Kate Woodward
The following list describes sample photography courses and workshops from a variety of providers. Note that the providers generally have additional courses or workshops on their websites. The courses/workshops are organized around four categories: (1) Classes and Workshops in the DC Area, (2) Online Courses, (3) Multi-day Photography Trips to Places Within and Beyond the United States, and 4) Photography Conferences in Nearby States.
Please suggest additional course/workshop providers for future editions of this list. You are also invited to provide descriptions of courses/workshops you have taken and recommend, for the Cable Release. Email me at info@ssccphotography.org or cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.
Note: Inclusion in this list is not an endorsement of the provider or the particular class/workshop.
1.0 Classes/Workshops in the Washington, DC Area
Capital Photography Center
- Rock Creek Park Adventure, Sat., Nov. 3, 8:00-11:00 a.m.
- Antiques and Treasures in Lucketts, VA, Sat., Nov. 10, 7:30-10:30 a.m.
- Getting Started in Event Photography, Tues., Nov. 13, 7:00-10:00 p.m.
- Lightroom in a Day, Sat., Dec. 1, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
- Holiday Time in Historic Annapolis, Sat., Dec. 15, 3:00-6:00 p.m.
And others at capitalphotographycenter.com/classes (Note that Capital Photography Center and Washington Photo Safari, listed below, sometimes co-offer workshops. See Michael Koran, below, for his courses offered through Capital Photography Center.)
Glen Echo Park (Photoworks)
- Workshop: Restoring Family Photographs in Photoshop (1 session), Sun., Nov. 18, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
- Skills: Digital Collages: Tell Your Story (4 sessions), Mon., Nov. 26-Dec. 17, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
- Skills: Design and Print Your Own Photo Book Using Online Bookmaking Sites (3 sessions), Thurs., Nov. 29-Dec. 13, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
- Workshop: Mat Cutting (1 session), Sat., Dec. 1, 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
- Vision: Creativity: Habits & Practice (4 sessions), Wed., Jan. 9-30, 7:30-9:30 p.m.
And others at glenechopark/classes
Michael Koren Photography
- Intro to Smartphone Photography, Tues., Nov. 6, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
- Smartphone Photography: Getting Started at the National Gallery of Art, Sat., Nov. 17, 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
And others at michaelkorenphotography.com/teaching-schedule
Montgomery College Lifelong Learning Institute, Workforce Development & Continuing Education
How Did That Photographer Do That?
- The Creative Process: Editing and Arranging your Photos, Tues., Nov. 6-Dec. 11, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
See montgomerycollege.edu/course/courselistings Select Lifelong Learning Institute/Photography
Smithsonian Associates
- Introduction to Lightroom (2 sessions), Sat., Nov. 17 & Sun., Nov. 18, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
- Self-Portraits: Photography (2 sessions), Sun., Dec. 2 & 9, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
See smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets
Washington Photo Safari
- Fantastic Pet Photography, Sat., Nov. 10, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
- National Museum of African American History and Culture, Mon., Nov. 12, 9:00-12:00 p.m. Also offered, Mon., Dec. 17
- Bald Eagles: Birds in Flight Photography, Sat., Nov. 17, 6:00-11:00 a.m. Also offered Dec. 8
- Library of Congress Photo Safari, Sat., Nov. 24, 2:30-5:00 p.m.
- “It’s the Composition Stupid!” A Workshop Inside NGA’s Renovated East Building, Sun., Nov. 25, 2:30-5:00 p.m.
And others at washingtonphotosafari.com
2.0 Online Courses
Coursera
Coursera is an online venue for courses taught by various universities and other institutions. Coursera offers MOOC’s—massive open online courses. You can generally audit the courses, particularly the video lectures, for free. Paid tuition allows you to submit work and to receive a certificate for work completed, as well as access to additional areas of the online classroom, To audit or pay for the courses, you will need to enroll. Courses are offered at various times throughout the year, but if you are auditing, you can enroll at other times and have access to course materials. Note also that courses stay on your account beyond the announced time allotted for the course.
