Syllabus – Your Digital SLR Camera 1 Schlegelmann – 09/28/10

Syllabus for Class: Your Digital SLR Camera

Linn Benton Community College – Benton Center

Instructor: Paul Schlegelmann sequoia55@gmail.com

Course Description: Find out ways to use your brand new or older digital SLR camera more

effectively and creatively. Maximize your camera's features beyond full auto to get the effects

you desire. Practice using the f-stop for depth of field, stopping the action of fast moving events

and make it look like a pro took every picture. Includes a photo shoot to apply what you have

learned and work with Adobe Photoshop Elements for simple photo editing and enhancement.

Prerequisites: Basic digital photography class or experience; basic computer experience.

Topics and Concepts covered in the class:

1. Understanding the features of a DSLR camera

2. Exposure

3. Lighting

4. Taking photos in different scenes

5. Hands on shooting, download, and review of photos

6. RAW & JPG files formats – when and how to use

7. Camera maintenance and troubleshooting

8. Lenses & accessories for DSLRs

Class Materials:

Needed: DSLR camera, camera owner’s manual, charged

battery, USB transfer cable, memory card

Optional (highly recommended) book: Understanding

Exposure, 3rd Edition, Revised and Updated (Bryan

Peterson)

1. Other optional books:

Digital Photography Simplified (Rob Sheppard)

The BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Photography

(Amphoto Guide Series) (Jim Miotke)

Bryan Peterson’s Understanding Photography Field

Guide: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any

Camera (Bryan Peterson)

Grading: Non-credit course (no grades)

Course Format: Topics will be covered in class in a logical flow building on knowledge from

previous class sessions. There will be time for hands-on work with your camera in class.

Additional time will be included for a photo shoot and some basic photo editing. Optional

assignments will be available to practice what is learned in class.

Syllabus – Your Digital SLR Camera 2 Schlegelmann – 09/28/10

Course Overview: This is a ten week course that will cover as many topics as time permits. Additional topics that

students request will be added in as time and interest allows.

Classes 1-2: DSLR Camera Overview

1. Camera Body & Features

2. Controls - Buttons

3. Controls – Menus

4. Viewfinder & LCD

5. Shooting Options – Exposure Modes, Focus Modes,

Metering Modes, Drive Modes

6. Resolution & Image Size

7. Sensor & image magnification

Classes 3-4: Exposure & Lighting

1. Basics of Exposure

2. Controlling Exposure

a. Aperture (F-Stop), Depth of Field

b. Shutter Speed – stop or blur action

c. ISO

3. What Camera Meter Does

4. Using Exposure Metering Modes

5. Using Camera Histogram

6. Shooting Process: Shoot, Review, Revise, Repeat

7. Exposure Compensation

8. Understanding Lighting and how it affects your

photos

9. Dynamic Range

10. How to control and take advantage of lighting

a. White Balance

b. Site lighting & backgrounds

c. Using flash indoors & outdoors

Classes 5-6: Lenses, Focusing, Camera Techniques, Shooting Different Scenes

1. Basics of Lenses, Focal Length

2. Advantages & Disadvantages of different lenses

3. When to use different lenses

4. Focusing Basics

5. Maximizing Sharpness – shutter speed, tripod, anti-shake,

camera techniques

6. Shooting Settings and Setup for Different Scenes/Subjects

7. Camera Techniques

a. Camera Orientation – Verticals vs. Horizontals

b. Cropping

c. Bracketing

Syllabus – Your Digital SLR Camera 3 Schlegelmann – 09/28/10

d. Zooming

e. Composition – Get Close, Rule of Thirds, Watch Background, etc.

8. Different shooting situations:

a. Snapshots

b. People/ Portraits

c. Sports/Action

d. Nature/Wildlife

e. Scenic, Landscapes, Panoramas

f. Macro

g. Night

h. Architecture

i. Special Effects/Artsy

j. Unusual Conditions

Classes 7-8: Photo Shoot, Import, Review, Edit,

Critique

1. Live Photo Shoot during class using techniques

learned in class

2. Photo Workflow – Basic Steps

a. Import photos to computer

b. Organize & Review photos

c. Edit photos

d. Output

3. Critique of photos (optional)

4. Q&A

Classes 9-10: RAW files, Accessories,

Maintenance & Troubleshooting

1. File Formats: RAW vs. JPEG –

advantages & disadvantages

2. Accessories – Flashes, Tripods, Filters,

Camera Bags, etc.

3. Upgrading Camera Firmware

4. Protecting your Camera

5. Memory Cards

6. Main Battery and Clock Battery

7. Sensor Cleaning, Camera Cleaning