Digital Camera Masterclass Class 2: Term 1

Last week I asked the group to bring in some Autumn related bits of pieces. Leaves from trees, conkers, acorns etc – because tonight we were going to have a practical hands on session.

Putting the autumnal bits and pieces into various arrangements the group spent a considerable amount of the class taking various photographs. Here are a few images from what went on:-

Close up macro shots come out really nice. The small detail such as the veins in the leaves, particularly the Oak leaves that were brought in for this arrangement.

Here we find Huw helping Mandy out with an Autumnal display. The use of the black background masks out any unwanted background clutter.

Something we discussed last week as a matter of importance was the necessity of having a strong bag to carry your photographic equipment in, and a brand I recommend is Lowepro – click the link and explore their range.

After the coffee break, I gave the group two lots of homework. The first was a simple exercise to take as series of photographs on the seasonal theme of Autumn. The reason behind this was so that we can all have a look at each others photographs next week, and have a constructive criticism session. This will allow me to see what the individuals photo skills are like, and then afterwards we will have a session on ‘composition’ to help improve the framing of the students photographs. I’ll also be demonstrating Kodak’s Top Ten Tips for Great Photography.

The second of the two homework projects had a longer ‘hand in date’ of Novemeber 2nd. This exercise, which the students will have plenty of time to do, is based on what is known as the photo marathon.  A photo marathon is a photography competition in which participants must take a series of photographs on predetermined subjects in a set period of time, typically 12 to 24 hours. However, this project is a bit more generous in the time permitted. I gave a list of 12 topics in which the students have to take one image per related word. The words were: Identity, Fresh, Reflection, Icon, Tasty, Old and the New, On the Move, Stop, Upside Down, One of a Kind, Noise and The End.

The class tonight ended with me giving  brief demonstration of how Paint Shop Pro works. I showed the group how easy it is to remove things from photographs with the Clone Brush and the Scratch Removal tool – all of which we will revisit the week after next!