The camera side of photography is step number one in your creative journey, and it is covered extensively in the Beginner Workshops. The camera is a computer; you tell it what to do, and it does it. However, telling it what to do and how to do it can be frustrating. The first lesson covers all those buttons, levers, menus and compartments on the outside of your camera and lens. We start by showing you how to turn on the camera. Learning the ins and outs of the camera’s menus and buttons is the first and most important step in taking control of your camera and is the foundation for learning the next steps of the beginner workshop - shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.

Shutter speed, aperture, and ISO are the three main ways to control the camera and create the photograph you are envisioning. These three tools are taught independently through hands-on written lesson, in-class exercises, and on-site shooting. Then we return to the classroom for discussion of your photo experience before we move on to the next tool. It’s a deliberate, methodical, and hands-on approach where one lesson builds up to the next one. Discussion of basic composition, my favorite part, is also covered in the workshop.

Photographing in manual mode means you simultaneously control aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. A working use of manual photography allows you to begin your own independent, creative journey. You will go from learning how to turn on your camera to becoming a full manual shooting photographer in one weekend.