Ron has been in demand as a speaker at photographic conventions and functions in New Zealand and overseas for over forty-five years. He can cover a wide range of topics and is an eloquent speaker with loads of enthusiasm and is very motivational.
Not only has he filled one-hour speaking slots on convention agendas he has also run hands-on weekend seminars. These have covered various themes usually encouraging attendees to improve their creativity when taking pictures.
His normal fees range from US$200 - US$1,000 plus travel costs, but he has been known to regularly donate his entire fee to the organisers if they are non-profit photographic organisations, just for the joy of helping photographers improve their work.
The following are some of the programmes he presents although he regularly formats something to suit the requirements of the organisers. All the lectures are presented using a data projector with a sound system.
| Title: | CREATIVE AND COMPOSITE PHOTOGRAPHY |
| Time: | 60min |
| Content: | How to become more creative with your in-camera photography and how composites can enhance this creativity. It looks at camera controls and photo editing tools and the use of layers. |
| Title: | LENSES AND LIGHTING |
| Time: | 75min |
| Content: | This program looks at about six different lenses and how they change perspective and framing, creating panoramas, minor computer tweaking and a full look at the important effect of lighting on your subject. |
| Title: | MY 50yr HISTORY IN PHOTOGRAPHY |
| Time: | 20min |
| Content: | This history covers 50 years of my photography focusing on my six times winning the PSNZ National Salon of Photography and the images involved. It also contains two AVs covering my creative work over the years and my AV, titled “Toscana”, which won the inaugural Jack Sprosen AV Exhibition. |
| Title: | FRENCH FOCUS |
| Time: | 75min |
| Content: | Covering numerous in-camera techniques and lighting options this program along with basic photo shop tweaking shows how to improve your photography. All this is done using only one lens with a strong focus on France but can be applied anywhere you take photos. |
| Title: | PHOTOGRAPHING USA IN 500 DAYS |
| Time: | 75min |
| Content: | Spending 500 days over 3 years and covering 70,000km it shows the exciting and photogenic USA. It discusses ways to improve your travel photography and techniques to use that apply to all photography. Goes on to cover nature, landscape and creative photography while travelling. |
| Title: | TWENTY WINNERS IN TWENTY MINUTES |
| Time: | 20min |
| Content: | In 20 minutes he explains how to set up your camera to record potential winning photographic opportunities. This is the illustrated with 20 of his recent winners, what makes them work, their impact value and what wins and failures they have had. |
| Title: | THE USA PHOTO GYPSY |
| Time: | 60min |
| Content: | It explains why photograph in the USA, buying and driving an RV (campervan) in the USA. Then looks at why you take photos, how to improve travel photography and how to obtain award-winning photography while travelling. It covers creative use of lens, shutter speeds and most importantly, light. |
| Title: | AUDIO IMAGES |
| Time: | 60min |
| Content: | This presentation is about audio-visual production as a photographer. Not clever sound production or scripts but about how best to present still images with an audio background. It features many of his award winning audio-visuals and is both entertaining and educational. |
| Title: | THE PHOTO HUNTER XP |
| Time: | 75min |
| Content: | Photography is about hunting for photographs with extraordinary passion. It talks about how to use lenses, angles and themes; it includes recent work from USA, Europe, Asia and New Zealand. The techniques can be applied to both travel and local photography; it also includes a related audio-visual. |
| Title: | DO IT IN THE CAMERA |
| Time: | 60min |
| Content: | This program starts on the premise that photographs are made in the camera not on the computer. It covers; colour balance, exposure, depth of field, shutter speeds, lens use and lighting. |
| Title: | THE THAILAND PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT |
| Time: | 60min |
| Content: | A workshop program on creating great photographs. One country, one camera, one lens and a monopod, this program focuses seeing opportunities in the field, often while travelling and creating great photographs with little manipulation after treatment. |
| Title: | DIGITAL KISS |
| Time: | 100min, includes intermission after 45min |
| Content: | This is aimed at photographers, not computer workers, using the benefits of digital photography with a strong focus on the ease of JPG vs RAW and it comprehensively covers how to improve your picture taking out in the field. Includes entertaining related audio-visuals. |
| Title: | PHOTOGRAPHIC REALITY AND FANTASIES |
| Time: | 70min |
| Content: | The exciting journey is covered from realism to fantasy, it questions what is real and what the photographer can add through film, lighting, filters, blurring, exposure, cropping and digital manipulation, it includes an array of audio-visuals to illustrate the points. |
