July 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011 at 12:55PM | 10 Comments Here we go again! The next course is planned for Saturday 9th July in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin.
What’s the ‘kick-start’ course?
It’s a short course designed for beginners, intended to give them the kick-start required to get their camera out of auto mode, resulting in better images. The course will last about 5 hours which will include the last light of the day (sunset). The majority of the time is spent actually making images, learning as you go.
Sounds great. What’s covered?
- Camera controls
- Shooting RAW vs JPEG
- Exposure - Aperture, Shutter Speed & ISO (and how they relate to each other)
- Metering & The Histogra
- Gear - Camera bodies, lenses, flashes etc
- White Balance
That’s the starting point. Whilst shooting and putting the knowledge into practice there’ll be a whole bunch of tips and tricks thrown in. As the sun sets (weather permitting) we’ll have ideal conditions for using on-camera flash. After that we’ll explore off-camera flash options, rear-curtain sync and shooting with flash in full manual mode.
When the shooting is done, we’ll take shelter in a suitable pub and over a pint (or non-alcoholic beverage) we’ll cover some workflow & editing basics.
I’m in!! What do I need?
All you need to participate is a digital SLR camera and a desire to learn how to exploit it’s potential. If you’re coming along, I recommend you bring the following too:
- Warm clothes (dress in layers)
- A notebook and a pen
- Drinking water & a small snack - it’s a long time to be on your feet lugging camera gear around
- A sense of humour - this stuff is fun!
The course is limited to 15 people, so that everyone get’s plenty of 1-to-1 time.
What’s the catch? How much is this going to cost?
The course is free, consider it my gift to you. In order to secure your place you’ll need to pay a small deposit (€20) which will be fully refunded on the day.
The reason for this is because for every previous course many people put their names down and at the last minute pulled out. Organising this takes considerable time and effort, so the thoughts of parting with cash should ensure that anyone that applies has the evening free and is genuinely interested in partaking.
Again, this is a free course… but a small refundable deposit is required.
OK, fair enough. What do I need to do to to join?
Simply drop me an email or use the contact page (here) to get in touch. Please include the following details:
- Full Name
- Contact Number
- Camera Model
- What you most want to learn from the course
- What areas of photography you have most difficulty with (i.e. exposure, getting sharp images, flash etc.)
- What post-processing software you’re using (if any)
If you’ve any questions feel free to pop ‘em into a comment below!
Daithí
We’re Full!!!
Right, we’ve got a good mix of photographers with varying levels of experience. If you’ve sent a deposit you should have received a confirmation email, and I’ll be in touch with everyone in the coming days to provide the necessary details for the day.
To answer some FAQs:
- approximate meeting time is 5-6pm. We should be finished by 10pm
- exact meeting place will be disclosed privately, but it’s the Dun Laoghaire area
- the course is ideally suited for beginners or anyone using the Auto mode on their camera
- if you’ve got a tripod, bring it. We’ll be doing some long exposures
- if you don’t have a fast prime (such as a 50mm f/1.8), borrow one for the day
If there’s anything I missed please don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Reader Comments (10)
I'm open to suggestions of other methods of transfer - postal orders and cheques have been suggested, both of which can be returned at the beginning of the course.
feed://www.photodmc.com/course/rss.xml
Cheers
I'm thinking up a few challenges for the evening with a prize for the best individual image. Should be fun, looking forward to meeting everyone and shooting together!
D
Two Q's-
Is the day full up now?
Don't have SLR would that rule me out.
(sorry can't put 'fada' on the 'i' in your name on my phone)
Regards
Declan
Still two vacant places, but they're not likely to be there for long.
You really need an SLR for this... however if you have a camera that gives full manual control (aperture and shutter priority exposure modes, as well as full manual), lets you select from multiple focus points, can take a hotshoe flash and shoot in RAW mode then it's close enough. A built in spot meter would also be useful.
Cheers
PS. if you're on an iPhone hold down the i key to get the accent options - same for any other letter
If you're interested in attending a future event keep an eye on this page for updates. If you don't want to wait you can arrange 1-to-1 tuition at a time/place that suits you... unlike the course it's not free, but it's a great way to learn quickly.
The final few details for the next course are being ironed out, all confirmed participants will receive an email tomorrow with the meeting time/place details and a check-list for the day.
Any questions, just ask!
Daithí
Many thanks for your Kickstart course yesterday in Dun Laoghaire. I must say you were a wealth of knowledge with the cameras and afterwards in the pub with Lightroom. Looking forward to getting stuck into the post production part and seeing what I can turnout.
Regards
Brendan
D