Basic Photography I: Film and Digital Camera Fundamentals
© Julia Dean
In this six-week workshop students will learn all the gadgets on the camera, how to use them, and how to control the photograph’s final look. Discussions include composition and light, how to get the background in or out of focus, how to stop or blur motion, why to use one ISO over another, and how to use the camera’s light meter to provide the best exposure. Other topics covered include using the right lens for a specific effect and alternative approaches to photography.
Further discussion will center on the similarities and differences between film and digital cameras. The basics that deal specifically with digital cameras will also be explored, such as how to adjust the camera’s white balance, how to view and delete images, and how to transfer the image from the camera to a computer. The goal is to provide each participant all the technical information needed to operate his or her film or digital camera properly.
Students will work in both black-and-white and color while learning how to “see” in the chosen medium. Weekly assignments will be given followed by critiques during the next class session. Digital shooters are encouraged to expand their understanding of the medium and enroll in Mark Berndt’s “Basic Photography II: Digital Camera Techniques” (see right column).
Julia Dean is the director of the Julia Dean Photo Workshops. Throughout her career, she has traveled to more than 40 countries while freelancing for umerous relief groups and magazines. She is also the author/photographer of the children’s book, A Year on Monhegan Island. Julia received a Bachelor of Science degree in photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology and a Master of Arts degree in journalism at the University of Nebraska. She began her career as an apprentice to famed photographer Berenice Abbott. Later, Julia was a photo editor for the Associated Press in New York.
She has taught for 24 years at such places as the University of Nebraska, Los Angeles Valley College, Los Angeles Southwest College, Santa Monica College, the Santa Fe Workshops, the Maine Photographic Workshops and the Julia Dean Photo Workshops.
