Get To Know Your Camera - 6 Part Series February - March 2020

Have you ever purchased a DSLR camera and been completely overwhelmed by all of the buttons and menus? DSLRs have an endless number of amazing options and tools that can help you create beautiful, artistic photos. But without the technical skills of knowing how to use your DSLR—and just leaving it in auto while you're shooting instead—can be like having a really fancy car, but never going over 20mph.

In our GET TO KNOW YOUR CAMERA class, we want to show you how to go full-speed ahead and accelerate your creative talents. We will explore the camera inside and out so that you can be prepared to take your photography above and beyond as you use your camera in manual mode and learn about the exposure triangle. The camera's menu is crucial to know in order to reach your full potential as a photographer.

Must have a newer DSLR or Mirrorless Camera.

Fundamentals of Photography
This class is a great introduction to photography as an art form, and a DSLR as your creative tool. But, to become the talented visionary we know you can be, you must first learn the essentials - shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. 

You know that mysterious dial on top of your camera with all the letters, like M, P, or A? Maybe you've explored these settings, and maybe you haven't, but that is what this class is all about. Our focus for this session is to get you into Manual (M) mode and demystify all of the camera's settings, so that you can feel confident in knowing which one works best for you.

Shutter Speed
The Shutter controls the duration of time that the photo is being captured and is also the leading factor to motion blur. We will discuss which settings will work best with a variety of situations from blurring to freezing your action.

Aperture
The Aperture controls the amount of light and area of focus in a scene. We will talk about how to achieve soft focus backgrounds in portraits to sharp focus from corner to corner images in landscapes.

ISO
ISO determines how sensitive the sensor is to light. We will look at how the sensor's noise or grain changes from one setting to another. As well as, discuss how it can be helpful in dark and tricky lighting situations.

Metering Modes
Light Metering modes have different ways of metering light. As light travels through the camera and exposes on the sensor its reflective light meter will inform you where aperture, shutter, and ISO must be properly adjusted. 

Gray Card
Gray cards are used in photography to help you properly expose a scene that might be fooled by your reflective light meter. We will show you the correct ways on how to use a gray card and use it to your benefit to get proper exposure when needed.

Histograms
The histogram is one of the most important and least understood tools on your camera. We will demonstrate how to read your histogram which tells you whether or not your image is properly exposed.

Focusing Points
Every camera can be a little different when it comes to Focusing Points. It's important to know how to control them and how to use them to your advantage.

Focusing Modes
Camera Focus modes are used to help you lock your focus points on your subject. We will discuss the differences between automatic and manual focusing and why you would use one over the other. When shooting in auto focus modes we will even go a little further to discuss the differences in single and continuous focusing modes and why to use them.

White Balance
White Balance is the process of removing unrealistic color cast in images. Adjusting white balance allows us to photograph objects which appear white in person and have the correct realistic color of white in a photograph.

Picture Styles
In order to achieve a certain look in your photos, camera manufacturers let you choose picture styles or film simulations. These are often based on traditional film characteristics for example allowing you to shoot black and white, sepia or vivid color etc.

Lenses
Learn how the right lens for your subject matter makes a world of difference in obtaining the perfect photo. We will discuss all aspects from quality, focal length, prime vs. zoom, specialty lenses, and depth of field control when making your decision.

File Format (JPEG vs. RAW)
If you are unfamiliar with the concepts behind shooting in RAW vs. JPEG, you are not alone. It can be a confusing topic, and that is why we think it is important to go over and discuss which one is best for which circumstances, along with the pros and cons of each. By the end of the session you'll be able to decide which format works best for your shooting style.

Video Settings
Most newer model cameras have a built-in video function. The more recent DSLR’s and MSLR’s record 1080P and 4K. While most of the principles of photography remain the same (Aperture and ISO) the shutter speed is now converted to frame rate. Because of the rolling shutter (to create a moving image = video) the shutter speed is now half of the original value 1/50 = 24 frame rate, 1/60 = 30 frame rate etc.

Review

Perspective
Perspective in photography is often the sense of depth or spatial relationships between the objects in the photo, along with their distance with respect to the viewpoint of the viewer.

Hands-on shoot: Portrait

Composition
In this class we'll go over all of the elements of composition and how they work together. A lot of photographers take composition for granted and don't understand how to use all of these elements to their advantage. You'll be one step ahead of the game as a master of composition once you complete this course.

Hands-on shoot: Product

Available Light
Not every shoot is going to be ideal when it comes to lighting. It's important to be able to make the best of any situation and know how to work the light in any room or environment. We'll talk about the different qualities of light and how to see and use it to your advantage. Students will also be taught how to use reflectors to get the most out of existing light.

Hands-on shoot: Window Light Portrait

Continuous Light
Building on the skills learned from available lighting we’ll teach you how to add additional continuous light. Using off camera continuous LED light panels and light modifiers you will learn how adding light can enhance your photographs.

Hands-on shoot: Product Tabletop

On-Camera Flash 
Moving beyond the pop-up flash and into Speedlights, students will learn the advantages of these small but powerful flash units. By using the manual settings on your camera and utilizing the automation of TTL, students will learn how to get the most out of their speedlights.

Hands-on shoot: Flash Photography