Photographers have been told for generations that their cameras don’t make great images but, instead, it is the person behind the camera that makes a great image. While a well-established truism, bookstores have a large selection of books and magazines about our cameras, HDR, Photoshop, and Lightroom but much smaller selections of books about the person behind the camera or sitting at the computer. While the tools of our trade are important and can ultimately break or make an image, the importance of the non-tangibles in making great image is too often completely ignored and, when not ignored, not emphasized enough. While teaching photography in the classroom and field, Brian has observed hundreds of photographers apply their skills and creativity and has concluded that, first, everyone is creative (even if they don’t think so) and, second, everyone can learn to be more creative. The title of Brian’s presentation is Finding the Creativity Within You and he will be exploring what creativity is, how we exercise creativity when taking a image, and how we can all be more creative. In the end, you will walk away with some concrete exercises for improving your own creativity, and increasing confidence in your abilities to help you create great images.

Bio

Brian J Zwit has been photographing the natural world for close to 40 years. The pursuit of nature takes Brian all over the country but his favorite areas of the country to photograph are the west, mid-Atlantic, and northeast. His love of hiking and backpacking takes him far beyond populated areas, into settings which few people visit. His images are in private residences and corporate offices and have appeared in regional magazines and corporate brochures and other materials. Brian is also recognized for his teaching skills and has taught workshops and classes for Blue Ridge Photography Workshops and camera clubs for over five years. He has college degrees in chemical engineering, law, and photography and extensive training in HTML, PHP, JavaScript, and other computer technologies and applications.