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 three categories: (1) Classes and Workshops in the DC Area, (2) Online Courses, and (3) Multi-day Photography Trips to Places Within and Beyond the United 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
- Photoshop for Photographers, Sun., Dec. 9, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
- Special Real Estate Photo Safari, Mon., Dec. 10, 10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Holiday Time in Historic Annapolis, Sat., Dec. 15, 3:00-6:00 p.m.
- Wintering Waterfowl, Sat., Dec. 29, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
- B&O Railroad Museum Field Shoot, Sat., Jan. 5, 11:00 a.m.-3:00 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 Koren, below, for his courses offered through Capital Photography Center.)
Glen Echo Park (Photoworks)
- Workshop: Using Ink Jet Printers to Print Photographs on Alternative Papers (1 session), Wed., Dec. 5, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
- Skills: Introduction to Studio Lighting (5 sessions), Tues., Jan. 8-Feb. 5, 7:00-9:30 p.m.
- Skills: Shoot and Learn – Intermediate (7 sessions), Tues., Jan. 8-Feb. 19, 7:00-9:30 p.m.
- Vision: Creativity: Habits & Practice (4 sessions), Wed., Jan. 9-30, 7:30-9:30 p.m.
- Vision: Self-portraits – Finding Your Voice (6 sessions), Wed., 7:00-9:00 p.m., Jan. 23-Feb. 27.
And others at glenechopark/classes
Michael Koren Photography
- SmartPhone Photography – Getting Started at Union Station, Sun., Dec. 16, 11:30-3:30 p.m.
- Meetup: Photography Themed Book Discussion, Tues., Jan. 8, 7:10-9:10 p.m.
- Smartphone Photography – Getting Started at the American Indian Museum, Sat., Jan. 12, 11:15 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
- Smartphone Photography – Getting Started at the National Gallery of Art, Sun., March 3, 11:30 am.-3:30 p.m.
- Artistic Expression through Photography: Phones & Tablets (4 sessions), Wed., March 6-27, 6:30 8:30 p.m.
And others at michaelkorenphotography.com/teaching-schedule (One-day workshops are offered through Capital Photography Center and multi-session workshops through Montgomery College.)
Montgomery College Lifelong Learning Institute, Workforce Development & Continuing Education
Spring schedule is not yet available. (Check back in January.)
See montgomerycollege.edu/course Select Lifelong Learning Institute/Photography
Smithsonian Associates
- Exhibiting and Selling Your Photographs (1 session), Tues., Jan. 8, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
- Introduction to Black-and-White Film Photography and the Darkroom (8 sessions), Tues., Jan. 8-Feb. 26, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
- Photographic Creativity, Design, and Composition (5-sessions), Wed., Jan. 9-Feb. 6.
- Photography: A Hands-on History (6 sessions), Fri., Jan. 25-March 1, 10:30-1:30 p.m.
- Introduction to Lightroom (2 sessions), Sat., Jan. 26 & Sun., Jan. 27, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
And others at smithsonianassociates.org/photography
Washington Photo Safari
- Bald Eagles: Birds in Flight Photography, Sat., Dec. 8, 6:00-11:00 a.m.
- The Mansion on O Street: A Special Real Estate Photo Safari, Mon., Dec. 10, 10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Ridin’ the Rails with Your Camera: A Photo Safari on the Washington Metro, Sun., Dec. 16, 2:30-5:00 p.m.
- National Museum of African American History and Culture, Mon., Dec. 17, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (Also offered Jan. 14)
- National Portrait Gallery/American Art Museum, Sat., Jan. 5, 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.
- Advanced Landscape Post Processing (2 hrs., 13 min.)
- The Photographer’s Guide to Traveling (1 hr., 38 min.)
- Essential Tools and Techniques for Making Beautiful Prints (2 hrs., 12 min.)
- Breathtaking Bird Photography (1 hr., 11 min.)
- Pro Settings and Techniques (1 hr., 33 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
- Overcoming Camera and Lens Limitations (1 hr., 20 min.)
- Photoshop: Filters for Photography (1 hr., 36 min.)
- Photography Foundations: Exposure, Part 1 (2 hrs., 25 min); Part 2 (1 hr. 39 min.)
- Advanced Photography: Diptychs, Triptychs, and Aspect Ratios (1 hr. 32 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.
- The History of Photography
- Image Analysis
- 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
- Olympic Peninsula Workshop with Art Wolfe (WA), April 25-28
- Moab Photography Retreat with Art Wolfe (UT), May 1-May 5
- Appalachia Photography Retreat with Art Wolfe (TN), May 8-12
And others at artwolfe.com/workshops
Nikhil Bahl Photography
- Iceland Winter Photography Tour: Aurora, Ice Caves, Glaciers, Scenery, March 3-14
- Florida Bird Photography Rookeries by Boat (Sarasota, FL), April 10-13
- Chincoteague Island Spring Workshop (VA), May 17-19
And others at nikhilbahl.com/photography_workshops)
Mark Buckler
- The Ultimate Utah Photo Adventure, April 4-11
- Wildlife of the Outer Banks, May 9-12 (also offered June 13-16)
- Birds of the Outer Banks, May 22-24
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—Corpus Christi Festival—Cuenca, Eduador, June 19-28
And others at emsphotoadventures.com Also see Essdras Suarez’ on-demand local workshops (on such topic as street and portrait photography: essdras.com )
Joseph Van Os Photo Safaris
- Bald Eagles of Alaska’s Kachemak Bay, March 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
- Assateague Island National Seashore (MD), April 26-28
- Tangier Island (VA), May 3-7
See ospreyphoto.com
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/video-tutorials See also its Meetup Schedule at meetup.com/Road-Runner-Photography-Tours
Tony Sweet Photography
- Cuba, Feb. 9-22