Photoraphy 2 Class Helpful Links...
(feel free to share with your fellow students.)
NOTE TO PHOTO 2 STUDENTS: Continued Learning
I may be offering independent advanced photography workshops and photo walkabouts over the summer, focused on creative seeing, lighting, portraiture, creative process, and on-location shooting.
There is absolutely no obligation, but as a thank-you for your hard work this semester, Goucher Photo II students are welcome to attend one workshop of their choice for free, space permitting.
Details will be posted on my main website under a new menu item, “Workshops and Walkabouts” once they are finalized:
https://timpphotoart.com/
Welcome
This page includes a few photography resources to help you keep learning outside of class. Start with exposure, composition, and light, then build from there. Do not try to learn everything at once. Practice with intention, review your work, and keep experimenting
Some of these resources are very beginner-friendly. Others go a little deeper. Explore at your own pace, revisit topics often, and do not worry about mastering everything at once.
Pay attention to what catches your eye. Trust your curiosity. Make photographs that only you could make.
Camera Basics and Exposure
A strong photograph usually starts with understanding how your camera sees light. These resources cover the essentials: aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focus, and exposure.
Adobe Photography Basics
A clear and accessible introduction to the building blocks of photography.
Photography Life: Photography Basics
A solid step-by-step guide to core camera concepts and how they work together.
Canon EOS 101 / Nikon Learn & Explore
If you use Canon or Nikon, these manufacturer learning pages can be especially helpful for understanding menus, modes, autofocus, and general camera operation.
Composition and Learning to See
Good photography is not just about camera settings. It is also about framing, timing, point of view, and learning how to simplify a scene so the viewer knows what matters.
Adobe composition guide
Photography Life: Composition Tips
A practical guide to stronger framing, balance, visual flow, and subject placement.
Lighting
Light is one of the most important parts of photography. Learning how to recognize it, shape it, and control it will improve your work more than almost anything else.
Strobist.com
This is a great resource for everything to do with Lighting. Primarily about photography with off-camera hot shoe style speedlights, the concept here cover any kind of flash/stobe lighting and more.
Strobist Lighting 101 - A classic introduction to off-camera flash and simple lighting setups. Great for learning how light behaves and how small changes can make a big difference.
B&H Explora Lighting Basics
Helpful beginner-friendly explanations of how lighting works, including direction, softness, color, and intensity.
B&H Photography 101: Lighting
A straightforward introduction to photographic lighting concepts for newer shooters.
Editing and Workflow
Editing is part of the photographic process. Learning how to organize your images, make thoughtful adjustments, and choose your strongest frames is just as important as taking the picture.
Adobe photography terms glossary
Photography Life home:
Adobe Lightroom Learning Resources
A good place to begin learning image organization, basic correction, color adjustment, and workflow.
PiXimperfect (Here's the Beginner Photoshop video)
A very useful resource for Photoshop users who want to learn retouching, masking, cleanup, and more advanced editing techniques.
Digital Photography School
A wide-ranging site with beginner-friendly articles on shooting, editing, gear, and technique.
Practice Prompts
The best way to improve is to practice with a clear purpose. Try these exercises on your own and see what you come up with... experiment and play:
One subject, ten photos
Photograph the same subject ten different ways by changing angle, distance, framing, and light.
Tell a story in three images
Make three photographs that work together to suggest a place, mood, or event.
Window light portrait
Photograph a person or object using only window light. Pay attention to shadow, direction, and mood.
Hard light vs. soft light
Photograph the same subject in direct light and diffused light. Compare the mood and texture.
Simplify the frame
Make an image with one clear subject and remove anything that distracts from it.
Photography is learned through looking, making, editing, reflecting, and trying again.
Be patient with yourself. Keep shooting. Keep experimenting. Keep asking why an image works.
The more intentional you become with light, composition, timing, and editing, the stronger your photographs will be.
Keep learning, keep experimenting, and keep making photographs.
Curated by Tim Prendergast
Photographer, artist, and educator