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Next Photography Class On Sunday, April 7th

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Teaching How To Be Creative With A Digital Camera

Celebrating Creativity: The Living Arts Center Exhibition & Photography Class

Dan Cleary's Seven Steps To Better Photography Class
Living Arts Center building in Dayton, Ohio

My next Seven Steps To Better Photography class will be on Sunday, April 7th. Instead of holding the class at my studio like I usually do, the class will be at Front Street Art Center in downtown Dayton. The class is being held at a different location because I am part of a special exhibition about an organization called The Friends of The Living Arts Center. Before there were arts magnet schools, the Living Arts Center was an arts magnet school. The Dayton Board of Education received a federal grant to start an arts program for 5th through 12th-grade students. There were five departments: Creative writing, dance, drama, music, and the visual arts. It was open from 1967 – 1977. I took my first photography class there in 1975. The Living Arts Center was one of the country's first-of-this-kind programs. The Living Arts Center aimed to help students with creativity and self-expression. The Living Arts Center wasn't trying to train students for a career in the arts but to encourage them to live a creative life. My time at The Living Arts Center started me on a path to becoming a professional photographer and helped me to serve 1000s of people with my creative skills.

Front Street arts building Dayton Ohio
Front Street arts building Dayton Ohio

During April, The Friends of The Living Arts Center will hold an exhibition of photography, paintings, mixed media, and textiles. Exhibitors of this art show include alums, teachers, and friends of Living Arts. I will show some fine art photography from my Wright Brothers: Then and Now and the Indianapolis 500 series at this exhibit. There will be an opening reception on Friday from 5-9 pm and another on Sunday, April 21st from 11 am – 3 pm. The Front Street Arts complex is at 1001 E. Second Street near downtown Dayton. Many artists have studios on Front Street, and there are multiple gallery spaces for artists to hold exhibits. It is part of the arts district in Dayton. You can read more about the Front Street arts building and the exhibit at FrontStreet.com/events. You can see more information about my photography class at ClearyCreativePhoto.com/PhotoClass.

Photography Lessons Make A Great Holiday Gift

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Make 2024 The Year For Your Best Photographs

Come to the 7 Steps To Better Photography Workshop

Sunrise In Miami County Ohio

Taking a photography class from a professional can offer numerous benefits, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced photographer looking to enhance your skills. Here are some reasons why you might consider taking photography lessons:

  1. Learn the Basics: If you’re new to photography, lessons can provide a solid foundation by teaching you the basics of camera operation, exposure, composition, and lighting. Understanding these fundamentals is crucial for creating compelling and technically proficient images.

  2. Improve Technical Skills: Even with some photography experience, lessons can help you refine your technical skills. You may learn advanced techniques, post-processing skills, and how to use different types of equipment effectively.

  3. Feedback and Critique: In a structured lesson environment, you’ll likely receive feedback and critique from instructors and peers. Constructive criticism can be invaluable for identifying areas of improvement and gaining insights into your work.

  4. Ultimately, whether you choose to take photography lessons depends on your goals, learning style, and the level of expertise you seek. Some people thrive with self-directed learning, while others benefit from the structure and guidance provided by formal lessons. Consider your objectives and the learning environment that best suits you.

Dan Cleary teaches the Seven Steps To Better Photography at his studio in Dayton, Ohio. Dan is a professional photographer and artist in Dayton with 35 years experience. You can see more of his professional photography and art work at his two websites, Dayton Creative Photography  and Cleary Fine Art Photo. This afternoon photography class will teach you what every button on your camera is, what white balance is and even what the rull of thirds is. Plus much, much more. We won't leave until every question is answered. Photography lessons make a great holiday gift for some you know who is  looking take their photography to a new level.

Grand Canyon Photograph

Sign up for our 7 Steps To Better Photography Workshop

This afternoon photography class will teach you what every button on your camera is, what white balance is, even learn what is the rule of thirds. It's taught by Dan Cleary a 35 year professional photographer. The class isn't over until every question is answered. Photography lessons make a great holiday gift for someone who is looking to take their photography to a new level.

Commercial Product Photography

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Product Photography

I received a call the other day asking if I did product photography. I said yes and asked what the project was. His company manufactured a product for a national brand. The national company was getting ready for a trade show and wanted to use its product prominently in its display. My client said,”I could have found someone with a nice camera to take a snapshot but knew wanted a professional photographer.” I finally asked what the product was, and it turned out to be an 18-wheel truck mud flap with the NAPA auto parts logo on it.

