Course Descriptions
Required Courses:
Fundamentals of Digital Photography I
(To register for this course, you must have a Digital SLR camera. Point-and-shoot type film or point-and-shoot digital cameras, and 35mm film SLRs are not applicable to this course.) This course will be much more fruitful and rewarding if you have good computer skills and a working copy of image enhancement software such as Photoshop or equivalent. This fast-paced course includes eight classroom sessions with two separate Saturday morning field trips. We'll cover digital resolution issues, lenses, flash (direct and fill), manual exposure control, monitor and printer calibration, and lab and home printing. Fundamentals of digital file management and basic Photoshop procedures will also be discussed.
Fundamentals of Digital Photography II
(To register for this course, you must have a Digital SLR camera. Point-and-shoot type film or point-and-shoot digital cameras, and 35mm film SLRs are not applicable to this course.) Learn more about color and white balance, photo software, on-camera and remote flash operation, dealing with difficult photo situations, and what all those menu options in the camera can do for you. It is expected that all students have a good understanding and competency in basic camera controls and camera metering. This course includes one in-class field trip and one weekend, late afternoon field trip. Prerequisite: Fundamentals of Digital Photography I.
Electives:
Architectural Photography
Anyone interested in shooting architectural, interior photography, including those shooting photographs for advertisers, real estate agents, appraisers, insurance agents, etc., will benefit from this course. Class sessions cover choice of camera and accessories; exterior architectural concerns; proper camera techniques; staging; various interior lighting techniques and strategies; post-production techniques to correct common problems such as color casts, parallax and barrel distortion; HDR; and blending.
Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 for Digital Photographers
Adobe Photoshop Elements is a popular program for digital photographers, and version 6 (for both Mac and Windows OS) makes photo-editing easier than ever. In this course you'll learn both simple and advanced methods for improving color, tonal range, and contrast of your digital photos. You'll learn how to bring out detail in one part of your image without sacrificing detail in another. Projects include digital postcards, slideshows, photo collages, and montages of your family events, vacations, or travel journals. You'll learn how to create projects for clients or family and friends that can be viewed via the Internet or copied to CDs.
Advanced Photoshop
Advanced Photoshop is for persons who want to go beyond the basics and learn the creative side of Photoshop. You'll learn photo manipulations, color correction, masking essentials, blurring and averaging, layer essentials, opacity and blend modes, layer effects and styles, adjustment layers, smart objects, templates and collages, working with camera raw, and much more. Prerequisite: You must have a basic working knowledge of Photoshop; this is not an introductory course.
Close-Up Photography
Close-up images don't encompass the grandeur of scenic images, but the closer view can be just as interesting and informative. This course introduces you to the basics of close-up photography, which require an observant and discerning eye and the ability to see the artistic beauty in small details. Intimate views of parts of the whole can increase our understanding of the whole. You must have a digital/film camera and lens combination that will make close-up photographs of at least 1/10 life size to life size, or larger (close-up accessories can be used). The camera should be capable of using your own shoe-mounted flash unit(s). A suitable tripod is also required.
Contemporary Art Photography
Contemporary Art Photography is an overview of 21st century photographers and an exploration of the ideas and themes expressed in their work. Some of these ideas originated in the 1970s art world but others can be traced back to 19th and 20th century photography. The emphasis of this course is understanding these themes and making connections among different artists -- living and dead -- whose work affects the direction of photography today. Photographers should expect to be inspired by the thought-provoking work. Enjoying photography is the only requirement for this course.
Digital Videography and Production
We'll discuss the various digital formats including hard drive camcorders and flash memory camcorders as well as High Definition. We'll also discuss the various settings and functions of a digital camcorder; how to pick the right camcorder for your specific needs; as well as, how the various functions relate to your final video output. Note: Hi-8, VHS, and VHS-C camcorders are not applicable to this discussion but these owners are welcome to attend for informational purposes.
Fun with Photoshop: Slide Shows and More!
Course content covers making collages and montages from your photos, creating watercolor and painting effects, creating Smart Collections, using HDR, how to make a slide show with ProShow Gold, how to add tattoos to your subjects, making duotonephotos, how to simulate studio, and much much more.
Intro. to Fashion and Glamour Photography
In this course, you'll walk from beginning to end through a fashion/glamour style photo shoot. Topics covered include understanding light, lighting selection and setups, business practices, makeup, post production, and participation in a real studio fashion shoot! You should have a working knowledge of your camera and be comfortable shooting in manual mode.
Lighting Essentials
This course is designed to give the amateur or emerging professional photographer the skills to better utilize light in multiple situations or conditions. Topics will include: on and off-camera flash, remote flash, wireless TTL flash, "slaves" bound flash techniques, utilizing light stands, umbrellas, reflectors, softboxes, and how to assemble a professional-quality lighting kit. Emphasis is placed on the portability and versatility in creating photographic lighting on location and in a studio setting.
Nature and Travel Photography
Capture the beauty of landscapes, wildlife, all aspects of nature, including macro/close-ups. Basic principles of exposure, metering, light, and composition will be covered, plus information on equipment and films for nature photography. This course is geared for film or digital formats. Two field trips will be discussed in class.
Photoshop for Photographers
You'll learn how to crop, size, change, improve, prepare photos for e-mail, add missing items to your images, create different kind of edges for your photos, and much more. This is a course for the beginner.
Photoshop Lightroom
If you are a digital photographer who wants to organize and process your growing library of digital images more efficiently, you need to take this course. Photoshop Lightroom from Adobe is an integrated program for organizing and adjusting your photos, and then presenting them as prints, slide shows, or Web pages.
Portrait Photography
A good photographic portrait is a combination of lighting, composition, posing, your own vision, and technical excellence. In this course, we'll look at these elements and provide opportunities for you to make photographic portraits with your own cameras.
Sports Photography
Take an exciting look into the wide world of sports photography. Explore the specifics of techniques and how they apply to shooting events from Little League to professional. Other topics include lenses, cameras, using a remote, and learning to capture action at its peak moment. Basic knowledge of exposure is a must.
Wildlife Photography
Learn techniques for photographing wildlife in this daylong field course. We'll meet fo 2-3 hours of classroom instruction on Friday evening, then spend Saturday in Cade Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park photographing whitetail deer and hopefully black bear. Topics that will be covered are composition, proper use of equipment, insights to wildlife behavior, and ethical behavior of the photographer.
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Call (865) 974-0150 or e-mail professionalpgms@utk.edu for more information.