There are 2 sessions per week for 6 weeks..... cost is $600 for the course
all sessions are 2 hours long and one of the sessions each week is a field trip.
Class Notes for this Photography Course (paid-up students access) are.... here
Additional Notes:
1. This is an INTERACTIVE course.... and you learn by doing.... after the lecture, we spend time looking at photos you have taken on the field trip before.... to avoid losing your shooting data, please bring the flash card straight from your camera (or the whole camera) to the class.... it is best that you have 2 flash cards (if using your camera for other purposes during the course)
2. You get out of this course what you put in... but I assure you WILL be taking better photos after the course if you practice your photography.... some of my past students have gone on to good careers as professional photographers.... because of THEIR committment and determination and LOVE for photography.
3. You need a digital camera capable of MANUAL control of shutter speed, aperture and focus to benefit fully from this course.... and I encourage you to practice in between classes because your camera must become very familiar to you.... and the only way to achieve this is with constant practice.... if you plan on making money from photography, would you show up at a wedding with an inexpensive point-and-shoot camera (similar to what the guests are using) ???????..... BUT your camera is more than the image you project to the public and you really NEED certain features and functionality if you are to take the best photos under all circumstances..... I recommend ANY of the following cameras Nikon ( D90, D200, D300, D3000, D3100, D5000) or Canon (EOS 30D, 40D, 50D, 5D, 7D or any of the REBEL series).... if your model is not shown, do a comparison in Google or you can write or call me for advice..... you must bond with your camera if you are going to get the best photos and ALL these cameras have the necessary requirements.... the more expensive ones will have extra features and durability (shock resistance, water resistance, etc.) which is nice but NOT absolutely essential.
4. Although the lens IS important.... you do NOT have to initially spend a great deal of money (and it is here that you can really waste money).... I recommend for my course (and your beginning career) that you buy an 18-200 mm F 3.5-6.3 zoom lens by SIGMA or TAMRON..... this will enable you to handle 99% of all photographic situations without changing the lens..... lenses get fungus growth internally in the Barbados climate (when seldom used) and over time internal lens surfaces can become obscured..... it is a great waste of money to have expensive lenses doing nothing productive and just aging, deteriorating and waiting to be thrown away. ..... PROFESSIONAL photography is a mixture of TALENT, TECHNOLOGY and BUSINESS SENSE.... PROFITABLE photography comes from taking the BEST photos with the LEAST expense required to take them. ...as the years go by your lens collection will increase and trying to keep it to a minimum will be a challenge, but spend carefully and think wisely...... buying an expensive lens just to use for a few specific photos is not a good business decision unless you have included it's complete cost in your contract and the customer is willing to pay for it.
The course includes classroom instruction and practical field trips....
students will participate in actual photography during field trips spanning a wide cross section of
photographic opportunity.
Course Outline:
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PART 1 - LIGHT AND COLOUR
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additive and subtractive colour mixing, coloured light
reflection and absorption properties of objects. white light, white balance
primary and secondary colours
specifying colour using RGB, HSL ( HSB), CMYK, hue-value-chroma
Pantone, Trumatch, Focoltone, characterization
calibration and transformation, spectrophotometer, colorimeter
gamma, chromaticity and white point
brightness, contrast, black level, white level, highlight, midtone, shadow
histogram distribution of luminance and colour
psychovisual perception, colour correction, degradation
grain, noise and resolution
PART 2 - CAMERAS
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lenses, light transmission, flare, coatings, aperture, focus, focal length, focal ratio
f-numbers, angle of view, care and use, cleaning
body types, viewfinder types and displays, light metering and sensitivity, Exposure Values
shutter types, diaphragm, focal plane, shutter speeds, flash control and timing
CompactFlash cards, SmartMedia, memory sticks
batteries, chargers and power sources
PART 3 - COMPOSITION
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importance of a subject, simplicity, shapes and forms within the picture, framing
contrasts, patterns, balance and unity, focal point and prime centre of interest
perspective, colour, positioning, "rule of thirds"
preparation, making the best of unprepared situations, backgrounds
PART 4 - PHOTOGRAPHING PEOPLE
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tips for taking successful pictures of people
babies, young people, out-and-about, party pictures
holiday pictures
modelling, studio modelling, shows, sets
weddings, lighting, formal and informal, church, reception, beach weddings
PART 5 - PHOTOGRAPHING PLACES AND NATURE
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preparing your equipment and planning for your pictures
landscapes, coasts and beaches, real estate and aerial photography
buildings, townscapes and architectural photography
pictures after dark, time exposures and natural lighting
flowers, insects and macro photography
photographing sunsets, silhouettes, special effects photos using
juxtaposition, models and filters
PART 6 - VIDEOGRAPHY
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aperture and shutter speeds and how they relate to motion pictures
planning your scenes
combining scenes to tell the story
advanced tecniques - audio mixing and overdubbing, video special effects
the final product - production decisions
BONUS LECTURES: Editing video in popular software
Making MONEY with photography in hard times
Detailed explanation of the practical sessions...
Mastery of aperture, shutter speed, sensitivity and focus
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this session involves photographing fire and water
usually takes place on the South Coast Boardwalk starting at 4:30 - 5:00 pm depending on the time of year
Mastery of macro and still life
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this session takes place on a table top in my house
students photograph micro miniature set with the intent of fooling the viewers of the various photographs that they take
with respect to the sizes of the various objects involved and the nature of the lighting and location
in essence, it is similar to a Hollywood set where you can create a reality in the photo that does not actually exist
this takes place on a Saturday morning starting at, usually, 9:30 am
Mastery of the human form and portraiture
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this takes place in the Gazebo of the Hastings Rocks... and (possibly) at other key locations on the South Coast Boardwalk
various amateur models pose for my students to master the art of photographing people in a variety of situations
this takes place around 9:30 am
Mastery of time exposure and tripod based photography
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this takes place in Bridgetown from 7:00 - 9:00 pm
the intent is to photograph lighted buildings and show windows (without reflections in the glass) as well as boats
colored lights on the water...... the use of flash is not allowed
the intent is to re-create the ambiance of "a bustling city at night"
students may pick their own subjects or specific photos are chosen by me to highlight certain features of 'night photography'
Mastery of Nature
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Andromeda gardens .... or other suitable location ..... allows for the photographing of flowers, bees, insects or birds
or possibly other small animals (Wildlife Reserve)..... takes place around 9:30 am
Mastery of Landscapes and Seascapes
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one of either Farley Hill, Cherry Tree Hill, Morgan Lewis, Cove Bay, Skeetes Bay or any other suitable location may be chosen
either 9:00 am or 5:00 pm depending on the location (the Sun must be in the proper position to illuminate the scene
and the cloud cover must be minimal)
this last photo shoot is the hardest to plan and execute because it depends on 'perfect' weather..
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