Introduction to Digital Photography
Dates – Held all year. Please use contact for information.
Workshop Fee - $375 [$550 with a one day extension]
This two day workshop is a basic course in digital photography where the participant will learn about the whole photographic process from seeing an image to printing it. It is a workshop for beginners and the technical aspects will be explained to assure complete understanding.
The workshop has four basic parts. It begins by exploring images and the characteristics and techniques that allow you to create superior images. We then provide a basic understanding of how the digital camera works as this is necessary to full control for better exposure, processing, and printing. Then the controls necessary to proper exposure are described including the shooting procedures that use them. These procedures are put to use in a field trip to reinforce learning how to use one’s camera. Lastly the images are downloaded to the computer where an overview of Photoshop is presented demonstrating basic techniques for image manipulation.
Specific elements explored include: composing the picture, lighting, the effect of different perspectives, the effect of different lenses and focal lengths, and the effects of depth of field and exposure time. The participant will learn exactly how the digital camera works, including recording the image on the sensor and on to the flash card. We will discuss in non-technical terms pixels, the conversion of the image to a digital image, buffers, and flash cards, to provide understanding of what they are and what they do. JPEG, TIFF, and RAW formats and their differences and uses will be clarified. Metering and the basic controls of the camera will be discussed including, aperture and shutter priorities, program and manual modes, ISO settings, and auto focus. Also covered is how they inter-relate and can provide flexibility in the control for each shot. The exposure is checked by means of the histogram and if necessary there are controls that can modify the exposure. These techniques will be reinforced through practice in a field trip in the Albuquerque area. Selected images of the participants will be transferred to the computer for processing in Photoshop along with some stock images. There they will be evaluated and processing applied to improve the image. This will include global changes, adjustment layers, selecting and local changes, followed by image size modifications and sharpening prior to printing.
A group dinner the first night (cost of the dinner is not included) is followed by an evening session wherein there will be a showing of digital prints and discussion of how they were taken and processed.
This workshop provides participants an organized and well rounded course in the basics of the overall digital photography process that then permits more knowledgeable ventures in photography.
EXTENSION OPTION – The workshop may be extended another day providing an additional field trip emphasizing shooting procedures, and more advanced instruction in the use of Photoshop and printing.
Application