Public Photography Course 28 July 2011

Updated details on the course:

Digital Photography Beginners Course

A one day photography workshop

Thursday 28th July 2011

At the Guildford Institute, North Street, Guildford.

For beginners with digital compact, advanced compact or basic SLR digital cameras.

The one day course offers a workshop aimed at those who have a basic digital camera and wish to know how to use it and get good photos without becoming too technical. The day will be a mix of classroom based sessions and a practical photography session out in Guildford town centre. No previous photography knowledge is required.

Requirements:  A camera (with spare batteries, also if possible a spare CF or SD card). Attendees are welcome to bring their own laptops c/w a connection lead/card reader and software for uploading their own images.

Course times: 10am - 4pm (includes a 1 hour lunch break which can be used as an addition to the practical photo session).

Cost: £45.00 per attendee.

Includes refreshments (but not lunch). Information sheets and access to a dedicated website will be available for attendees who sign up to our photo ‘club’. 

The course tutor will be Michael Sleigh who has over 30 years experience of working in the areas of professional photography and education. He was the staff photographer at the Royal Horticultural Society for 17 years and now runs Polypodphoto a local business which specializes in photography for the British Heritage and Tourism sector.

Course times:

 10.00 - 10.30 am

Registration, coffee and biscuits

10.30 - 12.00 o'clock

Overview of the types of camera and their limitations. Instruction on camera use. Other photo equipment. Techniques to achieve good photos. Slide show of photos.

12.00 - 13.00

Practical photo session in Guildford.

13.00 - 14.00

Lunch (practical session can continue)

14.00 - 15.30

Review of practical session and images taken. Overview of digital processing and output options.

15.30 - 16.00

Tea and biscuits. Open discussion.

16.00 Close.

For booking information please see:  www.surrey-heritage-photography.com

Also visit: www.polypodphoto.co.uk 

Photo Workshop Notes part 5.

Checklist

*Record or creative photograph – what is the end use going to be?

*Is the lighting OK? Is the subject moving?

*Can the photo be taken later when conditions are right?

*Is there a copyright issue? (photographing subjects where someone holds the copyright).

*Are children or people who can be identified being photographed? – Model Release Form?

*Is the subject on private property where taking photos requires a permit? Or is banned?

When going out to take specific photos always plan in advance, check access restrictions if any. Take spare batteries and SD/CF cards. If using a CSC/SLR take any additional lens that may be needed plus filters and other accessories. (Information on lenses and accessories to follow).

Always try to take a compact camera, or camera phone, with you wherever you go Just In Case!

Film cameras still have a place in photography as the resulting film can be scanned to get a digital version. Many lenses and accessories from film cameras can still be used on digital SLR’s.

Image output, processing and end use of images is being covered separately.

Photo Workshop Notes part 4.

Other things

ISO (old ASA rating with film) is the sensitivity setting and is usually automatic on compacts but can altered on CSC & SLR cameras giving more opportunities to shoot under poor lighting conditions, when shooting moving subjects or for more creative photography – change ISO to suit situation.

Can the photo be improved by using a different lens or accessories such as filters? (on CSC & SLR’s).

No matter how good the camera is or how many accessories there are, capturing a ‘good’ photo depends on the photographers ability to see and interpret what is being viewed before pressing the shutter button. No matter how good the kit some people just can’t take good photos! - The resulting image can be technically correct but may be poor from a creative viewpoint or just be badly composed /out of focus. 

Post capture image processing can rescue some photos but getting it right at the point of taking the photo is a better course of action.

Photo Workshop Notes cont.

Camera Uses

Camera phones: Probably only good enough for web use and on screen viewing. (to be investigated further).

Compact cameras: Use for ‘snaps’ and basic photography under good lighting conditions and where the subject is not moving quickly. Image/file size suitable for the web and for prints up to 7x5”. Camera limitations – unable to see precisely what you are taking due to LCD screen on back of camera, little creative control, focusing/exposure time lag, small file size on low end cameras.

Compact System Cameras: Use for ‘snaps’ and more creative situations where a small physical size camera is more convenient. Good for web and quality prints up to A4 size. Limitations – limited range of lens available.

Single Lens Reflex cameras: To achieve the best possible images, with full creative control in all situations. Limitations – Overall size and weight.

Picture Taking  (image capture)

Questions to ask before starting

What do I want to use the images for? – A record of a subject/thing/place or a creative image?

How is the image going to be used? – website, social media posting, print, Power Point?

