Going Digital Photography Courses

WHY FORMAT YOUR MEMORY CARD?

2012-02-27T18:03:00.000Z

There's a significant difference between deleting images and formatting your camera's memory card, as I'll explain:

Deleting Images
If you run out of space on your memory card, and you don't have another one to hand, by all means delete some images to create room for a few more. However deleting images does leave traces of data on your memory card and in the long-run your card will begin to fill up with this data and could even become corrupted (unreadable).

Formatting a Memory Card
When you have transferred your images safely to your computer (and backed them up if they're precious to you), you should format your card. This will clean up the card completely and restore it to its original condition. If you do this regularly, you're much less likely to have problems reading images from your card.

Recovering Images from your Memory Card
Even though your camera and computer are telling you that there are no images on your memory card, it may still be possible to recover your precious shots from a corrupted card. Some cameras come with the manufacturer's recovery software, but there's plenty to be downloaded from the internet quite cheaply. Just install the software and follow the on-screen instructions and you will often find that your photographs can be copied safely to your computer.

PHOTOGRAPHING BLACK DOGS

2012-02-05T16:31:00.001Z

Jet - Going Digital Head of Security - image Jan Hunter

Here's a shot I took this morning of Jet, our GSD (yes, honestly), that very nicely illustrates the difficulty of photographing dark subjects. They're tricky at the best of times, but especially in snow. Because of the contrast in this scene I had to shoot with Exposure Compensation at +2 to give me nice detail in her black fur, but of course the snow is completely burnt out. I suppose you could call it high-key!

In a landscape shot you'd stand a chance of capturing all the detail of snow and dark areas by using Exposure Bracketing, then merging to HDR on the computer, but expecting a bouncy young dog to stay perfectly still would be expecting a bit too much!

FIRMWARE UPGRADES TO IMPROVE CAMERA PERFORMANCE

2012-01-31T09:20:00.001Z

What is a Firmware Upgrade?
Just like a computer, your camera uses software which should be updated from time to time. Camera manufacturers release firmware upgrades to correct problems reported by users and improve camera performance.

How do I Upgrade My Camera's Firmware?

First of all, find the manufacturer's website and look for upgrades/downloads. You should find a list of upgrades for your model.
Format your camera's memory card and download the upgrade onto the card.
Follow the manufacturer's instructions to the letter to upgrade the firmware. Be particularly careful to use a fully charged battery in your camera and make sure that your camera doesn't get switched off during the process or you will corrupt the software, making your camera impossible to use. This can only be fixed by returning your camera to the manufacturer for repair!

ONE-TO-ONE PHOTOGRAPHY TRAINING

2012-01-13T09:49:00.000Z

If you're thinking of using your Going Digital gift voucher to book one of our one-to-one photography training days, don't delay! Since Christmas we've been very busy with bookings and our diaries are filling up fast!

Equestrian photography - Jan Hunter & Paul Southall

Our tutors throughout the UK offer tailored one-to-one photography days in a wide variety of subjects. These days are designed to suit your precise requirements.

Laandscape Photography - Jean Napier & Graham Nobles

Some of our tutors have specialist interests, take a look at the list below for details:

NATIONAL TRUST - PHOTOGRAPHY COURSES

2012-01-09T16:14:00.002Z

If you're new to Going Digital, you might be interested to know that around half of our 130 or more venues for our photography courses are stunning National Trust properties.

Mount Stewart - Northern Ireland

On a typical workshop you'll start off in the Trust's classroom, where you'll see a presentation which will explain exactly what you'll be doing on the day and we'll make sure you know how to use the features of your camera before you move on to take photographs.

A typical classroom

The great thing about many of the Trust's stately homes and other venues where we run our one-day workshops is that they have so much to photograph, including landscapes, gardens, glasshouses, architecture, wild flowers, wild and domesticated animals and much more.

Longshaw Estate - Peak District

What's more, we work closely with the Trust's staff to find you the best things to photograph throughout the year, from behind the scenes shots in some of the properties, to fungi each Autumn - and of course you can bring your family for a day out while you improve your photography!

NEW CAMERA FOR CHRISTMAS?

2011-12-29T11:25:00.000Z

At this time every year we get an enormous number of enquiries from people lucky enough to have a new camera, and wondering which of our workshops to book, so here are a few guidelines.

New to photography or stuck on Auto mode?

On our Explore Your Digital Camera Part 1 workshop you'll learn the basics of good photography in a day. We try to keep our workshops as jargon-free as possible, to make photography easy to learn and enjoyable.

Have some photographic experience and would like to learn more?

Take a look at our Choosing a Workshop page to see where you fit into our Skill Levels and see which of our 20 or so workshops would be ideal for you.

Our workshops are run in over 130 UK venues, so you won't have far to travel.

GREAT PLACES TO PHOTOGRAPH - UPDATE!

2011-12-22T17:06:00.000Z

We've already had a lot of suggestions for our map of great places to photograph, which is now live on the website, but please do send in your suggestions, with the location, a short description and one of your favourite images.

