UTOPIA.PHOTO

Category: Archived Courses

  • Travel Photography – Short Course – Banbury (Feb 2020)

    Organised by Activate Learning at Banbury and Bicester College. Book here: https://www.activatelearning.ac.uk/courses/photography/travel-photography

    Course details

    Thursday (6:30 to 8:30pm) 27/2, 5/3, 12/3, 19/3, 26/3 and Saturday (10am to 4:30pm) 21/3

    Overview

    COURSE SUMMARY

    o    Perhaps you’d like to bring back more than just memories from your holidays… 

    o    To present the essence of your destination in ways that inspire others…

    o    Explore places with a very different perspective.

    Each place we visit has its own particular look, character, and ambience. If we want photographs of our travels to be good and lasting, they should capture all of these qualities, and say as much about a place as give the literal look of it. (Robert Caputo, National Geographic)

    WHAT DO I LEARN?

    Through a combination of exploration, conversation, practical assignments and field work, this short course will help you understand the key elements of travel photography, develop skills to perform it well, build your confidence, and refine your personal style.
    Format: The course consists of four 2hr evening classes, followed by one Saturday field-trip of 6.5 hours, and then one further evening class.

    WHAT DO I GAIN?

    While there is no formal qualification, provided that you engage with the full course experience, you will benefit in several ways; a different appreciation for photography generally, a deeper understanding of this particular genre, practical skills to tackle a variety of projects, a number of images to add to your personal portfolio, a wider network of peers to support you in the future.

    WHAT DO I NEED?

    Suitability: For anyone interested in the genre, regardless of experience.  You will find you get more from the course if you have a digital camera with manual controls and you are already familiar with the essentials of using this.

  • Photography walks – Oxford City the old and the new (June 2019)

    Organised by Oxfordshire Adult Learning – the county-wide community education programme. Full details here: http://www.abingdon-witney.ac.uk/course/?code=QCXM269P&year=A18/19&title=Photography+walks+-+Oxford+City+the+old+and+the+new

    In a nutshell…

    Course Details

    Time: 10:00 – 15:00 | Day: Saturday | Date: 06 Jul 2019 | Start: Oxford Adult Learning Cowley

    Course Overview

    A practical one day course enabling you to understand how to use your digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera’s controls and functions to create great pictures.

    Course Content

    On this course we will introduce you to the use of shutter speed, aperture, ISO and other main controls, as well as looking at picture composition and design. In addition the accompanying photo-walk will provide opportunities to use these skills as you develop an understanding of what would make an interesting photograph and how to select the appropriate camera settings to achieve it. Please note that this course involves some walking and you will have to carry all of your gear with you for the session. For this session please bring Digital SLR or SLR camera, camera’s manual (if available), notepad and pen. Remember weather can be unpredictable so please bring suitable outdoor clothing and a rain cover* for your camera. (* covers are available commercially but a plastic carrier bag with a hole cut in it and rubber band to hold it in place, will often suffice). Please note this course is not suitable for compact cameras. 

  • Street Photography – Short Course – Banbury (Nov 2019)

    May Day 2016, Oxford (Graham Wilson)

    Organised by Activate Learning at Banbury and Bicester College. Booking is available here.

    Course Details

    Thursday (6:30 to 8:30pm)  21/11, 28/11, 5/12, 12/12, 19/12 and Saturday (10am to 4:30pm) 14/12

    Overview

    COURSE SUMMARY

    o    Do you want to capture more of life around you?

    o    Would you like to be a bolder photographer?

    o    See the world around you with different eyes!

    Street photography, also sometimes called candid photography, is photography conducted for art or enquiry that features unmediated chance encounters and random incidents within public places. (Wikipedia)

    WHAT DO I LEARN?

    Through a combination of exploration, conversation, practical assignments and field work, this short course will help you understand the key elements of street photography, develop skills to perform it well, build your confidence, and refine your personal style.
    Format: The course consists of four 2hr evening classes, followed by one Saturday field-trip of 6.5 hours, and then one further evening class.

