The IFLC offers special two-session and four-session courses through several San Diego adult education facilities. Here our students come face-to-face with the philosophies, techniques and theories of being a true In Focus photographer. If you are member of one of these courses and want to participate in this extra resource, simply request authorship by clicking on the link below. Let us know which adult education facility you are currently enrolled in. Once verified we'll send you an invitation to become a full member of this web site. Simply follow the instructions from Google and you're ready. You'll soon be able to post images and gain full-access to your instructors.

Request authorship

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Here is a copy of the latest schedule.

Click on the image above to download our latest brochure!

Thanks guys

What a great final class. Thanks for all your comments and questions ... and pictures. They all proved quite inspiring. If you would like to sign up for our email list ... just drop Robin a request for such at

savemeaspot@me.com

She'll hook you up quite quickly. Keep in mind that you can become a facebook friend if you want to email me instantly or even follow me on Twiter — just google me 'Rod Deutschmann' and I'm sure you'll find all you need, if not visit Facebook or Twitter and look me up there.

And don't forget to visit our main Web site for more information .... including the most recent class schedule.

www.iflcsandiego.com

Thanks again for a great class. It was a pleasure being our guide!

About Our Courses And Your Needs


We believe in meeting your needs. Our courses, and our company, were designed with this in mind.

We start with functionality — making sure that you can, at a minimum, use your equipment well. Together we push through the nuances and intricacies of total manual control. Our basic courses (In Focus I: Mastering the Mechanics and the Flash In Focus) will give you the confidence and experience you've always wanted. Our classes are held outdoors and are small (typically never larger than 12 students) giving you the rare opportunity to get hands-on instruction with award-winning photographers and authors— using your own equipment. This type of personal interaction is what makes our classes work so well. We get in there with you and explain (in detail) anything you need to know. And remember our success ultimately depends on yours — making it even more important that you get what you paid for. Our philosophy is simple — make our students happy, make them knowledgeable and they'll return. It works like a charm.

Then comes reliability. We are there for you. Though we meet but once a week — your In Focus journey can last much longer. Through the use of our interactive blogging system and specialized, class-specific homework assignments you can immerse yourself in photography as never before; post your images, read comments, talk to your instructors. You can even become facebook friends with your instructions — giving you instant access, via email to them. As long as we're not in a class, we'll get back to you as soon as possible with an answer.

Usability. The methods, theories and skills you pick up from the IFLC can be used in any photographic situation — no matter what. This is actually at the heart of what we teach — using what you learn. Our courses, beliefs and values are based on real-world physics, psychological standards, mathematical certainties and traditional values. The In Focus Learning Center simply rocks! Yes, we are that cool.

Proficiency. Unlike most photographic training institutions we don't stop at just the basics. We keep moving forward with you. As your skill level increases, so do our classes. With our advanced courses (such as In Focus II: A Field Guide to Composition and In Focus III: The Heart of Design) we offer serious amateurs and professionals alike the chance to push their vision and understanding to even greater heights. Though you'll be challenged every step of the way ... the rewards are simply amazing. If you've got what it takes to manually control your equipment, please don't stop there. Continue your journey with us and be the best possible photographer you can be. What you need, we have ... it's just that simple.

Creativity. And it doesn't stop. When you feel the need to push further, when the artist in you cries out and demands to be heard — we are there, ready to show you the way. We offer some of the most fascinating and unique art-with-a-camera classes you can think of. Every one of our specialty courses focuses on artistic options and creative thinking. During our In Focus Techniques class you'll learn to literally paint with your lens. Take the Black and White class and you'll be shown how to create amazing black and white images in-camera. Yes, you heard me right IN-CAMERA.

NOTE: As an In Focus Photographer there is never any need to use photoshop or any other program. Why would you 'fix' an image, if it isn't broken? The best part of all of this is that you will be doing everything you need to do in-camera, setting everything up in advance and doing it quickly.

You can also join us for our Portraits In Focus and Macro In Focus specialty courses or even become an In Focus Sharp Shooter and join us for special meetings, group shoots and more throughout the year.

There will always be a class for you when you're an In Focus photographer ... this we promise. You are the reason we're here and you are the reason the In Focus Learning Center is the best photographic training center in all of Southern California.

