Recently I was one of three instructors taking a group of 10 students through a photographers course in Tidworth, Hampshire which was put together by Paul Morrison and Kellie Williams. The course covered a wide range of photographic subjects both technical and practicle.
After a quick ice-breaker from the instructors and each class member we started with an introduction to the SLR and it’s many lenses. Some of the students in the class had never used a digital SLR prior to attending and so this was a good interest based module to get them into the swing of things.
We then moved onto aperture and depth of field, shutter speed and capturing motion and ISO and sensor sensitivity. During each module the students had a chance to carry out a practical exercise putting their new gained knowledge to good use. The first two modules were carried out in aperture priority and shutter priority modes respectively, allowing the student to focus on the individual setting. On the third module we showed the students how the ISO effects the quality of the final image and of course the exposure. Throughout each module we touched upon correct exposure and correct composition.
The second half of the course saw all of the previous knowledge brought together with the lessons turning their attention to compositional and organizational skills when taking group shots, portraits and hometown stories for newspaper articles etc. We also discussed model release forms and copyright laws.
After a grueling second day in the classroom and behind the lens the students prepared themselves for their final exercise which was to be a 3 hour period in Salisbury City approaching the public and bringing all their taught knowledge together.
The students had 21 different photos to capture ranging from compositional shots, differential focus, to groups and portraits.
The final few hours were spent reviewing the classes images and discussing what they did right, wrong and could improve on. The course was a success showing a vast improvement in the students photographic skills and happy faces all round.
If anyone has any questions about anything concerning photography, please drop me a line or post a reply on this blog.
Below are a few shots taking the day of the course and a couple of days after the course. All were inspired by some of the sites I saw while instructing the class.
