Introduction to Photography Basics

Develop your skills as an amateur photographer

Whether you want to brush up on your digital camera basics or are entirely new to taking digital photographs, this four-week course from the British Academy of Photography will introduce you to the essential skills needed to take stunning photos.

Learn how to use camera settings to enhance your photography skills

With a foundational understanding of camera settings, you’ll be able to set up and capture your envisaged image with ease.

You’ll examine common photography terminology and learn how to adjust the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings and be able to identify the best combination of settings, using the exposure triangle.

You’ll then delve into the applications of metering modes, selective focus, and white balance, giving you the confidence to experiment with a range of effects.

Explore the rules of composition in photography

Using the key principles of composition is one of the easiest methods of elevating your photographs to a professional standard.

You’ll use artistic theories including the rule of thirds, filling the frame, and leading lines, learning how to create focal points in your pictures and convey feeling and meaning in your photographs.

Produce your own photography portfolio to showcase your creative ideas

Using the skills learned in previous weeks, you’ll begin to plan and execute a photography project and build a diverse and exciting photography portfolio.

You’ll explore storytelling through pictures and practice using the principles of idea generation to create a cohesive narrative to your work.

By the end of this course, you’ll have the confidence to begin your creative journey in photography. Using your understanding of camera settings and artistic principles, you’ll have the skills to create eye-catching photographs that tell a story.

This course is designed for anyone with an interest in digital photography wanting to improve their knowledge of basic camera functions and photograph composition.

• Camera settings explained and applied
• The British Academy of Photography
• Welcome to the course
• Exposure triangle
• ISO, a useful tool
• Wrap up - end of week 1 - summary of learning
• Camera modes explained and applied
• Welcome to week 2
• The metering modes
• White Balance
• Wrap up End of week 2 – summary of learning
• Composition Rules explained and applied
• Welcome to week 3
• Getting to know some photographic composition rules
• Get to know Leading Lines and Symmetry/Asymmetry
• Wrap up End of week 3 – summary of learning
• Photography project
• Welcome to week 4
• How to create a photography project
• Practice using idea generation principles to create a photography project
• Wrap up End of week 4 – summary of learning from both courses and how this can impact on design practice going forward