Take a look at the map for some inspiration to get out with your camera over the holiday.

GREAT PLACES TO PHOTOGRAPH

2011-12-08T18:21:00.000Z

We're putting together a Google map of great places to photograph. Why not tell us about your favourite landscapes, cityscapes and other places in the UK and we'll include them too. Just email the details and one of your favourite shots to jan@goingdigital.co.uk.

Image: Graham Nobles

CHOOSING THE RIGHT CAMERA

2011-11-28T17:21:00.003Z

If you are thinking of buying a digital camera, there are several things you should consider. Read our advice to give you all the information you need.

Which digital camera should I choose?

Your choice of camera will depend on three factors:

the types of photograph to be taken
how much you can afford to spend
the portability of the camera

If you read on you will be able to decide what type of camera will give the best results. It's then up to you to decide how much you would like to spend and whether carrying heavy equipment is an option.

Compact Camera with Scene Modes

These cameras don't allow you to take full control of your photography, instead they offer you a huge range of Scene modes, from Party to Snow.

Advantages

Small enough to fit in a pocket

Disadvantages

You may have to use the screen on the back of the camera to see what you're photographing. The disadvantages of this are: it’s harder to keep the camera still while looking at this screen, than using a viewfinder; on a bright day the screen can be hard to see; it’s difficult to judge if the part of the photo you’re interested in is clearly in focus, you can only tell after you have take the photo by zooming in on it.
This type of camera allows very little control over the final image, except through the often huge range of Scene modes, which are often confusing to use.
Due to the small optical zoom it’s difficult to get a blurred background in portrait photos.
Most of the features are only accessible by going into menus which is time-consuming and fiddly.
Be aware that some models only take AA type batteries. They use a lot of batteries and some of the rechargeable AA's are just not powerful enough, so the camera won't function correctly. Much better are models that take Lithium-ion batteries. These are usually supplied with the camera and come with their own charger.

Summary

If you only plan to point and shoot, these cameras are fine, but you're likely to get unpredictable results because the camera will choose many settings for you.

Mirrorless Compact System Cameras

These cameras allow you to take full control of your photography by setting Aperture and/or Shutter Speed. Some produce images on a par with many SLR cameras. They have no mirror, hence the smaller size.

Advantages

Smaller and lighter than a DSLR
Have most of the features of a DSLR
You can buy a range of lenses as well as fitting existing four-thirds lenses by using an adaptor
As with DSLR's, depending upon the quality of the lens, most take very good quality images
Many offer high resolution in the region of 12MP upwards.
You can attach separate flash units, which give much better results than built in flashes.
Some shoot very high quality video.

Disadvantages

Only the more expensive models have autofocus systems on a par with low to mid-priced SLR's, so they're not all suited to action photography
Because what you see through the viewfinder is generated digitally, it takes a fraction of a second to appear - long enough to make it difficult to follow an unpredictably moving subject
Whereas DSLR's have buttons on the body of the camera for quick, easy adjustment of many features, on some compact system cameras you may have to access features through menus
As with DSLR's you may need different lenses for different subjects
Existing four-thirds lenses can be very heavy compared to the camera, so they feel unbalanced

Summary

These are great cameras to have on hand at all times. To get professional looking images every time, it's essential to take control by setting Aperture or Shutter Speed. Look out for models where most of the features are accessible through buttons on the camera body, not hidden away in menus.

Compact & Large Compact (Bridge) Cameras with Aperture Priority Mode

These cameras allow you to take full control of your photography by setting Aperture and/or Shutter Speed. Some produce images on a par with many SLR cameras.

Advantages

Usually small enough to fit in a pocket, they can have almost as many features as an SLR, and allow the photographer to take control for predictable results.
Great for landscape photography and some are very good at close-ups.
Some will take a hot-shoe mounted flash.
Many offer high resolution in the region of 12MP.
Come with lenses that zoom from wide-angle to telephoto (up to 30x optical zoom in some cases)

Disadvantages

The main disadvantage of some of these compacts is that you look through a viewfinder that is separate to the lens, so what you see is not exactly what you’re about to photograph.
The alternative is to use the preview screen on the back of the camera (some cameras don't have a viewfinder, just this screen), where you see exactly what’s in the photograph. The disadvantages of this are: it’s harder to keep the camera still while looking at this screen; on a bright day the screen can be hard to see; it’s difficult to judge if the part of the photo you’re interested in is clearly in focus, you can only tell after you have take the photo by zooming in on it.
At around 3x optical zoom, it’s difficult to get a blurred background in portrait photos, models with 6x or greater optical zoom however give very acceptable blurring
The built in flash on these cameras is good as a fill-in flash outdoors, but does not produce good indoor shots, so look out for models with a hot-shoe so that you can add an external flash.
Be aware that some models only take AA type batteries. They use a lot of batteries and some of the rechargeable AA's are just not powerful enough, so the camera won't function correctly. Much better are models that take Lithium-ion batteries. These are usually supplied with the camera and come with their own charger.

