From RAW to Polished and Beyond (55+)
VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA Mondays, October 29 through December 10, 2018, 12:30–2:20 p.m. (no class Nov 12)
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY – DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER CAMPUS
Registration opens Wednesday, July 25 at 10 a.m. at the SFU Continuing Studies website
The invention of the digital camera has made taking photographs extremely easy. But there’s a difference between the multiple snapshots anyone can shoot and a breathtaking photograph. Great images produce an “aha” moment —a sense that this picture rises above the ordinary. It might seem that you have to capture a superb photograph at the first click of the shutter, but, in fact, many apparently ordinary photographs can be improved with computer software.
In these workshops, we will learn how to record images. Then we will walk around Vancouver taking pictures. Back in class, we will review your selected images, which you’ll learn how to enhance using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. Our concluding session will allow for follow-up questions and suggestions for moving forward with digital photography.
Please note that enrollment in this course is reserved for adults 55+.
Session 1: Photography Basics
From pre-visualization through re-visualization. Camera settings for urban photography along with the power of the histogram. Creating a shooting game plan.
Session 2: Field Photography
Photographing the designed and constructed environment on the north shore of False Creek, with convenient access via Skytrain.
Session 3: Image Editing Basics – Part 1
The basics of editing your RAW files in Adobe Lightroom software with a workflow that can apply to all image editing software.
Session 4: Image Editing Basics – Part 2
The basics of editing your RAW files in Adobe Lightroom software with a workflow that can apply to all image editing software.
Session 5: Image Editing Basics – Part 3
The basics of editing your RAW files in Adobe Lightroom software with a workflow that can apply to all image editing software.
Session 6: Going Beyond the Basics of Editing
More advanced editing of your RAW files in Adobe Lightroom software, including the benefits of using additional software for finishing your images going forward.
- Lectures
- Discussion (may vary from class to class)
- Papers (applicable only to certificate students)
How you will be evaluated
For certificate students only:
Your instructor will evaluate you based on an essay, which you will complete at the end of the course. You will receive a grade of “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory.”
Extra suggested requirements
You are required to have access to and be familiar with how to use a digital camera. As this is not a course on how your camera works, you should be familiar with its features and functions before the class.
You are welcome to bring your digital camera to all classes. For the urban walkabouts (weeks 2 and 4), a sturdy tripod would be helpful, but not a requirement.
Ideally, although not a requirement, your camera will have a “quality” setting that allows for RAW file capture which maintains all of the original camera data recorded. This will be very useful for getting the most out of your images.
You should be familiar with how to download and transfer your images to a USB drive for presentation to the instructor.
Weeks 3 and 5 will focus on editing your images in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. To get the most from the course, it is recommended that you have the software downloaded and operating on your laptop for the course. Photoshop Lightroom is a monthly subscription. However, it is not absolutely necessary to have the Lightroom software, as most of what will be presented will apply to other image editing programs.
At your option, you are welcome to bring your fully-charged laptop, with photo-editing software installed, to weeks 3 through 6 to follow along.
Please note that enrollment in this course is reserved for adults 55+.
Registration opens Wednesday, July 25 at 10 a.m. at the SFU Continuing Studies website