The Photographer

PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICES & GRAPHIC DESIGN

Welcome to Leef Photography

Experience Arizona...in Style!

MAGGIE LEEF
Photographer, Graphic Designer, Public Speaker & Teacher

SEE BELOW FOR WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS!

MAGGIE LEEF
Photographer, Graphic Designer, Public Speaker & Teacher

Maggie Leef loves the outdoors! She has hiked extensively throughout her life, capturing vivid outdoor scenes with her camera. Maggie's sharp eye for beauty finds full expression in the digital medium. Her images reflect her love and deep appreciation for the Southwest and for the ever present beauty, joy and mystery of the natural world. She lives in the White Mountains of Arizona with her husband and two dogs.

Though she specializes in nature, wildlife and tourism-related photography and photographic design, she also photographs people and pets in informal, outdoor settings and does photo repair and restoration. Her work has appeared in area, regional and state publications, the DAR national newsletter, at annual Chamber trade shows in Phoenix and Glendale, and on Channel 12 News (Phoenix), as well as in a tourism magazine in Mexico.

In addition to photography, Maggie loves public speaking and offers workshops and presentations on nature, wildlife and petroglyph and ruins photography, camera settings and applications, local area wildlife, Photoshop and risk-taking and following one's dreams. She is active in the Site Steward Program with Arizona State Parks and is the 2008 Site Steward of the Year. Prior to starting Leef Photography in 2005, she worked for 18 years at a local community college as Center Manager. She has a Master's in Educational Administration from NAU and a Bachelor's in Renewable Natural Resources from UC, Davis.

PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS

PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS are available and can be scheduled by calling (928) 333-2059. They will also be offered at BOYCE THOMPSON ARBORETUM STATE PARK in Superior in the winter, spring and fall of 2009 and 2010 and through Show Low Parks and Recreation during the summer. Pinetop-Lakeside Parks and Recreation will offer limited workshops in the fall. Dates will be posted as these are scheduled.

Nature & Wildlife Photography for the Nonphotographer aka Get Down & Dirty! (3 Hours)

(AVAILABLE IN ADULT & CHILDREN'S VERSIONS)

This is a fun, informative workshop for beginners who want to learn some basic, practical photography skills. This class addresses basic principles which apply to nature and wildlife photography and is designed for novice and intermediate photographers. Topics covered include detailed composition guidelines and simple aids and props that may be used, as well as appropriate preparation, dressing and behavior for shooting in the field or near water. Included are specific techniques for approaching and photographing wildlife. Some popular misconceptions will be addressed, so prepare to be surprised!

Photographing Fall Colors (3 Hours)

This workshop is designed for beginners and more intermediate photographers who want to learn some basic, practical photography skills geared toward utilizing the features on their cameras and employing creative techniques to improve their fall photography. Topics covered include Your Camera (Photographic Triangle overview, Shooting Modes, Bracketing, Exposure Compensation, White Balance, Filters & Histograms, and Field Notes & More (Composition, the Reversal approach, Wet Weather Shooting, Indoor Fall Photography, 3-D Artifact Scanning, Mirror Imagery). It is recommended that participants bring their cameras and their camera manuals with them to class.

Photographing Spring & Summer Color (3 Hours)

This workshop is designed for beginners and intermediate photographers who want to learn basic, practical photography skills to improve their flower and garden photography. Topics covered include composition, exposure and metering, light, using color to create mood, "problem" colors and color casts, and dealing with wind. Also covered will be utilizing different camera settings and using aids, props and some optional equipment. Shooting in wet weather will also be covered. This will be a more intensive, technical workshop presented in an easy to follow format. It is recommended that participants bring their cameras and their camera manuals with them to class.

Basic Photography: Camera Settings and Applications (3 Hours)
Intimidated by the many symbols, buttons and dials on your camera? You're not alone! This fun, hands-on workshop for beginners and more intermediate photographers is designed to introduce a variety of camera features and to offer practical ideas for using them in the field.  Topics covered include Camera Care, The Photographic Triangle, Shooting Modes, Quality Settings, Menus, Drive Modes, and Focusing Functions. In addition, students will learn about Bracketing, Metering, Exposure Compensation, White Balance and Histograms and practice using these features on their cameras in class. This will be a more intensive workshop presented in a fun, easy to follow format. It is recommended that participants bring their cameras and their camera manuals with them to class.

Petroglyph Appreciation and Context (1.25 Hours, Power Point Presentation)
Petroglyphs are an irreplaceable part of our national heritage. This visual presentation focuses on petroglyphs but also references ruins and other unique, irreplaceable cultural and historic resources. Topics covered include petroglyph respect and preservation, historical perspectives and context, terminology and usage concerns, site etiquette, and federal and state laws. Information on area petroglyph and site viewing opportunities and locations will also be distributed depending on where this workshop is offered.

Photographing Petroglyphs: A Path to Deeper Appreciation (3 Hours)
Photographing petroglyphs and other historic, cultural resources can be a path to deeper appreciation because it encourages us to slow down and take our time as we determine ways to best capture the mystery and beauty of the scenes before us. Topics covered include sections on composition, light, shadows, filters and reflector usage, as well as using specific camera settings such as metering, bracketing, white balance and exposure compensation. All topics are directly related to the challenges and rewards inherent in petroglyph, ruins and heritage photography.

Photography Field Class (2 Hours in the field)

You've read your manual, you understand basic photography concepts and are getting comfortable adjusting the dials on your camera... what's next? If you'd like to learn how to apply what you've learned to actual field situations, then this class is for you. After a brief preparatory indoor session (think Cheat Sheets!), students will go outside as a group and practice different camera functions and learn how to apply them in various field environments.  Different field approaches will be explained and demonstrated. If you're already familiar with a few basic photography concepts and camera operations, this class is for you! Let's have fun and learn together, and be sure to bring an extra card and battery!

OTHER WORKSHOPS

Escape the Ordinary (1-1.5 Hours)
This is a motivational and inspirational workshop that not only covers a little of my background, but also focuses on personal risk-taking and following one's dreams. It addresses the reality of change and difficult times and covers a number of practical ideas and suggestions for keeping one's life on track and positive in periods of uncertainties and exceptional stress.

Let's Talk Turkey! & Other Local Area Wildlife (1 Hour)
Let's talk turkey--and bear and mountain lion and bobcat too. This workshop is currently available for for two regions of the state--the White Mountains in east central Arizona and the Superior-Globe area around Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park. Learn more about these and other exciting animals who share our lands with us.

Simple Special Effects in Photoshop (3 Hours, Power Point Presentation)
Got Photoshop, but you've never progressed much past cropping and resizing your JPGS? Whether you have Elements, Photoshop 6, 7, CS2 or a comparable image editing program, it's time to get some higher mileage out of your software! After a short introduction to image preservation and layers, students will learn how to enhance their images with a variety of special effects, including Soft Mist, Vignetting, Colorizing and Tinting. Other topics will include creating dynamic backgrounds and textures, adding unique borders, applying filters and using layer styles, as well as creating photo montages. Handouts will be provided but you’ll want to bring a notepad and pen for the many extra tips you'll hear during the presentation (or bring your laptop for digital notetaking!). This workshop is designed for Photoshop beginners and beginning intermediate users.
See below for some design effects that will be covered in this workshop: