Light + Composition: Creating Impact through Photographs

Discover how to use natural light and strong composition to create visually striking images that tell a story. This hands-on outdoor photography workshop will teach you how to see and shape light while composing your shots for maximum impact.

Throughout this workshop, your instructor will cover techniques for working with different qualities of natural light—golden hour, diffused light, and backlighting—while learning how to frame your subjects with thoughtful composition. Through live demonstrations and guided shooting exercises, you’ll gain the skills to transform everyday scenes into compelling photographs.

Before diving into our hands-on exercises, we’ll take a short tour through Radium’s In Plain Site exhibit, observing and discussing how light and composition shape the visual impact of the showcase. This brief exploration will provide inspiration and insight into the creative possibilities we’ll be practicing throughout the workshop.

• How to see and use light to create depth, mood, and drama
• Techniques for working with natural light at different times of day
• Essential compositional principles for balanced and striking imagery
• Ways to tell a story through thoughtful use of light and composition

• A fully charged camera (DSLR, mirrorless, or phone)
• A fully charged battery and memory cards
• A notebook for sketching compositions and taking notes
• Comfortable shoes and weather-appropriate clothing for (chilly) outdoor shooting

Step outside and explore Radium’s In Plain Site exhibit and Alameda Point while learning to create stunning, story-driven images!

About your instructor, Tara Layman

Tara is a professional photographer living in Oakland, California with her wife and three *fur* kids! Tara received her Master of Fine Arts in Photography in 2012 and has been teaching photography classes since 2015.   Tara has a knack for getting her students excited about ALL things photography and adventure! 

Before starting Perspectives Photo School (previously known as Photo Camp), Tara helped create an inspiring photography program at a teen summer camp in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California.  She also taught at National Geographic’s Travel Photography program, leading a group of teens studying the environmental changes along the Delta region on Northern California. This is where the idea for Perspectives Photo School began to form! There was a unique opportunity to build a program where students could visit some of the most incredibly beautiful places in the Bay Area to learn about photography!

Tara is passionate about teaching her students to create photographs that tell a story, tell their story and evoke a sense of wonder, curiosity, and also understanding.  She works with students all across the Bay Area and continues to be inspired by what her students continue to develop into as artists, photographers, and community members through each program. 

You can also find more work by Tara on her professional page:

www.taralayman.com

Host or Publisher West End Arts District