Modern point and shoot cameras have amazing capabilities. Understanding how to use your point and shoot camera will help you take better pictures, preserve family memories, and have a lot more fun with your camera. Most of you never take your camera off the automatic mode. When you have completed this class you will have a better idea of what all those settings are for and when to use them.

During the course of the class you will have assignments which over the weeks will build upon themselves. Once you have completed an assignment and gained an understanding of the subject a later assignment will build upon that assignment.

We will be changing the outline.
Use our newsletter to request to be notified of updates. (A new window will open.)

Photography Class Preparation

What to bring:

Examples on media cards
Fresh Batteries
Cameras
Manuals

Class format

We will digress as needed to answer questions and have some fun.
Free Flowing
The class will start with an exercise to allow you to take pictures in a particular scenario. We will then look at some of the photos and discuss how to improve the pictures. After that discussion you will have the option of repeating the exercise to see if the results have changed.

What you need?

Internet Access - Many of the class discussions will reference this website and www.forphotography.com
The time to work through some of the exercises.

Outline/Class Agenda – This will change.

Day 1 - Discussing Digital Cameras, Photography, and Class Goals

Getting Acquainted
Art's Background
Each student talks about their:

Cameras
Software
Favorite Subjects
Photo frustrations
What drives them crazy?

Students will tell three things they want to get out of the class.
What do you currently do with your photos?

Review Class Goals

Have more fun with pictures and learn how to really use your camera's features. In other words: There is life beyond automatic!
Better understanding of how your camera works
Better understanding of composition
Basic Photo editing
Printing
File Handling
Archiving

Photography Terminology

Basic List (On this site)
More Involved List (A new window will open to For Photography.com)

The basic list of terms is scaled down to apply to basic digital cameras and this class. The more involved list covers topics for more advanced photographers.

Your Camera - Parts

Electronic Flash
Focusing
Batteries
Media Cards

Shooting Film V Shooting Digital

Contrast issues
Importance of Exposure
Over vs under exposure
Workflow

Camera Modes - What are all those settings

Review various camera modes, sports, portraits, Auto, Program and more See Camera Modes
Fill flash, red eye
Changing your ISO

Review Photos brought by students.

Exercise

Take photos of a subject using the various camera modes
Follow the Flash and Portrait Mode exercises
Take notes
Share next week.

Day 2 - Understanding your Camera's Flash

Review assignment photos and discuss how the camera settings changed the images.

Using the adjustment setting on the camera. (See digital camera adjustments page.)

Todays exercise will continue with using the flash. You will photograph an object and see what you have to change on your camera to improve the image. The purpose of the exercise will be to learn what type of scenarios may cause a problem with your flash.

Special Situations

We will simulate a scenario where there is a bright background behind a subject. The goal is to understand how to adjust the camera to overcome common lighting problems.
Reflective subjects

Review the results.

Day 3 - Outdoor Digital Photography Techniques

How to take Pictures Outside

Bright objects and Backgrounds
Fill flash
Using reflectors
Read Detail

Basics of Outdoor Composition
Various Camera Modes and when to use them
Your assignment will be to work with some picture scenarious.

Day 4 - Photography Composition

Reviewing Student Photos

Composition - Learning to see

General Rules of Composition

Backgrounds/foregrounds
Bright objects

What makes good composition
- (ForPhotography) Rule of Thirds
Complimenting your subject
- Camera angles
- Wide angle vs telephoto

Day 5 - Digital File Formats

Review Student Photos

After the Photo

File Formats

File Handling

Copying your files
Backing up your files.
Great deals on CDs. (Not)
Image Handling/Inventory
Google's Picassa and ACDSee's Program Suite
- Visit forphotography How to and click on (ForPhotography) Review of Google's Picassa and ACDSEE Software

Photo Software

Photoshop Cost $600
- The best
- Pros and Cons
- Buy Photoshop
Adobe Elements Cost $90
- Features
- Buy Adobe Elements
Gimp Cost Free
- Open source
- ACDSee $50
Paint Shop Pro
- Pros and Cons
- Buy Paint Shop Pro

Digital Editing

General Terminology
- Levels
- Contrast
- Clone
- Sepia
- B&W
- White balance
- File Format
Monitor/printer calibration
Color Management

Day 6

Review Student Photos

Digital Editing Continued

Emailing Photos

Resizing
- When to resize?
- Why to resize?
- Software options
- Attaching photos
- Imbedding Photos

Online Services

Print services
Gift services
Other services

Digital Photography Class - Point and Shoot