Summary

DSLR

Ironically, DSLR cameras are often much easier to use than compacts, with little reason to fiddle around in menus for most adjustments and standard modes which are easy to understand and use.

Canon and Nikon are the two major manufacturers and they offer a vast range of lenses and other accessories.

SLR’s come in two types:
1) full-frame sensor (like 35mm SLR’s), which are better for photographing large areas such as landscapes, but are currently very expensive and usually used by professional photographers and
2) smaller sensor, the effect is like using a telephoto lens, so your photos will not cover such a wide angle - of course this doesn't matter at all unless you want to shoot with very wide-angle lenses. Prices start at around £400 and they produce good photos of all types, with the right lens.

Advantages

You can buy a lens for every purpose.
Most DSLR’s are also much faster to focus than other cameras, and often take far more shots per second, which makes them great for action photos.
You can attach separate flash units, which give much better results than built in flashes.
Most of the controls are found on buttons on the camera body, so making adjustments is quick and easy.
Some shoot very high quality video.
Because of the large sensor size, they produce better quality images at high ISO settings (which can be required when shooting in low light)

Disadvantages

Cost (although you can now buy an entry-level SLR for around £400).
Size.
Weight.
The cost of additional lenses, from a few hundred to a few thousand pounds.
The temptation to buy other accessories.

Lenses for DSLR Cameras

The two dominant camera manufacturers, Canon and Nikon, offer a vast range of lenses for their digital cameras. Other compatible lenses are made by Sigma and Tamron, usually at more affordable prices - the main disadvantage of these compatible lenses is that they often do not autofocus as quickly as the camera manufacturer's own lenses.

Prime lenses

These have a fixed focal length. Generally they produce marginally better quality images, but are best suited to photography in controlled conditions, so they can easily be used in a studio or outdoors, for example, where you are photographing animals at a feeding station, from a hide.

Zoom lenses

These have a range of focal lengths, e.g. 75mm to 300mm, giving you much more flexibility in your photography, by offering a wide range of magnification.
Keep in mind that it is very difficult to hand-hold a lens at 300mm or greater, even with image stabilisation (vibration reduction), so blurred images can be a problem.

Macro lenses

Both prime and zoom lenses can also be used for macro (close-up) work, but do check the minimum focusing distance of a lens before buying - some lenses will not focus closer than 1.5m (4.5 feet) from the subject.

High-speed action & low light photography

All SLR's will give you the opportunity to take great photos of most stationary or slow-moving subjects. If you wish to photograph high-speed action however, you may have to consider spending more money on lenses with faster autofocus speeds and wider apertures. These lenses will also give you a much better performance in low light.

ONE-TO-ONE PHOTOGRAPHY DAYS

2011-11-26T10:15:00.000Z

We're often asked to arrange tailored one-to-one training for enthusiastic photographers who'd like to refine their skills. Of course all our tutors offer one-to-one days covering a wide range of subjects, but some of our team cover specialist one-to-one topics. Here are some examples to tempt you:

Equestrian Photography in the East Midlands with Jan Hunter and West Midlands with Paul Southall.

Landscape Photography in Snowdonia with Jean Napier

Street Photography in the East of England and East Midlands with Rod Corston

That's in addition to the 21 regular photography courses we offer!

RESCUED SEAL PUPS

2011-11-18T17:11:00.000Z

Our lovely student Pandora Maund sent these poignant shots of seal pups. She said:

"My daughter spent her summer on an internship with the Seal Rescue Unit at Hunstanton Sea Life Center working on rescuing and rehabilitating injured sea pups. We went back to Norfolk to be part of their release back to the sea which is where the pictures were taken".

Getting these shots, with just a few moments before the pups began to take advantage of their freedom, must have been quite a challenge!

If you've been on one of our photography workshops, we'd be very happy to receive your shots taken afterwards and share some of them here on our blog.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURSES IN EVEN MORE VENUES

2011-11-12T15:21:00.001Z

This week we've added even more venues for our photography courses.

Spend a memorable day getting some amazing wildlife shots on the Farne Islands with advice throughout from wildlife photography expert Paul Hobson.

Image: Jan Hunter, Canon EOS 5D

Improve your photography at these venues in Northern Ireland:

Image: Paul Crawford

CHOOSING A TRIPOD

2011-11-12T11:08:00.000Z

Like it or not, you will find it very difficult to take good landscape or macro photographs without a tripod to support your camera. Although your image may appear sharp when viewed in the review screen of your camera, it will usually show signs of camera-shake on a computer screen.

Image stabilised lenses do help cut down camera shake in action and portrait shots, but are of limited value for the long shutter speeds required in landscape photography, or the close proximity to the subject in macro shots.

Unless your tripod is heavy and rigid enough to keep your camera stable when used outdoors in breezy conditions, you will have wasted your money. Some models come with a hook on the centre column - you hang your camera bag from this hook to add weight and stability. Lightweight tripods are best-suited to indoor use. Remember too that your tripod should be suited to your height, it should be adjustable so that you can use it from quite low to the ground up to your own eye height.

