"I’d much rather see a photograph with feeling, whether it exhibits technical ability or not."
- Howard Petrella

News

Last Call for February Photography Classes
Learn to take your camera past "Automatic" mode!
Enroll Now!

Social Shoot
Monday’s get-together was a lot of fun. Look for details of the next one soon.

Angie Deadline Launches Website
Past IPC student launches photography website.
Click Here to Learn More

Featured Class: Experience Booster

Looking for an excuse to get out and shoot? If you’ve conquered the Fundamentals of Photography and are craving the opportunity to put your learned skills to work, this class is for you!

Join other IPC students as you gain hands-on experience in 4 different photography genres over the 4 weeks.

Click Here for More Details

Weekly Photo Challenge: Shutter Speed

Shutter speed controls motion. You can show motion of moving subjects in two different ways:

• To show motion as a blur, select a slow shutter speed
• To show motion stopped, or frozen in time, select a fast shutter speed

There isn’t a "correct" answer as far as how to show motion; this is part of the creative side of photography. The photo is correct if motion in the photo is shown the way you, as the photographer, wanted it (or envisioned it), shown.

Assignment:

1. Select a moving subject such as water flowing in a stream.
2. Set your camera’s shutter speed to a slow setting, such as 1/30 sec. Take a picture.
3. Now set the shutter speed to a fast shutter speed, such as 1/250 sec and take a picture of the same subject.
4. Now compare how motion is depicted differently in the two pictures.

Written by Ron Kness

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That was this week’s Group Assignment on Flickr
To Participate in the Assignments Click Here to Join the Group!

Next Week: Natural Light

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News

As Seen In Indianapolis Monthly
IPC & student Connie Etter featured in the January issue!
Click Here to Read the Article

February Photography Classes
Learn to take your camera past "Automatic" mode
Enroll Now!

Refer A Friend, Save A Life
IPC supports Loving South Africa
Click Here to Learn More

Featured Class: Experience Booster

Looking for an excuse to get out and shoot? If you’ve conquered the Fundamentals of Photography and are craving the opportunity to put your learned skills to work, this class is for you!

Join other IPC students as you gain hands-on experience in 4 different photography genres over the 4 weeks.

Click Here for More Details

Weekly Assignment: Digital Camera Modes

Many digital cameras have a mode selection dial where you can select a shooting mode of P, Tv, Av or M.
When you select one of these modes, it tells the camera to make specific settings as far as shutter speed and aperture. The differences between the four basic modes are:

• Program (P): Use this mode when you want the camera to select both the shutter speed and aperture for you. The camera will make a "best guess" selection on shutter speed and aperture based on the information coming into the camera.
• Shutter Priority (S or Tv): Use this mode when you are trying to control motion. You select the shutter speed and the camera selects the aperture.
• Aperture Priority (A or Av): Use this mode when you want to control depth-of-field. You select the aperture and the camera selects the shutter speed.
• Manual (M): Use this mode when you want to control both motion and depth-of-field. You select both shutter speed and aperture.

Using these modes lets you flex your creative side from none in Program mode to the maximum in Manual mode and everything in-between.

Assignment:

1. Select a subject. Meter the subject using the Program mode first and note the shutter speed and aperture settings.
2. Now shoot the picture. Use other shutter speed and aperture settings when shooting in the three other modes. Study how each mode changed the way the image looks as far as how motion or depth-of-field was depicted.

Using this photo tip and assignment as a guide, in the future, ask yourself first which mode would be the best to use for a particular shot.

Written by Ron Kness

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That was this week’s Group Assignment on Flickr
To Participate in the Assignments Click Here to Join the Group!

Next Week: Photographing Newborns

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News

Last Call For January Photography Classes
Learn to take your camera past "Automatic" mode!
Enroll Now!

Refer A Friend, Save A Life
IPC supports Loving South Africa
Click Here to Learn More

We’re Hiring Instructors
Who do you know who is passionate about photography?
Click Here to Learn More

Featured Class: Fundamentals of Photography

There is a lot of science that goes into photography… don’t let it scare you! Depth-of-field, shutter speeds, F-stops, film speeds, lenses, just to name a few aspects. This class is designed as a "crash-course" to help you understand these complex topics, along with some hands-on time shooting outdoors, practicing learned skills.

During these 4 weeks you’ll gain confidence and abilities to improve photo-taking of your favorite subjects. Please bring a SLR or dSLR camera to the first class. After these 4 weeks, the Level 2 "Experience Booster" class is designed to follow-up and expand the knowledge gained and promote further learning through experience.

