Fall session dates coming soon!
Be the first to know.

 

 

 

Who is the Slice of Life Project for?

If you enjoy taking photos of your everyday life and would like to learn how to photograph it in more artful ways, the Slice of Life Project is for you! This class will provide you with a creative outlet, a way to explore the simple things in life, and a place to share with a community of other creative souls.

Who is Darrah Parker?

That’s me! I’m a professional photographer, living in Seattle. Photography changed my life. At a time when I was feeling uninspired and down in the dumps, photography picked me up and showed me how beautiful my life really is. Before I was a photographer, I dabbled in all sorts of art forms (theatre and visual art, to be exact) and received a master’s degree in Theatre Education. After teaching theatre and jumping in and out of a few jobs, I finally found my home in the world of photography.

When it comes to taking photos, I am a human being and an artist first, a technician second. I photograph what moves me, what excites me, what makes me think. What will move and excite you will be different that what moves and excites me. And by golly, that’s pretty darn exciting!

I don’t have a fancy camera. Can I still take this class?

Absolutely! The Slice of Life Project is for anyone with an interest in photography. It doesn’t matter what kind of camera you have. My approach to photography is all about learning how to see, tap into your natural instincts, and how to make the most of what you have. In fact, some of my favorite photos were taken with my iPhone!

I have a fancy camera. Can I still take this class?

Absolutely! We won’t be going into great detail about shooting with dSLR’s or using other equipment. However, we will be talking a lot about using what you have available to you. We will be approaching photography from a creative, intuitive place. If this is something you would like to work on, then I’d love to have you in the class!

How does this work exactly? Do I need to be somewhere at a certain time every week? 

There will be two “lessons” a week, relating to the weekly theme. On Mondays and Thursdays, you will receive an email from me with a link to the new lesson. You can check out each new lesson whenever it is convenient to you. The rest of the week, you will take photos related to the weekly theme and share your photos in the private Flickr group.

What will the time commitment be like?

As you know, the more time you commit to something, the better you’ll get at it and the more enjoyable it will be. That being said, this is a low-stress class. I want you to have fun! Luckily, this is a Slice of Life photography class. That means you don’t have to go far to take photos. I want you to photograph your everyday life. No need to go out of your way to find inspiration. It’s right in front of you – in your home, on your nightly strolls, in your back yards! It’s everywhere!

Is there a syllabus?

Why, yes! Click here to check out a week-by-week breakdown of the class. Please note, the syllabus is subject to change to meet the specific needs of each session’s students.

Will you be teaching us about ISO, shutter speed, aperture and how to use manual settings on our cameras?

All of these things are important, but they will not be the focus of this class. The students in this class will have a variety of different experience levels and types of cameras. I am most passionate about using what is available to all of us: light, color, intuition, and creativity. We all have all of these things. Together, we will figure out how to make the most of them.

Will you be teaching how to use Photoshop or other photo editing software?

Occasionally, I will reference editing and will make some simple suggestions of how to use editing software to achieve your desired results. But this will not be the focus of the class and you will not be required to edit your photos.

What do I need to get ready for the class?

Simple: a camera (any kind of camera), computer/internet access, and a Flickr account.

I don’t have a Flickr account. How do I set one up?

Visit Flickr. You will need a Yahoo account to sign up. If you don’t have one, Flickr will guide you through signing up for a Yahoo account. It just takes a few seconds. Once you’ve logged into Yahoo, you will be asked to create a Flickr username. Then you’re all set! You can go in and add some details to your profile, upload a profile pic, and you’re on your way.

Why do I need a Flickr account?

Flickr is a big part of the class experience. When the class begins, I will invite you to join a private Flickr group for Slice of Life Project participants. That is where we will share photos from the weekly assignments, chat with fellow members, ask questions, and hang out. It will be a cozy place to hang out with some pretty cool people.

I want to give the Slice of Life Project to someone for a gift. How do I do that?

I happen to think that’s a great idea! When you check out through PayPal, you will be given the option to leave a note. That is where you can indicate the name of the person who you are gifting the class to. Please include the recipient’s email address and instructions of when it is okay to contact them.

How involved can I expect Darrah to be in Flickr discussions?

I am just as excited about this as you are, so I will be checking the Flickr photos and discussions frequently.

Is the class fee refundable?

The class fee is non-refundable.

I can’t sign up for the next session of the Slice of Life Project. Will you be running it again?

I hope to run the class a few times in 2012, but haven’t set the dates yet. Sign up for my newsletter if you’d like to be the first to know when registration opens for future classes and to be included in exclusive specials for newsletter subscribers.

I have another question that you didn’t answer in your FAQs. Can I contact you?

Sure thing! Feel free to contact me with your question and I will get back to you shortly.

More goodness: 

Registration and Class Details
Testimonials and Student Video