Course Catalog

Digital Photography

  • Semester 2 2024-2025

    Jan 8, 2025-April 25, 2025 For Members Register

Course Overview

In an era where everyone has become a photographer obsessed with documenting most aspects of life, we swim in a sea of images posted on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Pinterest, and other digital media. To that end, why is learning how to use a digital camera important and what does taking a powerful and persuasive photo with a 35mm digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera require?

Digital Photography explores this question in a variety of ways, beginning with the technical aspects of using and taking advantage of a powerful camera and then moving to a host of creative questions and opportunities. Technical topics such as aperture, shutter, white balance, and resolution get ample coverage in the first half of the course, yet each is pursued with the goal of enabling students to leverage the possibilities that come with manual image capture. Once confident about technical basics, students apply their skills when pursuing creative questions such as how to understand and use light, how to consider composition, and how to take compelling portraits.

Throughout the course, students tackle projects that enable sharing their local and diverse settings, ideally creating global perspectives through doing so. Additionally, students interact with each other often through critique sessions and collaborative exploration of the work of many noteworthy professional photographers whose images serve to inspire and suggest the diverse ways that photography tells visual stories.

Prerequisite: Students must have daily access to a DSLR camera.

Students in GOA courses will need reliable access to a computer with webcam/microphone connections, an email address (preferably school-based), a Web-conferencing app (GOA courses use Zoom), and a Word processing app (GOA courses use Google’s G Suite). When necessary, alternative arrangements may be made.

UC-approved course

View Course Outline

What Students Are Saying

"This course was amazing, and I’ve learned about various types of photography. Engaging in discussions with people worldwide and receiving critiques on my work has truly enhanced my skills. Skills Circle assignments were the highlight for me, especially the commission and promotion tasks. It was exciting to interact with clients, maintain professionalism, + explore new photography locations. Our teacher, has been incredibly supportive + kind throughout. Moving forward, I aim to keep my camera close + continue capturing moments through photography." -Nour, King's Academy

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