Click Here for More Details

Weekly Assignment: Creating Bokeh Shapes

There were several questions about this technique some used in the last assignment so it seemed like a good idea to show you how to create your own custom bokeh.

The word "bokeh" is simply Japanese for "blur".

It occurs in the out of focus parts of an image when using a wide aperture setting. Often there are shapes (i.e. pentagons, octagons) present in the bokeh and the shape you see comes from the shape of your lens aperture which is made up of several blades that expand and contract.

Lenses with fewer blades typically have more defined shapes in the bokeh they produce while lenses with more blades that are more circular produce smoother bokeh.

To create your own custom bokeh shape you essentially will create your own aperture. This can be done with virtually any material thick enough to block light everywhere other than the shape you’ve created. Black construction paper or cardboard work great.

*Caution: Make sure you do not let anything you create touch the glass of your lens. Even notebook paper is abrasive enough to scratch a lens so be careful.

Assignment:

1. Cut out the shape you’ve chosen
2. Safely attach it to your lens without touching the glass
3. Set your camera to Aperture Priority (A) and set it to the lenses widest setting (e.g. f/1.8).
4. Try taking some pictures of lights or bright objects because they will give the best results.

Written by Trevor Warren

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That was this week’s Group Assignment on Flickr
To Participate in the Assignments Click Here to Join the Group!

Next Week: Digital Camera Mode Dial Selections

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News

Refer A Friend, Save A Life
IPC supports Loving South Africa
Click Here to Learn More

Bonus Cash!
Purchase a $50 gift certificate, get an extra $10 for free.
Click Here to Purchase

We’re Hiring Instructors
Who do you know who is passionate about photography?
Click Here to Learn More

Don’t Get Left Out: Help-Portrait is for everyone
Clear your calendar for Saturday, Dec. 12th.
Click Here for More Information

Featured Class: Wedding Photography

So you’ve been asked, volunteered, drafted or possibly cornered into shooting a friend or relative’s wedding.

Or maybe you’re thinking about doing it as a wedding present. Photography can be one of the largest expenses for a wedding, especially in the high priced metropolitan areas.

If you are an amateur with single friends or relatives and have a decent eye for photography, sooner or later you will be asked to shoot a wedding. This class is intended to be a "Survival Guide" for the non-professional who will be shooting a wedding for the first time. If you’re not at least a bit scared by the prospect of being the "official" wedding photographer, you should be. You only get one shot at it!

Click Here for More Details

Photography Tip: Digital Camera Modes

Many digital cameras have a mode selection dial where you can select a shooting mode of P, Tv, Av or M. When you select one of these modes, it tells the camera to make specific settings as far as shutter speed and aperture. The differences between the four basic modes are:

• Program (P): Use this mode when you want the camera to select both the shutter speed and aperture for you. The camera will make a "best guess" selection on shutter speed and aperture based on the information coming into the camera.
• Shutter Priority (Tv): Use this mode when you are trying to control motion. You select the shutter speed and the camera selects the aperture.
• Aperture Priority (Av): Use this mode when you want to control depth-of-field. You select the aperture and the camera selects the shutter speed.
• Manual (M): Use this mode when you want to control both motion and depth-of-field. You select both shutter speed and aperture.

Using these modes lets you flex your creative side from none in Program mode to the maximum in Manual mode and everything in-between.

Written by Ron Kness

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News

Last call for November Fundamentals Classes!
Next round of Fundamentals of Photography classes won’t be until January 2010.

January, February & March classes announced soon!

Give the Gift of Photography Knowledge & Experience

Purchase an IPC Gift Certificate for a friend!

Weekly Group Assignment: The Haunting

It’s that time of year again where little creatures from beyond will comb through neighborhoods in search of snack sized candy. It’s also a good time to try out some trick photography since your best props are already out and ready to go!

Here are a couple of ideas:

Ghastly Lighting
Creative use of lighting was the main way Hollywood scared us before the era of computer generated monsters. A lot of flashes today can be triggered wirelessly for some great effects but even a strategically placed and relatively bright flashlight can do the job. Experiment with different lighting angles and ways of composing image. Sometimes less is more!

Ghostly Motion
The same technique we use to get silky waterfalls can also create the translucent and formless ghost image we’re so accustomed to seeing. The principal is the same, you stabilize your camera on a tripod or anything else sturdy and set your shutter speed at a rate too slow to freeze the moving object — the moving object is blurred while the background remains sharp.

Assignment:

Show us your best spookiest image using one or both of the techniques mentioned above. This is an all-ages group so nothing too gruesome.

Have fun!

