Learn how to use your digital camera—take it off AUTO
Sharon Lavier O'Keefe, instructor
Six-week workshop.
Wednesdays,February 15-March 21, 2012, 6:30–9:30 p.m.
Field trip: Saturday, March 3, 6:30–11:30 a.m.
Workshop information
This course has been designed for anyone who uses their digital camera in AUTO and would like to increase his or her understanding of the functionality of their camera. Learn when, why and how to select various camera functions and how to utilize lenses to create more visually interesting photographs. We'll be teaching you "how to see" and to help make the technical side of photography more intuitive through walkabouts and field trips. There will also be weekly assignments, print critiques and a Student Photography Exhibit. Our goal is to make the learning process stimulating, effective and fun.
Workshop venue
Northwest Center for Photography (NCP), 1028 SE Water Avenue, Suite 50, Portland, Oregon 97214
Workshop format
There will be some lecture, hands-on exercises in class, walkabouts on class night, weekly print critiques, a field trip and a Student Photography Exhibit during the last class.
Weekly photography assignments
Each week you'll receive photography assignments that are designed to improve your camera skills and to get you to start utilizing creative controls. Photography assignments may focus on:
- Understanding f/stops and how they affect depth-of-field.
- How shutter speed selection affects how motion is recorded.
- ISO selection as it affects exposure settings.
- Lens choice and how it impacts your composition.
- Exposure metering modes and how to use them.
- Benefit of selecting continuous shooting/burst mode.
- Introduction to flash photography.
- Understanding and selecting white balance controls.
- Principles of composition.
- Value of using a tripod.
- How and when to vary settings on your camera.
Weekly critical print critique
In order to evaluate your progress you will need to bring in a USB device with 6 to 10 photographs from the assignment for the weekly critique.
Walkabouts
Each week, some time will be spent out in the field creating photographs with specific goals in mind. I use these walkabouts as an opportunity to assist you with technical questions and compositional decisions.
Field trip
The field trip, shared with like-minded photographers, is an invaluable learning experience. The entire field trip is spent thinking about the photographic process—being in control of your camera, making a variety of technical decisions and challenging your ability to see and compose your photographs.
Student Photography Exhibit (an additional expense)
You need to bring up to three enlarged, matted and framed photographs to the last class for the Student Photography Exhibit. The exhibit is important because it takes the photographic process full circle—from conception and execution to presentation. Exhibit photos should be enlarged to at least a 12x18 or 11x14 print size prior to matting and framing.
About the course workshop leader
Sharon Lavier O'Keefe, founder of the Northwest Center for Photography (NCP), has been working as a freelance photographer for over 30 years and teaching photography classes, independently and through Portland Community College for nearly 15 years. She was the staff photographer for Kaiser Permanente Northwest for more than 12 years.
Sharon's a gifted teacher and a talented photographer. She inspires her students to find new ways to see the world, in a positive and encouraging environment, and has a way of engaging strangers to participate in her photographic pursuits. While Sharon takes photography very seriously, and is truly passionate about teaching and educating, she firmly believes having "fun" is essential to the creative process.
About the workshop
Enrollment. Participation is limited to 15 students.
Prerequisites. This workshop is open to anyone new to digital photography and is designed for digital SLR cameras. No previous photography experience is required—just a desire to learn how to use your digital camera and to be able to create better photographs.
Workshop tuition. The workshop tuition and materials fee is $240 per person and includes a $20 non-refundable registration fee. Once your registration has been completed, we'll send out additional information relevant to the workshop.
Withdrawal, Cancellation and Refund Policy. We rely on your attendance to make important arrangements so if, for any reason, you need to withdraw please notify us in writing 15 days or more before the first day of the workshop. At that time, we will refund your deposit, minus the non-refundable registration fee. Registrations cancelled after that will be eligible for a refund (less the non-refundable registration fee and a $25 cancellation fee) only if a replacement can be found. If notification or cancellation is made 7 days or less prior to the first day of the workshop, you will not be eligible for a refund.
NCP is not responsible for a participant's cancellation due to a medical emergency, death in the family or acts of war.
In the event NCP cancels a workshop due to inadequate enrollment, all fees and deposits will be refunded in full, or if you prefer they may be transferred to another workshop within 12 months. However, NCP is not responsible for reimbursement of non-refundable airline tickets in the event of workshop cancellation. We strongly recommend you purchase travel insurance.
There are no exceptions to our Withdrawal, Cancellation and Refund Policy.
Waiting lists. When a workshop fills, we start a waiting list. There is no charge to be on the waiting list. If space becomes available, we contact the first person on the list. That person then has 24 hours to register before we move to the next person. If a space becomes available within 14 days of the start of a workshop, the registrar may call all persons on the waiting list and the space will be given to whoever completes their registration first.