Digital Photography

Understanding light is the key to making beautiful photographs. The course introduces students to methods for capturing the best images using both natural and artificial light. Learning how the camera captures light and the optimal lighting conditions to photograph in will be explored. In the first part of the course we focus on understanding the camera and light which culminates in a short field trip in order to further practice the skills learned in the first few weeks. The second part of the course focuses on digital imaging and the skills necessary to produce images ready for publishing on the web or printing.

At the end of the course the participants should understand the basics of light and how to use the camera in manual mode as well as understand how the camera functions in automatic mode. In addition to this they will be able to process their digital images and use some basic post-processing techniques.

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Course Layout (This is a general overview of content covered)

Week 1

  • Introduction
  • Look at camera types (SLR, Mirrorless, Smartphone etc…)
  • Photography & Light
  • Talk about Exposure
    • Shutter Speed
    • Aperture
    • ISO
  • Practical Exercise on exposure

Week 2

  • Depth of Field
  • Other Camera settings
    • Av, Tv settings
    • Metering (TTL)
    • White Balance
    • Focusing
      • Manual
      • Auto: AI, One Shot & AI Servo
  • Practical Exercise on depth of field, metering and focusing
  • Give homework task

Week 3

  • Composition & colour theory in photography
  • Photography and genre
  • Photographic processes

Week 4

  • Field trip and practical demonstration

Week 5

  • Artificial light & using flash: practical group exercise
  • What is a digital image?
  • RAW Vs JPEG

Week 6

  • Histograms and reading them
  • File management and options
  • Introduction to Photoshop and post-processing

Week 7

  • Post-processing exercises with Photoshop

Week 8

  • Photoshop Exercises
  • Preparing images for web and print
  • Review images from homework task