Written by Trevor Warren
This is this week’s Group Assignment on Flickr!

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News

New Class Dates Announced

Fundamentals of Photography  Just Added!
Tuesdays in November, Downtown

HDR Workshop  Just Added!
Tuesday, December 1st, 6-9pm, Downtown

Adobe Lightroom Workflow Seminar  Just Added!
Saturday, December 5th

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Give the Gift of Photography Knowledge & Experience
Purchase an IPC Gift Certificate for a friend!

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Weekly Group Assignment: Capturing the Colors of Fall

This is a magical time of the year however many photographers find themselves disappointed with their fall foliage photos because they lack the color they saw with their eyes.

To make your photos look closer to the way your eyes saw the scene here are a couple of tips:

1) Use a Polarizing Filter
Your fall color photos lack saturated color because of the light being reflected off of the leaves. Your eyes see through this, but your camera does not. Using a polarizing filter reduces the reflections and allows the colors to come through.

2) Adjust Your White Balance Setting
Using a warmer white balance saturates the earth tones so the red, orange, brown and yellow colors look more natural.

Assignment:

On your next fall color photo trip, use a polarizing filter and notice how the colors become brighter as you rotate the filter. Experiment with your white balance settings by shooting the same photo using both the Cloudy and Shady settings. Notice the subtle color changes between the two settings.

Have fun!

Written by Ron Kness
This is this week’s Group Assignment on Flickr!

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News

Give the Gift of Photography Knowledge & Experience

Purchase an IPC Gift Certificate for a friend!

Now enrolling for November Classes!

Last opportunity to take classes this year. December is a month for us to practice, spend time with family and relax until January. (3 Fundamentals class locations)

Weekly Group Assignment: Focus Lock

All digital cameras have a feature called focus lock. The point of focus is taken off of whatever is inside the circle or rectangle in the center of your viewfinder when you press the shutter button.

Focus lock works great if your subject is in the center of your viewfinder; it doesn’t work if your subject is not in the viewfinder’s center. To use focus lock with subjects off to the side:

• set up the scene in your viewfinder
• place the circle or rectangle in your viewfinder on your subject
• press the shutter button half-way down and continue holding
• with the shutter button still held half-way down, re-position your subject in your viewfinder
• finish pressing the shutter button all the way.

If you have your subject off to the side first, and then press the shutter button, your background will be in focus, but your subject will be blurry. Using focus lock will improve your subject clarity and ad excitement to your photos.

Assignment:

Take a photo of a subject off to the side using the above focus lock steps.

Have fun!

Written by Ron Kness
This is this week’s Group Assignment on Flickr!

News

New Class Added!

Experience Builder
Tuesdays, Oct 6 – Oct 27, 6:00 – 8:00p
Click Here to Learn More

Future Student Social Shoot Event!
September 21st (Hold the date & look for an email soon!)

Live Outside the Area?

Do you live outside Indy and would like a photography class offered in your area? We’re here to help! Find a few friends and contact us to set up a group-private lesson!

Featured Class

High Dynamic Range (HDR) Workshop

Limited dynamic range is the first frustration many photographers experience during the learning process. As you attempt to shoot a portrait during sunset, you expose for the beautiful colors in the sky and your subject becomes a silhouette. Or if shooting an interior room with windows, you notice the extreme over-exposure of the detail in the windows.

There are obvious limitations to exposure which cannot be digitally captured the same as viewed by the human eye. This course will explain how to create HDR (High Dynamic Range) images to overcome these exposure limitations. You will learn how to photograph scenes where the dynamic range is much greater than can be recorded in a single image.

Click Here for More Details

Tip of the Week: The Digital Darkroom

Photography has always been a two stage process and the transition to digital has not changed that.

In Film Photography you capture a negative image and use chemicals to develop the final picture.

In Digital Photography you capture "Raw" image data on a sensor which is then processed by software (either in-camera or on a computer) into a viewable file (e.g. JPEG).

Modern cameras do a pretty good job automating the process with metering and different "Picture Modes". Some people want more creative control however and in that case you’ll need to set up a "Digital Darkroom" which typically involves changing your cameras "Quality Setting" to Raw and using a software program capable of adjusting and processing the Raw files.

