Company Name: The Photography Institute Telephone: Fax: Cell Phone: Email: supportthephotographyinstitute.co.za Website:

Course Title:   Diploma Course in Professional Photography

About the Course

This is a new cutting edge photography course written and directed by some of the best working photographers in their field. The aim of the course is to provide you with the knowledge and skills required for a career as a professional photographer or as a keen hobbyist. This is an up-to-date and massively comprehensive course covering every aspect of photography.

The "Professional Photography Course" is delivered online and consists of 12 modules and 12 interactive assignments. The normal time required to complete the course is 24 weeks. During this time you will be tutored in all aspects of professional photography by George Seper; one of the top freelance photographers around. His vast wealth of accumulated knowledge is provided to you together with the ways to apply this knowledge to the areas of photography that most interest you.

The business of photography is not just about award winning images. It can also be about the right picture at the right time. Newspapers, magazines and websites worldwide are constantly on the lookout for new and interesting material. The opportunities are enormous and always growing.

The many thousands of magazine titles, books and newspapers worldwide are the freelance photographer's main market. But this is not to mention all the metropolitan newspapers, regional newspapers, community newspapers, corporate publications, websites and a host of other possible markets.

The "Professional Photography Course" supplies you with all you need to know to enable you to gain access to these markets. By the end of this course you will have the knowledge and skills to work as a freelance photographer and be paid for your efforts.

How to study online?


When you enrol with The Institute you will be given a username and password so you can login as a student and enter our secure student site. You then have immediate access to download your first module and your own personal tutor will be allocated within 24 hours. They are there to offer support and guide you to your first level of qualification. Student Support is available for the duration of the course and will offer assistance if you are experiencing problems or having difficulties submitting your assignments.

We offer the most thorough online course in Photography that is available anywhere in the world, using the very latest online learning techniques; our course brings you everything you need to achieve the success you want. This is a course written by working professional photographers at the top of their field. This course is not just about theory. It is also about equipping you with the real world tools and information you will need to become a successful photographer.

You will find the tutorials easy to follow with no formal examinations necessary. Only basic computer skills are required and you will find the course captivating and the assignments fun and interactive.

As the course is self paced, you may take longer than the scheduled 24 weeks to complete your Course. If necessary, you may take up to a year to finish your studies.

On successful completion of the Professional Photography Course you will have the skills and knowledge required to become a freelance photographer either as a full or part time career, as a profitable sideline or just as an exciting new hobby.

Course Outline


MODULE ONE : CAMERAS & LENSES

• Introduction to the Professional Photography Course
• About the Author
• The Small Format SLR
• The Medium Format Camera
• The Large Format Camera
• Small & Medium Format SLR Features
• Lens Faults
• Spherical Aberration
• Chromatic Aberration
• Barrel & Pincushion Distortion
• Flare & Vignetting
• Lens Types
• Specialty Lenses & Attachments
• Caring For Your Camera & Lenses
• Practical Lens Choices               
                       
MODULE TWO : SHUTTERS, APERTURE, ISO AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS                           
       
• The Shutter
• Shutter Types
• Stops
• F/Stops
• The Aperture / Shutter Speed Relationship
• Reciprocity
• Depth of Field
• Circles of Confusion
• Sharpness
• Depth of Field Scale
• Hyperfocal Distance
• The Depth of Field Preview Button
• Depth of Field & the View Camera
• Digital Sensors & the View Camera
• SLR Shooting Modes
• Putting it all Together
• Previsualisation                         

MODULE THREE : EXPOSURE & METERING

• Light Meters
• Hand Held Meters
• Average Reflective Metering
• Spot Metering
• Incident Metering
• In Camera Light Meters
• ISO & Exposure Compensation Control
• Shutter Speed, Aperture, ISO Relationship
• The 18% Grey Card
• Dynamic Range & a Metering Method
• The Stepped Greyscale Test
• Zone System Basics
• Building Your Own Zone Ruler
• Metering Colours and Other Tips
• Some Final Thoughts on Metering                     

MODULE FOUR : THE FILM & DIGITAL PROCESS

• A Brief History of the Photographic Process
• A Timeline for the Development of Photography
• Development & Construction of Photographic Film
• Panchromatic Film
• The Wet Process
• Colour Film Processing
• Pushing (Lightening)
• Pulling (Darkening)
• Films D Log E Curve
• Digital Image Capture
• CCD & CMOC Compared
• Tri-Linear Array Scanning Backs
• Film vs. Digital
• Greens
• Digital D Log E Curve
• In Camera Filters & Sharpening
• The Histogram
• In Camera Controls & What to Do With Them                 

MODULE FIVE : LIGHT & COLOUR
                                             
• The Colour Spectrum
• Colour Temperature
• Early Colour Theory Development
• Maxwell’s Triangle and Modern Colour Theory
• Additive and Subtractive Colour Systems
• The CIE and LAB Colour
• Photographic Filters
• Useful Filters in the Digital World
• The Mired Scale
• Wratten Filters
• The Colour Temperature Meter
• Digital White Balance
• Seeing Like a Camera
• Some Useful Tricks
• Previsualisation
• Setting Shadow and Highlights
• Black and White
• The Red Channel in RGB
• The Blue Channel in RGB
• The L Channel in Lab                              

MODULE SIX : LIGHTING

• About Light
• The Sun
• Colour
• The Quality of Light
• I love Daylight
• Artificial Light Sources
• Lighting Outdoors
• Lighting People and Small Moveable Objects
• Fill in Flash
• Mirrors
• Scrims
• Reflectors
• Backlighting
• The World’s Best Lighting
• The Daylight Look Indoors
• Tungsten Lights
• Bouncing Lights
• Balancing Flash and Daylight
• Flash Duration
• Portrait Lighting
• Unisex General Portraiture Lighting Scheme
• The Vanity Index
• Lighting Men and Women                     

