What will I learn?

The Photography Beginners Level 1 course is great for those keen to learn more about the basics of photography. Most students at this level have a DSLR or Mirrorless camera that very rarely comes off Automatic Mode. This class aims to deliver a basic understanding of the technical aspects of how to use your camera.

It will cover:

• The basics of exposure; shutter speed, aperture and ISO.
• How to create exciting in-camera effects like long exposure traffic trails, light writing, or create portraits on blurry backgrounds that pop off the screen.
• Understanding the different lenses available and how each can be used.

By the end of the course, you'll know what most of those intimidating buttons on the camera do, and begin to see how to use them in real-world situations.

Photography isn't all technical so throughout the course we look at the pictures around us every day on billboards, magazines and Instagram feeds. By discussing the composition, subject matter and lighting of some of the great photos from history we try to help make our own images feel more personal and worthy of sharing with others.

The differences between different types of editing software are approached using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom as examples, and photos taken during each week will be used to introduce you to post-production.

A DSLR or Mirrorless camera with a standard zoom lens is essential to get the most from the course, however, a lot can be learned if you have a bridge camera and don't want to upgrade just yet.