Considerations before taking the photo

Does the photo/subject require good lighting? If not right can it be photographed at another time when the light is right? Or is it a subject that will change with time (such as a flower) or a place that can’t be revisited and therefore has to be shot even if conditions are not perfect – a record shot.

Could the use of flash help? Flash can be useful but has drawbacks and should only be used with consideration – flash can make some subjects look artificial but fill-in flash can help on a sunny day.

Is the subject moving? If so how fast? Can it be captured with the type of camera being used? There is usually a delay before the picture is taken with compact cameras, but not a problem with CSC and SLR’s if set up for moving subjects.

Can the camera be focused on the part of the photo that needs to be in focus? Does it matter? Knowing what is in focus with a compact camera can be difficult, not such a problem with CSC & SLR’s  (but difficult in bright light viewing the image with an LCD screen on the back of the camera).

If a ‘creative’ photo is required can it be taken with a compact camera knowing its limitations?

Camera shake leading to a blurred photo can be a problem with small sized cameras, but some do offer an ‘anti-shake’ option which can be set in the menu. Optical stabilization is offered on some better cameras either within the body or in the lens.

A blurred result is more likely when using the telephoto end of a zoom lens, especially if the subject is also moving. CSC & SLR’s can be set up to overcome these problems by using a faster shutter speed or mode such as a ‘sports’ setting.

Photo Workshop Notes cont.

Digital photography has made it possible to get a good result from a difficult situation where using film it may have been impossible to get a useable photo, this is especially true where the photo is taken under mixed lighting, digital cameras allow for the white balance to be set and post processing can correct colour casts.

A lot of the benefits of digital reply on post capture computer processing using Photoshop or similar software, unlike film where once the shutter button is pressed further options are limited and usually involve time consuming darkroom work.

Digitally processing and enhancing an image does take time and requires an understanding of the software but in many cases the original ex camera image can be used without enhancement but it may still be necessary to adjust the resolution/file size for its required end use.

Types of Camera available

Camera Phones

Some of the latest mobiles have high Mpixel chips and should be capable of producing images suitable for web use. (Further investigation to be undertaken with regards to quality of lens and the file size produced).

Compact Camera and Advanced Compact Cameras

Small, light, easy to carry around.  Usually fully automatic with some control over the image settings.        Lens typically 24/28mm – 3.6/4x (around 96mm). 10/12 Megapixel chip, small chip dimensions. £40 - £400

Bridge and Compact System Cameras (CSC)

A ‘Bridge’ between point & shoot cameras and Single Lens Reflex (SLR). Smaller and lighter than SLR’s yet offering comparable power, image quality and creative control. Interchangable lenses on CSC cameras 14 – 150/200mm. 12/14 Megapixel chip. £300 - £800.

Recent camera developments have lead to a merging of the boundaries between high end compact cameras and SLR’s as well as giving HD quality and video shooting options.

Single Lens Reflex (SLR)

Complete control over image capture. Able to see through  the lens for precise framing and composition. Interchangeable lenses 10 – 800mm range. 10/16 Megapixel chip, large chip dimensions. £370 - £3,500. Wide range of accessories available for use with SLR cameras. 

Continued ...

Photography Workshop at the University of Surrey

PHOTOGRAPHY FOR BUSINESS

A workshop looking at the capture of images for business use – on the internet, for social media postings, blogs, Power Point presentations and for print.

“Now anyone can be a Photographer...”

The advent of digital photography and reasonably priced digital cameras giving good quality images has seen a major take up by people who may not in the past have used a camera on a regular basis mainly due to the cost of film and processing.

The ability to see and review what has just been taken has made photography a lot easier without incurring any cost - just reshoot or delete as necessary.

Photography has changed both for the 'snapper', the keen amateur and for the professional photographer. Producing good images in most cases is now possible; where in the past using film the photo may have turned out to have been poor quality, digital imaging now enables good images to be achieved from a less than perfect original  - the downside is that time now has to be spent processing the image on a computer.

Digital Overview

Any digital camera, even the most basic, can capture an image suitable for use on the internet. Its not the resolution/file size that is a problem but the limitation of what the camera can do – fine under good lighting conditions but not so good if taking photos indoors, under adverse lighting or where the subject is moving.

The better the camera the more opportunities there are of getting an excellent image but it usually also requires the person taking the photo to have a ‘good eye’ - technical aspects of the image OK but poor visual composition.   Continued ...