New Workshop Dates Announced!!!

We are excited to announce the next set of workshop dates!!! Mark them on your calendar and register to hold your space!!

Registration for both of the workshops will begin at 1:00 am on Monday, August 10th. Last time we sold out within a week, so make sure that you mark your calendar to make sure that you get a spot! We don't want anyone to miss out.

BEGINNERS WORKSHOP

Wednesday, January 13, 2010
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Kimberly Jarman Photography Studio
126 W. Main St. Mesa, AZ 85201

Registration begins at 5:30 PM

$179 for the workshop ($149 early bird before October 15, 2009)
$79 non-refundable deposit holds your space; $100 balance due at the door.

*Credit cards accepted.

Only 20 seats available.

To Register for the Beginner Photography Workshop please click here. Registration will begin Monday, August 10, 2009.

INTERMEDIATE WORKSHOP

Saturday, January 16, 2010
1:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Kimberly Jarman Photography Studio
126 W. Main St. Mesa, AZ 85201

Registration begins at 12:30 pm.

$359 for the workshop ($329 early bird before October 15th, 2009)
$159 non-refundable deposit holds your space; $200 balance due at the door.

*Credit cards accepted.

Only 20 seats available.

To Register for the Intermediate Photography Workshop please click here. Registration will begin Monday, August 10, 2009.

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We are so excited to have you join us for these workshops. If you have questions please visit our workshop website at www.createbetterimages.com and use the contact section to email us.

Create Better Images Video

Jen and I are so excited to share with you this amazing video that Serendipity Videography created for us to show you a little more about our Create Better Images Workshops! If you don't already know, Jennifer Bowen and I put on workshops for those who want to learn how to use their camera better. Right now we have a Beginners workshop and a Intermediate workshop. This video is specifically for the Intermediate workshop and really does a great job giving you a little glimpse of what to expect.

I have to give a huge Thank You to Serendipity Videography for doing this promo video for us. They are amazing and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. If you ever need a wedding video or a promo video give them a shout out. They are amazing!

Be sure to check out our dedicated workshop website at: www.createbetterimages.com

Create Better Images from Serendipity Videography on Vimeo.

I {Heart} Gifts!!!

I have to admit it... I LOVE gifts. I feel special when people give them to me. My heart pitter patters and they make me smile. I mean when you get a gift from someone it really makes a difference... Especially when it's homemade!!!

Mique was one of our Create Better Images Workshop attendees. She actually won our giveaway that we did. (We gave 1 seat away to a deserving person). She has an amazing story of finding her love for photography and an amazing heart for what she wants to do with her photography. She is an inspiration. You can read her story here.

When she arrived the day of the workshop she gave both Jennifer and I a framed hand made picture of a camera with our logos embroidered. It was awesome!!! I had to share a picture of this amazing talent. I didn't even know you could do this... (I don't sew or embroider, so this is cool to me!!)

Anyways thank you Mique. I really appreciate the gift!!!

Workshop Recap!!!

Two weeks ago Jennifer Bowen and I held our 3rd Create Better Images workshop. We have had a lot of interest in these workshops and when we announced our Beginners and Intermediate workshop we sold out within 2 weeks! We were shocked and so honored that people wanted to come and learn from us!! Thank you so much for all those that attended, we had an amazing time with you all.

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Before I begin with the recap I have to give a huge thanks to our sponsors for this workshop.

ZuZu's Petals in Downtown Mesa - they provided the beautiful centerpieces in our detail pictures below.

Gina, owner of Fiori Floral for providing the beautiful boquet for our Bride and Groom shoot.

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For those who want to learn more about these workshops, we have created a blogsite which goes into detail of what the beginners and intermediate class entails. To give a little recap, the beginners class if for those who want to learn how to use their camera better and how to take better pictures. We teach the basics and teach people how to take their camera off the little green box and learn how to shoot manually. Our Intermediate class goes more in depth by teaching posing techniques, client interaction, and we also have a model shoot. It's all a lot of fun and there is so much that happens throughout the day.

We started the day early with our beginners class and had a lot of fun with them. Jennifer got some really fun shots of the attendees taking pictures of her while learning how to practice backlit photography. We had a packed house with 20 begginers!!







A group shot of all the Beginner attendees!!



We then moved into the Intermediate workshop after a short break. A few of the beginners attendees also attended the Intermediate workshop, which proved to be a great thing for them since they were able to work on the skills that they learned earlier in the live shoot.

There were a ton of cameras, people, and chaos, but we had a lot of fun.



The wonderful family we were shooting were such troopers!! Can you imagine 20+ photographers taking pictures of you... the kids were a little overwhelmed, but they did great and we got some amazing shots.