Napa Truck Mud Flap by Dan Cleary of Cleary Creative Photography in Dayton Ohio

Creating the perfect photograph

It was a flat black rubber piece about 18 inches by 30 inches. What are the tricks to photographing a black piece of rubber? First, a small amount of dimension with highlights and shadows must be created. The rubber is a flat mat surface, but the NAPA logo is a high gloss. As a professional photographer, I must ensure the NAPA logo doesn’t have any blown-out highlights. NAPA would be mad if their logo didn’t look good. Last, the exposure needs to be the same on all sides. In other words, I don’t want one side to be light and the other to be dark. Luckily, my years of experience let me quickly create this seemingly simple photograph in the studio. The last part of the process is retouching all the manufacturer’s blemishes. When a truck travels on the highway, you can’t see all the flaws. As part of a trade show display three times its normal size, you would see every mark.

Dan can meet your deadline

Did I mention the client needed the photograph ASAP? My client dropped off the truck mud flap in the morning, and I had the photograph to him by the end of the day. He was lucky I had the time to work on it, and I am fortunate to have a new client to help with future projects. You can see more examples of my commercial photography at https://daytoncreativephotography.com/best-business-photographer-dayton-ohio/.

Dayton By Number Photography Posters

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Fine Art Photographs Of Downtown Dayton

I started a series of photographs in 2021 that I have turned into posters. I call these Latitude and Longitude posters. This photograph is of the old Dayton Daily News Building in downtown Dayton, Ohio. The building is empty, and the only section left standing is the original parts of the building. I took this photograph in front of the building, looking straight up. I wanted to keep the tonality of the columns white with just a hint of color in the door and windows at the top. You can see this and the rest of the photographs from this series at www.ClearyFineArtPhoto.com.

Old Dayton Daily News Building in downtown Dayton by Dan Cleary This is the second photograph in my Latitude and Longitude series. I had taken several photographs in downtown Dayton during the day and thought I should look to see what I could find a night. This photograph was taken on 5th street, next to the Neon Theater. I took several pictures at that location, letting cars pass through my 5-second exposure. When working on the final image in PhotoShop, I enhanced the taillights’ red line and the blue lights at the top of the picture. This photograph and the Dayton Daily News building photograph are part of this year’s Works On Paper show at the Rosewood Gallery in Kettering. The opening for the show is this Friday at 1 pm. There is so much great art being made in the Miami Valley, and this is a great showcase. Remember, Rosewood is a gallery, and much of the art is for sale. You can see more photographs from my Latitude and Longitude series at www.ClearyFineArtPhoto.com.

 

Night photograph on 5th street in downtown Dayton, Ohio by Dan Cleary

The Miami River flows past RiverScape Metro Park is in Downtown Dayton, Ohio. I have taken many photographs of downtown Dayton with the river in the foreground. I wanted to create a photo from putting the riverfront and center. I woke up at 5:30 in the morning to be there as the sun came up. It was tranquil and peaceful. While waiting for the sun to come up, I was visited by a family of ducks and a beaver. The final exposure was a 10-seconds long, which allowed the water’s movement to be the star. Back in my office, when I was working with the image in PhotoShop, I had to edit out some debris from the other shoreline. I also wanted to mute the tone in the picture, which made the water almost turn black.

Miami River at sunrise in downtown Dayton, Ohio by Dan Cleary

The last photograph I’m showing in this blog post I call The Blue Window. I was walking in downtown Dayton and saw this window on the second story of a building with a beautiful broken crack in one of it’s panes of glass. After a little PhotoShop work I was able to enhance the blue in the window to make what I think is a beautiful photograph. I, Dan Cleary am a certified professional photographer living in Dayton, Ohio. I have worked with thousands of families and business clients. You can see more of my commercial and portrait photography at www.ClearyCrerativePhoto.com. I am also a published author with a book called Wright Brothers: Then and Now. You can see more information about my book and all my fine art photographs at www.ClearyFineArtPhoto.com.

Jeffrey Mims – New Mayor of Dayton, Ohio

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     I want to congratulate Jeffrey Mims as the new mayor of Dayton. Jeffrey was a teacher in the Dayton school system and then was on the State of Ohio school board. He then was elected a City of Dayton commissioner. One of the things I enjoy most about photographing people is learning about them, and everyone has a story to tell you if you just listen. I’ve been photographing the Mayors of Dayton and the City Commissioners for more than 25 years.
     I get asked during most sessions by my subject to tell them what is their best expression. Everyone has a perfect expression. Maybe it’s a big smile, a small smile, no smile. My job is to take a series of photographs and find that perfect expression for each person. You can see more examples of the professional portraits I’ve created for companies and individuals go to ClearyCreativePhoto.com/best-business-photographer-dayton-ohio/
Jeffrey Mims, Mayor of Dayton, Ohio photographed by Dan Cleary

Wright Brothers Photographs Are Part Of A Photography Exhibition In Los Angeles

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I received a great email last week. “Thank you for taking the time to put together such a well formulated application. We have concluded reviewing your submission and have selected your work to be included in our 8th Annual Photography Exhibition; PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO NOTICE in Los Angeles. We received almost 1000 individual works for consideration; of those, we selected only 52 photographs.” The show will be at the Dab Art Co. gallery in Los Angeles from February 26th through April 23rd.  Their website is https://www.dabart.me/los-angeles. I won’t be able to go out to California to see the show, but check it out if anyone is in the area. It should be a great exhibit. They are publishing a book with all 52 images from the show.

