SUMMARY - This 2-day workshop is for those with basic experience with cameras and some knowledge of the photographic process, and who want to improve their capabilities in the digital world and explore techniques to produce better and more interesting images. The workshop reviews the elements that make a good image, the details of how the camera and lenses work including their controls, and how you use them to capture the image. A field trip in scenic New Mexico follows this review and update, tests our picture taking expertise, presents some new techniques, and provides some great pictures. Afterwards we transfer the images into a computer and focus on the main part of this workshop, the power of Photoshop and how it can significantly improve your images. Lastly, we work on the matching of the computer monitor and the printer, and printing and evaluating our images.
DETAILS – This 2-day workshop is an intermediate course in photography where the participant examines the whole photographic process from seeing an image to printing it out, concentrating on the image manipulation in Photoshop. We will review digital systems and all the elements necessary to capturing and producing a fine digital print. This intermediate workshop will cover many technical aspects explained so as to assure full understanding.
The photographic process starts with the image we want to capture. Composition, visualization of the final image, lighting, and shooting from different perspectives will be reviewed. Measuring exposure is critical to a good image. Metering and its relation to aperture and shutter speed are discussed as is the use of ISO . We cover the intricacies of the effects of depth of field and exposure time and their application to different images for varying effects. The lens and the options regarding which one to use, or what zoom ratio, is also worked. Finally, we shoot and learn how to use the histogram to check the exposure.
The heart of the photographic process is the camera and lens and therefore we cover all the facets of this machine because the photographer needs to understand the tools with which he or she will work. The participant will delve into the specifics of how the digital camera works, how the image is recorded on the sensor, and ultimately gets to the flash card. We will discuss mega pixels, the conversion of the analog image via a CCD or CMOS sensor to a digital image, buffers, and flash cards so you fully understand what they do and how they operate. JPEG, TIFF, and RAW formats will be covered so you know which one you want to use. The basic controls of the camera are discussed including aperture priority, shutter priority, program and manual modes, white balance, auto focus, ISO settings and how they inter-relate to give you flexibility for each shot. Shooting procedures that describe how the controls are used and when and why is explained. Advanced controls will be covered, showing how they modify the basic settings, and the special capabilities they provide.
These techniques will be reinforced in a field trip somewhere in the Albuquerque area designed to give us some great images. The location is dependent upon the interests and needs of the participants. This will help to fix all the above material in real terms.
Generating a fine print requires capturing a good image and then processing it. An important and creative part of the workshop is to now explore in some depth the processing of each image and printing. We will work with some selected images of the participants in Photoshop, also discussing plug-ins and supporting software. Starting with the RAW window, we work on the pre-processing before introducing the image into Photoshop. Then the various tools and menus of Photoshop will be reviewed and applied to the images seeing how they can be massaged and modified. Adjustment layers, selection tools, burning and dodging, sharpening, B&W techniques, and more are studied. Lastly we set up for printing, matching what we see on the computer screen with what we get from the printer (including monitor calibration), and evaluating the printed images.
A group dinner the first night (cost of the dinner is not included) is followed by an evening session wherein there will be a showing of digital prints and discussion of how they were taken and processed. The workshop provides participants an organized and well rounded course in digital photography and Photoshop.
EXTENSION OPTION - An option is available to extend the workshop another day to a total of 3 days for those interested. This will allow an additional field trip further reinforcing camera techniques and additional instruction in the use of Photoshop and printing focused on the special interests and needs of the participants.
Faculty Information:
Elliot Framan has a photographic history stretching back over 30 years and includes work taken throughout the United States, Europe, Central America and Israel. Most of the work is fine art photography but also includes commercial images. Initially working in color through Cibachrome (now Ilfochrome) he switched to black and white film photography using medium and large format cameras. He studied with many name black and white photographer/printers including George Tice, Ted Orland, John Sexton, and Alan Ross (the latter three having learned and developed under Ansel Adams). With the advent of digital photography, he has added this medium to his talents, again returning color images into his portfolio. His activities include the entire photographic process from capturing the image to generating the final print, and it is this knowledge of the overall process that he enjoys sharing with workshop participants.
Elliot’s work includes landscapes, documentaries, and portraits. Subjects of primary interest are historical sites, the old west, travel areas of interest, and equestrian activities. Although New Mexico is an ideal site for much of this, his scope of interest extends to the rest of the United States, Europe, and other countries. His work has been in many juried art shows and one-man exhibitions with several first place awards in photography. Many color digital images have been seen in magazine articles and on magazine covers.
Other Activities:
Participants are encouraged to stay in New Mexico after the workshop and tour and photograph on their own. Information for this can be provided. If there is sufficient interest, an extension to the workshop may be arranged to visit and photograph other locations.
Facility Information:
The Elliot Framan Photography Workshops is based in Corrales, New Mexico, just outside of Albuquerque. It offers a range of workshops in digital photography. The studio is fully equipped for demonstrating digital image processing in Photoshop, scanning, and printing.
Notes:
The cost above is for the workshop including breaks. Meals, transportation to Albuquerque/Corrales, and lodging are not included, although information about these will be provided.
Also see Vacation Schools in:
Photography and Film Workshops
USA
New Mexico
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