The In Focus Learning Center
Designed with you in mind

  • FUNCTIONALITY
  • RELIABILITY
  • USABILITY
  • PROFICIENCY
  • CREATIVITY

Click here to download a copy of our latest brochure.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Week III, Moody

I took this reflection picture at Lindo Lake Park today


Moody Exercise, Week Three






















Some In Focus fun from this weekend

Below is an excerpt from our In Focus Learning Center Website:



HELLO FRIENDS!!!

Robin and I had a GREAT time with our classes this weekend.
As many of you know we've changed our classes quite a bit and have incorporated flash use in nearly every one. Here are a few from Sunday's three classes — Macro, In Focus III and Fun with the Flash.


This was great fun. We were in the 'Fun with the flash' course and I was teaching them to work from their background forward, paying particular attention the the quality and direction of the light they were adding. With the help of the 'big bounce' we were able to score some rather impressive images!!!

I don't think it gets much prettier than this. This was shot with a simple 18-55 kit lens. The flash was corded and slightly modified with the big bounce. Everything was in manual ... and there was a huge smile on my face. For those who like specifics: I was wearing brown socks, had a burrito for breakfast and left my hat at home. As far as camera settings ... come on guys! Don't you know me by now? Those numbers don't matter since they will change for every picture you envision. You can't use those for references ... it's pointless and will only make things harder. Just have some determination. Picture the image in your head, then do whatever it takes to make it happen. Visualization is key and determination is the door.


This was shot just a few feet from the above photo. The ominous background was created with the use of the 'proper' internal settings along with the 'correct' white balance, shutter speed and aperture settings.

This image was sooooo much fun. We were shooting late in the evening and I wanted to share my passion for flash photography with the class. I set the camera on a bean bag near the water, adjusted the settings according to my vision, asked Robin to model for me and began. The image took about 8 seconds to 'cook' and while it was exposing I ran around the scene 'feathering' the various tiers of graphic information with a flash. I 'splashed' Robin with light twice with the flash (once on each side of her face) as to give her PERFECT LIGHTING (never aiming it directly at her face). Then I quickly ran behind the fountain and 'hit' the water three times in the back with the flash... and then ran to the front and 'feathered' the front of the fountain two more times as well. Pretty cool result!!!

In the macro class I introduced the flash to a handful of eager artists. The above image is nothing compared to what some of the got!!!


I had the chance at the beginning of the flash class to instruct my students on the finer points of feathering a flash off camera — such as 'going with the grain' instead of against it. Robin was awesome and modeled for us.

Again friends remember, it's not about the gear you have ... rather the vision you begin with. Let the artist out and your images will always shine. That's a promise.

INVEST IN YOURSELF
AND NOT JUST YOUR GEAR

If you haven't taken a class in a while, our new schedule just came out!






The picture of the rocks and weeds is my favorite of everything I have taken for this photo class. I took the picture as a closeup, but when I viewed it on the larger computer screen I thought, wow, I got motion too of the water running past the rocks and around the weeds.



Closeup and lighting

Just an interesting shot.

Closeups and lighting






















Sunday, February 21, 2010

MOODY

If you are a sunshine loving, outdoorsy type person like I am. You'll understand the mood that I'm trying to convey in this photo.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Palm Under the Moonlight

Photo taken with moonlight at 9:30 pm


Amazing how the camera could see more than I could! It was super dark out!

Zimmerman







Still trying to be moody







didn't do the sunset justice but it was beautiful

I am still having the same problem???

Mail truck settings: f 22 1/5sec.

Jogger: f 3.5 1/500

Friday, February 19, 2010

NEW MARCH IFLC SCHEDULE

Click on the above image for your copy of the March IFLC schedule!

Hello In Focus family!

We're so very excited about the release of our latest schedule. We've made a ton of changes to the In Focus Learning Center (both in front of and behind the lens) and can't wait to share them with you. Inside the current schedule is a brief explanation ... plus, one read through of the new class descriptions and you'll certainly have a better understanding of our new goals and intent.
We know you'll love the changes, we're excited about the possibilities each hold and, more than anything, we can't wait to get back out in the field with all of you once again!

Good shooting friends.