography. Get there by taking the 5 Freeway south and exit at Ortega Highway. Turn right to access the mission and the historic district.

Los Rios Historic District, SJC

The Los Rios Historic District (PDF, 6.2 MB), in San Juan Capistrano includes 31 structures which line both sides of Los Rios Street, between Del Obispo and Mission Streets. The District comprises one of the oldest continuing neighborhoods in Orange County, and includes three adobe homes built in 1794 for Mission families. Park at the San Juan Capistrano train station and walk across the tracks to Los Rios Street. You must purchase a photography permit from the city to be able to take photos in this district.

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Historic Mission San Juan Capistrano is an architectural jewel that attracts thousands of visitors and offers myriad possibilities for photographers. After exiting the freeway at Ortega Highway, turn right and proceed approximately three blocks. The Mission is on the right side of the street, with free parking is available in two adjadent lots. Hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm daily. Admission is $9 for adults and $8 for seniors.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts

The Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa provides good opportunities for architectural images and reflections. Be aware that security guards are very protective and might ask you to leave.

Soka University

Soka University offers excellent opportunities for architectural images. The fountains in front of the complex are active subjects in early morning. Late afternoon offers great opportunities for architectural studies with shadows and reflections.

Union Station, Los Angeles

Take the Metrolink into Union Station for an opportunity to photograph this art deco architectural treasure. Tripods are not allowed, but you can freely roam the site and take unlimited hand-held shots. Be sure to increase your ISO for the dim lighting.

Your Ideas

Share your favorite locations for photography in Southern California. Send an email to cameraclub@cameraclublwv.org about your favorite locales, any links associated with them, and other tips (such as the best time of year or best time of day to photograph that locale).
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If you need any assistance, please email cameraclub@cameraclublwv.org