Photography

Learning to take great pictures begins with a solid understanding of camera settings and the effects they produce. This introduction to how a digital camera works looks at lens types, focus, aperture, depth of field, shutter speed and exposure. Follow along as our photographer provides helpful explanations and visual examples of these camera basics.

Understanding the effect of different lighting conditions on a subject and knowing how to compose a balanced image are key skills for any photographer. How these elements work together can be complex, but learning how to achieve different outcomes will make your photography more interesting and fun. This programme explores how lighting, composition and shooting techniques are combined to create the final image.

Photoshop has been described as a digital darkroom. Its range of brushes, palettes, filters and tools can be overwhelming, and taking time to experiment and get familiar with its interface is important if you are to get the most out of it. Here we explore some of the fundamental techniques of Photoshop.

Episode 01: Introduction and Equipment
Bob Davis begins the series by introducing lighting with speedlites and giving an overview of what's inside his typical gear kit for a shoot.

Episode 02: Camera and Lighting Primer
In this episode Bob continues his overview of equipment by covering different cameras and lighting options within them as well as different lens options.

Episode 03: Live Demo I - DIY "Dirty" Lighting
In this first live shoot of the course, Bob introduces you to "dirty lighting" and takes you through a shoot from start to finish.

Episode 04: Live Demo II - Great Results with One Speedlite
In this episode Bob goes through the basics of lighting using one speedlite as your primary light and how to build the rest of your setup around that, showing how the movement of light can affect the results.