I went to take the course “ABC’s of Digital Photography and Digital SLRs” given by Steven Hirsch.
“Master your digital SLR and learn how to take control of the photo-making process! This Workshop offers an overview of digital photography, camera systems and an introduction to digital imaging using Adobe Photoshop. We’ll explore content, composition, selecting focal length, camera focus and light sources, as well as basic camera functions, exposure controls, file formats, resolution, image acquisition and management. Steven will also discuss image aesthetics, image editing, color correction, workflow, image output and storage archiving.”
Sadly, 85 % of what was taught in this course I already learned from Preston and others in this thread, 10 % I knew from the Dummies book and then I walked away learning about 3 or 4 different things. All in all I am still glad I went.
The things I learned were that the instructor loved his Nikon D3 $5,000 camera and made sure to tell us many times (I was wondering if he had some type of deal with Nikon). Steve was adamant about shooting on a tripod and tried to show the class how camera shake does happen even when you think you have the camera very still. Since the class I am using a tripod and notice no difference.
Next point of interest to me was the order in which things are done. I know that I have to set the shutter speed, aperture and ISO and then meter the light. The problem was I never knew which to do first and which should take priority. Steve explained that when shooting anything with any motion I must start at a shutter speed of 250. He then told me with the cats and I what I am doing I should be at ISO 400 and then meter the light from there. Well, I tried to do this in class and like at home it was impossible. Often I will have to go to ISO 1600 and to meter the light correctly I have to take my speed down to 30! I showed this to the instructor to see what I was doing wrong and he said it was not me that I needed a newer camera. I also noticed at home that I often need the aperture at a lower number then it will go. He further explained that newer cameras have come so far with ISO which makes a big difference and that I should get the Nikon (of course) D90 (and he mentioned something about the 700). Well many photographers have been shooting with the likes of the camera I am using, so I will just have to continue as is.
That was about all I got out of the class. Much of the above outline of the course was never even discussed. What I was hoping to learn in the class was histograms. Towards the end of the day I asked if we could get into that and Steve’s reply was, “Histograms suck and nobody uses them.”
A major problem I am having with the camera is the custom white balance (a post on that later), but the BEST thing I got out of the class was from another student who showed me an item he uses called “Expo Disk”
http://www.expoimaging.net/product-overview.php?cat_id=1&keywords=ExpoDisc (maybe this will be something that solves my problem).
In doing some research since the workshop it appears to me that if I am going to try and improve my set-up any available funds should go into lighting (switching to strobes) and not in updating the camera.
And that was my day at school.
Barbra
