Introduction to Photography

This course is an introduction to photography. The aim is to ensure a general all-round knowledge of both analogue and digital photographic techniques, with the objective being to make well-crafted and consistent photographs using a variety of techniques both in the darkroom and digitally. This course will help you become more confident with your picture making and act as an introduction to our other courses on offer. You'll finish with a strong understanding of the main genres of photography and the ability to develop your own personal style and interests.

Course aims and benefits:

This course prepares you for further study with an essential introduction into understanding all functions of the camera and shooting in manual mode. You will learn the terms for both analogue and digital modes and be introduced to both the digital and analogue darkroom.

We'll guide you through both black and white film, processing film, making contact sheets and making prints learning the necessary darkroom skills. There will also be group discussions and presentations by the tutor, ensuring you understand the mechanics of picture making through both analogue and digital methods.

The Introduction to Photography short course covers areas which are often overlooked, such as how to understand analogue techniques in order to make better digital images. The weekly sessions allow you to experiment and learn in an informal and friendly atmosphere. You'll be introduced to informal discussion and critiques of your work while we also encourage you to explore and play, with an emphasis on the practical production of a range of images.

By the end of the course, you'll be able to:

• Produce photographs that demonstrate your technical and theoretical understanding.
• Produce visually interesting photographs through simple composition techniques.
• Be able to process black and white film and make work prints in a darkroom.
• Demonstrate an ability to download photographs to the computer and to learn how to manage digital files.
• Make a set of coherent prints, produced digitally, in the darkroom or both.