Photography is always both: technique and creativity. Depending on the type of photography, these two aspects are emphasised to varying degrees, but photography always combines them in a fascinating way. One cannot exist without the other! The photos turn out well when you’re able to combine the two perfectly.

• Time: Exposure time and movement, manual adjustment. The histogram as a tool. How are exposure time and focal length related? 
• Aperture: How open or closed should it be? Light intake, depth of field and focal length – a close relationship.
• Lens: Optical performance; light intensity and maximum aperture; focal length: fix or zoom?
• ISO: The "third dimension" of exposure. When and how should I use it? How high can I go? Sharpness versus noise.
• Equipment: Tripod, flash and filter. 

• Light: The effects of direction, temperature and intensity. Sunrise and sunset, light and shadow; the dynamic range.
• Special lighting conditions: Rain, fog and smoke; available light (AVL).
• Visual design: Image composition, lines, dots. Leading lines and visual flow. The "rule of thirds" and other guidelines. Distracting elements. Fleeting moment vs. eternity: The decisive moment.
• Colour: Colour as a design element, colour contrasts.
• Space: How do I convey three dimensions on a two-dimensional medium? Ways of creating depth: depth of field, foreground, middle ground and background; viewpoint and perspective; the picture plane and converging lines. The effect of focal lengths.
• Eye Level: People, portraits, children and animals.
  
• Capturing motion: Of minutes and thousandths of a second. Of direction of movement and open space; motion blur, panning and the critical exposure time. 

 

• Finding the subject: What constitutes a potential, worthwhile subject for me? On clarity, attentiveness and conscious observation.
• Your Personality: Conscious and subconscious mind, perception. On goals and beliefs. 
• Human Beings: On relationships, respect, trust and habituation; the active element. Closeness and distance, self-perception. Rules for portraits.
  
• Photography vs. Snapping: Time and intention; approaching the subject: the pancake parable.
• Flow: What is at its heart? Concentration, focus and creative techniques. Highlighting the subject. Clarity, unambiguity, eliminating distracting elements (the "pilot’s trick"). The right technique at the crucial moment.
• Suggestion: Leave room for the viewer’s imagination.

• Preparation: What, when, where and how? The "TPE" app. Possible themes and a collection of ideas. What are others doing?
• Practice makes perfect: Practising techniques without specifically looking for subjects. Mastering the camera and the techniques. Practice formats. 
• Digital image processing: The darkroom of yesteryear. 
• Learning from Others: Image reviews, forums and feedback.

Practical Information

Course location: Zagreb, Croatia, city centre
Format: small group
Duration: 4 sessions of 4 hours each
Schedule: Saturdays, 3pm–7pm
or alternatively: Tuesday to Friday, 3pm–7pm
Course fee: €249.00
Number of participants: min: 4 – max: 6

Jochen Weber, a German travel photographer, photography guide and author of several books, is originally from Stuttgart and has travelled and worked in Italy, Ecuador, Brazil, India, Portugal and Croatia.

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