Photoschool - Photography Course for Beginners

I was really hesitant to enroll into this academy because of the commute time.

I had at least 1 hour on my way there and about 30 minutes on my way back.

First 2 sessions was raining quite a bit, so I had to cross the whole of Sofia right through the centre in peak hours, during a rainstorm. Perfect 👌

The first class was introductory to the agenda, the lecturers and a get-to-know-you where each one of us had to share who they are, what they expect from the course, what photos they enjoy taking and what camera they are using.

This was a beginners introductory session to photography gear, aperture, focal lenghts and focus.

It’s an absolutely essential part and it was nicely done.

I found out about other sensor sizes besides 1-inch, APS-C and Full-frame.

We also got to try and see some interesting cameras, one really small lens and also see actual film shot on Pentax 80 (?) with a medium size sensor , which is huge (the largest sensor size, despite the name).

Key lessons:

• Full-frame sensor is based on the 35mm frame from film cameras
• Choose a camera that YOU like - one that fits your style and requirements. This will make you WANT to go out and shoot more photos. If you don’t like your camera, it’s less likely for you to pull it out and shoot. Size matters 😁
• You should multiply the lens focal lenght by the crop factor of your sensor in order to derive the actual focal lenght you’re getting.
• 50mm focal lenght is not what the human eye sees, despite that being pointed out in many textbooks and courses. It’s most likely 35mm.
• A useful website for playing around with different settings: https://dofsimulator.net/en/

Unfortunately, I had to skip this session even though it was probably the most important! As far as I could see from the agenda, they were discussing the exposure triangle.