Beginners class is comprised of 4 independant workshops (offered separately: class No1, class No2, class No3 & class No4).

The class takes place outdoors in Paris (center), outdoors  in Belgium at Ixelles (near Flagey's place), outdoors in London (center), Oxford (downtown), Geneva (center) and indoors or outdoors in Helsinki (depending on the weather).

A summary of the notions covered in this course will be handed out at the end of each session. A “meeting form” with the exact meet-up location will be sent to enrolled participants a few days before class.

Workshop No1: Camera settings

This intro course is geared towards beginners who have just gotten (or plan to get) a camera. It is also meant for amateurs with a little experience who wish to leave the automatic mode behind and learn how to use their camera in a more creative way.

We cover basic photographic techniques, ranging from film to digital, in a detailed yet clear manner, and immediately apply them in practical exercises. We discuss the decisions one must make while shooting (composition, view points, etc).

At the end of this course, you’ll be in control of your camera, and it will no longer make the decisions for you. You can begin to create the images that you’ve been wanting to. You’ll stop “taking” photos, because now you’ll have all the tools to “make” a photo.

Leaving the automatic mode of your reflex or bridge camera is an important step towards better pictures.

Operating manuals provided with the camera are monotonous and do not really show the essentials amongst the many buttons and parameters that are available.

Understand the parameters of the camera as well as the lexical of digital photography is the first key. White balance, sensor sensitivity (ISO), RAW format or exposure correction are only examples of terms that will be presented in a clear and concise way during this course.

This workshop will teach you to:

-    Use the right image format between JPEG and RAW
-    Adjust the white balance
-    Correct exposure
-    Set the ISO on the camera
-    Read an histogram
-    Use the “P” shooting mode

The workshop last 3h30 and is composed of a theoretical part, practical training and a close-up brief.

Workshop No2: Aperture and Depth of field

Depth of field is one of the major aspects of photography. It defines a zone of sharpness that goes in front and behind the subject of the photograph. Beyond the limits of this zone, blur is more or less present.

This zone can be adjusted according to three parameters that will be explained in detail during the workshop: the aperture, the focal length and the distance from camera to subject. Playing around with these three parameters modifies greatly the aesthetics of an image!

This is a creative part of photography: master depth of field is a guarantee to succeed with portraits and landscape or to bring up a subject in its surrounding environment.

This workshop will teach you to:

-    Use the “A” or “Av” shooting mode
-    Make a portrait with a blurry background
-    Photograph a landscape with maximum sharpness

The workshop last 3h30 and is composed of a theoretical part, practical training and a close-up brief.

Workshop No3: Shutter speed and movement

How can movement be captured in photography? Or, on the other hand, how to congeal a full-on action scene?

Managing the exposure time – or the shutter speed – of the camera is the answer to these two questions and is, as for the depth of field, a key parameter in photography

This parameter allows the light to hit the digital sensor for a defined amount of time, which will congeal or blur a movement.

Here again you will be able to have a wide array of creative possibilities: blur or congeal a movement, get a filé (a moving subject is frozen in a blurry surrounding).

This workshop will teach you to:

-    Use the “S” or “Tv” shooting mode
-    Make filés of moving subjects
-    Freeze the movement of a subject
-    Use blur to suggest movement and bring dynamism to your pictures

The workshop last 3h30 and is composed of a theoretical part, practical training and a close-up brief.

Workshop No4: Light and focus

A photographer is bound to be able to “read” light and, from that, make his aesthetic choices for the final image. Understanding light is, thus, a prerequisite to express creativity in the same manner as depth of field and shutter speed.

Several measuring modes are available on modern digital cameras (matrix, spot or pondéré central) and this workshop will demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of all of them with practical considerations.

Focusing is bound with light measurement in the sense that it functions using the same channels on the camera (the small square or rectangle zones that are visible in the viewer). Focusing and light measurement need to be mastered and are prerequisite to avoid out-of-focus and badly exposed (too light/too dark) photographs.

This workshop will teach you to:

-    Measure light using the various modes of your camera (spot, pondéré central or matrix)
-    Make photos against the sunlight
-    Do smart focusing using various channels
-    Develop a sense of composition from the shooting

The workshop last 3h30 and is composed of a theoretical part, practical training and a close-up brief.

A “meeting form” with the exact meet-up location will be sent to enrolled participants a few days before class.