Good tripods don't have to be incredibly expensive, Manfrotto make a wide range of tripods from around £55 up to several hundred.

Tripod Heads

Most tripods come without a head, so that you can choose the one best suited to you. Ball heads, like the one on the right, are easy to use, having just one adjustment that allows you to rotate the camera to many different positions. Avoid tripod heads with three different levers, they take too long to adjust.

Quick Release Plates

All the better tripod heads come with quick release plates. These screw on to the bottom of your camera and click into place on the tripod head, allowing you to remove the camera quickly and easily from the tripod.

Central Column

If you want to use your tripod to get very low for some shots, the central column can get in the way. You might prefer to choose a tripod like the Benbo Trekker, which allows you to position your camera almost anywhere you choose - great if you like to photograph wild flowers.

Other Camera Supports

If you really can't face carrying a tripod, you might consider a Gorillapod, shown right, which has flexible legs that wrap around any convenient fence, branch etc. They are useful up to a point, but only when there is something that you can attach them to at the right height. The larger ones will support an SLR with a fairly light lens.

Also useful are beanbags, which again can be placed on a convenient support, or directly on the ground, and moulded to hold your camera in place.

If you really can't bear to carry a tripod around with you, you'll need to be sure to shoot at a suitable shutter speed - you can find out how to do this on our photography courses.

LIVE PERFORMANCE PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS

2011-11-04T13:25:00.001Z

By Ashley Bird – East Midlands Region tutor

There are few situations more challenging for camera technology than live performances in indoor venues. The lights at concerts are often low and change constantly. They look dramatic and atmospheric to the audience, but to a photographer they present all sorts of challenges. And given that at most medium or larger venues, even when you have full accreditation the restrictions for photography are ‘first three songs only, no flash allowed’ you really are at the mercy of the lighting technician. Add in the fact that the act you are shooting will be moving around on stage and we now have a real photographic dilemma.

Good lighting. Image: Ashley Bird

Movement in your frames necessitates faster shutter speeds. But low light demands slower shutter speeds. This means we often need to operate at the extremes of our equipment’s capabilities.

Moving subjects. Image: Ashley Bird

Lenses with large apertures (low F-numbers) are our friends here. F2.8 or lower will help you get as much of that precious ‘artful’ light onto your camera’s sensor as possible. Most pro concert photographers will carry something like a 50mm f1.4 prime lens in their bag as well as well as standard f2.8 zooms. However, these large apertures mean we have a very shallow depth of field, so it’s essential to be very accurate with your focussing. You must become very quick at focussing and recomposing, or master the AF-On button if your camera has one.

The second major weapon in our concert photography arsenal is the all-important ISO. In all but the very brightest venues you will need to increase your ISO significantly to attain workable shutter speeds. At most rock concerts I expect to be set to at least ISO 1600, and often higher. Experiment to see how high you can crank the ISO on your camera before digital noise starts to look obvious and unsightly, and expect to operate near your top limit when undertaking indoor concert photography. You may have to live with a certain amount of digital noise… it is the nature of this sort of shooting.

Personally I only use flash if I absolutely have to, and the venue/act allows it – I prefer to try to capture the ambience of the show itself. But when I do I tilt my flash head and bounce the flash off the ceiling as much as possible – head-on camera-mounted flash is often very ugly light. Depending on the act I sometimes use slow-sync, rear curtain techniques to create dramatic light trails and action shots – a technique more suited to a chaotic punk rock band than something relatively sedate.

If you are not confident working in manual mode to set your exposure, I suggest using aperture priority, but make sure you switch to spot metering and that your centre autofocus point is on the performer’s face, so your camera’s metering worries only about getting the light right on them, not brightening up all the dark corners of the surrounding stage.

Spot metering. Image: Ashley Bird

My final tip is that you expect to have to take quite a few frames before you nail a great one. Indoor concerts are often difficult to photograph even with the very top professional gear, so if you take 50 frames and come away with a handful you really like, with the performer in a good pose, a good exposure, a shutter speed fast enough to capture the action and your point of focus in the right place, that’s a job well done.

You can learn many of the techniques mentioned in this article on our Explore Your Digital Camera Part 2 workshop.

Good luck!

Ashley Bird

www.ashleybird.com

FIREWORKS ON VIDEO

2011-11-03T11:50:00.000Z

Thanks to Kelvin for his great piece on photographing fireworks. Just one thing I would add - in addition to trying some still shots, don't forget that you may well have a video recording facility on your camera. That should ensure you take home some great memories of Bonfire Night (or 4th July), and you can share the results on YouTube too.

You can learn much more about video on your DSLR on our regular workshops.

Going Digital North East: How to Photograph Fireworks with your DSLR

2011-11-03T10:34:00.000Z

Going Digital North East: How to Photograph Fireworks with your DSLR: Do you want to know how to photograph fireworks? It’s a question I’ve been asked several times over the last couple of weeks on our photogra...