Jen and I both showed the attendees how we would work with a family and directed part of the shooting. We then let some of the attendees direct a little as well.



Yes, overwhelming for the kiddos.. can you imagine? LOL. We actually had people pulling over on the side of the street asking us what was going on.









The 2nd part of our live shoot was with Cristi and her cousin... funny story! Cristi's husband was out of town for the shoot, so she asked her cousing to step in as the groom. It did end up giving us a few laughs but they were both troopers. I got a ton of great pictures of Cristi, she is beautiful.






And a huge thank you to to Gina, owner of Fiori Floral for donating this gorgeous bouquet!






Here are a few more pictures of all the attendees shooting. What a fun day!









Cristi, our wonderful model/photographer friend took this picture of the intermediate group. A few were missing and i'm so sad we didn't get an entire big picture of us all.


Thank you everyone who attended. We really enjoyed having you.

For those of you are still interested in our workshops, we will be announcing the next one in a few months so continue to check up our blogs so that you can jump in as soon as it is announced.

To read some blog reviews by those in attendance, click here, here , here, here, here and here!
Wow, that's a lot of clicks!!! (Am I missing anyone? Please leave a comment with your blog link if so.)

To learn more about our workshops in general and find out details on the next one, click here.

Models needed/Casting Call

We are seeking models for our intermediate workshop on June 13, 2009. Please see the details regarding this casting call below and submit for the area you fall into by providing 1-3 images. Please forward to others you may know who might be interested in free photos and serving as a model for our workshop.

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Bride & Groom Models

Are you a couple that recently got married but wish you had more fun/urban/trendy magazine style pictures in your gown and suit (or tux)? Or maybe you are just a super-cute young couple and want to get all dressed up in a gown (that you own, can buy on Craigs List/Ebay or borrow) and suit for some super fun images? Either way, this is your chance to get some free images by serving as models for a photography workshop!Â

Couples MUST supply their own attire for this shoot and "brides" please note your gown WILL GET DIRTY. You can bring the dress you got married in and still have hanging in your closet, or you can buy a super-affordable white dress/gown from Craigs List, Ebay, a consignment store or even the David's Bridal $99 dress sale.Â

Couples MUST submit a few images of themselves (close up and full length if you have one - snapshots are fine) as well as the attire they plan to wear for the shoot. We very much need couples who are comfortable in front of the camera and affectionate with one another.

The session will last approximately 20-30 minutes and be in Mesa on the date above.

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High School Senior Model
Girls and guys - here is a chance for some free senior pictures (or modeling) a little ahead of schedule! Please include a couple pictures of yourself (close up and full length - snapshots are fine), and verify that you have your parents permission for this shoot. For all minors, a parent will need to be present for the photo shoot and we will have a Minor Model Release for them to sign.

The session will last approximately 15-20 minutes and be in Mesa on the date above.

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Family with young children
Families who need some updated photographs, here is your chance! We are looking for a family of 3-5 people with children, ideally in the toddler to pre-teen range, but we will consider others as well. Please include a recent family picture (snapshot is fine) and indiciate that you are okay with us taking a few images of your children individually as well. The session will last approximately 15-20 minutes in the late afternoon/early evening on the date listed above. The session will take place in Mesa.

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The exact time(s) will be confirmed once we select our models, but will likely fall between approximately 4:30-6:30 PM. Please note you may need to adjust nap schedules for any babies/toddlers/young children on this date if you are interested in this opportunity.

ALL MODELS MUST SIGN A MODEL RELEASE AND BE AWARE THAT SOME IMAGES WILL APPEAR ON SEVERAL PHOTOGRAPHY BLOGS ON THE INTERNET. Of course, the poses/styling and resulting images will be age appropriate and in good taste at all times.

If you are interested, please email us here. Be sure to include a photo or two as indicated above.

Beginners and Intermediate Workshops Sold out!!

Jen and I are thrilled that both our beginners workshop and intermediate workshop have already sold out. We are blown away by the interest in these workshops and are so excited to share our knowledge with the attendees! We are going to have such a great day and i'm really looking forward to meeting everyone.

We do plan on having more workshops in the future, so if you are still interested and would like to be put on a waiting list please email us at workshops@createbetterimages.com so that we can add you to the list.

2-Day Sedona Intensive Announced

Jen and I are excited to release the details of the 2-day intensive workshop in Sedona, Arizona! This workshop arose out of both Kimberly and Jennifer receiving emails from previous workshop attendees and other photographers out there asking for a more advanced type of workshop/training. In an effort to help others with specific challenges and questions, we put together this intensive workshop together that addresses the business side of photography.

