WEBSITE DESIGN & MEDIA TRAINING
Digital Photography
Getting the Most from Your Digital Camera

Overview and Frequently Asked Questions

Generally this type of course is aimed at the beginner with a compact camera as shown below on the left or for others who have had an SLR style film camera and have converted over to digital.

Digital Photography
Digital Photography

Although these courses are for beginners, it is better if the participents do have some basic knowledge of computers and can use a mouse.

What is in the course?

- You will learn how to take better pictures by understanding the rules of composition;
- You will be able to transfer the images from your camera to a PC;
- You will use the software available to organise your photos;
- You will manually organise your photos into folders and name them;
- You will learn simple techniques to enhance/repair/print your photos;
- You will learn how to prepare your photos for print labs or to print at home;

How will I learn?

- Lectures using presentations that you can watch again from home from this website;
- Practical sessions using hardware such as multi-card readers, USB leads and memory sticks;
- Discussions and input from other learners' experiences;
- Handouts will be given and more are on this website if you require them;
- Practical sessions using practice images to learn techniques;

Do I need to bring my camera?

Only if you want to. Some do and some do not. I will bring at least 3 every week but the intention is not to spend a lot of time taking pictures in the lessons as you can do that anytime during the week. If the weather is good we may go outside for half-an-hour and take a few shots to practice composition or exposure and then look at them in class.

I must point out that none of the PCs will be able to install the software that came with your camera or in most cases accept CDs or Floppy Disks. If you do want to bring in photos to use or show they will need to be on the camera's memory card so they can be used with a card reader or on a standard USB memory stick. We will be learning how to do this during the course.


What software will I use

Depending on the venue, the software will either be Adobe Photoshop CS or Adobe Photoshop Elements 5. The operating system may be XP or Vista.

What if I do not have either/any of the programs above?

Depending on your computer experience and what software you do have on your computer you may be able to transfer the skills learned on this course to your own software.

It is usual that you would be prepared to buy a copy of Photoshop in some version as it is generally acknowledged to be the software everyone uses and the one that all the photographic magazines refer to and recommend.

I have an early version of Photoshop or Elements or Paintshop Pro - will this do?

The answer to this is probably yes! The software I have used to teach this subject has been from Photoshop 6, Photoshop Elements 2 and Paintshop Pro 7. With any of these programs you will be able to do any of the techniques on any of my courses.

Would it be better if I had the latest software?

Yes but do not rush out and buy the full Photoshop unless you really need it.

I use Photoshop CS3 Extended (£700+) every day but for the vast majority of mundane things I do such as cropping, straightening, brightening and sharpening, I could just as easily use Elements 5 or 6. (£30.00 - £70.00)

Shop around for the best prices which are usually online from Amazon or similar sites.
See the links on the left of this page or go straight to Amazon.co.uk by clicking the link below.

Visit Amazon

What about Picasa?

Fine if you just want to brighten up your pictures, rotate them or something simple like that.
Many people use Picasa and so do I for certain things like making a web gallery or sharing photos online. For that it is great but for advanced editing, it was never designed for that!

See my Picasa Photos :: Download Picasa for free :: Join Picasa



Does the course cover RAW?

It can do but most beginners will not know what RAW is and may never use it.
However, many compact cameras now shoot in RAW in addition to JPEG so I do usually mention it by either showing it on a laptop or by a video on this website. There is a good handout also to compare the advantages of RAW.

What can I do after this course?

There are courses specifically on Photoshop that will enhance your photo-editing skills by learning more techniques that involve the use of layers and more advanced tools.
These courses will show the professional approach to image editing and you will practice on high resolution images to hone your skills to a fine degree.

Digital Photography














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