COURSES IN LONDON

2011-10-30T08:13:00.000Z

We have a great new venue for our photography courses in London that offers students on our courses fantastic scenes to photograph on the picturesque South Bank - Westminster Bridge, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

Jeanette Thomson

This is a bustling area with the London Eye, markets, street performers, fairs and the opportunity to capture some fantastic photographs like this lovely composition by Jeanette Thomson of the London Eye with Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Our new course base is at King's College Campus, opposite Waterloo Station.

Visit the website to see a full list of our workshops in the area.

VIDEO ON YOUR DSLR

2011-10-27T08:35:00.000+01:00

We're looking forward to running our new workshop, Video on your DSLR, over the Winter. If you want to get professional looking video of family events or days out, it's a great way to capture them forever.

Unlike a camcorder, your DSLR allows you to control depth of field in your video clips, giving them the same look and feel that you see on TV and film.

Here's a tiny clip we shot at Bolsover Castle earlier this year, showing how different scenes can be cleverly edited together. We also run many other photography courses in Derbyshire.

NOW'S THE TIME.............

2011-10-16T13:57:00.004+01:00

Now's the time to take some great photographs as the Autumn light turns quite ordinary scenes into something very special, like this great shot taken by Going Digital East Midlands tutor Ash Bird.

If you're not keen on making an early start, the good news is that light is perfect at around 8am and 6pm at this time of year.

Learn how to take great shots like this on one of our photography courses at over 130 venues around the UK.

DON'T MOTHBALL YOUR CAMERA!

2011-10-10T10:01:00.003+01:00

If you're thinking that, with all this dull and damp weather, you might put your camera away for now, think again!

Steve Wroblewski - Panasonic TZ10

It's true to say that you'll need good light for the best landscape photographs, but you can get great close-up shots whatever the weather, as you can see from the photos below, taken on a very damp and miserable day at Clumber Park last Saturday.

Just wrap up your camera in a poly bag (and yourself likewise) and get out there!

Catherine Lawrence - Canon EOS 5D

If the light's very low you'll need a tripod, beanbag or gorillapod to keep your camera stable too. What's more, having a tiny camera can be an advantage, as you can see from Steve's shot of the minute coral spot fungus, taken with a tiny Panasonic TZ10.

"Thank you for another enjoyable course at Clumber Park today. I would never have thought that the class could take such good photographs with the weather as it was". James Woodcock

Click for more details of our Close-up and Macro workshops.

REVIEW BY DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHER READER

2011-09-14T19:00:00.000+01:00

I've just received my copy of the four-page review of our Wildlife Photography Course by Digital Photographer reader Dave Flynn. Dave joined us at Hamerton Zoo for his own 'close encounter' with cheetah and tiger and took some fantastic photos, as you can see in the copy of the article. You can find out much more about our photography courses on the Going Digital website.

SAVE £75 WITH PANASONIC!

2011-09-13T09:13:00.000+01:00

One again we've teamed up with Panasonic to help you get more from your Lumix G camera. If you buy a Panasonic Lumix GH2 camera until the end of October you'll receive details of how you can get a FREE Going Digital Video Workshop or a massive £75 discount on any of our other photography courses. Just check the details on the promotional leaflet when you get your camera.

INVITATION TO A BOOK SIGNING

2011-09-04T11:01:00.001+01:00

Jean Napier, our tutor in Snowdonia, and Alun John Richards invite you to a book signing:

The River Conwy - Source to Sea. Saturday 17th September at 12noon to 2pm, Moma Wales, Y Tabernacl, Machynlleth.

"Nowhere has the history of this magnificent river been told so comprehensively as in this book". Iolo Williams.

Plus opening of "Llanw - Tide" photographic exhibition by Jean Napier.

ANOTHER NEW VENUE - ABERDEEN ARTS CENTRE

2011-08-31T14:40:00.001+01:00

We've just added another new venue to the website, the furthest north so far, Abderdeen Arts Centre. Local attractions include Old Aberdeen and Foot Dee which both offer unique photo opportunities, plus a fine walk along the promenade.

For details of this and all our other photography courses, please see the Going Digital website.

SEE THE NEW VIDEO

2011-08-30T17:39:00.002+01:00

This weekend we had some fun when we went to Bolsover Castle to shoot a short video using the techniques you'll learn on our DSLR Video Courses.

Needless to say we shot a lot more video than you'll see, but this was what made the final cut! Click to see the video on You Tube. You can find out more about all our other photography courses on the website.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURSES IN 130 VENUES

2011-07-26T14:50:00.001+01:00

We've just added our 130th venue for our photography courses. It's the breathtaking National Trust property, Castle Drogo, near Exeter in Devon, the very last castle to be built in Britain. Full details of our workshops at the venue will be available very soon.

WILDLIFE WORKSHOP ON FILM

2011-07-24T17:46:00.000+01:00

If you'd like to see what we get up to our our wildlife photography masterclasses, take a look at our video of Saturday's workshop with guest tutor and wildlife photography expert Paul Hobson. You'll see how we set up some of our shots and a few of the images from the day. What's more it was great fun putting it all together into a video.

