Sam Wormley's Digital Photography - Point & Shoot Basics

Digital Photography - Point & Shoot Basics http://edu-observatory.org/olli/DP1/Week1.html GETTING STARTED Just about any camera, regardless of how good or bad it is, can be used to create outstanding photographs for magazine covers, winning photo contests and hanging in art galleries. The quality of a lens or camera has almost nothing do with the quality of images it can be used to produce. In this class you will learn what you can and can't do with your camera (film or digital). Class time includes hands on exercises! First steps for new digital camera users http://www.digicamhelp.com/learn/for-newbies/beginner-tips/ Turn your camera flash off! http://www.digicamhelp.com/camera-features/camera-modes/flash-modes/ The Shutter Button and Focus http://www.digicamhelp.com/taking-photos/basic-techniques/shutter-button/ http://www.digicamhelp.com/learn/toptips/digital-camera-shutter-button-use-it-correctly/ http://www.digicamhelp.com/camera-features/camera-modes/focus-modes/ http://www.digicamhelp.com/learn/toptips/focus-tips/ Autofocus problems and solutions http://www.digicamhelp.com/taking-photos/basic-techniques/autofocus-problems-and-solutions/ http://www.digicamhelp.com/camera-features/camera-modes/focus-modes/ http://www.digicamhelp.com/camera-logs/canon-xsi-450d/compose-then-focus/ IN CLASS EXERCISE With your camera, demonstrate that you can focus on what you want to focus on. Confirm that you focused where you intended by zooming in on the captured images and seeing that where you focused is sharp! UNDERSTANDING YOUR CAMERA MANUAL It doesn't really matter whether you are capturing images on film or with a digital sensor, with a throw away camera, a shirt pocket digital point and shoot camera, or an expensive single lens reflex (SLR) camera--The goals are the same--to understand what your camera can and can't do. Once you understand your camera's capabilities (and its limitations), you can capture images without the camera getting in your way. That's why it is important to read your camera manual! Lost your camera manual? Most can be found online in pdf format. Below are a couple of examples. You might also try googling something like this: Make Model User Manual Guide Canon Camera Manuals http://www.canon.com.au/support/manuals.aspx http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/digital_cameras Nikon dSLR Camera Manuals http://edu-observatory.org/olli/DP2/Nikon_Manuals.html WANT TO SHARE YOUR IMAGES WITH EACH OTHER? If so, here's how: 1. Goto http://picasaweb.google.com/olli.dp1 2. Click on the image with your name 3. Click on "Sign In", and sign in as olli.dp1@gmail.com and use the password ____________ Now you can click on "Add photos" (not "Upload") to upload images from your computer. If that is too complicated, email your images to me swormley2@gmail.com and I'll put them online for you. BASIC PHOTOGRAPHY: A SET OF EXERCISES http://teeksaphoto.org/Writing/BasicPhotoExercises.html PHOTOGRAPHY TUTORIALS http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials.htm http://www.geofflawrence.com/photography_tutorials.htm BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS John Berger About Looking Pantheon (1980) ISBN: 0679736557 Leslie Stroebel, Hollis Todd, Richard Zakia Visual Concepts for Photographers Focal Press Limited (1980) ISBN: 0240510259 swormley2@gmail.com