Workshop Experience : Photography Studies College Week #2

Being Week 2 its all still warming up with the course.  We spent this week going over the mechanical and technical aspects of our cameras, bit of familiarisation for those that needed it, and a bit of a refresher for those that were across their cameras already.  

Its funny how we all split in to the Canon types, the Nikon types, and the Others.  By the looks of our class alone, Canon seems to be holding its own in camera share !* (* not a statistically valid sample size). Being in the "Others" with one other student, I had some good time to go through our different cameras and discuss what we liked about them.

We then got introduced to the Exposure triangle - the relationship between ISO, Shutter speed and Aperture in order to get a "correct exposure".  

When I first started photography and started to get my head around this triangle and the interplay between these three key parameters, it did do my head in for quiet some time.  And practise didn't seem to crack it for me at the start at all.  

Until I found the book "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson.  

Just a fantastic reference book - it reads so easily even though it is quiet involved in parts, and it really does cement in the key principles of shooting in manual and manipulating ISO, Shutter speed and Aperture in order to get the effect that you imagine. (it goes in to quite a few other areas of capturing light as well and I highly recommend the purchase and read).  

After reading this book I have rarely taken any camera I now use off manual, and its now up to my imagination to capture a good photo just as much as it is the settings of a camera.

We also got our first assignment. A simple one, a useful one and one that isn't necessarily as easy as it sounds.  

Set the camera to ISO400, shutter speed to 1/4, stabilisation off if you have it anywhere in camera or on the lens, and go and get a pin sharp hand held frame.

Off we go !