The film was shot on a Panasonic Lumix GH2 camera and edited in Adobe Premiere Elements and later this year we'll be offering video workshops so that you can create your own films.

JEAN'S TRIP TO ICELAND

2011-07-16T08:35:00.002+01:00

Our tutor based in Snowdonia, Jean Napier, is back from her amazing trip to Iceland. Here's just one of the breathtaking shots she took on her travels. More to follow. If they inspire you, take a look at our range of photography courses around the UK.

PHOTOGRAPHY FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY

2011-07-11T18:12:00.000+01:00

We have just one remaining UK franchise opportunity, in the South Midlands (with Milton Keynes at its centre). Currently being run on a caretaker basis, this region is ticking over, but has huge potential for development. If you'd like to join our team and run your own photography courses, please take a look at the Photography Franchises page of the Going Digital website for more details.

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY COURSES

2011-06-29T08:55:00.002+01:00

If you aspire to take great wildlife shots, our Wildlife Photography Courses will show you how to use the features of your camera for amazing images that look as though they were shot 'in the wild'. This lovely Barn Owl flying shot is a very good example. Taken by Mahendra Bhatia using his Canon 5D MkII, on a recent Wildlife Masterclass, it's the sort of photograph we all hope to take once in a while!

SEE OUR ANDY ON TV!

2011-06-22T18:04:00.002+01:00

If you didn't watch BBC Countryfile on Sunday, here's another chance to see our Andy (Hornsbury) doing his bit on the programme, with presenter Julia Bradbury. Just click to view the video.

Visit the website to find out more about all our photography courses around the UK.

WORKSHOPS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

2011-06-16T11:42:00.002+01:00

You can now book our photography courses in Northern Ireland at the Hilton Hotel, Templepatrick, where the price of your workshop will include lunch and at Mount Stewart, described as the 'jewel in the crown' of National Trust properties.
If you'd like to get your camera off Auto mode and learn to take more predictable photographs, then take a look at our Explore Your DSLR & System Camera Part 1 and Part 2 workshops. You'll learn the basics of good photography and have an enjoyable day out with a group of like-minded people.
See our full list of photography courses in Northern Ireland.

ANDY ON BBC COUNTRYFILE

2011-06-15T14:32:00.003+01:00

Going Digital tutor Andy Hornsbury and students Mandy and Maria help Julia Bradbury get to grips with wildlife and water photography techniques on this Sunday's BBC Countryfile (19th June). They are in Bushy Park photographing the deer and other wildlife, and practising freezing and blurring water (of which there was a lot because it rained on and off all day during the filming). Their aim is to demonstrate that anyone can take good wildlife photos close to home even if they live in a very built up area like London.

The BBC Countryfile photography competition is now open and every year their calender raises money for Children in Need so we do hope Andy and Julia and the team inspire you to get out and take some photos to enter this year's competition.

Full competition details are on the BBC Countryfile website!

PUFFINS ON SKOMER ISLAND

2011-06-10T14:11:00.004+01:00

Those of you who have been watching BBC Springwatch recently will be familiar with presenter Iolo Williams, so you may be interested to hear that he has written the foreward to Jean's next rivers book "The River Conwy - Source to the Sea".

Jean has just returned from a trip to Skomer Island, off the Pembrokeshire coast, while the BBC were filming and here are a couple of her shots.
As a keen wildlife photographer myself, I know just how difficult it is to photograph puffins in flight - it's a bit like trying to focus on a missile! When they return from the sea their main aim is to head directly to their burrows to avoid the attention of the gulls which frequently attack them.

If you'd like to give wildlife photography a try yourself, we offer regular Wildlife Photography Courses at venues around the UK. Alternatively, you can join Jean on one of her many workshops in Mid and North Wales.

DEPTH OF FIELD

2011-05-30T18:35:00.004+01:00

One of the things most of our students are keen to learn is how to control depth of field, in other words what's in focus and what's deliberately blurred. This shot taken by Nicola Truswell of two of our lovely students on one of our photography courses at Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire shows just how well the technique can be used to emphasise one person over another. Thanks for the photo Nicola!

NEW STUDIO IN EDINBURGH

2011-05-27T10:41:00.004+01:00

GD Scotland

We have a new venue for our photography courses in Edinburgh - Beaverhall Arts Studio. It's a brand new white space, with both natural light and studio equipment available for teaching and hire to aspiring photographers, with enough room to shoot two backdrops simultaneously and an in-house Photoshop expert. We'll be offering DLSR1 & 2 workshops, plus Home Portraits, and a Masterclass in Studio Portraiture. A Fashion photo opportunity will be added later in the autumn.

GOING DIGITAL IN NORTHERN IRELAND

2011-05-26T08:42:00.000+01:00

We're delighted to welcome Paul Crawford to our team. Paul is a talented wedding and portrait photographer and he'll be running workshops around Northern Ireland.