We hope you can join us Friday, August 7-Sunday, August 9, 2009 for what is sure to be a jam-packed weekend full of learning, fun and friendship building. This workshop will marry both the art of photography with the critical business skills necessary for success. Click here for all the details.

Create Better Images Contest

Do you know someone who deserves a free seat to one of our workshops? Could it be you?

Jen and I are holding a contest to give away one free seat to either our beginner or intermediate class to someone who really wants to attend, but may not be able to afford it right now.

How to enter: Send us your story or tell us about someone you know who would love to attend but what challenges you or they face preventing them from attending. To enter, please visit the Create Better Images blogsite and select Contact Us on the top bar. Then just tell us your story (or their story if you are entering on someone else's behalf.) Kim and I will review the stories and select one based on how it moves us.

Contest deadline: May 15, 2009 by 9:00 PM PST.

Disclaimers: The entrant must be able to attend either the beginner class or intermediate class on Saturday, June 13, 2009, have transportation to the workshop in Mesa, and the camera gear necessary (or can borrow it) for the class. If you need more information about the workshops in general, please click here.

We will announce the winner on May 20th on our blogs, as well as the Create Better Images site. Please be sure to include your email address and phone number so we can contact the winner.

Create Better Images Workshop Announcement

Jennifer Bowen and I are happy to announce we finally have the details finalized for our next round of workshops! And even better, we have a whole new dedicated blogsite for 'Create Better Images Workshops' complete with online registration, testimonials, photos and more. Click here for all the details.

Following is the nitty gritty, but you'll need to visit the new site for the rest of the scoop. Don't worry, we'll keep you updated on our regular blogs as well when you need to check the site for new information.

Also, don't forget to subscribe to our Create Better Images blog via email updates. That way when we announce contests, additional information, and other workshops you will be automatically updated. You can subscribe by email at the top right of the blog.

Beginner Workshop - Saturday, June 13, 2009 - 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM - Mesa
Intermediate Workshop - Saturday, June 13, 2009 - 1:30 PM - 8:30 PM - Mesa

We are also excited to announce we are holding an intensive 2-day workshop in gorgeous Sedona, Arizona in August! We are still working with the hotel to finalize those details, so hold tight and that info should be available soon. We'll post it here and on the Create Better Images blogsite when everything is finalized. It's safe to say it will be the second or third weekend in August.

Lastly, stay tuned for an exciting CONTEST announcement tomorrow!!

One Week Left!!!

There is about one week left before the November 1 photography workshops! We still have a couple seats left, but the beginner class is getting pretty full. If you have been thinking about attending, now is the time to register as we do expect some more to sign up this week, or last minute like the previous workshop. We hope to see you there!

For those that have inquired about the next workshop, it likely will not be until summer 2009.

Beginner Workshop Registration Form



Intermediate Workshop Registration Form

Willing couple needed to model for upcoming workshop.

Jen and I are looking for a in love young couple who would like to model for our upcoming workshop on November 1st. The shoot will be in the afternoon and we will need you for 1-2 hours. You must be willing to do pretty much anything asked of you. This will be very similar to one of our engagement sessions so there will be hugging, kissing, and cuddling involved. You will receive free images on a disc including images from Jennifer, Kim and each of the participants.

If you are interested in helping us out please email Kim and include a picture of you together, as well as a story of how you met and what stage of life you are in (dating, engaged, married, etc).

We will go through all the emails we receive and contact you early next week.

Photography Workshop Registration Forms

Thank you all for your patience in us getting the workshop registration forms up. We finally have them finished and they are ready to download.

Just print out the form that corresponds to the workshop that you would like to register for and then fill it out and fax it to 480.275.3256. Once we receive your form we will let you know and you will be registered for the workshop.

Remember that there are only 20 spots available in each class so make sure to get your form filled out ASAP. Also, there is an early bird registration incentive if you get your form to us by October 12th.


Beginners Workshop Registration Form


Intermediate Workshop Registration Form

Create Better Images Workshop I & II

Jennifer and I are thrilled with how many of you out there have expressed interest in our next Create Better Images Photography Workshop! As we have mentioned previously, we will be doing another beginner workshop as well as an intermediate class on Saturday, November 1st. You can expect the registration forms & details to be posted to our blogs within the week so you can reserve your spots, but here is a little general overview information so you can plan as needed::

**Saturday, November 1, 2008**
Create Better Images Workshops

Beginner Workshop 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Kim Jarman Photography Studio - Mesa, AZ
We will be covering the fundamentals of photography: ISO, shutter speed and aperture and how they interrelate. Our goal is to get you shooting manually (and therefore more creatively), teaching you how to turn off your flash and getting images that pop and wow. To see the flyer from the last workshop for more details on the actual topics covered, please click here.

