Introduction to Photography E1184

Training Eyes to See: The Art of Photography

Who: Grades 6–12 (Parents are welcome to audit if they wish, but this course can be taken independently.)
When: Wednesdays, January 20 to February 24, 2027, 2:00–4:00 p.m.

Please ensure that participants have time set aside each week to complete photographic assignments.

“The world was full of clues to the mystery. Most people walked right past them. A few people saw them. But some people captured them and passed them down for generations.”

Today we bring cameras with us everywhere and use them all the time. It hasn’t always been that way. And just because we use cameras often, does that mean we know how to use them well?

In this course, you are becoming a certified Light Detective. Learn the evidence left behind by artists and photographers on how to capture beautiful moments with people, places, pets, plants, and more. Learn how to work the scene: follow the light, change your angle, and watch the shadows.

A photographer doesn’t just take photos; they craft them. They see the world in light and shadow, colour and contrast. In both ordinary and extraordinary moments, a trained photographer makes deliberate choices about what goes inside and outside the four edges of an image frame. They know how and why the photo “works,” and they capture beauty whenever they can.

Bring your detective skills, creativity, and a phone or digital camera, and discover that with a little learning we can create much better images than we ever thought we could.

Keep your eyes open. There are clues to the Mystery of Beauty everywhere. If you listen carefully, if you follow the path, you might be able to capture just a few.

• WEEK 1: History, Theory, Light, and Camera Terminology
• WEEK 2: Working With Different Subjects, Safety, and Moral Issues
• WEEK 3: Exploring Cameras and Composition, Culling and File Storage
• WEEK 4: Exploring Colour, Contrast, and Light Directions
• WEEK 5: Image Adjustment and Critique, Industry Careers
• WEEK 6: Your Photo Niches, Art vs. Photojournalism, and Homework Critique