Digital Photography 1

Week 1

This week is all about understanding your camera's settings, exploring its menu, and deciphering some of those photography terms that might have felt like jargon until now. We will learn the difference between JPEG + RAW, and study the exposure triangle (Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO).

Homework Assignment: make photos of what interests you and we will go over on Week 2. Please email me or have 2-5 images on a flash drive or on your camera's card for us to review.

Week 2

We will focus more on mastering the Exposure Triangle: Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO. Through interactive discussions and hands-on activities, we will delve deep into how these elements collaborate to produce that perfectly exposed shot. Whether you're aiming for a bokeh effect or trying to freeze a moment in time, mastering the Exposure Triangle will be your key. We will look at the settings from your homework, and talk about how to improve.

Homework Assignment: Try out new shooting modes and see if you can recreate or improve upon the images you took while shooting in Auto-mode. Please email me or have 2-5 images on a flash drive or on your camera's card for us to review.

Week 3

Downtown field trip. We will meet at an agreed upon location, either Bayfront Park, Selby Library, or Payne Park. Use what we’ve learned and experiment with new perspectives.

Homework Assignment: Review photos, choosing 3-5 images to review for class next time. Watch a Youtube video about your camera.

We will review homework photos, then pair off and try out what we’ve learned in an on-campus-photoshoot. In groups of 2-3 we will shoot and then, time allowing review back in the classroom. Practice in different modes and see which gives the best results.

Homework Assignment: Take a photo of a still subject in full light, take a photo of a moving subject in full light, take a photo of a still subject in low light, take a photo of a moving subject in full light. If you have a flash, experiment with that as well.

Week 4

Finish reviewing photos from our on-campus-photoshoot. Learn about low light, when to use a flash, reiterating what we’ve learned about the exposure triangle and discuss which mode we prefer to shoot in now and why. We will briefly learn about file management and the lengthy process of photo-editing. Also go more in depth on shutter speed, learn the advantages and disadvantages of tripods and monopods.

Homework Assignment: Sign up for Digital Photography 2 or Intro to Lightroom + Photoshop! :)