$169 ($149 "early bird rate" for those who register before Oct 12th)
Participants will need a camera, any lenses they have and their manual. SLR camera strongly recommended since we cover SLR camera functions.

Intermediate Workshop with Live Model Shoot 2:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Kim Jarman Photography Studio - Mesa, AZ
This workshop is for those who understand the fundamentals, as it will build upon all of those skills. We will review them, especially in live practice, but not spend as much time on the basics as the beginner class. Most importantly, we will have 2 models (a toddler and a high school senior) and will divide into 2 groups for the live shoot portion. This workshop will be very hands-on and after the shoot, you will actually process your images via Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop and share a few of them. We will review shooting techniques, posing suggestions, and go very in-depth with the actual shooting process. The detailed flyer will be posted with the registration form within the week.

$269.00 ($249 early bird rate for those who register before Oct 12th)
Participants must have (or rent) a digital SLR camera for this, as well as bring any lenses they have. We also ask that you bring a laptop since you will be processing your images. If you do not have a laptop, please let us know.

Both workshops are limited to 20 participants. Our goal is to make the workshops as interactive and friendly as possible, where attendees feel comfortable to ask questions and share in this small-group format.

All spots are first-come, first-serve after the forms are posted, so please watch our blogs in the next several days for the info. If you have previously emailed us expressing interest, you will receive info via email immediately preceding the registration blog post. Thank you for your interest! We hope to see you in November.

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We are looking for a toddler model for this shoot. Toddler must be between ages 1-1/2 and 4 and parent will be on-hand during shoot. Parents will receive free images on a disc including images from Jennifer, Kim and each of the participants. We advise that the toddler model not be one of the workshop participants' child. The reason is that the parent may not be able to disengage and focus as well on the shooting part if their child needs them.

Photography Workshop Recap!!!

Last Saturday Jennifer and I held our first Photography Workshop for Beginners. We had a really great time getting to meet all of the attendees and we felt like it went really well! Based on what everyone who attended said, we feel it was a success and look forward to doing more in the future. Everyone said they learned something new and felt it was a tremendous help to understanding your cameras and the fundamentals better through the hands-on instruction.

Above are a few pictures, but unfortunately the flash was inadvertently turned off on the point-and-shoot, so these pictures are pretty grainy and dark. (Thanks Katie, for helping to capture part of the day.)

Future Workshops::

We will definitely hold another workshop or two in the fall; likely the beginners workshop again as well as a more intermediate version that will include models and a live shoot. As of now we do not have a date selected, but if you are interested in being on the mailing list for our future workshops, please send me an email and we'll make sure to keep you updated! All of you who attended saturday will be automatically added.

Thank you to everyone who attended last Saturday and helped make our first workshop a success! We can't wait to see your work and how you evolve from here!

Reminder - only one more week until the workshop

Well there is only one more week left until we have our photography workshop, so I wanted to post a little reminder!!

This workshop is for ANYONE who wants to learn more about photography! We are going to go over a lot of really good things to help make you a better photographer.

You can view the original post with more information here, but read below for some things that we are going to be going over.

Topics Covered:

*The best lenses for the least amount of money for digital SLR cameras (hint: it's not the one that came with the camera!)

*How to turn off the flash and achieve professional looking results, even in low light

*The fundamentals of shooting manually (where the magic really happens)

*Easy lighting tips and techniques to get the best results

*How to get the most out of your Point-and-Shoot (using ISO effectively, burst rate, and more)

*The fundamentals of composition (the rule of thirds, framing your subject effectively, reducing your background elements, and more)

*And much more, including time for open-ended Q&A

If you would like more information, please don't hesitate to contact me at 480.203.1090 or workshops@kimberlyjarman.com

The workshop is only 3 hours on Saturday, June 28th from 1-4PM in Mesa.

You can download the registration form here.

Please feel free to pass this info along if you know anyone else who may be interested....

Create Better Images - A Beginners Photography Workshop

I'm so excited to announce the first ever Kimberly Jarman and Jennifer Bowen Beginners Photography Workshop.



We finally have all the details figured out and have the registration form ready. The image above has all the information. Click on the Image or click here for a PDF with more information and the registration form.

There are only 20 spots available so make sure that you get the registration form into us ASAP to hold your spot.

This is going to be a great workshop for beginners who want to take their photography to the next level. We are going to go over a ton of information and also have a great Q&A time.

If you have more questions please feel free to email me.