Are you getting better pictures with your cheap point-n-shoot than with your expensive DSLR? Did you get a new camera for Christmas but are overwhelmed by all those dials, buttons, and menu options? Are you confused by Av, Tv, and ISO? Are your pictures frequently too dark, too light, or blurry. If you answered yes to any of these questions, the Fontenelle Forest Photography Club’s Exposure 101 workshop is for you.

Exposure 101 is a half-day workshop designed to teach the basics of digital photography exposure to the novice photographer. At this hands-on workshop you will learn about the relationship between shutter speed, aperture, and sensor sensitivity. You will learn how to read a histogram and how to use it to achieve optimum exposure. We will discuss exposure modes such as aperture priority and shutter priority and teach you when each should be used. And finally, we will set up hands-on case studies where you will use your own camera to put to use what you have learned.

The workshop will take place on February 2, 2013 at the Fontenelle Forest Nature Center in Bellevue, NE from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The cost of the workshop is $15 per person. Proceeds  go to support the club. Advance registration is necessary with payment due at the door. To register, contact Kent Brede no later than January 25, 2013.

What to bring to the workshop:

To take advantage of the hands-on portion of the workshop, you will need to bring some basic gear:

• Digital DSLR and at least one lens, preferably a zoom lens (wide angle to medium telephoto).
• Tripod
• Cable or wireless shutter release
• Camera manual
• Willingness to learn and try new techniques
• Notepad and pen

To maximize learning opportunities, each participant should be reasonably familiar with their camera and should come to the workshop knowing how to change from Program mode (P) to aperture priority (Av) and shutter priority (Tv). In addition you should know how to view the  histogram on your camera’s LCD and turn on blinkies. If this sounds foreign to you, then you have some homework to do.

Exposure 101 – Itinerary (subject to change)

1. Introduction
2. Exposure Triangle
   1. Shutter Speed
   2. Aperture
   3. ISO
3. Histograms
4. Exposure Modes
   1. Program
   2. Aperture Priority
   3. Shutter Priority
5. Case Studies
   1. Freezing Motion
   2. Blurring Motion
   3. Shallow Depth of Field
   4. Maximum Depth of Field
   5. ISO
6. Wrap Up