    WHAT DO I GAIN?

    While there is no formal qualification, provided that you engage with the full course experience, you will benefit in several ways; a different appreciation for photography generally, a deeper understanding of this particular genre, practical skills to tackle a variety of projects, a number of images to add to your personal portfolio, a wider network of peers to support you in the future.

    WHAT DO I NEED?

    Suitability: For anyone interested in the genre, regardless of experience.  You will find you get more from the course if you have a digital camera with manual controls and you are already familiar with the essentials of using this.

  • Digital Photography Crash Course – Woodstock (Sept 2019)

    Digital Photography Crash Course – Woodstock (Sept 2019)

    Marlborough School Community Education, Woodstock

    • Do you have an advanced digital camera* that sometimes baffles you?
    • Would you like to be more creative with your camera but don’t know where to begin?
    • Are your photography ambitions thwarted by the complicated controls and menus?

    This ten-week crash course, balancing a little theory with plenty of practice, will help you gain control over, and confidence handling, any advanced digital camera*.  You will understand the different knobs, buttons and menus; ways of getting sharper images; and the keys to an aesthetically better picture.  We will look at a variety of subjects (people, buildings, objects that are still, and some that are moving).  Whatever your particular interest, you will emerge as a better image maker.

    (*) By “advanced digital camera” we include DSLRs, mirrorless, and Bridge cameras, but not “point and shoot” ones.

    More details of the Marlborough School Community Education Photography Classes can be found here: https://www.marlborough.oxon.sch.uk/4788/photography

    The booking/enrolment details are here: https://www.marlborough.oxon.sch.uk/733/enrolment-and-booking

  • Street Photography [S] – May 2019

    Street Photography [S] – May 2019

    Marlborough School Community Education – Woodstock

    Saturday May 18th 2019
    09:30-16:00, £55
    Tutor: Graham Wilson

    Whether you want to document your own town or village, improve your travel photography, have new ideas for your family album, or you are a fan of the fast-growing art of street photography and want to try your hand at it, this whole day workshop will open your eyes to new possibilities all around you.

    Street photography ranges from its purest form of candid images of people in their environment, through more formal but ad hoc portraits, capturing the details of a place that make it more memorable, to some aspects of architectural and landscape photography.

    The group will spend most of the day walking around Woodstock (whatever the weather!), tackling a number of straightforward but informative tasks, reconvening for a chance to share experiences, short ‘tutorials’, and briefing for the next activity.  The tutor will help you refine your images over the day, but also be on hand to help answer more general technical questions.

    You will need to bring your own advanced digital camera (e.g. DSLRs, mirrorless, and Bridge cameras) and be reasonably familiar with using it as the emphasis will be on taking photos rather than instruction in camera controls. The workshop is not suitable for ‘point and shoot’ digital cameras or mobile devices.

    Please be aware that you will be walking around Woodstock, and that the workshop will go ahead whatever the weather, so please dress appropriately. You will also need to provide your own refreshments during the day. There will be short breaks and opportunity for you to purchase food locally if you wish.

    Only 10 places available so book early!

  • Digital DSLR Photography – Stage 3 (Cooper School) – Apr 2019

    A 10 week digital photograph course following on from Stage 2; enabling you to expand on your skills with your DSLR or bridge camera by looking at the work of famous photographers in a variety of genres and completing practical tasks. To further experiment with your camera’s functions; to explore different genres through discussion about famous photographers’ work.  To build up your skills and confidence in a variety of genres such as; architecture, black and white photography, documentary, landscape, lifestyle portraits, sports, still life, street, studio*, nature, wildlife and macro photography. *Please note studio photography will not be taught at all centres. The genres taught are at the discretion of the tutor.

    Time: 19:00 – 21:00 | Days: Tuesday | Date: 30 Apr 2019 – 09 Jul 2019 (except 28 May 2019) | Location: Cooper School Bicester

    More information: BOOK HERE