Tuesday 21 February - 28 March 2023

7.00pm - 8.00pm

6 Virtual Sessions

Zoom

(information will be sent via email the day before the course starts, please make sure you include your email address when booking).

These sessions will explore photography through our smartphones to deconstruct the world around us, to see differently.

Across the sessions we will explore photography together through experimentation whilst picking techniques up along the way. We won’t be seeking to produce the ‘perfect’ photograph but to have fun whilst allowing this creative medium to navigate our spaces; where expression has no boundaries. I will also offer photography inspiration from past and contemporary photographers.

There will be opportunities to share your own work in the sessions and to be part of an online collective exhibition.

1. Introduction to photography

• Introduction into my photography, the work of Sara Melhuish and Wildlife Photography of the Year at Natural History Museum.

• Types of photography (portrait, street photography, still life, contemporary, abstract, photojournalism, sports)

• Textures, Lines, Shapes, Abstract and Colour at home

• Aperture, manual control of focus, shutter speed, ISO, white balance, rule of thirds and JPEG/RAW

• Intro to using apps - like Manual and Focos

2. Lighting and Portraits

• Intro to portraits - looking at Zanele Muholi and Nan Goldin

• Headshot/portrait tips

• About lighting for portraits

• Natural light and shadows

• Life through a prism

• Bokeh depth of field

• Lighting a self-portrait with mirrors/reflections/side light etc

3. Still Life

• Intro to still life

• Exploring Man Ray, Edward Weston, Dina Belenko and Deborah Farnault

• Macro photography

• Reflection photography

• Capture backlit leaf details

• Polarised cutlery

4. Photo Diaries

The art of seeing - using all we have learnt to go on a lockdown walk

• How photos tell stories - examples including the work of Richard Billingham, Lina Iris Viktor and Josef Koudelka

• Viewpoint – find a new angle - activities to take photos at different viewpoints/angles – having no horizon line within their space

• Exploring exposure further

• Photographing architecture

• Curating your own photo diary - using apps like Unfold

• Activities using foreground to frame photos – framing photos

  Option to do a photo walk for the next session – Choose 3 photos to discuss

• Info on free editing app to download for the next session

5. Editing

• What is the difference between Saturation and Vibrance?

• Introduction into editing with Camera Raw

• Lightroom and Photoshop app on smartphone

• How to use Snapseed app

• What is Vignette?

• What does it mean to Dehaze an image?

• What is the difference between Clarity and Texture?

• Showing editing software

• Editing for social media – looking at the uses of filters and settings, what do they mean?

6. Roundup

• Sharing any work

• Using a glass lensball

• Photography inspiration – looking at inspirational photographers and members chance to ask questions

• Sharing programmes and podcasts to explore photography further

• Round-up – return to anything the group want to

• Looking at cameras if anyone wants to take photography further