Thank you so much for booking a place on my next Love My Camera course for beginners. I’m really looking forward to meeting you.

I’ve designed the course to be as jargon free as possible. We will really go back to basics, looking at how the camera works and how you can take control of the camera settings to get the photos that you want with lots of practical exercises and plenty of time to ask questions.

This course is specifically designed for owners of DSLR cameras. If you have joined the course and do not have a DSLR then you can still get a great deal from the course as long as your camera allows you to manually change settings. This is where the pre-course work comes in …

Pre-Coursework

The course is jam packed with information and in order to get through as much as possible in our 4 hours together I will need you to do a little pre-course preparation.

The basic fundamentals of photography are very much the same irrespective of what camera you have but the ways to access these settings can be very different dependant on the model of camera you own. Although I am experienced in photography, I may not be an expert in your particular model of camera so it’s important for you to get as familiar with the locations of a few buttons as you can before we embark on the course to save time on the day. Please don’t worry; this is really basic stuff which (if you don’t know it already) you can easily find out from your camera manual in just a few minutes.

Please don’t worry!

I don’t need you to know what all of these buttons and dials mean. That’s what we’ll be covering on the course! As I said, your camera manual will help you find out this information. If you don’t have one just try typing your camera make and model into Google. There are typically heaps of PDF camera manuals available for you to view for free online but if you get really stuck then just let me know.

Finding out this basic information will really help us maximise the time we have to ensure you are as confident as possible with all of your newfound knowledge.

Firstly, how to select your camera mode. This is usually a dial that sometimes has pictures on it such as a persons head, a mountain, a moon, a running man. It’ll probably have some letters ion it too like M, P, A, S and Auto (or a green box). This will more than likely be a dial on the top of your camera which could look something like this:

How to change the ISO setting on your camera. We will also be looking at ISO so please can you discover how you change the ISO on your camera. This will usually be a button that you press and you use the dial to change the number. Usually it’ll have values like 100, 200, 320, 400, 800 etc.

I also need you if possible to find out where your exposure compensation button is. It’s probably located on the top of your camera and will look like this (usually a small button with a + and – sign in it) and it’s usually hidden away!:

We will not be using flash at all during the course so if possible can you discover how you turn your flash off.

As I said, if you struggle with any of this then please just let me know before the day 🙂

What to Bring With You

All you will need to bring with you is you, your fully charged camera and a clear memory card. If you have more than one lens then please bring it along. Don’t worry about any other accessories such as tripods or flash guns as these will not be required for the course. Tea, coffee and cold drinks will be available throughout the morning. Lunch is not provided but feel free to bring a packed lunch if you like or maybe treat yourself to a lunch in Cowbridge afterwards!

This course is designed to be a nice and relaxed atmosphere where you will be able to gain and share information and ask lots of questions. It’s also a practical course so please be prepared to take lots of pictures!

Directions

The venue is my studio in Cowbridge. The Studio is a little hidden away in the depths of Penllyn Estate Farm but it’s dead easy to get to and there is plenty of parking on site. Here are some directions to help you find me.

The address is:
Penllyn Estate Farm, Cowbridge CF71 7FF

GET DIRECTIONS VIA GOOGLE MAPS

Firstly, and this is IMPORTANT – don’t rely on your sat nav to find the studio! It’s likely you’ll end up in country lanes at the back of the farm!! Just follow my simple directions or put The Forage Farm Shop into your sat nav as an alternative.

If you are coming from the direction of Cardiff, head west on the A48 towards Cowbridge. You’ll head over the Cowbridge flyover and reach a roundabout. Take the third exit signposted Penllyn Estate and the Forage Farm Shop. Head down the road and you’ll see the farm shop on your left. At the end of the road is a t-junction. Turn right and you’ll see Maes Glas Vets on your left and Cowbridge Cabins on your right. Take the left turning into the Vet’s car park and park your car anywhere near the barrier in the car park.

If you are coming from the direction of Bridgend, head east on the A48. Just before you reach the Cowbridge turn off you’ll see a new roundabout. Take the first exit signposted Penllyn Estate and the Forage Farm Shop and follow the directions as above.

Once you arrive please drop me a text  on 07852 255766 and I will come out and met you.

P.S One other important thing to mention is that the farm is very much a working farm. Although it is very quiet on the weekend it can be a little muddy (if it’s been raining) on the very short walk from the car park to the studio if it’s been raining. Best to wear sensible shoes if possible.

We’ll be starting promptly at 10am so if you’d like to arrive about 10 minutes before this then please do. The tea and coffee will be on!

Finally and this is really important! Please can you take a minute to complete the details before the workshop? Really looking forward to meeting you on the day but if in the meantime you have any questions then please either give me a call on 07852 255766 or drop me an email to info@sarahjevans.