Images of France Course Information - Level 1 Beginners/Improvers
"remove the mystery, create the magic..."
Level 1 Course Overview
If you are a newcomer to digital photography or have been using a camera for quite some time but are not getting the best from it this is the course for you. We will provide an excellent foundation for all your future photography.
We will take away the mysteries that hinder producing great photographs and create some magic as you learn to 'see' things in a new light.
We have guests with a wide range of experience and they all gain valuable knowledge and confidence - everyone has a great time learning these new skills in a convivial and relaxed atmosphere. To see their comments, click here
To begin with, we want to ensure that you have a good understanding of the technical aspects of exposure that are essential to achieving consistent results. Then we move on to using these tools in a more creative way.
After each tutorial session there is a practical exercise, which allows you to try things out for yourself and get a really good grasp of the techniques that have been explained.
We also go out on location shoots where you will be able to put together all that you have been learning, hopefully bringing back some strong images to the digital darkroom, where we use Photoshop Elements for managing and enhancing them.
For examples of the standard achieved by the guests on our Beginners/Improvers course, please visit our Level 1 Gallery
A typical itinerary - Images of France Level 1
The course is run as a number of tutorials, discussions, assignments and practical exercises.
Bouquet by Susanne Bohrmann -
On the first evening we have an introduction to the course, and a hands on computer session before getting to know each
other over aperitifs
- Day 2 starts with getting the most out of the camera controls and demonstrations of where things can go wrong and how to avoid them, with practical lessons to see the results. A special offsite assignment gives you the opportunity to get shooting and put some new techniques into action. Then we cover key technical theory which is reinforced with practical exercises
- On Day 3 we consider aspects of composition, before heading out on location to find and capture those qualities in one of the nearby medieval bastide towns. Then back to the studio to download onto the computers for review. Later we search for colour, texture, pattern and form, opening our eys to new opportunities for image making.
- On Day 4 we have a morning assignment in a nearby town, stopping on route to capture landscape and rural views. Then in the afternoon we learn some basic image manipulation in the digital darkroom before heading out again to capture the evening light in the landscape
- Day 5 sees the culmination of all your efforts as you select some of your best images and learn how to further enhance them and prepare them for printing. While the prints are being produced there is an opportunity to try using natural light for indoor portraiture and using flash and fill-in flash. Then in the evening we have a private exhibition of your work, with aperitifs
- On the last morning we review what we have covered and there's time for a final one to one with Graham before recording all your images onto DVD to take home with you, together with all the course notes
On the way back to Berty after photography in the French countryside
You will leave with new photographic skills that will take your future photography into a whole new dimension.
With comfortable accommodation in our adjacent gite, and excellent meals throughout, you can be sure of a very enjoyable experience overall.
Equipment Supplied
- Individual computer for each guest
- 24" or 17" high brilliance flat screens, colour calibrated for optimum print output
- multi-input card readers
- Photoshop Elements software
- A4 printer
Equipment Required
- Digital camera, operating manual, battery charger, spare battery (advised)
- A large capacity memory card
- A camera bag that you can carry on your shoulder or back
- A lightweight tripod, if you have one
- Extra lenses, if owned
You can hire a DSLR camera and tripod for the duration of the course. If you would like to do so, please indicate this on the booking form.
A portrait using natural light
The next level
If you have already attended our Level 1 course or feel that you have a good understanding of the use of your DSLR and are achieving consistently good exposure, then you are ready for the challenge of our Level 2 course, shooting in RAW mode and building on your skills to create stronger images in more varied situations. Read more Information on our Level 2 DSLR Course
00 33 565 31 49 72 or use our enquiry form