The two images selected for the exhibit were Kite Flying and Horse Drawn Carriages from my Wright Brothers: Then and Now book and series. I took the photograph for Kite Flying at Wright Brothers national park in North Carolina, and Horse Drawn Carriages was from in Pau, France. You can see all the photographs from this series at www.ClearyFineArtPhoto.com . On the site there is also information about the book Wright Brothers: Then and Now.

Kite Flying, Wright Brother: Thena and Now Photo series by Dan Cleary of Dayton Ohio Horse Drawn Carriages, Wright Brothers: Then and Now photo series by Dan Cleary of Dayton Ohio

Rosewood Gallery Works On Paper 2022 Exhibit

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I was thrilled to find out that two of my photographs were chosen to be included in this year’s Works On Paper exhibit at the Rosewood Gallery in Kettering. Bing Davis was the juror for the show. These two photographs are from my new series Latitude and Longitude. The two photographs are of the old Dayton Daily News building’s front door looking up and 5th street just west of the Neon Theater. I created photographs in downtown Dayton, trying to find beauty in plain sight. You can see these and many more from my Latitude and Longitude series on my website ClearyFineArtPhoto.com. On my website I show these photographs as posters with the name of the location as well as the GPS locations of each. The opening reception is scheduled for Saturday, February 5th, at 1 pm. Hope to see you all there.

Old Dayton Daily News building in downtown Dayton Ohio by Dan Cleary 5th Street next to the Neon Theater in downtown Dayton Ohio by Dan Cleary

Ingenious Photo Project Transports Wright Brothers To The Present Day

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I had the good fortune to have an article written about my Wright Brothers photography project at Plane & Pilot magazine. It was a terrific article written by Isabel Hawk, the editor-in-chief. She wrote, “Dan Cleary created a gallery of photographs that reach into the past to show the importance and relevance of the pioneering aviators 118 years after the first flight at Kitty Hawk.” And the final paragraph says, “The photographs are accompanied with what look to be handwritten notes, explanations of what we’re looking at, as though the Wrights themselves, or a dear friend with them at the time, were penning the notes.” To read the article in its entirety, go to https://www.planeandpilotmag.com/news/the-latest/2021/10/28/ingenious-photo-project-transports-wright-brothers-to-the-present-day/. You can see all the photographs in my series at my website https://clearyfineartphoto.com/wright-brother-fine-art-photographs/ . To buy copies of my book Wright Brothers: Then and Now go to https://clearyfineartphoto.com/wright-brothers-then-and-now-book/.

Photoshop Tutorial Video

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Couple Sitting At Taylorsville Five River Metro Park Youtube PhotoShop video

Here is my latest, Cleary Creative Photography, YouTube PhotoShop tutorial. In this video, I will go through all the steps I took to create this photograph of a couple sitting enjoying the fall landscape at Taylorsville Metro Park, part of Five Rivers Metro Parks. I liked the picture of the couple sitting on the swing looking at the landscape, but I thought the original photograph could be better. I decided to enhance the color in this photo and replaced the sky. The video will show you the steps I took to make these changes and create a better image. I use the latest version of Photoshop CC 2020, along with built-in filters from NIK and Topaz. Many years ago, I switched from using a mouse only to using a Wacom drawing tablet. The drawing tablet lets me be more precise in working on photographs like this. You can see more of my landscape photographs from the region at www.ClearyFineArtPhoto.com.

Dan Cleary is a portrait and fine art photographer from Dayton, Ohio. You can see more of his professional work at www.ClearyCreativePhoto.com. You can reach Dan by phone or text at 937-298-6776 and email at Dan@ClearyCreativePhoto.com.

Couple sitting at Taylorsville Five Rivers Metro Park by Dan Cleary in Dayton OHio Couple sitting at Taylorsville Park by Dan Cleary in Dayton Ohio

 

Landscape Photograph Enhanced In Photoshop

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Couple sitting at Taylorsville Park by Dan Cleary in Dayton Ohio

I’ve been going through some of my old photographs from the Dayton area to see if there is anything I can do to make them better. This is a photograph I took at Taylorsville Metro park a few years ago in early October. I liked including the couple sitting looking at the fall foliage. I thought this image could be better so I did a little work. Here is the before and after of what I did. I’m going to create a video to explain the steps I took to create this image. You can see more photographs like this from the Dayton region by Dan Cleary at clearyfineartphoto.com/dayton-area-photographs/

Couple sitting at Taylorsville Five Rivers Metro Park by Dan Cleary in Dayton OHio