Photography Boot Camp

A Three day adventure in Learning and Experiencing Photography

This Boot Camp in comprised of all the information presented in my Digital Photography School plus an extra day-long field trip to help reinforce everything you've learned through the week. In this Boot Camp you'll have a real hands-on experience in a variety of settings along with a total of 12 hours of classroom work on the theories and techniques we'll use in the field. This Boot Camp is geared towards providing you with the basics of photography from the ground up as they relate to Digital and Film cameras.

Set in the beautiful Flint Hills of Kansas we'll be staying at the Historic Beaumont Hotel where we'll do our classroom lessons and enjoy most of our meals. Directly across the street from the Hotel is the Historic Beaumont-Frisco Water Tower, dating back to the days of a booming cattle business and the massive rail service that once served this bustling stopping point in the middle of Kansas. Just a few miles down the road is the Elk River Wind Farm that started operation in 2005. We'll have the opportunity to visit this marvelous site up close and personal, not just from the road. Because of my relationship with one of the Ranchers we'll be able to shoot these beautiful towers from great vantage points while you're practicing and learning about photography. In fact, we'll be doing a little traveling around the area on most days just so you can get practice on the topics covered in that days' classroom lessons. This Boot Camp is also scheduled to coincide with the annual prairie range burning season, so we may have some great photo ops there too. The Beaumont Hotel is also host to a variety of weekend events that may occur during our stay there.

Register Early - Space is very limited and we need to reserve rooms before the hunters take them all.

Because the Hotel is limited to 11 rooms I'll only be accepting 10 students for this class. The only exception to this is for couples that will be sharing a room, you'll see a ticket price for that, and the spouse rate can be used for anyone who is sharing your room. Spouses or companions are welcome to join us for the classroom sessions and wherever possible for the workshops and field trips too. All meals are included for all 3 days of this Boot Camp as well as the Hotel room and transportation to and from Beaumont from my studio in Wichita. Class size is significantly limited to assure personalized attention when we are out shooting. Because we'll all be staying at the same hotel we'll have many hours together and we can spend time into the evenings going over the things you've learned and working through questions you may have.

Please come prepared with a notebook (you know, the paper kind). Although you will receive a text book you may want to take additional notes. You'll also want to bring rain gear and dress in layers when we head out for our field trips. I recommend sturdy shoes that will protect your feet and ankles on rough terrain, bug spray and maybe even sunscreen. The evenings at this time of year can get rather cold, so be prepared for that.

Day 1 Morning - Exposure

The first step in learning photography is to understand exposure. In essence, we need to capture the right amount of light for the right length of time and at the right speed. We will spend about 3 hours in the classroom on this subject.

What you'll learn in this segment: I'll lead you through basic photography to make sure you understand how to make a correct exposure. How to use your shutter speeds, f/stops (aperture) and ISO in conjunction with the correct white balance to create properly exposed images every time.

Here's some of the many topics we'll discuss:

· ISO - What it is and how to select the right setting.
· White Balance, understanding it and using it effectively.
· Setting the f/stop, shutter speed, and ISO to achieve the correct exposure.
· Taking great photographs in some of the worst conditions.
· How to come home from vacation with photos you'll want to share with everyone.
· Getting professional looking results with a basic camera.
· Investing in the right camera gear for your shooting interests.

Day 1 Afternoon - Composition

Once you've learned to make a good exposure you'll want to arrange your subject matter appropriately. That's what we commonly refer to as Composition, and that's what this afternoon is all about.

What you'll learn in this class: I'll teach you how to compose your images in such a way that your viewers will be captivated and you'll be able to command their interest. We'll discuss ways of improving your images so you can truly take them from being snapshots to being real photographs. Your friends will be waiting for you to come back from trips so they can see your photos, and they'll really enjoy seeing them.

This class is geared towards providing you with the concepts of composition so you'll be able to effectively communicate your subject to your viewers (without you being there to guide them through your albums).

