Memories of my grandfather are indelibly linked with cameras and photos. He regularly asked us to pose for portraits so he could try out his latest second-hand camera and different techniques. It was always a big thrill to go into the darkroom and watch the images appearing on the photographic paper. Both my sister and I still love taking photos.
We did not pursue a career with photography or film-making, but photographic skills are handy to have. With most people owning phones with inbuilt cameras, it’s easier than ever to take photos and videos to keep digital records of our lives. Leisure, holidays, family, pets, and friends can be recorded, shared, and revisited at any time. Alternatively, develop your creative skills for artistic results. If you would like to improve your photography or filmmaking skills, here are some resources.
Photography
The Art of Photography (RMIT University) Open2Study. This is a completely free 4-week short course on various aspects of photography. Suitable for beginners, it discusses aspects of photography such as lighting, framing your subject, automatic controls versus manual, and post-photographic processing. Open2Study courses appear designed as taster courses in the hope that students will pursue further study through Open Universities Australia.
Exposing Digital Photography (Harvard/Independent). This course was run live in late 2015, but all the video lectures and PDFs are still available for self-paced learners. Problem sets and projects cannot currently be submitted. Most MOOCs have one to two hours of videos split up into short sessions up to about 20 minutes. The single weekly videos in this course run for about 1 hour and 45 minutes each. They are obviously video recordings of live lectures.
I dislike watching long videos. On the YouTube version that I watched, when I stopped a video part-way through then came back to it the next day, it re-started from where I had stopped it.
Photography Specialization
Photography Basics and Beyond: From Smartphone to DSLR Specialization (Michigan State University/Coursera). This is a 5-course specialization:
- Cameras, Exposure, and Photography
- Camera Control
- Principles of Photo Composition and Digital Image Post-Production
- Photography Techniques: Light, Content, and Sharing
- Photography Capstone Project
Each course is 4 weeks, apart from the Capstone which is 8 weeks. The capstone project requires participants to use the techniques learned in the other courses to assemble a project of 10 well-produced photos.
If you enroll in the specialization, you will need to pay after the 7-day free trial finishes. For free access to the videos, readings, and practice exercises, select each course separately by clicking the Learn More link beside the words “You can choose to take this course only”. Then select Enroll and select the small Audit the course link at the bottom of the pop-up box. If you want to participate in the quizzes and peer-graded assignments and earn a certificate, you can use a credit card or PayPal.
Videos
Powerful Tools for Teaching and Learning: Digital Storytelling (University of Houston System) Coursera. When I took this course back in 2015, I really enjoyed it and mentioned it in 12 of my Favourite Courses. It showed participants how to create a short video using still images. We learned how to add narration, sound effects and music. Where to find free and paid resources was also covered. Now, the course videos and resource lists are still free, but you will need to pay if you want to submit your own project work or access other students’ assignments.
Explore Filmmaking: from Script to Screen (National Film and Television School) FutureLearn. This six-week course explores plot and theme, working on location with the cast and production crew, budget issues, lighting, editing and soundtrack. It is not currently available, but you can add this to your Class Central Interested list or FutureLearn Wishlist to receive an email if the course is announced again.
Filmmaking and Animation in the Classroom (Into Film) FutureLearn. This three-week course starts again on September 10, 2018. Designed for teachers, it introduces a range of filmmaking software and discusses how to incorporate filmmaking into the curriculum. Learn simple filmmaking and animation techniques.
Another enjoyable course which I completed in early 2017 was Digital Storytelling (University of Birmingham) FutureLearn. This focused more on the narrative aspect of filmmaking but also covered pre-production, filming, and post-production issues. A note on my FutureLearn course page states that this course will not run again.
Other Resources
Although not actual courses, you can also find thousands of videos about various aspects of photography and filmmaking on YouTube. Khan Academy also offers animation, storytelling, and information about virtual cameras in their partnership with Pixar in a Box. Browse any bookshop or library and find plenty of useful titles.
A Final Thought
Taking the time to learn about photography can help improve your snapshots and could perhaps be the start of a new hobby or career path.
By Pat Bowden, published August 7, 2018.
