Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners Group Lesson 1: Exploring your camera 18 September 2013 © Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners Hello I’m John © Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners This time Introduction Say hello Find out what you want to know Look at the plan for the course Types of camera Exploring the camera (lenses screens, buttons, knobs, dials, switches and connections) Simplest way to take a picture (point and shoot) © Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners Introductions Name Experience of photography (film / digital) Type of camera What do you want from the course? © Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners Programme 19 SeptemberExploring your camera 1 OctoberYou’ve taken some pictures now what? (Viewing pictures; filing on your computer) 15 OctoberPrinting & Composing a better picture (part 1) 29 OctoberCamera modes/scenes & Composing a better picture (part 2) 5 NovemberSimple editing to improve your pictures 19 NovemberUnderstanding exposure 3 DecemberControlling exposure/focal length/perspective/composition for a better picture & Taking Pictures of people. 17 DecemberEverything you want to know about digital photography but never dared ask. © Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners This time Introduction Say hello Find out what you want to know Look at the plan for the course Types of camera Exploring the camera (lenses, screens, buttons, knobs, dials, switches and connections) Simplest way to take a picture (point and shoot) © Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners Types of Camera Compact £30 - £400 Bridge £200 - £500 Digital SLR £300 - £6,000 +Lenses etc. £50 - £12,000 Mobile Phone £0 - £200 © Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners “The best camera is….. …..the one you have with you” © Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners This time Introduction Say hello Find out what you want to know Look at the plan for the course Types of camera Exploring the camera (lenses, screens, buttons, knobs, dials, switches and connections) Simplest way to take a picture (point and shoot) © Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners What’s on the camera Viewfinder/screen Shutter release Zoom Viewfinder Screen Shutter release Zoom Shutter release Zoom Shutter release Plus lots of other stuff Menu Flash Macro Play Delete ISO Timer Exposure compensation Video Display etc. © Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners Under the covers Memory Card Battery Connection sockets Do you know where yours are? © Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners Memory cards SD Card Micro SD Card (+ adapter) Compact Flash Memory Stick XD Card More likely, on a memory card. Pictures may be on the camera’s internal memory

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners Memory Cards Look at the samples Find the cards in your cameras © Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners Connect camera to computer Most modern cameras use USB connections Mini USB on Camera (may be micro USB on phone) Standard USB to mini USB cable One or more standard USB on computer (may be mini USB on tablet) © Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners What happens when you connect camera to computer? It depends on: Type of computer: Windows; Mac; Android…. Software loaded on computer: What you have done previously Try yours at home see what happens. We will look at this more next time. © Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners This time Introduction Say hello Find out what you want to know Look at the plan for the course Types of camera Exploring the camera (lenses, screens, buttons, knobs, dials, switches and connections) Simplest way to take a picture (point and shoot) © Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners Camera’s have lots of settings But they have one very simple way of taking pictures! © Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners The easiest way to take Pictures “Point and Shoot” Viewfinder (if you have one) 0) Use the Camera in AUTO mode Screen 1) Frame the shot Zoom 2) Press the button Shutter release button © Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners Point and Shoot Try it © Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners Cameras have lots of settings But not all cameras are the same: © Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners Common Camera Modes /Scenes Movie/Video Macro/Close-Up. Party/Night Portrait Landscape Sports Aperture Priority. Shutter Priority Manual Stitch We will look at some of these in future sessions. © Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners Homework Try the things we have covered today at home : – Take pictures – Explore the switches, buttons options etc. (ask questions next time) Connect your camera to computer – Find your cable – Connect to your computer – Note what happens when you connect your camera to computer: Does some software start? If so, note what the software is. Does it upload pictures onto your PC? If so where do they go? © Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners Course notes I will put this presentation on the Buxton and District U3A website at : Or 1.Goto 2.Select “Groups” 3.Select “Digital Photography: Beginners” 4.Select “materials from previous sessions” from the links on right hand side of page © Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners Next Time Viewing pictures Loading photos on to computer, filing and cataloguing them If you use a laptop bring it with you! © Copyright John Estruch