Don't Be Camera Shy. An Introductory Class For Point & Shoot Photographers.

This class is for new photographers who just want to take pictures and aren’t eager to become computer experts. Maybe you have been taking film pictures for years and someone recently gave you a digital camera. Or maybe you have had a digital camera for a while but don’t use it much because you “just aren’t comfortable with computers” and thought you needed them to use your camera. If so, this 6-hour class may be helpful to you to get over barriers that have been holding you back from experiencing the fun of photography.

In this class, we will go over common difficulties beginners encounter in learning to operate a digital P&S camera and transfer the images to a computer. The goal is to help you successfully complete two or three basic images with or without use of a computer as you prefer.

Sample topics will include:
Starting up the camera. Basic steps to using Auto settings.
How to get your images printed easily without using computers.
Resolution and pixels and printing - What does all that mean?
Using a digital camera shutter-release - What causes shutter-lag?
How to decrease shutter-lag.
How to avoid camera shake.
How to use pre-set dials: Learn to adjust sensitivity (ISO), use fill-in flash, reduce red-eye, adjust white balance, and use the macro setting for close-ups.
Seven photo-killing mistakes and how to avoid them. Take a close look at the three images on the bottom of the page. Ever see these kinds of images and not know why they turned out that way? These are examples of three of the seven photo-killing mistakes we will analyze and discuss.

Requirements: Students should bring their digital camera and manual to class. You will use your camera during class. Prior to class you will complete a questionnaire that helps us determine your skill level. You will need to bring batteries, memory cards and all equipment that came with your camera to the first class so that I can be sure you know how and why to use them.

Special Note on the Schedule: There will be a two week long break in the class schedule after the second class. We will have our last session on week 4. You will be given a longer list of practice images to work on while I am away.