Half day beginers course content:

- Understanding why "Auto" is the worst option not the best!

- What lenses and additional equipment to buy (I have loan digital SLR cameras available if you don't own one)

- Taking care of your equipment and protecting your investment

- Focusing your camera and composing your pictures

- Understanding apertures and how to shoot in "aperture priority" mode

- Managing exposure to acheive optimum contrast and brightness through exposure compensation

- Understanding ISO and how to use in what situations

- The basics of composition and how to develop an eye for photography

Please note there will be plenty of opportunity to try these settings out during the course. You learn photography by doing not by just listening and looking and I am very aware of this!

Half Day intermediate course content:

Please ensure that you are familiar with the beginners course content or have attended the beginners course before booking!

- Shutter priority and when to use it

- Creative photography - blurring or freezing the action

- The nature of light... understanding RAW files and why you should be using them

- Understanding white balance for perfect colour

- How to use exposure locking

- Filters what to use and what to avoid

- Flash when to use on or off camera lighting

- How to make the most of your images using the computer

- Bring your own images for critique if you wish to 

The digital Camera Workflow

- Looking at the bigger picture of digital photography right from before the taking stage through to the final image

- The days of film where just taking the image and sending the picture in to be processed are over! This course is all about getting the most from your images by understanding what software to use and how to get the most from it!

- I will also cover how to print and mount your images to show them off at their best and not forgetting about how to scale your images for adding to your phone, tablet or sending via email

- Software used will be limited to Adobe Lightroom  and just basic tools in Photoshop (or Elements)

Photography Walk In Bruton Park

- A chance to spend the afternoon taking pictures in the picturesque Brutton park in Solihull focusing on the skills you learn from either the beginners or intermediate course

- I will show you how to put into practice what you have learnt from the classroom based courses in a variety of shooting scenarios

- Beginners: Aperture Priority based shooting including: Outdoor portrait with a model provided (including using fill in flash & reflectors), landscape, flowers and plants, low light shots or bright sunlight.

- Intermediate: Shutter Priority Based shooting including: Wildlife (including birds in flight), panning shots, slow and fast shutterspeeds compared, zoom bursts, using a tripod.

During the afternoon I will help you understand not just the technical side of photography but the art of composition as well. The course will start and end in Solihull Library with a chance to review some of the images at the end.

We will also visit the Parkridge centre Nature reserve for a variey of shots and refreshments!

Also note that this course is weather dependant and may be cancelled at short notice including on the day of the course. In this case your payment will be vadid for another future date.