blueBanksia art directory lists art short courses and events

by Cindy Goode Milman

Contempo (of NSW Art Gallery) and North Sullivan of The Photo Studio have combined to create a program of photography workshops for 2009.

I attended the beginners Point and Shoot course which ran for three Sundays at the gallery and one Sunday at North’s studio in Glebe from 10:30am to 4:00pm. The course was very structured and well planned designed for absolute beginners of digital photography. No matter if you had a $200.00 digital hand held or a $2,500.00 digital SLR we were all the same – learning to get the most out of our cameras.

The lesson format was excellent. Each week began with a power point presentation covering topics including:

• In the Frame – what, where, when etc. is photography
• Light Matters – learning the basic functions of manual operation to create the pictures you desire
• The Point about Pixels – a beginner’s guide to digital language, files, printing etc.
• The Artistic Eye – creative opportunities you can capture with a digital

Very professional handouts of the lecture in Powerpoint form were distributed and a special password and user name gave us access to electronic files if you were paper less minded!

The lecture would take the morning and we would then break for lunch in the Members lounge. Great sandwiches, cookies and soft drinks or water were had by all.

The fun began on a full stomach - off we went to point and shoot with a given exercise or aim each session. This was a lot of fun as we were able to experiment with some North tips, get a better understanding of our cameras and most importantly apply what we had learned in the lecture that morning.

We would then wander back to the auditorium and ‘edit’ our photos to the three best and print them on site to lay out for display with the other students (around 18 in all). North would then walk down the long table and an individual assessment of our three photos was then made over the next hour. This was so beneficial as you could see other’s handiwork, learn what makes a great photo from North’s review and receive constructive and positive feedback on your own shots.

North is extremely knowledgeable and a great communicator and lecturer as well as photographer (we see many examples of his great work). Contempo are very professional and what a lovely way to spend a Sunday in the Art Gallery. I highly recommend – so much so I am in Series 2 – The Passionate Photographer!