Photography experience
A short photography course to kickstart your journey into photography
Your training at a glance
Course name: Photography experience
Course description: Aimed at beginner photographers, this course is designed to help you take better photos in no time. With a focus on understanding your camera's capabilities and improving composition, you'll learn key skills that every photographer needs to know. By the end of the course, you'll have a solid foundation to build upon and start capturing stunning images.
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Course length: 2 hours
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Who is it for? Beginner photographers
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When? We agree a suitable date at the time of booking
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Location: Your home or a mutually convenient location such as a café
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What you'll need: Any compact, bridge, mirrorless or DSLR
camera
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Your trainer: Professional Devon photographer, Gary Holpin Photography
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Price: £119 (plus reasonable travel costs)
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Other photography courses that might interest you:
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A more in-depth half day introduction to photography
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Course content
Understanding your camera
Camera modes and what they do
How to focus
Important camera settings
Basics of composition
Understanding light
Location
Payment
Full payment by BACS (bank transfer) at time of booking.
For your convenience I am happy to come to your home or a mutually convenient location such as a café
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What camera is required?For courses involving mobile phones, all you will need is a suitable camera phone. For camera training courses, generally any camera which has some level of manual control (usually a dial on the top which has modes such as 'A, P, M' etc is sufficient. See course descriptions for more details.
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What prior experience is required?For all beginner level courses, no specific experience is required, just a suitable camera and the enthusiasm to learn.
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How do I know if I'm a beginner or an improving photographer?There's no hard and fast rule, but I would say that an improving photographer: - Knows the basics of how to operate their camera - Understands at least a little about exposure, aperture, shutter speed and perhaps has a little experience with Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority or Manual - May understand a little about composition In general terms, an improving photographer should need less coaching in the basics of how to operate their camera, but may need more coaching in how to take great photos with it!
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Where do you offer your training?I'm based in Honiton, and If you're happy to come to my home, that's great. If not then that isn't a problem as I'm happy to travel a reasonable distance to provide you with training (usually up to half an hour away). So, if you're looking for an Exeter photography course, then I'm happy to come to your home. If you're further away then I would normally arrange to meet at a suitable location half way between us, although I could still come to your home if you are happy to cover additional time and travel costs.
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Is there an age limit for courses?No, but any child under 18 would need to be accompanied and supervised by an adult.
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Are refreshments included?Some meals are included in residential courses (see course description for most details). All other courses do not include food or refreshments. It is recommended that you bring drinks and snacks, although most locations will have shops readily available if required. On nights where there is no food provided, quite often students will get together to either eat out at a local pub or get a takeaway.
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Is transport required?Transport may be required between locations, but you can join me in my car if required. On group workshops, other students may also be able to provide transport to students who do not have any available,
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What equipment do I need?For all beginner level courses, the only essential requirement is to have a suitable camera (along with a charged battery and memory card). A waterproof bag to protect your camera is also advisable. Intermediate courses may need some additional equipment such as a suitable tripod and ND filters (see course descriptions for full details).
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Do I need insurance?My business is covered by public liability insurance, and my equipment is insured. I would strongly encourage you to consider insurance for your equipment. In addition, for residential workshops I would also strongly encourage you to buy travel insurance, as your fee may be lost if you have to cancel. This is so that courses don't become unviable due to last minute cancellations, and whilst you are able to insure for a financial loss, we are not.
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What if the weather is bad?We can do outdoor shooting in most weather, but not in persistent rain. For most day courses, we can just agree an alternative date. For residential workshops, I will do my best to structure the learning so that we can make the most of any dry weather during the weekend.
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What should I wear?Most courses involve some element of outdoor work, and so you will need to have clothing suitable for the season and the likely weather. As a minimum you will need stout shoes suitable for uneven ground, and a waterproof coat.
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What if I need to cancel?For one-to-one courses, please do let me know as soon as possible if you need to cancel, but there is no financial penalty to doing so. We will try and rearrange a mutually agreeable alternative date. For residential workshops, 28 days notice is required for a refund to be possible, and so it is strongly advised that you take out travel insurance in order to minimise any financial loss. It we can fill your place, we may be able to offer you an alternative course date but this cannot be guaranteed.
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Which locations will we go to?I normally go to locations on the nearby East Devon coast, such as Sidmouth or Beer; this is to minimise the amount of training time that is used up by travel time. If there is somewhere in particular you would like to go on a shoot, please ask and I will try and accomodate your wishes if possible within the time available. Note that some short courses may not involve a trip to an outdoor location (see individual course descriptions for details)
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Devon photography courses | Photography courses Devon | Photography courses in Devon | Photography experience
