Masterclass in Photography

“What I love about photography is that you can let anyone look at the world as you see it for a moment,” he said.

“Don’t photograph how it looks, but how it feels.”

“Photography is the story I can’t put into words.”

Photography is an art form that goes beyond simply pressing a shutter button. Ansel Adams (the great landscape photographer) once said, “You don’t take a picture, you create it.” It’s about seeing the potential for a compelling image and then using your skill and creativity to bring that vision to life. The artistic process in photography challenges us to look beyond the obvious. It is about seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary, finding beauty, intrigue or stories in what many would overlook. While creative vision is paramount, the technical aspects of photography cannot be completely ignored. They are the building blocks upon which photography is based. Photography encourages people to engage, be present and observe their surroundings. This involvement fosters a deeper appreciation for the nuances of light, color, texture and form.

Photography as individual expression is a powerful and highly personal art form. It allows photographers to convey their unique perspectives, emotions and ideas through visual images.

Here are several ways photography serves as a medium for individual expression:

1. Perspective and framing: How a photographer chooses to frame a subject – what he or she includes, omits or emphasizes – reflects his or her point of view, both literally and figuratively.

2. Subject choice: Whether capturing street life, nature, abstract forms or intimate portraits, subject choice often reveals personal interests, values or emotional states.

3. Style elements: The use of light, color, composition, focus and even post-processing techniques (such as high contrast or muted tones) conveys mood and tone, much like brush strokes in a painting.

4 Storytelling: A single photograph or photo series can tell a story, evoke memories or express social and political commentary – unique to the photographer’s experiences or worldview.

5. Emotion and mood: Photographers often project their own emotions onto a scene and use visual aids to express feelings such as isolation, joy, nostalgia or defiance.

6. Identity research: self-portraiture and conceptual photography are widely used.

Experimental techniques: Playing with long exposures, double exposures or alternative processes.

Topics covered in the lectures:

On Thursday evenings from 7:30-21:30 p.m.

Introduction to famous photographers and their work for inspiration. Lesson on composition – camera settings – movement – depth of field – street photography – portrait – still life – architecture – landscape – interior – night photography – mixed light. Projects are presented, shown and discussed with all of us every two weeks.