Miss Aniela workshops & production shoots – FAQ
To book a place on any event, or to find out any info not on the blog, email contact@missaniela.com
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Who runs your events?
I run my workshops and production shoots independently (as Miss Aniela Photography). They are run by myself and Matt Lennard, and we independently employ a creative team for each event as appropriate.
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What are workshops?
Workshops are about both learning, and ‘doing’. The day will start with a short presentation/intro from me, projecting my work and example images, for 20 minutes at the beginning. We all shoot for half of the day, keeping vaguely in line with the set brief. For example, it might be levitation trick imagery, or in the case of the abandoned theatre in Eastbourne, I show ways of making use of the space, making multiplicity composites and images with motion. I demonstrate my shot, then each student follows to shoot their own image. Each person gets chance to shoot – in the abandoned theatre workshop, you get two chances to shoot, as the group splits into two to roam the space.
After lunch, the other half of the day after lunch is spent editing. I edit a picture live on the projector with everyone following along with the same files (if they wish to do so), then for a short time at the end I check over everyone to see how they’re doing with their own images. That brings us to the end of the day.
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What are production shoot experiences?
The all-day shooting experience is all about shooting and being as creative as possible in one day. It is not about learning anything from me per say – though of course, you can learn a lot just from the experience! We use a spacious, quirky location (check the current list to find out more about them), 5 fully-styled and made-up models, 5 set-ups involving flash, constant and natural light, costumes, tons of props… and so the focus is on everyone getting lots of diverse shots, rotating through the set-ups, moving the models around from one part of the location to another, and potentially leaving with a whole portfolio of images. The day is strictly organised so that everyone moves round in pairs (which we’ve found works extremely well) to a schedule so that everyone gets maximum opportunities with all models and all spaces.
The shooting experience is different because it doesn’t have any presentation element at the beginning, nor any editing stage. It’s the best opportunity to get experience using artificial lighting, because we will have flash and constant lighting equipment, plus two other set-ups using natural light with reflectors. Also, we will have a creative team of make-up artists, stylists, costume designers and hair stylists, which is also a dramatic difference to the workshops. So it is a little more about fashion than fine-art, however, we’re on hand to deliver guidance. Despite it not being a ‘workshop’, it’s interesting to note how much you can learn on an experience like this, literally ‘on the job’, but without the pressure of a client.
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Should I attend a workshop before I attend a production shoot experience?
Some people have asked me whether they should attend a workshop first, or the shooting experience first. It won’t necessarily matter which way round you do the workshop and shooting experience. Both require you to shoot models; the workshop can be considered in a sense a bit more advanced because you also have to think about the technique (e.g. levitation). The workshop does not give you an extensive chance to practice shooting models, as half of the workshop day is devoted to editing. So the two events are both different ‘products’ and there can be an advantage to doing the shooting experience before the workshop.
If you are underconfident with photography then you probably might find the shooting experience too daunting, as you need to be able to work on your own. My workshop may well go towards your learning, but it is not specifically aimed to train you for a shooting experience.
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Where can I find out prices?
Our prices can change from event to event, especially after first doing a new event, because we tend to start with introductory rates. We want to make sure you are always getting value for money. We want you to come away saying it was a bargain, for what you got in return! Our prices are worked out to cover all the expenses involved especially if the venue involved is high-budget. Our theatre & levitation workshops are currently set at £199 -£225 and the shoot experiences priced accordingly, currently ranging from £325 to £425. The prices for a particular event will be published on the necessary blog post that advertises a new event. If in any doubt you can always check with me.
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What do I need to bring?
On all events you need your camera and tripod. On workshops you will also need your laptop loaded with a copy of Photoshop to be able to edit along with us. Some students have not brought a laptop and prefer to watch instead. You all get movie tutorials afterwards, so you get something to work with at your own pace. For a shooting experience, you need only your camera equipment.
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Do I have to be a professional or competent photographer?
For a workshop you can be a complete beginner. For a shooting experience you need to be confident shooting for yourself.
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How do I pay, and what is the cancellation policy?
Places are secured by full payment of the workshop price. Once you confirm you want to come, we send you an invoice along with a PDF of payment terms. You can pay by bank transfer or by Paypal. The info pack will be emailed to all participants of the event 1-2 weeks beforehand. For a shooting experience, we send location info out to you first, followed by a welcome/itinerary pack, and then a team list (of all the models and creatives involved) about a week before the date.
We send you a PDF of payment terms along with the invoice, so you know the cancellation policy. We give you chance to cancel no later than 7 days before, which allows you to move your place to another event for free. Cancellations less than 7 days, or no-shows, are in principle non-refundable. If you are travelling from abroad and your flight is cancelled or delayed, with proof we can move your place to another event, or a refund can be given when requested in writing.
If you have any doubts about payment procedure or the policy, please enquire. contact@missaniela.com
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Do you have a mailing list?
I keep all addresses of event enquiries, and will email you when a new event is confirmed. I also keep all addresses of attendees, to keep them informed on new events.
I do have a generic mailing list for all Miss Aniela-related news here also. This is less frequent (1-2 months).
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