NEW - Nature Digital Photography Course May 2 to 30th

This course will provide an overview of digital photography for anyone that wants to become proficient in using a digital camera to photograph a wide variety of subjects. This course is aimed photographers that want to understand how their camera works and learn how to maximize its potential. Participants are expected to have a digital SLR camera for the course and use of a tripod will be required for some assignments. The maximum size of the class is 6 students.
The classes are held on Wed evenings and include one optional day field trip (Saturday or Sunday) total hours approx 21 hours not including assighments.

Instructor: Dr. Robert Berdan 35 years plus experience with photography, 15 years with digital photography and Adobe Photoshop and 25 years plus teaching experience. Course will be taught in Science & Art studio, Calgary, NW. If you have questions about the course you can call Robert at 403 247-2457 or email him at rberdan@scienceandart.org

Dates: Wednesday May 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30th, 2012 - 6:30-9:30 p.m. COST $499 + GST

Enrollment limited to 6 students only.

To register you can pay using PayPal, or Send a check to Science & Art, 6255-72nd St. N.W. Calgary, AB T3B 3V9. Once payment is received you will be notified.

1. Digital Photography Essentials - Knowing your camera

• Brief history of photography
• Cameras
• Lenses - focal length, F-stop, angle of view
• Camera controls metering, exposure compensation, levels histogram, colour space
• Camera accessories, filters, tripod, bags
• File types JPG, RAW, colour space
• Shooting video with your DSLR

Assignment: Photograph any naturally occurring subject shoot both RAW and JPG files

2. Digital Image Management and Processing

• Introduction to Photoshop for photographers - work with Photoshop CS4\5, resize, color correct, etc
• Image backup and storage use of image database programs (Picasa)
• Printing on Ink jet printers
• Creating PDF slide shows

Assignment: Process 10 images and create a PDF slide show

3. Wildlife and Landscape Photography

• Fundamentals of composition
• Use of filters such as Polarizers and Neutral density grads
• Tripods
• Creating panorama photos
• Environmental Portraiture
• Using a flash
• time lapse photography
• wildlife
• HDR imaging
• Photomontages (Hockney style)

Assignment: Photograph a landscape, wild animal, and one environmental portrait

4. Macro Photography & Low Light Photography

• Closeup filters, extension tubes, macro lenses, reversing the lens
• plants, flowers, fungi and insects
• high magnification macrophotography
• stacking images in Photoshop
• Use of flash and artificial light
• Abstract photography - Patterns and Textures
• Night sky, constellations, milky way, star trails
• City scenes
• Lightening & Aurora photography
• Light painting

Assignment: Two macro shots, one abstract photograph and one low light photograph

5. Marketing Your Photography and Portfolio Development

• print portfolio
• Developing a web site
• Creating slides shows for presentation
• Using online web sites and blogs for self promotion
• Selling & Marketing your work
• Writing articles to accompany your photos
• Critiquing photographs
• Student presentations

Assignment: Bring in 20 images for display and discussion (see specific requirements below).

Assignment - Slide show to include 20 slides:

2 Landscapes
2 Action photographs
2 Macro shots
2 Low light photographs
1 Environmental portraits
2 Wildlife - non captive
2 Abstracts
7 Student Choice

Science & Art Studio and classroom includes High end computer worksstatons, LCD projector, HD TV

Note students that miss a class will not be reimbursed for the missed class, they will receive notes and are still expected to complete the assignments. No grades are assigned but each student fulfilling all the assignments will receive feedback and will receive a certificate of completion from Science & Art at the end of the course. If the instructor should be unable to make a class an alternative date will be provided.