DIGITAL COURSES OVERVIEW
This is a Comprehensive Digital Photography Course especially designed for the wildlife and landscape photographer. It aims to bring together like-minded people to learn and enjoy landscape and nature photography in a friendly, relaxed environment. We hope that at the end of the course you will take with you a collection of images of which you will be justly proud.
Each day will consist of a mixture of practical demonstrations out on location along with plenty of free time for you to practice your new found skills. Everyone will be given ‘one to one’ tuition tailored to their specific requirements and each day promises a contrast of settings such as only Shetland can provide.
In the evenings after dinner we will conclude with slide shows where we can offer a critique and evaluation of the day’s efforts.
During the course of the week we will cover field techniques and guidance on how to get the most out of your equipment, alongside computer sessions in our very own Digital Light Room.
The course is designed to guide and educate, motivate and stimulate you from the moment you see the image before your eyes to the time you hold the final print in your hand. You will be given a guided tour through the maze of imaging software and workflow, which we promise will be clear, simple, straight forward, avoiding technical jargon at all times.
Our ultimate aim is to give you confidence in your own ability with your camera in the field and with your computer back home to deliver the finest quality prints that show nature in all her glory.
These week long courses are designed for people with a basic knowledge of how to use a computer, but who need help with camera technique and how to handle pictures on their PC.
They would also suit experienced digital photographers who are looking to fine tune their skills or advance to a higher level in computer, camera and field technique. Many of the skills we teach are not mentioned in any book or magazine.
These courses offer a unique blend of digital photography, light room training, camera and field techniques. Most digital photographers do not take full advantage of the equipment they are using. This course will show you how to achieve the perfect image using composition and exposure and camera technique, without needing to use computer software to enhance an average image.
PhotoShop and many other software packages can then be brought into play to further enhance images which would never have been possible before the arrival of the digital age.
PhotoShop and similar software are wonderful tools in the modern photographer’s kit. But they are designed for designers and artists as well as photographers, so offer far more possibilities than we are able to teach on our courses. We can simply show you how to undertake even the most advance tasks in a well thought out way.
The details of each course will vary according to each group’s requirements. You will be sent a questionnaire with your booking form to help us design the best itinerary to suit everyone’s needs.
Computer Workflow
The computer workflow is probably the most important part of the whole digital process. Hours of time and frustration can make the process of editing and storing your images a real chore and takes the whole fun out of photography. We will show you how to quickly edit, convert, manipulate, catalogue, store and backup your images. We will show you straight forward systems that work.
Workflow requires set procedures to apply essential alterations to your images, such as levels (and its more advanced derivatives), cropping, resizing and sharpening. All of these functions will have a destructive effect on your images if not carried out correctly or in the correct workflow order.
Initially, when you only have a small number of images to process, the process seems straight forward if a little time consuming. But as the number of images you take, process and store grows, the workflow becomes more complicated and frustrating. A well thought out plan for essential workflow and storage is an absolute requirement.
Traditional film-based photographers, especially those working with black and white, used techniques in the darkroom to produce the optimum image. In the same way, digital photographers must learn software techniques and how to use them in the correct sequence to produce the best image in the shortest possible time frame. That way you can make sure you spend more time behind the camera lens and less time in front of the computer screen.
Computer Projects
Computer room sessions will initially be based around a selection of images which were taken prior to the course commencing, to give you a firm understanding of what we hope to achieve during our week together. But after the first day we will be using your own images caught on location in Shetland. We will work through initial image storing, editing, applying metadata (file information), essential image optimisation, creative (but natural looking) techniques, along with many more subjects to take us right through to the final file or print.
10 Stage Toolkit
We will show you how our 10 Stage Toolkit works.
This system gives you the tools required for essential, optimal adjustments
We are not looking for trick or special effect images , but natural looking images.
We show you the tools to undertake tricky lighting conditions with final images that appear the way the human eye records the scene, and not just the way your camera recorded the image with its limited ( in comparison to the human eye ) capture of exposure latitude.
While not every image will require all of the 10 stage system to achieve the final output. having a system in place , focuses your workflow, thoughts and ultimately optimises your final image.
Sounds complicated ?
Well that's just the point, its not, like every new system it takes some getting used to, but in a very short time You too will be zipping through your images, in a optimised
and effective process.
10 Stage Toolkit
1) Camera Raw Processing
2) Channel Adjustment Layers
3) Layer Blending Adjustments
4) Erase your Exposure Problems
5) Brush with Light
6) Photo Merge or Pano Stitch
7) HDR, High Dynamic Range
8) Image Clean Up (dust and Noise Reduction )
9) Sharpening
10) Output to File or Print
A Selection of some other Projects
PhotoShop Tools;
Optimising PhotoShop;
Raw vs Jpeg;
Histograms and Exposure;
Cleaning and Adjustments;
Sharpening;
Creating and Stitching Panoramic Images;
Expanding the Dynamic Range and HDR;
Raw Conversions;
Layers and Layer Masks;
Advanced Black and White Conversion Techniques;
Monitor and Print Calibration.
Digital Light Room Equipment
Digital Projectors;
Epson large format Printers up to 17” wide;
Professional Laminating Machines;
Professional Mount Cutters;
Framing Equipment.
Field Techniques
Metering
Mastering your exposure is vital for taking the best quality digital images. By taking full advantage of your ‘in camera’ metering, by moving away from programme or priority modes and switching to manual, you will be able to revolutionise your photography.
Many digital photographers do not believe they need to be accurate with their exposures as they can correct them afterwards with PhotoShop. This course will show you that this is far from the truth and by taking on our metering methods your photography will take on a new life and your success rate will soar.
The whole process can be explained in a very simple fashion, converting even the most sceptical to our methods.
Lighting
Photography is much about choosing the right time of day and the right type of light for your chosen subject. We will look at ways of controlling natural light using reflectors and diffusers.
Flash
We will show you how to use flash photography creatively by taking control of your flash gun. TTL, manual and full flash will all be covered.
Composition
We will cover all aspects of composition from the ‘rule of thirds’, leading lines and above all, learning to see great images in the ‘clutter of nature’. Some people have a natural ability to see a great image, but others can learn this ability. We will spend the week teaching you how to do this, along with the correct us of lenses to control perspective to give you the skill to master composition.
Focus and Sharpness
We will learn to understand zones of sharpness, and take control of depth of field in your images using hyper focal distance. We will look at the correct use of larger lenses to reduce camera shake and how to maintain sharp focus on moving subjects.
Stalking and Camouflage
We will cover the process of approaching wildlife without disturbing them or causing undue stress to your subject matter, using camouflage and stalking techniques.
Equipment and its correct use
There will be a large selection of equipment available for you to use during the week, including Manfrotto and Benbo tripods, Nikon and Fuji digital SLR cameras, a variety of lenses from 28 to 400mm, flash guns, bean bags, camouflage gear and hides. We will also cover using the right lens, camera controls and the correct use of tripods and other camera supports.
During this course we promise to show you how to truly take control of your photography.
Evening sessions will include critiques, slideshows or the opportunity to simply relax in the lounge bar at the Orca Country Inn.