"Shooting Raw" is always useful and products like Adobe Lightroom make it pretty painless. Where it stands out most is with the following:

• Changing light or low light situations (noise reduction and white balance corrections are more effective)
• Producing 4-color images for print
• Anytime you want as much creative control as possible

Assignment:

1. Set your camera to take pictures in Raw format (refer to your manual for instructions) then go out and shoot.
2. If you don’t already have one, install a software program capable of processing Raw images. The most common being:
   • Adobe Lightroom (excellent for batch processing and photo organization)
   • Adobe Photoshop (best for intensive one-at-a-time edits, not a photo manager)
   • Adobe Photoshop Elements (good for all around photo processing/editing)

   * Raw file extensions vary by camera manufacturer (list of extensions)
   **Free 30 day trials are available for all three and each use "Adobe Camera Raw" to process Raw files

3. Adjust the different settings particularly White Balance, Exposure, Contrast and Color Temperature to see how changing these can give your image a different look and feel. Example
4. Post your before & after images in the Flickr thread!

Note: This is a very basic introduction to a complex but very valuable skill. It’s highly recommended you attend one of the Lightroom or Photoshop Elements workshops to learn how to efficiently use a digital darkroom to get the best results for your images.

Written by Trevor Warren
This is this week’s Group Assignment on Flickr!

 

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News

PS Elements Workshop Last Call!
Last call to register for PS Elements Basics seminar this Saturday!

Click Here to Learn More & Sign Up

Other Upcoming Registration Deadlines

July 30th is the deadline for the August Fundamentals & Experience Builder classes.

Experience Booster – Click Here to Enroll

Fundamentals of Photography – Click Here to Enroll

Click Above for More Info

Featured Class

Experience Booster Course

Looking for an excuse to get out and shoot? If you’ve conquered the Fundamentals of Photography and are craving the opportunity to put your learned skills to work, this class is for you!

Join other IPC students as you gain hands-on experience in 4 different photography genres over the 4 weeks.

Click Here for More Details

Tip of the Week: Frame It, Then Shoot It!

Framing is used for two things: to draw the viewer’s eyes into the image or hiding a non-removable distracting element in a scene.

Frames can be either man-made or occurring naturally. Once you start to look for items to use as frames, you will notice them all around you. Three popular ones are:

• overhanging tree branches or limbs
• doorways and arches
• windows frames

When first using framing, a mistake many photographers make is placing their subject too far away from the frame. When that happens, the subject appears too small thereby losing the impact of the framing.

Framing adds a sense of scale to a subject. By using something for a frame that most people can associate with as far as how big it is, the size of the subject (or how far away the subject is from the camera) becomes apparent. Without an object of a known size to relate to, the size or distance of the subject is harder to determine.

Your assignment:
1) Look for a subject with something close by that you can use for framing.
2) Select several different views while looking through your viewfinder.
3) Notice how the framing changes the scene when framing from different viewpoints – high, low and side-to-side.

By Ron Kness
This is this weeks Group Assignment on Flickr!

These tips and more can be learned in any Indy Photo Coach class or lesson.

Visit the website for more information

Flickr Pool

Upload your best shots and comment on other Indianapolis photographers’ work. Be inspired!

Photo by: scubasteven74

Photo by: Stewart Imagery

Join the Indy Photo Coach Flickr Group!

Upcoming Classes & Events

Classes:

Abobe Lightroom Seminar

Saturday, August 15, 9:00am – 4:00pm (lunch included)
Plainfield, IN

Abobe Photoshop Elements

Saturday, July 25, 9:00am – 4:00pm (lunch included)
Plainfield, IN

Experience Booster (Level 2)

Downtown
Tuesdays, August 4 – August 25, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Prerequisite: Fundamentals of Photography class
Registration ends July 30th!

Fundamentals of Photography

Downtown
  •  Mondays, Aug 3 – Aug 24, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Registration ends July 30th!
  •  Mondays, Sep 1 – Sep 22, 6:00 – 8:00pm

Carmel
  •  Wednesdays, Aug 5 – Aug 26, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Registration ends July 30th!
  •  Wednesdays, Sep 2 – Sep 23, 6:00 – 8:00pm

Fishers
  •  Mondays, Aug 3 – Aug 24, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Registration ends July 30th!
  •  Thursdays, Sep 3 – Sep 24, 6:00 – 8:00pm

Wedding Photography Course

Downtown
Wednesdays, Sept 2 – Sept 23, 6:00 – 8:00pm

How To Take Better Sports Photos

Saturday, August 8th, 10:00am – 1:00pm
Plainfield, IN

Upcoming Social Shoots

  •   Monday, July 27th
  •   Monday, August 17th

If you’ve been involved with us in the past, look for an email with more details!

Highlights From Flickr Assignments
Designed to help you exercise your creativity and see everyday life differently.

NEW Assignment: Frame It, Then Shoot It!

Assignment: Look Sharp!