MODULE SEVEN : HOW TO TAKE BETTER PHOTOS

• The Big Question
• Commercial Reality
• Travel Photography
• Photojournalism
• Magazine Photography
• Advertising Photography
• Educate Yourself
• A Process for Photographing Objects
• A Mental Shooting Checklist
• Thinking like A Lens
• Previsualising
• Colour Management in Camera
• The Cameras Preview Tools
• Working Tethered
• The Photoshop Trap
• Sticking to a Subject
• Be Honest With Yourself
• Be Realistic
• A Word on Plagiarism
• A Cut-Out Portfolio
• A Style to Call Your Own                   

MODULE EIGHT : EQUIPMENT & SOFTWARE

• Camera Choices
• Format Size
• The Small Format Camera System
• The Medium Format Camera System
• The Large Format Camera System
• Questions and Considerations
• Buying vs. Hiring
• Which Lenses Do I Need
• Old Film Lenses in a Digital World
• Where Is the Technology Going?
• Lighting Equipment
• Studio Flash Units
• Which Brand Should I Buy
• Portability
• Tungsten Lighting
• Second Hand Gear
• Computers & Monitors
• The Calibration Device
• Data Storage
• The Graphics Tablet
• Capture Software             

MODULE NINE : RETOUCHING, RESOLUTION & PRINTING

• Photoshop & Other Retouching Software
• The Interesting Issue of DPI & PPI
• Image Size…How Big is Big Enough?
• Output Devices & Resolution Requirements
• Dot Gain
• Working in RGB
• Gamma
• Gamut
• The CMYK Workspace
• Bit Depth
• Colour Channels in Photoshop
• File Formats for Digital Imaging & Printing
• File Formats for Print Bound Images
• Working with 16 Bit Files
• HDR for High Contrast Images
• Photoshop Toolbox
• Quick masking
• Photoshop’s Densitometer
• Adjustment Layers
• Sharpening
• My Sharpening Methodology
• Camera Raw Image Adjustment Basics
• Photoshop Lightroom 3 Image Adjustment Basics
• Do Your Prints Look Like the Screen Image?
• Calibrate the Whole Shebang                      

MODULE TEN : THE STUDIO

• The Photographer’s Studio
• Do I Need a Studio
• Hiring a Studio
• Sharing
• Living In
• How Big a Studio Do I Need
• The Perils of Working from Home
• The Joys of Working from Home
• The Wedding and Portrait Studio
• The Question of Daylight
• Ceiling Heights
• Colours and Decorating
• The Studio Floor
• Poly Boards
• Must Haves
• Bus and Train Routes
• Parking
• Security
• Hiring Out your Precious Studio
• Start Small
• Where to Begin                               

MODULE ELEVEN : HOW TO CONSTRUCT A PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO

• Where to Begin
• Selecting a Speciality Area
• Fashion & Beauty
• Portraiture
• Weddings & Family
• Nudes & Glamour
• Photojournalism
• Travel & Resort
• Food
• Product & Still Life
• Architecture & Interiors
• Industrial & Corporate
• Cars
• The Photographer’s Assistant
• Career Path Suggestions
• Try to Get a Look at Other Photographers’ Work
• Look at the Portfolios of Stylists to get Ideas
• How to Find the Right People to Schmooze
• Talk to Photo Agents
• Be Ruthless Don’t Dilute the Portfolio
• Is One Folio Enough
• Get Other Opinions
• Think About Your Presentation
• This is Where to Spend Money Wisely
• Some Ideas on Marketing Tools

MODULE TWELVE : PHOTO AGENTS, PICTURE AGENCIES - HOW TO GET WORK…AND KEEP IT
           
• The Photographer’s Agent
• The Role of the Agent
• The Photographers / Agent Relationship
• How to Find a Photo Agent
• Avoid Mixed Agencies If You Can
• Be Totally Prepared For Your Interview
• Fees & Charges
• Agency Politics
• Don’t Argue!
• Photo Libraries and Picture Agencies in a Nutshell
• The Copyright Issue
• How to Submit Images
• Be Organised
• Do Your Homework
• Write Down Names in the Lift
• Sell Yourself!
• Going it Alone
• Befriend the Art Buyer
• A Final Word

Course Title 2 Diploma Course in Professional Photography Classification Photography -> Advanced Photography Course Requirements All you need for the "Professional Photography Course" is a good camera, preferably a Digital SLR, but not essential. With some assignments you need to select an option and confirm what camera you are using, i.e. SLR Digital, Non-SLR Digital, Film, etc. We recommend you have at least Adobe Elements installed, which is a cut down version of Adobe Photoshop and can be purchased for a fraction of the cost online, No other software needs to be purchased to complete this Course, nor do you need any expensive printing equipment, as you upload your images on to assignment pages on the secure student site. There are no other or hidden cost. Price The standard Course fees are R 6,999.00. However, if you pay your course fees in full you receive a R 500 discount and only pay R 6,499.00 for the complete course. You can also opt for our weekly (24 x R 291.63) or monthly (6 x R 1,166.50) payment plan. Notes The Course contains 12 Modules, which are downloaded from the student site. They can be saved to your PC or printed. Each module is average 60 pages and at the end of each module there is an assignment for you to complete. The assignments are fun and interactive. Some are text based and with most you will have to upload your images. Your tutor will mark the assignment and give his constructive comments on where and how you can improve.

Course Information Location COUNTRYWIDE Course Type Online Start Dates Anytime Length of Course 24 weeks to 12 months Final Registration Date Not applicable

Contact Details Name The Photography Institute Phone Email supportthephotographyinstitute.co.za