Photography I (Sep 20-Oct 18)

Dates: September 20 - October 18, 2025

Meetings: Saturdays, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM CST (5 sessions)

Location: Houston Center for Photography

Cost: $450 (HCP members can receive a 10% discount)

Instructor: Mark Chen

Skill Level: Beginners

This introductory course provides students with the technical skills and visual background needed to use their DSLR or mirrorless cameras comfortably and creatively. This hands-on course covers camera control and photographic theory, as well as an introduction to composition, color theory, and much more. We will discuss terms such as aperture, shutter speed, ISO, depth of field, and white balance and how to use them to gain creative control over your images. Guided demonstrations will help students maneuver through their cameras’ functions as they understand the effect of each option through carefully designed lectures and examples. Home assignments will help practice newly gained technical knowledge, followed by reviewing pictures in class and developing students’ visual language. 

Objectives:

• Get comfortable operating your camera manually in various shooting modes

• Understand how various lenses affect the way your images look

• Gain control of portraying motion and sharpness in your pictures

• Get familiar with color theory and adjust color using your camera settings

• Create interesting images while applying various composition guidelines 

• Understand the qualities of light and how to use it creatively while photographing

• Learn to transfer your pictures to your computer and how to organize them effectively

Prerequisites: None

Course Prep: Students need to bring their DSLR or mirrorless cameras to the first class.