The 3rd Space on Main St. in Monterey to Host Two-day Photography Class as Part of Robust Summer Workshop Series

The 3rd Space, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing art education and support to the community, is in the midst of their summer workshop series, offering a wide array of classes in visual arts.

A beginners felting class, taught by Tate Dunn on May 18 was well attended by all ages. The next class is Lightscape – Landscape Photography taught by Michael Bedwell. Bedwell has been taking photographs of Highland County for more than 50 years, and still finds himself awed by the beauty and variety of the landscapes. He has won several awards in the Scenic Virginia Vitas contest, exhibits in galleries in Monterey and Staunton, and is an instructor at the John C. Campbell Folk School.

“I have always been interested in photography since I was an early teen. I remember one Christmas getting a little camera, I think it was a little newer than a brownie but it was just a little one-shot deal,” said Bedwell. “So, off and on I took pictures, and in high school I got a decent camera, and anywhere I went I took some pictures. So, it’s been a lifelong interest. After retirement, I got really serious about it and started working on my technique.”

The class will meet early Saturday, June 1 for some location work during the morning golden hours, then retire to the classroom for processing and critique of the pictures taken that morning.  After lunch together, the group will remain around town for some indoor and architectural photo opportunities during the early afternoon hours, then head back to the  classroom for more processing and sharing.  After dinner, students are encouraged to individually capitalize on the evening golden hours and process as needed.  On June 2, Sunday morning, the group will gather again in the classroom for a final show and tell and critique.

“One of the other things about the class is that a lot of people who take the class have a nice camera that is adjustable, but they don’t know how to use it other than to put it on the program mode and push the button. And with very little expenditure, you can really get beyond that and use the aperture priority or shutter priority or even the manual mode and really upgrade your pictures.”

The Lightscape course content will be determined by student experience and needs,  from basic exposure and composition to advanced techniques such as HDR and slow shutter.  Students should have an adjustable DSLR or mirrorless digital camera and be familiar with basic digital photography and post  processing. Those taking the class are asked to bring their camera, lenses, tripod, shutter release cables, and laptop with favorite photo processing programs, such as Photoshop or Lightroom.  This is an active class and participants will have access to several beautiful locations, so students should dress accordingly. 

Cost for the class is $150 and tickets are available at 3rdspaceva.org. The summer workshop series will continue with offerings such as pottery in June, barn quilt painting, quiltmaking, and stained glass in July, and broom making and basketry in August.