If you had 6 days to teach.... - DPChallenge Forums

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

06/21/2006 02:35:17 PM · #1

My husband (Wavelength) and I have been asked to teach a photography class for teens at a conference/camp at the end of July. Each class is one hour and the shooting is done in between. At the end of the week each participant submits their best photo for publication in the Salvation Army's monthy magazine or newspaper. Most will not have cameras of their own, the Camp has 2 Nikon D70s and an assortment of lenses so these plus our own equipment will be used for the most part. So I ask you: What would you teach over six one-hour class sessions?

Message edited by author 2006-06-21 14:35:52.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

06/21/2006 02:39:28 PM · #2

If you search the forums, there was a thread within the past two weeks about conducting a kids photo camp -- I'm sure many of the suggestions would "cross over" to your situation. I have to leave, so I can't find it for you, sorry ...

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM II

06/21/2006 02:41:12 PM · #3

Cool- thanks for the idea!

colyla

Canon EOS-50D

06/21/2006 02:45:22 PM · #4

Here was the recent article with some good ideas!

teach forum

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM II

06/21/2006 03:35:05 PM · #5

There are some neat things in there but the situation is different. This is only for the one week not for a whole camp. The class is one hour. I am trying to figure out what basic things to cover that will help these kids be better than they started by the end of the week.

colyla

Canon EOS-50D

06/21/2006 03:38:08 PM · #6

I think the 'rule of thirds' is a good thing to bring up. My mom (almost 70) had no clue what rule of thirds was until recently! :)

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

06/21/2006 03:43:44 PM · #7

That's a good one! I would love to have them each choose a re-shootable subject the first day after we go over camera basics and then teach them about composition and thirds and lighting and DOF and all that then have them shoot again just to see the difference. That is just one idea though.

Beetle

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

06/21/2006 03:49:59 PM · #8

I don't know if you can go there ahead of time, but this would help improve your time restraints a lot:

Before the kids are there, find that re-shootable subject and take a number of BAD photos. Deliberately ruin the lighting in one, the compostion in another, and so on.

Discuss what was good and was what bad in them, then send them out to take a photo of the same subject - doing their best to apply what they've learnt.

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra

06/21/2006 03:52:12 PM · #9

Another good idea!

Tom_Robbrecht

06/21/2006 03:56:43 PM · #10

Assuming very little to no prior photography experience in the audience I would stick to basics :

Hour 1 - Light & color
Hour 2 - Camera
Hour 3 - Exposure
Hour 4 - Composition
Hour 5 - Lenses
Hour 6 - Disciplines + examples (journalism, travel, product...)

[edited typo]

Message edited by author 2006-06-21 15:57:24.

Bear_Music

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

06/21/2006 04:15:12 PM · #11

Lesson 1: Introductory lesson. The use of the camera. Aperture and shutter speed, correct exposure, white balance, Tv vs Av, autofocus, stuff like that. Changing lenses. What different lenses do. Visual examples of under, over, and correct exposure to be shown. Visual examples of wide-normal-tele-extreme tele shot from same vantage point to be shown.

Lesson 2: Principles of composition. Examples of "typical" compositional "errors"; faces in the center of compositions, horizons not level and/or bisecting the image, and so forth. Introduction to valid compositional "models", primarily rule of thirds and leading lines, possibly diagonal movement. Introduction to concept of negative space.

Lesson 3: Principles of using natural light. Flat light, strong light, raking light, back light. Visual examples of each to be shown. Try to inject into the students the idea that light is the single most important part of photography. Use otherwise-decent student examples with weak lighting to discuss how changes in lighting would enhance the shot. Many examples of lighting and discussion of these types of light can be found in the landscape learning thread.

Lesson 4: Principles of casual portraiture. Show examples of good "candids", no need to go into studio lighting though. Get the kids interested in shooting each other. Discuss the importance of eyes in the portrait. etc etc.

Lesson 5: Unusual perspectives/points of view. Show examples; worm's eye, radical distortion, shooting through openings, whatever; you can come up with many ideas for this.

Lesson 6: Demonstrate basic photoshop skills.

Something like this?

R.