His first two venues will be National Trust Mount Stewart and the prestigious Hilton Hotel Templepatrick and you'll be able to see full details on the Going Digital website in the next few days.

Click to find out more about our photography courses in Northern Ireland.

TRIP TO ICELAND

2011-05-24T17:40:00.000+01:00

Iceland, a country that many of us have rarely heard of, has been in the news a great deal lately thanks to more volcanic activity, you may also have seen the recent TV programme when Julia Bradbury explore the more remote parts of the country.

I hope it doesn't prevent our North Wales tutor, Jean Napier, from revisiting the country in June to explore the hinterland of volcanos and glaciers, staying on remote farms.

Here are some of Jean's images from her last trip in 2003.

Keep an eye on the Going Digital Photography Courses website for updates!

ANOTHER BOOK FOR JEAN

2011-05-18T17:49:00.000+01:00

Going Digital tutor Jean Napier has been working hard to produce all the images to illustrate another new book in a series about Snowdonia. This has involved many trips out into the landscape to capture not only great compositions but great light too.

If you're interested in our landscape photography courses you can join Jean on one of her many workshops in Mid and North Wales, at amazing venues with incredible views, waterfalls, mountains and coast among the many subjects you can choose from.

NEW VENUE IN HAMPSHIRE

2011-05-17T15:34:00.000+01:00

Our latest new venue for photography courses in Hampshire is Liberty's Owl, Raptor & Reptile Centre. It will be an ideal venue for our Wildlife with Birds of Prey and Close-up & Macro photography workshops.

Liberty is located near Ringwood, close to the New Forest National Park and it has a very wide and varied collection of birds of prey and reptiles, so there will be plenty of subjects for photography.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURSES IN SOMERSET

2011-05-09T09:33:00.000+01:00

If you're looking for photography courses in Somerset, we now have a stunning new venue - Montacute House, a National Trust property. With breathtaking architecture, amazing gardens and rolling parkland, there's sure to be something exciting to photograph on all our workshops.

PANASONIC GIFT VOUCHERS - VALID EVEN LONGER!

2011-05-07T19:03:00.000+01:00

If you were luck enough to have received a Panasonic Gift Pack with your new Lumix G camera, you'll be pleased to hear that we have now extended the validity of the Photography Workshop Gift Vouchers entitling you to a £35 discount off one of our workshops to the end of July 2011.

Click for details of the photography courses you can choose from.

PANASONIC LUMIX G CAMERAS

2011-05-04T10:13:00.000+01:00

If you received a Gift Pack with your Panasonic Lumix G camera, don't forget to use your £35 Going Digital Photography Courses voucher before it expires.

We can show you how easy it is to get your camera off Auto mode and use your new Lumix to take professional looking photographs every time.

Take a look at our Explore Your DSLR Part 1 workshop - we're in 125 venues around the UK, so there's sure to be one near you.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURSES IN BEDFORDSHIRE

2011-04-28T15:59:00.002+01:00

I've just added a great new venue for our photography courses in Bedfordshire - the Swiss Gardens at the Shuttleworth Collection, Biggleswade.

It's easily accessible, being just off the A1 and there's something to photograph throughout the year.

Look out for more new venues in the area, coming very soon!

HOW TO TAKE BETTER PHOTOGRAPHS

2011-04-23T08:26:00.000+01:00

Image Going Digital tutor Keith Naylor

If this amazing weather has inspired you to get out with your camera over Easter, let us show you how to take even better photographs.

We have a wide range of photography courses in over 125 venues around the UK.

With subjects from close-up and macro to portrait and wildlife photography, you're sure to find something to suit you.

"Just a quick note to say thank you for an interesting and informative course! I do like the way you deliver your expertise and the simple self explanatory information sheets you provide to enable your students to build upon the knowledge and improve". Jennifer Fox

BIRDS OF PREY AT BURGHLEY

2011-04-21T14:18:00.001+01:00

Here are a few more shots from our recent Wildlife with Birds of Prey workshop at Burghley House.

Shown here are a Canadian Great Grey Owl and a Barn Owl and on the day we also had the opportunity to photograph a Harris Hawk and a European Eagle Owl.

The birds are flown on long lines so that they consistently fly from the falconer's glove to a branch and everyone can have many attempts at getting flying shots - practice makes perfect!

The Barn Owl also obliged by posing for some portrait shots in a hollow tree, for images that look just as though they were shot in the wild.

Here's Laura, our falconer, with Erol!

If you'd like to learn how to take great portrait and action shots, take a look at our Wildlife Photography Courses. This year we're offering them for the first time at Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire and Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire.

STUDIO PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

2011-04-20T18:29:00.000+01:00

Just one place left on our Studio Portrait Photography Course in Nottinghamshire on 4th June, so we now have another date booked for Sunday 25th September. Learn how to take your own flattering portrait shots without spending a fortune on studio equipment.

