STREAMED On-Demand Delivery
Plus Zoom Tutorials
WE ARE NO LONGER PRESENTING THIS COURSE
so all of its resources are now free to download.
The course presented an extensive introduction to the principles and practice of digital photography. It was specifically designed for anyone relatively new to the world of digital photography, to help them not only understand, but apply knowledge and skills according to their interests and aspirations. Practical exercises, critical discussions, insightful analysis, and real world analogies demystified the digital process and provided a familiar interface between digital techniques and traditional artistic practice, and thereby also provided a comprehensive guide to what is involved, what is possible and what is required.
The course was presented in-person over two days at the Centre for Contemporary Photography (Melbourne), and supported by extensive resources – course notes and videos – covering the following topics and accessed without restriction via the Course’s Resource Website.
Digital Imaging First Principles
• Square grain and digital aesthetics
• Photography = Light = Exposure = Time X Intensity
• Pixels of resolution & Levels of tonality
• How many pixels and levels are required?
• File formats and file sizes
• File resolution, screen resolution, print resolution
Understanding Digital Capture
• How a digital camera/scanner ‘works
• Exposure controls: Auto, Program, Time, Aperture, Manual
• White balance controls, ISO settings and image quality
• Lossy vs. lossless image compression
• Dynamic range and colour gamuts
• Key lights and fill lights (lighting controls)
Working with Digital Cameras
• What is ‘correct’ exposure – manual vs. auto exposure
• Aperture priorities (depth of field controls)
• Shutter speed priorities (motion controls)
• Lens focal lengths (perspective controls)
• Manual, auto, and follow focus (resolution controls)
• Pictorial design – diagonals, quadrants and lines of separation
Photographing in the Field
• Figure-ground relationships
• Moving subjects
• Depth of field calculations
• Working with high contrast scenes
• Creating meaning through perspective
• Seeing the light – photographing fact or fiction
Image Processing
• Processing RAW data into RGB data
• Correcting under or overexposed images
• Enhancing presence and dimensionality
• Spotting and retouching images
• Resizing and sharpening images
• Selecting RGB working colour spaces
Setting up a Digital Photography Workflow
• Importing, sorting and processing digital images
• Cataloguing, storing and archiving digital image
• Seeing accurate colour on your monitor
• Scanning photographs, negatives, slides and documents
• Selecting, buying and maintaining digital imaging equipment
• Other sources of information (Text Books, Web Sites, Forums, Suppliers)
Updated 25 March 2025