Photo by: photo_salinas

Photo by: nathanrhoades

Assignment: Night Photography

Photo by: [kendra]

Assignment: Candid Pet Photos

Photo by: shooters_desire

Assignment:B&W Contrast

Photo by: photorat.photography

More From the Group Pool

Photo by: learning101

Photo by: mdgsisg

Photo by: Mike470

Photo by: Mike470

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News

Customer Referral Program:
Introduce your friends to photography and help
save a life!

Click Above for More Info

Featured Class

Wedding Photography Course

So you’ve been asked, volunteered, drafted or possibly cornered into shooting a friend or relative’s wedding. Or maybe you’re thinking about doing it as a wedding present. Photography can be one of the largest expenses for a wedding, especially in the high priced metropolitan areas.

If you are an amateur with single friends or relatives and have a decent eye for photography, sooner or later you will be asked to shoot a wedding. This class is intended to be a "Survival Guide" for the non-professional who will be shooting a wedding for the first time. If you’re not at least a bit scared by the prospect of being the "official" wedding photographer, you should be. You only get one shot at it!

Click Here for More Details

Tip of the Week: Look Sharp!

Sometimes new digital camera users notice their images look sharp on the LCD back screen, but not sharp when printed 8" X 10" or larger. Today’s DSLR cameras are certainly capable of producing sharp 8" X 10" prints. So what is wrong? Most non-sharp printed images are caused by one of three things:

• resolution setting
• auto-focus
• camera shake

Most DSLR’s have several different resolution or image quality settings. Use the one with the best quality. Consult your User’s Guide if you can’t determine which one is the highest. Auto-focus locks on to whatever is inside the circle or rectangle in the viewfinder. If your subject is off-center and out of focus, but what was in the center of the viewfinder is sharp, then use AE Lock.

To use AE Lock, position the center of your viewfinder on your subject. Press the shutter button down half-way and hold. While still holding the shutter button half-way down, reposition your subject using the Rule of Thirds and finish pressing the shutter button down capturing an image with the subject in focus, but the background out of focus.

If you notice everything in your image is blurry, then it could be camera shake. This is caused by not using a shutter speed fast enough to stop camera movement.

If your DSLR has Image Stabilization, be sure to use it. If not, use a higher shutter speed, a higher ISO setting or mount your DSLR on a tripod.

Your assignment:
1) Select a subject.
2) Using the AE Lock procedure explained above, shoot an image.
3) Notice your subject is in focus and positioned according to the Rule of Thirds and the background is blurry.

By Ron Kness
This is this weeks Group Assignment on Flickr!

These tips and more can be learned in any Indy Photo Coach class or lesson.

Visit the website for more information

Flickr Pool

Upload your best shots and comment on other Indianapolis photographers’ work. Be inspired!

Photo by: Mike470

Photo by: nathanrhoades

Join the Indy Photo Coach Flickr Group!

Upcoming Classes & Events

Abobe Lightroom Seminar

Saturday, August 15, 9:00am – 4:00pm (lunch included)
Plainfield, IN

Abobe Photoshop Elements

Saturday, July 25, 9:00am – 4:00pm (lunch included)
Plainfield, IN

Experience Booster (Level 2)

Downtown
Tuesdays, August 4 – August 25, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Prerequisite: Fundamentals of Photography class
Registration ends July 30th!

Fundamentals of Photography

Downtown
  •  Mondays, Aug 3 – Aug 24, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Registration ends July 30th!
  •  Mondays, Sep 1 – Sep 22, 6:00 – 8:00pm

Carmel
  •  Wednesdays, Aug 5 – Aug 26, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Registration ends July 30th!
  •  Wednesdays, Sep 2 – Sep 23, 6:00 – 8:00pm

Fishers
  •  Mondays, Aug 3 – Aug 24, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Registration ends July 30th!
  •  Thursdays, Sep 3 – Sep 24, 6:00 – 8:00pm

Wedding Photography Course

Downtown
Wednesdays, Sept 2 – Sept 23, 6:00 – 8:00pm

How To Take Better Sports Photos

Saturday, August 8th, 10:00am – 1:00pm
Plainfield, IN

Highlights From Flickr Assignments
Designed to help you exercise your creativity and see everyday life differently.

Assignment: Night Photography

Photo by: Venu_Nair

Photo by: photo_salinas

Photo by: supersaxtons

Assignment: Different Perspectives

Photo by: CaShim

Assignment:B&W Contrast

Photo by: CaShim

More From the Group Pool

Photo by: tmcafoos

Photo by: GillianSpring

Photo by: Sea J

Photo by: mjb219

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