Intermediate Photography Course starts 21st October

We call it intermediate but it is the most advanced course we currently run but we always want to leave room for more….as they say. The next course starts 21st October

This course is designed for people who are interested in photography as a hobby or maybe a profession, it assumes that photography for you is not just a by product of an interest in say birds or flowers or walking in the countryside. We suggest that this course is for someone who is actually interested in photography, in other photographers and their pictures as well as making better pictures themselves.

“Intermediate Photography “The practical tasks you set us during the lesson and for homework greatly improved the way I took photos and the extended the range of subjects that I would normally take the photos of. Being able to see other people’s work and getting feedback from you and fellow photographers was a constructive way of developing my eye as a photographer. And finally, the course provided me with a reason and most importantly the confidence to approach an organisation and offer them my services as a photographer. Without that I don’t think I would’ve ever considered showing a total stranger some of my work and expect them to give me a job just based on that. So thank you Keith for a most inspirational course and my only complaint is that it was too short.”

We teach you how to become a better photographer by applying yourself to the process, by improving your sense of vision, by understanding how to see and evaluate so you pictures have more meaning, beauty and intent. We set assignments that will get you where you want to be and get you thinking about how and why you want to make pictures using a camera. We get students to work to themes or projects so that their assignment time is not aimless, this creates some wonderful images because they start concentrating on pictures they have thought about. Here is a short video of images from the last course

 

picture by Gunilla Treen                            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7LWNyg5Pww

Intermediate Photography “Firstly, just wanted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the class. It was just what I needed, in terms of being able to interact with other like-minded people and being shown different approaches to photography. It was a really worthwhile experience and I think I my abilities have definitely improved. At the very least I’ve seen alot of work by some amazing photographers which I may not have otherwise have known about!” Jess

If you want to improve your photography, want to make pictures beyond just records, want your pictures to say more than “I was here and this is what I saw, perhaps, I was here here and this is what I felt” then come and join us, the next start is the 21st October, full details here

 

 

10 rules of photo composition (and why they work)

From Digital Camera World This is a good tutorial and echoes some of what we teach on our Composition Course – Seeing Pictures which starts on Thursday 9th, there are still places if you are interested. What our course does which this tutorial doesn’t do, and the clue is in the title of our course, is that we relate the basics of composition to the work of the truly great photographers. We introduce you to the work of some of the most outstanding photographers of the last 100 years. Learning to see is as important as seeing through the viewfinder. If you do not live near Oxford this on line tutorial will have to do for you though

In photography, it’s not just what you shoot that counts – the way that you shoot it is crucial, too. Poor photo composition can make a fantastic subject dull, but a well-set scene can create a wonderful image from the most ordinary of situations. With that in mind, we’ve picked our top 10 photo composition ‘rules’ to show you how to transform your images, as well as offered some of our best photography tips from the experts who do it on a daily basis…….

Don’t feel that you’ve got to remember every one of these laws and apply them to each photo you take. Instead, spend a little time practising each one in turn and they’ll become second nature. You’ll soon learn to spot situations where the different rules can be applied to best effect.

Photo composition doesn’t have to be complicated. There are all sorts of theories about the ‘Rule of Thirds’ and more complex ‘Golden Mean’, for example. But if you pay too much attention to strict formulae, your photos will lose any kind of spontaneity.

In the real world, you’ll be working with a wide range of subjects and scenes, and this requires a more open-minded approach. What works for one photo won’t necessarily work for another.

The key thing is to understand how all the decisions you make about composition can affect the way a shot looks and how people perceive your photos. The way you frame a shot, choose a focal length or position a person can make all the difference (check out our Photography Cheat Sheet series for quick fixes to some of these problems).

Technical know-how is very important in photography, of course, and even in some aspects of photo composition. But to take great shots you need visual knowledge too. Here are 10 key things to look out for…

Here is a taste of the article

Photo Composition Tip 6: Use diagonals

Horizontal lines lend a static, calm feel to a picture, while vertical ones often suggest permanence and stability. To introduce a feeling of drama, movement or uncertainty, look for diagonal lines instead.

You can need nothing more than a shift in position or focal length to get them – wider angles of view tend to introduce diagonal lines because of the increased perspective; with wide-angle lenses you’re more likely to tilt the camera up or down to get more of a scene in.

