Digital Photography

Max. Class size: 4 students

Everything you have ever wanted to know about digital photography from the basics through advanced post production techniques. Our professional photographer who has worked with supermodels and celebrities will guide the way.

Fundamentals Class: We will begin with the foundations of photography: aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focal length, angle of view and more. These will quickly be demystified and practical implementation will be explored through hands on excercises. While the fundamentals are incredibly important, photography is about making pictures not doing math so students will be taught to balance the scales of technique and artistry.

Participants will not only work with cameras and actively take photos during class, but are also encouraged to bring in their photography from outside of class. We will explore these photos and learn to analyze them to see what their strengths are and what can be improved. All types of photography will be discussed including portraiture, landscape, action and more.

Studio Lighting: The studio lighting class will be held in our state of the art studio equipped with Elinchrom lighting equipment. In this class students will learn to use artificial lighting to enhance their subjects and create tone and drama within their photographs. Models will be brought in to almost every class so that students can build their portfolio while expanding their knowledge. One, two, three and four light set-ups will be discussed as well as shooting outdoors with a portable lighting package.

Shooting with Natural Light: Natural light can be one of the greatest types of light to shoot with. It's free, it's plentiful and if used correctly can look better than the most expensive lighting set up. Students will learn to find great natural light and learn how to work in with it in many different lighting scenarios. Models will be brought in to give students practical experience lighting and working with a subject. Reflectors and other light modifiers will also be discussed and their importance in different situations will be demonstrated.

Photoshop Post Producion 1: This class introduces students to Adobe Photoshop CS4 and the post-processing of images. Often referred to as the "Digital Darkroom," Photoshop is one of the most important tools in a photographers belt. Students will learn to bring out the best elements of each photo while maintaining a realistic and natural look. Stylized effects will also be discussed but only as creative choices made to serve the purpose of the photo. Topics covered will include, tools, layers, channels, filters, adjustment layers, masks, dodging and burning, sharpening, shortcuts and more.