Friday July 30, 2021
Hi everyone!
Well, today has been our last class, and I have to say, what a wonderful week it has been! Our class learned a lot about the fundamentals of photography, from lighting, to camera settings, and composition.
Today, we began going over yesterday's homework assignment, and wow! Not only was a strong understanding of lighting shown, but also of composition and camera settings. The creative choices made showed a natural intuition for photography, and I'm very impressed!
For the remainder of the class, we created portfolios and photo collages of our favourite shots this week! You can see them here:
Shayna's photo collage:
https://www.canva.com/design/DAElsS_EbQY/oZzKjYhpFzbJuZfYhIqBIw/view?utm_content=DAElsS_EbQY&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink#1
Thank you so much for the wonderful week, and I hope our class decides to pursue photography further!
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please to not hesitate to reach out.
Jimmy Kwan
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Thursday July 29, 2021
Hi everyone!
Today's class was great! We began going over what the class noticed about photos in their new lightbox, and how exactly the light is evenly distributed. This then transitioned to our class on the fundamentals of lighting in photography. Through the presentations and various activities, we experimented with light, distance, and size. How do we create hard light? Soft light? We went over all these concepts and the class understood them with ease. We also discussed taking photos while using the sun as a light source, and how we can adapt to different lighting situations.
The homework assigned today is to take someone out for two quick portrait sessions: one during the mid summer day, and the other during golden hour. This is to further our understanding of timing and positioning relative to our light source. I'm excited to see what the class comes up with!
Tomorrow, we will conclude our week with taking all the photos we took and make a portfolio! I'm excited to see the cumulation of the class' work displayed for all to see!
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please to not hesitate to reach out.
Take care, and see you tomorrow for our final class!
Jimmy Kwan
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Wednesday July 28, 2021
Hi everyone!
Today was a really productive day! Our class got hold of a DSLR, and we reviewed and finessed our understanding of manual camera settings! Given the strong understanding of the concepts from yesterday's class, we're going to have a blast moving forwards with our DSLRs!
On top of that, we also began construction of our DIY Lightbox! This is a great exercise to introduce our class to not only the world of product photography, but also lighting concepts!
Tomorrow, we will finish our DIY Lightbox, and discuss lighting in further detail. Given how well our class grasps the concepts of photography, I'm super excited to see the work our class brings forward!
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please to not hesitate to reach out.
Take care, and see you tomorrow!
Jimmy Kwan
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Tuesday July 27, 2021
Hey everyone!
Wow! We learned a lot today! In today's class, we discussed the inner workings of camera settings, from DSLRs to phones. What is exposure? How do we control exposure through shutter speed, aperture, and ISO? These are all really complex concepts, but our class today fostered a strong understanding of them! For homework, we're going to experiment with these elements, and I'm excited to see how it turns out!
For tomorrow's class, we are going to be discussing some basic composition tricks on how to get your photo to stand out from crowd. Additionally, we're going to make a DIY Lightbox! It'll be really fun, and a great way to introduce the world of product photography and lighting.
As a reminder, these materials will be needed:
- A cardboard box (18 x 18 x 24 inch would be ideal, but a smaller box work)
- Parchment paper (clear and translucent)
- Bight white poster board
- Scissors
- Tape
- Any 2 lamps available (fluorescent light bulbs preferred, but not necessary to understand the project).
- A free space for them to take photos.
We clarified in today's class that these materials will be made available, but if anything comes up, kindly let me know. Additionally, if there are any questions of concerns, feel free to shoot me an email!
Today was an awesome class, I can't wait for tomorrow!
Cheers,
Jimmy Kwan
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Monday July 26, 2021
Hey everyone!
Today's introductory lesson to Photography went great! Our class today was super receptive. We had some great conversations about where we want to take this class, and photography as a whole. The future is very bright!
We discussed the meaning of the subject, and the importance of finding purpose and intention when a photographer picks up a camera. While going through a few example photos, we created a solid grasp of the subject and had really strong insight on the photos' composition, subjects, and colour! Additionally, we also briefly touched upon phone settings to help build an understanding of the inner workings of digital photography.
For homework, I asked the class to explore their environment around them and take a photo of anything that sticks out to them, as well as to play around with angles and composition. Additionally, I asked them to think about an existing photo that means something to them.
Tomorrow, we are going to go over the photos our class takes and chooses. I'm super excited to see what the class comes up with! After that, we will delve into some more advanced camera settings, such as exposure, aperture, and ISO, and how they all interact to make stunning photography.
Thanks for the awesome first class! I'm super impressed by the insight and openness to questions and discussion from today. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out.
Take care,
Jimmy.
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Hey everyone!
My name is Jimmy, and I'll be your instructor for the week! A little bit about me, I'm a freelance photographer and a recent graduate of Ryerson University's Media Production program. I have a huge passion for sharing my love for photography, and I look forward to inspiring the next generation of photo snappers!
This week, we'll be doing a lot of hands on work, as well as exploring the fundamentals of photography. We'll be learning concepts like composition, the rule of thirds, camera settings, lighting, and more! We'll also be making a DIY phone tripod as well as a DIY Lightbox, to carry over for your child's future photography endeavors.
What your child will need throughout the week:
- A camera! (DSLR is preferred, but a film camera or even a phone with a camera will also work).
- A SD card (if using a DSLR to capture photos).
- If using a phone, download ProCam Lite or any app with manual camera controls.
- For Monday's class: a paper/plastic cup and scissors (We're making a DIY iPhone tripod!)
- For Wednesday's class: a cardboard box (18 x 18 x 24 inch would be ideal, but a smaller box work), parchment paper (clear and translucent), bight white poster board, scissors, tape, and any 2 lamps available (fluorescent light bulbs preferred, but not necessary to understand the project). We're making a DIY Lightbox!
- A free space for them to take photos.
Our class will take place from July 26 - August 1 at 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM EST (Toronto time). Below is the zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82210978857
The line will open 10 minutes before the class starts. Please ensure you have a Zoom account and are able to connect.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out!
See you Monday!
Jimmy