You can also introduce diagonal lines artificially, using the ‘Dutch Tilt’ technique. You simply tilt the camera as you take the shot. This can be very effective, though it doesn’t suit every shot and is best used sparingly (see our 44 essential digital camera tips and tricks).

Why it works…

see the whole 10 tips here

Are you a good photographer? 9 simple ways to tell

Yep this article on Photoventure, if lighthearted is absolutely on the button, you cannot argue with any of these points, you may add some of your own and I would like to hear them. For me  no. 4 is the most important, after all it is light, right?

How do you define a good photographer? Someone who takes photos that you’d never dream of or dare to take? A photographer who has an image in mind long before they hold a camera to their eye? A photographer whose equipment is worth more than the car they drive it around in? Well, for our money, you know you’re a good photographer when…

1. You delete fewer shots for technical reasons

2. You don’t care what camera you’re using

3. You get angry when you don’t have a camera with you

4. You worry about light

see the rest here, they are all worth considering

here is a beautiful picture by Sabastiao Salagado who worries about light!

 

 

Flash Photography: buying a flash and flash photography course

How to buy a flashgun: the most important features every photographer should have

This article on Digital Camera World explains about what to look for when buying a flash but if you need more help then we have our Flash Photography Course starting on 29th May

“This course is designed to help you understand the use of flash; on camera, off camera and in a studio.

In recent years there has been an interest in using flash off camera and various bits of camera gear have hit the market to make this possible, we look at these and aim to give advice as to which are best value and how to make most use of them. During the course we plan to identify ways in which you can use flash more creatively and will look at the use of flash guns as supplementary light sources, as fill in light, as highlight introducers (catch lights) and how we can use flash during the day as well as at night to better effect.

It is assumed you already have a full understanding of your DSLR, no camera use will be explained on this course, and you probably already have an external flash gun although this is not essential and you may wish to delay purchasing until you have completed the course. Areas covered include: studio flash lights, how and why to use them; metering; on camera flash; off camera flash; coloured flash; syncing off camera flash guns using radio triggers; light modifyers; backgrounds; lighting stands, clamps, reflectors and setting up.”

A full-sized flashgun delivers the potential for versatile lighting techniques in wide-ranging conditions. In this quick buyer’s guide we’ll explain how to buy a flashgun by revealing some of the most important features every photographer will want to have. Too many flashguns never see the light of day. They’re stashed away, only brought out after dark or for shooting in gloomy interiors.
So if you have a flash gun or plan on buying one this article will be of use to you

Photography Courses for 2014

We have our new schedule for the coming year, we are currently writing a couple of new courses, one on art photography, but these will not be ready for the new term. We have all the usual favourites from Understanding Your Digital SLR Camera, Composition In Photography, Portraiture, Flash, Lightroom, Photoshop,

you can see the full list here

Understanding Your DSLR Camera Evening Class £85 Start Dates: 21.01.2014; 05.03.2014

Understanding Your DSLR Camera Saturday Morning Class £85 Start Date: 9.11.2013; 08.03.2014

1 Day Understanding Your DSLR Camera £95 Dates, 27.10.2013; 26.01.2014; 23.02.2014; 30.03.2014; 27.04.2014

Understanding Your Digital Compact Camera £85 Start Date: 5.03.2014

Intermediate Photography £97 Start Date: 24.02.2014

Flash Photography £85 Start date 29.01.2014

Understanding Lightroom £85 Start Date: 27.02.2014

Introduction to Photoshop and PS Elements £97 Start Date: 18.02.2014

Composition In Photography – Seeing Pictures £85 Start Date: 4.03.2014

Portrait Photography £85 Start Date: 27.01.2014

 

Photography Course Vouchers

It is that time of year, you know you should know what they want but somehow the list you started in June is now missing and only had gardening gloves on it anyway….. If they have an interest in photography then maybe a voucher for one of our courses is a quick and easy answer. You can buy on line and download directly to your computer and print out the voucher. No shops, not waiting. Here is a link to our vouchers page