EXPLORE YOUR DSLR PART 1 AT HARDWICK HALL

2011-04-16T17:43:00.000+01:00

Image: GD student Graham Horton

Just back from an Explore Your DSLR Part 1 workshop at Hardwick Hall and everyone got their cameras off Auto mode for good and took some great shots.

I've included just two close-ups here, but there were lots of good portraits (with a certain amount of gurning it has to be admitted) and landscapes too.

Image: GD student Helena Ellam

Click to find out more about our photography courses in Derbyshire and how you can learn to take professional looking photographs like these.

Special thanks to my trusty tutor Kayleigh for showing the group how some tweaks on their cameras could improve their shots so much.

PHOTOGRAPHING BIRDS OF PREY

2011-04-15T18:05:00.000+01:00

Canadian Great Grey Owl - image Jan Slack

Just back from a great day at Burghley House Stamford, one of our wildlife photography courses with birds of prey as our subjects.

Special thanks to Laura, our falconer, for organising the birds (whoever said never work with children and animals was right of course!).

Today's workshop is being followed up with a masterclass with wildlife photographer Paul Hobson with two dates in June and July. Days not to be missed!

PHOTO WALKS IN EDINBURGH

2011-04-14T12:42:00.000+01:00

Images by Tony Cook

For a completely different take on photography, why not join one of our Photo Walks in Edinburgh with talented photographer Tony Cook. You're sure to have an educational and very entertaining time!

NOW IN OVER 125 VENUES AROUND THE UK

2011-04-13T14:17:00.000+01:00

Image by Jan Slack

I've just added two great new venues for our photography courses:

Basildon Park, Reading (for a wide range of workshops). You may recognise Basildon as the location for the 2005 feature film adaptation of Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice.
Skomer Island, off the Pembrokeshire coast (for wildlife photo walks). Skomer is home to many seabirds, notably puffins and other wildlife too numerous to mention, and of course there are great landscapes too.

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY FAMILY & FRIENDS

2011-04-11T17:26:00.000+01:00

We had a really enjoyable day, learning the skills of spontaneous portrait photography at Hardwick Hall last Saturday. The conditions were challenging as it was a very bright, sunny day requiring fill-in flash for many of our shots. Our review of an assortment of the photos taken on the day showed that everyone had learned a great deal about their camera and the techniques required to take posed and candid shots.
You can find details of this and all our other photography courses on the Going Digital website.

BEGINNERS SLR 1 WORKSHOP AT CLUMBER PARK

2011-04-08T17:22:00.000+01:00

Image by GD student Janet Liversidge

Today's bright sunshine set everyone some challenges when we went out into the walled garden at National Trust Clumber Park, but it didn't stop everyone in the group getting some good shots and learning a lot about their own camera.

Read more about all our photography courses at over 120 venues around the UK.

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY - FAMILY & FRIENDS

2011-04-06T16:59:00.000+01:00

Our two Portrait Photography workshops at National Trust Hardwick Hall have filled up so quickly that we've now added two more dates at nearby Clumber Park - Saturday 2nd July and Sunday 4th September.

If you'd like to learn how to capture those special moments, this workshop is ideal - and it's a lot of fun!

BIRDS OF PREY AT HARDWICK TOO!

2011-04-06T08:18:00.000+01:00

I've just had confirmation of our first date for our Birds of Prey workshop at Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire - Saturday 13th August. If you've already attended one or two of our photography courses, preferably including Explore Your DSLR Part 2, this is the ideal workshop to refine your skills.

BIRDS OF PREY AT CLUMBER PARK

2011-04-05T18:32:00.000+01:00

Tawny Owl - image by Paul Hobson

I'm delighted to say that we've just added Wildlife Photography Courses - with Hawks and Owls at National Trust Clumber Park to our offering in the East Midlands.

The first date will be Friday 23rd September, with wildlife photography expert Paul Hobson.

This workshop is an introduction to wildlife portrait and action shots, for anyone new to the subject. I'll be on hand to answer any questions you may have about your camera, and Paul will be happy to share his expertise and knowledge gained during a lifetime of wildlife photography.

Click to read more about Paul Hobson and his top 10 tips for wildlife photography.

CLOSE-UP & MACRO LIGHTING WORKSHOP

2011-04-05T16:12:00.000+01:00

Image by Kay Marples

Our recent Photo Opportunity with wildlife photography expert Paul Hobson was a great success, and everyone got some stunning shots. Paul brought along a number of props as well as some very co-operative Harvest Mice as subjects.

There was an opportunity to take shots using artificial lights, with reflectors and backlighting, and try out some flash techniques. We used subjects from hairy flowers to fossils and feathers.

Of course the mice stole the show!

Image by Robert Cragg

"Firstly, can I say how much enjoyed my day with you and Paul last Sunday. I was a little anxious that I might have been a bit over-ambitious in booking a course at this level, but I learnt so much. The day also gave me a renewed enthusiasm for photography and a much better understanding of my camera. Thank you very much indeed - I'll certainly be booking more sessions later in the year". Robert Cragg

Read more about our photography courses in Derbyshire, at Hardwick Hall.