RMSP Weekend
Course Information

Saturday

Session I
Photography Basics
Light and time are the basic essentials of photography. Regardless of whether you choose to use a digital or film camera, this will never change. This beginner class is an introduction to the use of the digital SLR or 35 mm film camera. Topics include understanding shutter speeds, f-stops, focal length and ISO. Basic equipment needs such as tripods, cable releases and lens shades will also be discussed. If you are serious about moving the dial from program mode to manual mode, this is the class for you.

Understanding Exposure: Using the Zone System for Color
Introduced by Ansel Adams for use in black and white photography, the theory of the Zone System is used today as an advanced method for metering in color. This method helps you achieve accurate and consistent exposures in difficult lighting. By understanding the skill of pre-visualization, you can create stronger compositions with accurate exposure whether you are a documentary, portrait, still life or landscape photographer. Principles learned in this class apply to digital and film photography.

Session II
Beyond the Basics  
Understanding the difference between how your eye sees light and how the camera captures light helps you to portray your subject in a way that mirrors your intentions. This class moves beyond the basics to help you understand important aspects of your digital or film camera. Topics covered include exposure and metering modes, focus options, reading a histogram, outsmarting your meter and the benefits of bracketing. Learning more about your camera ensures more consistent success as a photographer.

Introduction to Macro Photography
Getting closer to your subject is a good rule of thumb to follow in photography. In macro photography, it is both essential and rewarding. This beginning class introduces you to the extraordinary world of macro. You learn about the options for close-up equipment, how to work with and manipulate light for small subjects and the design principles for composing macro images that pop!

Session III
Composition – The Elements of Designing a Great Photo
In photography, it is true that you only get one chance to make a first impression. The way a photographer uses lines, shapes, colors, point of view and equipment when composing a photograph determines how people react. This class covers the basics of visual design, including the rule of thirds, symmetry, using lines to create perspective, the effect of cropping and more.

Processing Your Images with Adobe® Lightroom® and Adobe® Photoshop® - The First Steps
Whether you are working with Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop or Elements, the latest software allows photographers unprecedented control over both raw and jpg images. Join our instructors as they lead you through the important initial steps of image correction and enhancement. Topics include the advantages of working with the raw file format, correcting a photograph’s color balance and exposure, converting your images to black and white, and enhancing your images through the use of curves and the hue, saturation, and luminance sliders.

Sunday

Session I
Understanding the Qualities of Light  
As a photographer, understanding qualities of light is essential to creating photographs with impact. You learn how your camera, whether digital or film, interprets the color, intensity and contrast of your light, and most importantly, how this differs from how the human eye sees light. Topics include both indoor and outdoor lighting, the basics of on-camera fill flash, camera filters, color temperature and how to choose the right type of lighting for your subject.

Sunrises, Sunsets & Flowing Water
There is no doubt that sunrises, sunsets and velvet-like waterfalls are among the most visually appealing elements in the natural world. Capturing this beauty, however, requires more than just pointing and shooting. An understanding of the difference between what we see and how the camera renders it is crucial to creating award-winning images. This class teaches you tips and techniques on composition, filters, field techniques, and making the most of the “magic light.”

Session II
Photographing People
Documenting personal moments is one of the joys of being a photographer. However, learning how to interpret moments with a camera, and effectively convey moods and emotions, can be quite a challenge. In this class you learn how to connect with your subject, how to use light to define a face, how to choose the right equipment, composition and the importance of location and backgrounds. The difference between portrait and documentary photography is also discussed. This class is for the photographer looking to make eye-catching portraits in a digital world, saturated with every-day snapshots.

Fine Tuning Your Images in Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop – The Next Steps
Since the advent of our art form, photographers have known that the camera alone does not produce perfection. A little lightening here and darkening there always improves the look of a photograph. This class introduces you to the tools that Lightroom, Photoshop and Elements provide for fine-tuning your images. Topics include creating a step-by-step workflow, the theory of layers and adjustment layers, and using selections and masks to correct and enhance local areas of your photographs.

Session III
Critique Session  
Sunday’s critique session is an opportunity for you to have one of your images critiqued by professionals. Our instructors will comment on your image and offer tips and suggestions that may help you get the photo that you were shooting for. All critiques are anonymous. If you choose to participate in the critique session, you may submit one image. Your image should be a digital copy in large jpg format, ideally five to ten megabytes. We will not be able to accept prints or slides. You will be asked to submit your image at the registration table on Saturday afternoon. Please label your CD or other storage device with your name and be sure to pick it up before you leave. Windows Vista Users: Please click here for special instructions on burning your image to a disc. Please be aware that RMSP cannot be responsible for lost or damaged images.