So you bought a new camera, a really expensive camera hoping this will help you take amazing photos. There are all these dials on your camera that you have no idea what they are or what they even do so you stick to automatic because the camera should know what it’s doing. You realize it is time to take some photography courses to learn how to use your camera.
When searching for photography courses near me GTA Photography seemed like the obvious choice. They offer great photography courses for beginners as well as for more advanced photographers.
If you are going to invest money in an expensive camera hoping to take amazing pictures then you are going to have to invest your time in learning how to use your camera. Learning what aperture, ISO and shutter speed are will help you to learn to take better photos.
That was me with my brand new shiny camera ready to take some photos only to realize that they were either over-exposed or just not up to par. I knew I had to learn how to use my camera and watching YouTube videos wasn’t cutting it. I needed hands-on learning.
Photography Course 101
I decided to sign up for the photography course 101 for begineners to learn how to get out of automatic and to master manual mode.
You can either do the Photo 101 as a weekend class that runs on a Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm or if you can’t commit an entire weekend then the 4-week class may be for you. The weekend photography course covered a lot of ground and we event went out on photo walks to help us implement what we just learned. Here is a breakdown of the photography course.
Unit 1: Manual Mode Photography Course
In lesson 1, we learned the basic components of manual mode.
In Lesson 1: Manual Mode, we dove into the important components of manual mode!. We learned all about Aperture, shutter speed, and ISO including how they relate to getting those stunning blurry backgrounds, and captivating frozen shots. We were introduced to the concept of stops. What I loved is that if you are not familiar with all the settings on your camera, they had you covered. The instructor would find the settings and then show you how to use the setting.
You will learn how to use the aperture controls, the shutter speed as well as the ISO to adjust your camera to the perfect setting.
You will learn how ISO affects your images and how to effectively adjust ISO along with shutter speed and aperture.
Key topics: camera basics, exposure, shutter, aperture, ISO, shutter speed, depth of field, freezing and blurring motion, camera shake, grain, stops, lightmeter
Tips for Using ISO:
Unit 2: Field Trip Photography Course
After learning the basics in lesson 1 we put everything we learned into practice. We headed out in Toronto and practiced taking photos of frozen movement, blurred movement. The photography course instructor was always around for helpful tips on lighting, focusing and any other help needed.
Key topics: hands-on practice, review, focus
Unit 3: Composition Photography Course
Now that we mastered the technical aspects of manual mode we learned about composition. We learned about the 7 compositional guidelines that will help create great photos.
The 7 compositional guidelines include:
- Rule of Thirds
- Balancing Elements
- Symmetry
- Framing
- Leading Lines
- Space
- Keep Horizons Straight
Unit 4: Equipment Talk & More Shooting Time
In Unit 4 we discussed photography gear. Important topics were covered such as cleaning accessories, tripods, lenses and so much more. After the equipment talk, we headed out on our final field trip to practice all the new photography skills.
GTA Photography offers small-sized photography courses so that they are able to offer more hands-on learning. The instructor was extremely knowledgable and was able to guide me and help me learn my camera.
Should You Take GTA Photography Courses
If you are new to photography or are more advanced, there is something for all levels. After Photo 101 there is Photo 201. Once you have learned the basics and have mastered your camera, now is time to learn how to edit your photos. They offer Lightroom and Photoshop digital photography editing courses as well.
They also offer specialty photography courses such as studio lighting, product photography, food photography, night photography, and travel photography. I was extremely impressed with the structure and hands-on learning of the workshop and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to take their photography to the next level. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or advanced photographer as there is something for everyone.