From Snapshots to Great Shots

From Snapshots to Great Shots: How to Make Better Photographs
A Photography Course by Mark Gardner

Remember the old adage – a picture is worth a thousand words? Well it’s just not true anymore, even though almost all of us have cameras with fantastic capabilities. A bad picture that you deleted (or should have) is worth nothing, even if you took it with that incredible camera. On the other hand, a good picture is still worth a thousand words, and a great picture even more, even if you took it with your iPhone. But good pictures don’t just happen by chance. Ok, every now and then you get lucky. Rather good pictures are made – not by cameras or luck ‐ but by photographers who know how to use their camera to make the pictures that they want.

So if you want better photos of your kids or your travels or whatever, then the 3rd annual photography course by Mark Gardner – From Snapshots to Great Shots: How to Make Better Photographs – is for you. The course will cover the full process of digital photography in four sessions over two weekends at Skagit Valley College. Each session includes lecture and lots of hands‐on exercises using your own camera. The sessions build on each other over the four days, but are designed to be taken independently to meet your specific needs. The fee for the course is $95 per session, or $50 for those 18 and younger. Attend 2 or 3 sessions get $10 off each session; attend all four and get $20 off each session.

The course is open to anyone wanting to make better photographs of just about anything including sports, travel, people, wildlife, nature, landscapes and more. You can be a beginner with little knowledge and lots of interest, an owner of a new camera who wants to learn how to use it, or a more experienced photographer looking for a refresher. There are only two requirements for this course. First, you must have some kind of digital camera ‐ a phone, a compact camera, a mirrorless system or a digital SLR. Second, you’re willing to put forth a little effort to learn, practice and improve.

By the end of the course, you’ll better understand:

• The principles of effective photography
• Setting‐up and using your camera
• Choosing and using light
• Composing photos for greater impact
• Creatively using the digital darkroom
• Managing and sharing your photos

Course Schedule:

1. Saturday, March 12, 10 am to 4:30pm
   a. Photography Fundamentals
   b. Getting the most from your camera system
2. Sunday, March 13, 10 am to 4:30pm
   a. Working with the light
   b. Composing for impact
3. Assignment – make photographs to bring for the next two classes
4. Saturday, March 19, 10 am to 4:30pm
   a. Digital processing and management
   b. Creative output for the screen and prints
5. Sunday, March 20, 10 am to 4:30pm
   a. Hands‐on photo field trip with real time instruction
   b. Digital processing session and critique in the classroom

To register or for get more information, please contact Mark Gardner at 378‐1371 or email:
photobymg [@] rockisland.com. For a more detailed outline, visit www.photographybymarkgardner.com.

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