- Seeing through Photographs, Museum of Modern Art (6-week commitment)
- Coursera offers the following 5-course specialization, Photography Basics and Beyond: From Smartphone to DSLR, University of Michigan. (4-week commitment per course).
- Cameras, Exposure, and Photography
- Camera Control
- Principles of Photo Composition and Digital Image Post-Production
- Photography Techniques: Light, Content & Sharing
- Photography Capstone
Note: Coursera also has other courses relevant to photography (such as Making Architecture, Modern Art and Ideas, Introduction to Imagemaking, and a Specialization in Graphic Design).
Kelby One
Kelby One (run by Scott Kelby) is an online monthly (or annual) course subscription service. With its most complete subscription option, you are offered 700+ courses, along with access to its two magazines: Photoshop User and Lightroom Magazine. Photography topics range from technical skills and software training to artistic aspects of photography. While a few of KelbyOne courses are listed below, you might want to simply search for your particular interests. You may try out 15 designated courses for free, prior to subscribing, if you sign up for an account.
- Camera Focus Techniques: The Key to Super Sharp Photos (1hr., 8 min.; free).
- Classic Text Effects in Photoshop CC (52 min.)
- Rick’s Top Tips for Taking Incredible Travel Photos (1 hr., 33 min.)
- Photographing Cityscapes (1 hr. 11 min.); Using Photoshop & Lightroom Classic to Create Amazing Cityscapes (1 hr., 37 min.)
- Crush the Composition (1 hr., 34 min.)
And others at kelbyone.com
You may also want to explore Scott Kelby’s free video series on YouTube—The Grid—which contains critiques of photos submitted online: youtube.com/results?search_query=The+Grid%3A+Scott+Kelby
Lynda.com
Lynda.com is an online monthly (or annual) course subscription service with hundreds of photography courses; it is now available free with a Montgomery County Public Library card (montgomerycountymd.libguides.com/lynda.com). The DC Public Library also offers free access, and Lynda.com provides a free month-long trial subscription.
Courses consist of multiple video lectures, and they vary in length from less than an hour to more than 5 hours. Photography topics range from technical skills and software training to artistic aspects of photography. Courses can be searched by skill level (beginner through advanced), topic, software, and professor; searches will also yield parts of courses on a particular topic. While a few courses are listed below, you might want to simply search for your particular interests.
- Lynda.com offers weekly photography tips/instruction videos, from six of its instructors:
- Photo Critique of the Week with Steve Simon
- Mobile Photography Weekly with Sean Duggan
- The Practicing Photographer with Ben Long
- Photo Tools Weekly with Chris Orwig
- Photo Gear Weekly with Tim Grey
- Deke’s Techniques with Deke McClelland
- Up-Close Portrait Photography: Start to Finish (2 hrs., 5 min.)
- Photoshop Layers: Working with Multiple Photos (2 hrs. 24 min.)
- Learning Product Photography (1 hr., 29 min.)
- Photography: Advanced Composition (2 hrs., 35 min.)
And others at montgomerycountymd.libguides.com/lynda.com (or lynda.com)
Photographic Society of America (PSA)
Online courses are offered free with membership and usually last a few months.
- Image Analysis
- Creating Competitive Images
- Portraits in Available Light
- Still Life Photography
- A Portfolio Experience
And others at psa-photo.org/education-online-courses
Note: Membership also includes study groups, mentoring, and a digital library.
3.0 Multi-Day Photography Trips Within and Beyond the United States
(See providers’ websites for trips planned later in 2019. Note that some trips sell out quickly, even when they are scheduled for six to ten months in the future.)
