Photography Course for Beginners

Learn digital photography with our photography short courses in Sydney.

Photography can feel like a complicated hobby. There’s nothing more frustrating than having a beautiful camera, but not knowing how to get the best from it. If you are a beginner photographer and you want to master the manual capabilities of your DSLR or Mirrorless camera as a hobby, for work or to build a new career then our foundational photography course will help you get started. We aim to deliver a fun, user-friendly and practical beginners photography course that demystifies the functions of your camera first so you can focus on the scene you want to capture.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this beginners photography course, you should be able to:

• Use their DSLR Cameras manually with skill and confidence
• Identify the standard functions and features of a DSLR Camera
• Understand Aperture, Depth of Field and Shutter and Motion
• Use the appropriate metering and exposure systems to correctly expose their image
• Identify difficult lighting situations that result in incorrect exposures
• Understand the basic principle of the Photographic Triangle
• Select the appropriate ISO, Resolution, and White Balance settings
• Understanding the physical equipment important to a photographer
• The composition dimension of photography – what looks good in a frame and why

Course content

What will be covered in this photography course?

Introduction: camera anatomy & settings

• How a mirrorless camera and DSLR work
• Main features of most cameras
• Modes of your camera and how they work: Manual Mode, Aperture Priority Mode, Shutter Priority Mode
• File types: RAW vs JPEG

Exposure, focus & depth of field

• The Exposure Triangle: Aperture, ISO & Shutter Speed
• Focusing – Manual, Auto, Focus Points, Single/Continuous
• Depth of Field (DoF) Control – Aperture Priority, Distance, Lens, DoF Preview
• Shutter Speed and Movement

White balance & colour

• White Balance
• ISO and image quality
• The Histogram – Dynamic Range and Exposure Latitude
• Contrast and Tonal Range

Light & metering

• The Light Meter – Correct, Under and Over Exposure
• Metering Systems – Matrix, Centre Weighted, Partial, Spot
• Situations that give inaccurate light readings and how to problem solve
• Direction of Light

Composition

• Rule of thirds
• Leading lines
• Perspective & angle
• Backgrounds

Equipment

• How to build your camera kit
• Tripods
• General camera care

Please note that individual teaching styles vary – there is scope for some flexibility and your tutor may prioritise particular content listed above dependent on the class needs. If there is anything specific you would like covered please ask your tutor at the beginning of class.

Intended audience

Who is this photography course for?

This course is for participants with any digital camera that has the capability of shooting in manual mode (DSLR and Mirrorless cameras). This is not suitable for compact 'point & shoot' cameras or smartphones.

Course venue

Rozelle Campus

2A Gordon Street, Rozelle NSW 2039 (corner of Gordon St & Victoria Rd on the grounds of St. Joseph's Church)

Course materials

What to bring to class

• Manual Camera + lens
• Camera manual (manual is important as different cameras have slightly different ways of operating the controls, you will need to locate these with your tutors help)
• Tripod or monopod for outdoor shoots (Optional)
• Notepad & pen or tablet