Shooting for National Geographic for over 20 years, with a special interest in coverage of Russia and the former Soviet Union, photographer Gerd Ludwig beautifully and respectfully captures the world we live in. Whether it is the sweetness of a hug and kiss, or life amidst the ruins of Chernobyl, his images resonate with a full scale of emotion.

Capturing quality images at extremely high ISOs is one of digital technology’s latest and most important advances – and its impact is nowhere more visible than in photojournalism and documentary photography. In this lecture, Gerd will show how the latest developments in EOS sensor and image processing technologies provide huge advantages in low light situations and greater mobility during difficult assignments.

Several stories that appeared in National Geographic exemplify Gerd’s naturalistic use of low light photography to cover subjects that would otherwise have been difficult or impossible to explore (Chernobyl, Moscow Never Sleeps, Russian Orthodox Church, etc). The ability to routinely turn to extremely high ISO settings has also made the handheld flash a more powerful tool in the hands of photographers. Gerd will share his use of natural light in combination with hand-held TTL flash, colored gels, and wide angle lenses to emphasize his message, to give a sense of place, maintain atmosphere, and create photo essays with a personal vision.

Gerd has found certain lenses to be especially useful in his work-his favorites being Canon’s EF 16-35mm f2.8L, 24-105 f4L IS, TS-E 24mm f3.5L II, and EF 75-300mm f4-5.6 IS. For specialized situations, he often turns to the TS-E 17mm f4L, EF 14mm f2.8L, 70-200mm f2.8L, and EF 2x Tele-extender.

After the lecture, attendees will have the chance to see and handle Gerd’s preferred tools of the trade, including the latest EOS camera bodies. It’s a rare opportunity to take a peek into a master photographer’s gear bag – and speak personally with a National Geographic staff photographer.

This is a Canon Live Learning Event

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Presented by: Gerd Ludwig
Program: Professional Development Seminars & Workshops
Date: August 16, 2012
Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Fee: Free of charge. Advanced registration required
Location: Canon Hollywood Professional Technology & Support Center – 6060 Sunset Blvd. – Hollywood, California 90028
Organization: Canon Live Learning
Questions: CanonLiveLearning(at)cusa.canon.com