Here's some of the many topics we'll discuss:

· Depth-of-Field - The first element of composition.
· Rule of Thirds - A place for everything and everything in it's place.
· Framing - Bring out the best of your subject while you focus your viewers' interest.
· Balance - Making sure your viewer feels comfortable looking at your photos.
· Mergers - Avoiding the ones you should and creating the ones you need.
· Simplicity - Yeah, you know, that old principle... Keep it simple...
· Perspective - Bringing your viewer into the scene you want them to experience.

Day 2 Morning - The Camera

Now that you've got an understanding of how you want to compose your images and how to get the proper exposure, you need to get more familiar with the camera and all of it's parts.

What you'll learn in this class: We'll talk about all those buttons, wheels, switches and dials on your camera and lenses. Our goal here is to make sure you can take all your knowledge about Exposure and Composition and bring it together quickly to create the photos you're after. We will discuss how to handle your camera correctly so you'll be able to capture those shots you want before they get away, and about keeping your camera safe from harm and functioning for a long time to come.

Here's some of the many topics we'll discuss:

· Body - Where things are located and what they do.
· Function Dial - What's on it and what it all means.
· Shutter Speed and F/Stop Controls.
· ISO Settings.
· White Balance Settings.
· Shutter Release, Cable Release and Self-Timer.
· Hot Shoe and Flash connections.
· Depth of Field Preview.
· Auto-Focus Switch and focusing.
· LCD Display.
· Viewfinder.
· Lens / Lenses.
· Shutter functions.
· Handling the Camera.
· Using a Tripod.

Day 2 Afternoon - Flash & Light & Metering

Now that you know how to use your camera and compose your images and handle your camera well enough to get it all done, you need to know how to use the light you have or supplement it with flash.

What you'll learn in this class: Getting the exposure you want with the available light, and how to use flash to illuminate your subject or as a supplement to the available light. We will also spend a good deal of time dealing with metering your light to be sure you're going to get a proper exposure.

Here's some of the many topics we'll discuss:

· Measuring Light and Light Meters.
· Handling low light problems with flash.
· Reflecting your flash or the available light.
· Bouncing and diffusing flash.
· Adding color to your subject.
· Using filters to enhance your image.

Day 3 - Photo Excursion

Now that you've got all this great knowledge we're going to spend an entire day out on the road in the Flint Hills. We'll be exploring, shooting and continuing to learn in real life situations. This will give you the opportunity to firm up everything you've been learning over the past 2 days and to take home some great shots from some of the best scenery in Kansas.

We'll have breakfast at the Hotel and get loaded up for the day's journey. Our exact route and destinations will depend on the weather, so it's kind of anyone's guess where we'll be. I've got some places in mind and we'll try to cover some ground so you get to see (and shoot) a lot of different subjects. I would anticipate arrival back in Wichita somewhere between 6 and 8 P.M.. Your lunch and dinner will be provided for this day also.

Daily Schedule

Each day will include 6 hours of classroom training and 3 hours of workshop time. During our workshop time we will likely be exploring the areas around the Hotel in the Flint Hills and getting some serious experience with cameras and settings.

We will have breakfast at the Hotel and start our lessons at 9:00. At noon, we will break for lunch and restart our classroom work at 1:00, continuing until 4:00. We will then head out for 2 hours of our workshop time, returning to the Hotel for dinner at 6:00. After dinner, we will get back to our workshop for an hour or so and continue shooting and chatting until we all decide we're done (or my voice is gone).

Nothing about this schedule is cast-in-stone. We will adjust the schedule based upon weather and students. We might decide to go out shooting mid-day and work in the classroom in the evening, of even head right out for shooting in the morning on the second day. So whatever you do, be prepared to be flexible.

Sunset for these dates is around 8:16 PM.  Although that time is technically outside of our class schedule, there is a possibility of us being out and setting up for some awesome sunset shots too.

"Classes Only" Registrations

You have the option of registering for Classes Only. For these registrations you must be at the Hotel at 9:00 sharp each day for class, and provide your own transportation to and from Beaumont and for the daily workshop trips. Your meals are included and you should arrive early enough for breakfast to join us, but that's entirely up to you. The day-long field trip is NOT included for Classes Only, but it can be added as an option.