Here is a reminder of what Christmas is represented as but never is…

Photography Courses for 2014

We have our new schedule for the coming year, we are currently writing a couple of new courses, one on art photography, but these will not be ready for the new term. We have all the usual favourites from Understanding Your Digital SLR Camera, Composition In Photography, Portraiture, Flash, Lightroom, Photoshop,

you can see the full list here

Understanding Your DSLR Camera Evening Class £85 Start Dates: 21.01.2014;  05.03.2014

Understanding Your DSLR Camera Saturday Morning Class £85 Start Date: 9.11.2013;   08.03.2014

1 Day Understanding Your DSLR Camera £95 Dates, 27.10.2013; 26.01.2014; 23.02.2014; 30.03.2014; 27.04.2014

Understanding Your Digital Compact Camera £85 Start Date: 5.03.2014

Intermediate Photography £97 Start Date: 24.02.2014

Flash Photography £85 Start date 29.01.2014

Understanding Lightroom £85 Start Date: 27.02.2014

Introduction to Photoshop and PS Elements £97 Start Date: 18.02.2014

Composition In Photography – Seeing Pictures £85 Start Date: 4.03.2014

Portrait Photography £85 Start Date: 27.01.2014

How to Capture Authentic Emotion in Portrait Photography

We have just completed another successful Portrait Course with some great students and exceptional images. We teach the technical aspects of portrait photography but also the, as important, working with the subject to get the best out of them, we call it ‘posing and all that’. The next course will be in the autumn but if you want some tips before then this article by Jason D. Little on Lightstalking would be useful to you.

If you shoot portraits on a regular basis, I’m sure you have an informal checklist of sorts that you consult — at least mentally — both before and after you click the shutter. You want to make sure the composition is interesting, the desired part of the face is in focus, the lighting is flattering; all important things, to be sure. And on some level, these are easy things. What’s not always so easy is capturing emotion.

When you’re shooting street shots or candids, capturing genuine emotion isn’t too difficult because you’re recording moments as they happen and your subjects are often unaware of or unconcerned with the camera’s presence. But when it comes to actually posing for a portrait session, getting authentic emotion out of your subject can be a tricky course to navigate. Many otherwise easy-going individual tend to tense up once they get in front of the camera while, on the opposite end of the spectrum, others go overboard with exaggerated smiles or all manner of unpredictable and unflattering facial expressions.

It takes a little effort — mostly in the form of simply being a thoughtful photographer — but getting your subjects to display some unfiltered emotion is certainly an attainable goal and one with a huge payoff. The following tips apply whether your portraits are formal or spur of the moment, for pay or for fun.….MORE

 

 

©Tony Haupt  OSP Portrait Course

Click Here: How to Capture Authentic Emotion in Portrait Photography

Natural Light Portraits

We run a course on Portrait photography that teaches how to use natural light rather than having to rely upon flash. This is a popular course because most people would like to take better portraits of their family and friends but find the process daunting. We approach every aspect of this, first the technical, how to manage light, how to use the camera and what accessories you might need to get the best results. Then we look at what you must do as a photographer to get the best out of your subjects. Some of this is covered in this article on Lightstalking

For some photos, nothing beats the natural beauty of ambient light. When used correctly natural light can create soft portraits that bring out great looking skin tones and display a seemingly perfect balance between shadows and highlights. As limiting as it may initially seem, shooting with natural light can offer a pretty diverse range of lighting styles.

How to Find The Perfect Window Lighting

There can be a learning curve to using natural light effectively, especially when shooting indoors where your options may be more limited in regards to finding usable light. It goes without saying you should locate a room in your indoor space that is home to a window…..MORE

Here are a couple of images from our current course.

©Tony Haupt

© Anna Indrzejczyk

 

Creative Industries Qualification

We received information about a course that the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) runs that might be of interest to those wishing to study photography with an aim of achieving a qualification.

The Royal Photographic Society’s Imaging for the Creative Industries qualification provides a structure leading to professional qualifications with particular relevance for those in the media including picture editors, art directors, curators, and designers as well as those within elements of education…..This could provide a qualification for educators, offering a focused opportunity for the academic community. Within this umbrella, the relevant academic disciplines from the fine arts to design as well as their applications can be interpreted widely. Specifically it will include areas of photography and imaging that embraces both those who make and those who use the medium(s).

 I have no idea what that means so   READ here for further details  here is a picture from Wildlife Photographer of the Year to cheer you up