For me, photography isn’t just my job. Without realising it, I was a photographer before photography starting paying my bills. I’ve taken photos all of my life, documenting the things I’ve done and the people important to me. As a father, photographing my kids and their friends as they grow is just as important as the weddings I document for my couples. Which is why I’ve decided to run a Beginners Photography Course in Southend-on-Sea so that you can take great photos of the things important in your life.
Anyway, everyone’s a photographer now right? Everyone has a pretty good camera with them at all times (your smartphone unless you didn’t realise). With apps like Instagram bringing photo enhancement to our fingertips it’s never been easier to take photos and share them with your friends. But with all the advancements and availability of technology, the basics of photography are the same. And learning those basics can be daunting. I’ve been there. I’ve waded through YouTube tutorials, bought the magazines, bought the books and spent hour after hours practicing. Now I want to help you through that journey. To help you photograph the people and places that are important to you. To help you take creative visually pleasing images. To help you tell stories with your photos.
My Beginners Photography Course will take you through the basics, how to get your camera out of auto mode and take control of your images. Below is a brief summary of what will be covered.
Manual Control: Understanding Exposure, Metering, Shutter Speed, Aperture and ISO
This is a key learning point. Auto and semi-auto modes have their place but understanding how to control exposure is such an important part of being able to take creative control of your photos. For this course we will be working in manual mode. No more auto. You will learn about exposure and how to use your camera’s internal light meter to quickly get your photos looking as bright or dark as you want them.
Focussing, Focal Length and Depth of Field
Ever thought the subject in your photos was a bit blurry? Well that might be because your camera chose to focus on something in the background. You will learn about the various focus modes your camera has and when are where to use them. We will also cover focal length, what it means, the advantages and disadvantages of certain focal lengths, how it relates to depth of field and how to use all of that creatively.
White Balance
You will learn about white balance, what it is, why we need to know about it, how to adjust it and how to use it creatively.
Basic use of light and composition
Once you know how to operate your camera in manual mode these two elements are the key to opening up the world of creative photography. This is where things get interesting. Using light to your advantage and knowing how to compose a photo is so important.
Post Production
There is wide range of post production software available to us these days. We briefly will cover some of the most popular ones, how to use them and how they can help you organise your photos. We will also look at backing up and printing your photos, an important step which is often overlooked.
Smartphone Photography
You don’t always need your “proper” camera to take good photos. The principles of composition and use of light are the same no matter what camera you are using. Smartphones are great cameras and we pretty much always have one in our pocket or bag. You will learn how to make better use of your smartphone camera and get some tips on enhancing your photos with apps.
New Dates Available
The following dates for Beginners Courses are currently available:
- Sunday 2 December 2018 at Metal Art School, Chalkwell Hall, Chalkwell Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 8NB (early bird pricing until 18 November)
SPECIAL EARLY PRICE £150
The course will normally cost £175 and run for a full day (approximately 10am-6pm) with lunch included. If you book early (see above for dates) you will get it for the reduced Early Bird price of £150. Spaces are limited to 8 spots so that all students get plenty of one on one attention. Please email me with any queries you may have or if you’re already decided go ahead and book your place on the next course. Ongoing support will be provided afterwards via my workshop attendee Facebook group where you can help each other learn together and ask me for feedback on your photos.
You can also buy the beginners course as a gift. Do you have that special someone in your life who has everything and is impossible to buy presents for? Well this would be perfect for them. Just book a gift voucher rather than a specific date and I’ll send you a printed voucher in the post. Voucher much be redeemed within 1 year of purchase.
Here is what previous attendees have said about the course:
Thanks for a great workshop, you really helped me bring together the scattered knowledge I had in one comprehensive session. I can now go away and practice a lot more confidently, understanding why shots have or haven’t worked. Most of all though you’ve inspired me to look for the light and to try and find my own photography style.
Clare
I attended Matt’s Beginners Course. It’s a great course for those who have a grasp of the basics but have not yet mastered how to put them all together. Matt’s very knowledgeable and guides you through the fundamental elements of creating an image (ISO, Shutter Speed, Aperture, Focal Length, Exposure), their relationship with each other and how you can manipulate them to create your desired image.
The course is broken up with bite size practical sessions so you can try out what you have learned before you move on to the next skill. This was particularly helpful as I could recognise some of the common mistakes I make and be able to correct them. This course goes the extra mile in sharing helpful advice on editing and processing your images as well as how to get the most out of your camera phone. Highly recommended.
Nick
