Lectures:
   One
   Two
   Three
 

General Description
A 9 hour course (3x3hrs) offered by UNM-CE for those who have a digital SLR camera and wish to develop their skills through a deeper understanding of how the digital imaging system works, to enhance their creative control over the image for prints or electronic/web display.

Target audience and pre-requisites
Students must have a basic familiarity with their SLR through experience and reading the owner’s manual. Having taken other UNM-CE digital photography courses including use of PhotoShop will be especially helpful in this regard.

Student involvement
Students will attend three 3-hour in-class sessions which include presentation of information, discussion of the use of the digital SLR, review and commentary of student submissions. Students will be asked to submit 2 assignments, which will be discussed in sessions II and III. A website for material and student submissions will be available.

Topics to be covered
(Session titles are a reference to Ansel Adams’ famous series of 3 books that contain his technical knowledge, practical experience and unique creativity.)

Session I – The Camera
- The physical structure of a digital SLR (Theme: The camera is a tool, know your tool to control it.)
Body: Ergonomics: size, weight, UI
Sensor: size (Mp), type (CCD v. CMOS), sensitivity (ISO), noise
Viewfinder: Size, brightness
Menus and LCD-display: Control, access, intuitive menus, LCD size and brightness
Power and storage: Battery type, life and cost, battery grip, Media type, capacity and cost
Lenses: Kit lens or not, zooms or primes, one or many, Speed, size, IS, IQ,OEM or after-market?
Accessories: Flash, Camera bag, Tripod,
Problems, Cleaning, Focusing

Session II – The Negative (Theme: With so many options, knowledge and experience let you anticipate and control the outcome.)
The RAW image
The sensor is a photo-electronic light-measuring device
Dynamic range: over- and under-exposure
The histogram: All the information you’ll ever need!
Image review and image control
In-camera processing: Quality – highest, Size – largest, Format – easy (JPG), hard work (RAW)
Sharpening – moderate to low
Styles (personal preference, more neutral)

Session III – The Print (Theme: The end justifies the means. Although ostensibly magic, digital photo output is the logical consequence of all the preceding steps.)
Camera to Computer: Tethered or not?
Post-processing
Image viewing
Image processing
Photoshop Elements or CS2
Other software
File management, archiving
Naming conventions
Folders
Processed images and "raw files"
Backing up or all is lost
Printing or electronic display
Print at home, at pro-shop, CostCo/Walmart, online?
Image size and quality
Color balance

Lectures:
   One
   Two
   Three
   Four

Whether you are moving to digital after years of film photography, or just starting out with a new digital camera, this course will encourage you to become a better photographer. Topics and projects include: thinking about your photographic "eye", digital camera image capture, image management and processing, and image display and sharing. This course will help you define a use for your camera, and to see it as a tool to achieve your photographic goals. Prerequisite: You must have a digital camera, and a desire to use it!

Get the most out of your digital camera while developing your own vision.  Learn and develop skills to better enjoy the experience of digital photography. If you are just starting out with a new digital camera received as a gift, or a seasoned "pro," knowledge and practice are required to become a better photographer.  You should have a digital camera already and have read the owners manual (yes, it's not just in the box to stop the camera from rattling around during shipping!)  Students also need the image-editing software that normally comes packaged with the camera, and access to a computer. The course is project driven. Each week you will have an after-class activity and each lecture begins with a review of the previous week’s project.

UNM Open House presentation