Camera Fundamentals: Mastering Manual Settings

Each time you pick up your camera and select a scene and subject to photograph, you’re probably confronted with a challenging time capturing the scene as you see it, and more than that, as you want it to be seen in your photos. Picking settings that cater to your environment, especially if it is changing dynamically with shifts in lighting and focus, can be intimidating. The longer it takes for you to adjust, the more your head is occupied with what your camera’s doing, the more you are out of touch with your original ideas and creative impulses.

This class aims to cut through the confusion, putting you in the position of making necessary adjustments on the fly, with as little drag on your creative process as possible. Head out into the world confidently, knowing that no matter the situation, you can come away with expertly produced photos. Stop guessing, wondering, and worrying about your settings, and start making great photographs.

Topics to be covered will include:

• Manual vs. automatic exposure
• Aesthetic and narrative-driven setting choices (aperture & shutter)
• The Exposure Triangle (aperture, shutter speed, and ISO)
• Effective exposure streamlining - keeping it simple and spontaneous
• Automatic and custom white balance
• Your world vs. the world your camera sees - bridging the gap
• How to get accurate predictable and consistent results - every time - using your camera’s internal meter, and helpful feedback tools (histogram, blinkers)
• Metering modes: spot, center-weighted, matrix - which ones matter and when to use them
• Discussion of dynamic range & raw imagery
• Effective autofocus strategies: AF-C vs AF-S, single versus multi-point, cross-type sensors, mirrorless sticky boxes, etc.
• How to use the “limitations” of your camera for creative effect - high-key/low-key, high contrast, intentionally blown out highlights, silhouettes, and more

The Workshop will be both lecture-based and fully interactive with hands-on experience and demonstrations of these concepts and techniques discussed.

Requirements: Any camera with manual mode settings, and an understanding of how to access settings to change them - bring your camera manual if you’re unsure how to change the aperture, shutter & ISO on your camera.