Art Wolfe
- Japan Photo Journey, Feb. 8-18
- India Holi Festival and Tigers Photographic Journey, March 12-25
- Kailash and Mt Everest Base Camp 2019, May 29-June 8
And others at artwolfe.com
Nikhil Bahl Photography
- Yellowstone Photography Tour (WY), Jan. 3-12
- Iceland Winter Photography Tour: Aurora, Ice Caves, Glaciers, Scenery, March 3-14
- Florida Bird Photography—Rookeries by Boat (Sarasota, FL), April 10-13
And others at nikhilbahl.com (Note: Bahl will be presenting at Horizon Photography Summit in Delaware and at Delmarva Nature & Wildlife Photo Summit; see Photography Conferences in Nearby States, below, for more information about the conference.)
Mark Buckler
- Bosque Del Apache Intensive (NM), Jan. 3-6
- Winter Waterfowl of the NC Coast, Jan. 16-18 & Jan. 31-Feb. 2
- The Ultimate Utah Photo Adventure, April 4-11, 2019
And others at bucklerphoto.com/workshop-list
EMS Photo Adventures (Essdras M. Suarez)
- Portrait of Cuba: A Photographic Journey Feb. 22-March 1 and April 12-19
- Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, May 9-19
- Ecuador, June 19-2
And others at emsphotoadventures.com Also see Essdras Suarez’ on-demand local workshops (on such topic as street and portrait photography) and his newsletter. (Note: Suarez will be presenting an all-day workshop Fri., Nov. 2, at Horizon Photography Summit in Delaware; he will also make several presentations at the conference; see Photography Conferences in Nearby States, below, for more information about the conference.)
Joseph Van Os Photo Safaris
- Wild Hawaii, Feb. 2-8 & Feb. 9-15
- Costa Rica Birds, March 25-April 6 & April 6-18
- Croatia, April 27-May 9
And others at photosafaris.com
Osprey Photo Workshops & Tours
- Chincoteague Photo Workshop (VA), Dec. 14-16
- Assateague Island National Seashore (MD), April 26-28
- Tangier Island (VA), May 3-7
See www.ospreyphoto.com (Note: Irene Hinke-Sacilotto will be presenting at Horizon Photography Summit in Delaware; see Photography Conferences in Nearby States, below, for more information about the conference.)
Road Runner Photography Tours
- Spring in Death Valley (CA), March 10-14
- Patagonia, Argentina and Chile, April 20-May 1
- Palouse (WA), June 9-13
And others at roadrunnerphotographytours.com
Note: Road Runners has free YouTube video tutorials linked on its Website: see roadrunnerphotographytours.com/learning/video-tutorials/ See also its Meetup Schedule at meetup.com/Road-Runner-Photography-Tours
Tony Sweet Photography
- Ellis Island (NY), Dec. 16
- Cuba, Feb. 9-22
See tonysweet.com/workshops (Note: Sweet will be presenting at Horizon Photography Summit in Delaware; see Photography Conferences in Nearby States, below, for more information about the conference.)
4.0 Photography Conferences in Nearby States
Delmarva Nature & Wildlife Photo Summit, Wallops Island, VA, Fri.-Sun., Nov. 16-18. This three-day photography conference is located in an area that includes coastal wetlands and seashores, among other topographies. The conference includes presentations, field shoots, and photo critiques, with five photographers featured as instructors. (Thurs., Nov. 15 is a pre-conference day.) See cbfieldstation.org/photography-summit
Horizon Photography Summit, Newark, DE, Fri.-Sun., Nov. 2-4. This three-day photography conference consists of hands-on workshops on Friday and presentations on Saturday and Sunday. The conference includes a wide range of photography topics. A number of photographers listed elsewhere in this class list are featured among the 16 photographers presenting at the conference, including Nikhil Bahl, Irene Hinke-Sacilotto (Osprey Photo Workshops and Tours), Essdras Suarez, Tony Sweet. See horizonworkshops.com
Nature Visions 2018 Photo Expo, Manassas, VA, Fri.-Sun., Nov. 2-4. On Friday, the Conference offers an all-day seminar on landscape photography. On Saturday and Sunday, Nature Visions offers many workshops, sessions, and portfolio review opportunities; hosts a juried exhibit of nature photographs by Maryland and Virginia Camera Club photographers; and provides space for photography exhibitors. See NatureVisions.org