Photography workshop ideas

[lamina]

I got a job with my university starting July 3rd. I will be working with their IELP (Intensive English Language Program), which is made up of mostly Asian students who are new to Canada and are here to learn English.

Part of my job is to run 5 3-hour workshops, 2 hours per week for 5 weeks. I've chosen my topic to be photography, since every kid likely has a digital camera, and if not, I have a couple point and shoots that I can lend.

Anyway, I am in the process of testing out our Mac labs at the university to see how they will handle the students having a .Mac account so they can make a photo webpage to show their friends and family back home. We will be shooting the area around the school, which is wooded and part of the Niagara Escarpment, which is quite photogenic. We will also likely be visiting a local historical waterfall that you may or may not have heard of...

Anyway, my question is... since they'll be using iPhoto which is easy beyond belief, should I mention some of the very basic technical aspects of photography? Shutter speed and aperture is about as far as I plan on going, as well as some simple composition principles such as the rule of thirds. I have a huge Mac lab all to myself to show examples and stuff, but I am worried about boring the kids with 'lecture' style ramblings... any thoughts?

 

[dakis]

I got a job with my university starting July 3rd. I will be working with their IELP (Intensive English Language Program), which is made up of mostly Asian students who are new to Canada and are here to learn English.

Part of my job is to run 5 3-hour workshops, 2 hours per week for 5 weeks. I've chosen my topic to be photography, since every kid likely has a digital camera, and if not, I have a couple point and shoots that I can lend.

Anyway, I am in the process of testing out our Mac labs at the university to see how they will handle the students having a .Mac account so they can make a photo webpage to show their friends and family back home. We will be shooting the area around the school, which is wooded and part of the Niagara Escarpment, which is quite photogenic. We will also likely be visiting a local historical waterfall that you may or may not have heard of...

Anyway, my question is... since they'll be using iPhoto which is easy beyond belief, should I mention some of the very basic technical aspects of photography? Shutter speed and aperture is about as far as I plan on going, as well as some simple composition principles such as the rule of thirds. I have a huge Mac lab all to myself to show examples and stuff, but I am worried about boring the kids with 'lecture' style ramblings... any thoughts?

I'd definitely do some basic photo theory - the rule of thirds or the golden triangle can easily be demonstrated practically without boring your students to death Just let them take pictures of each-other in the class room or outside your school and have them look at them afterwards in the mac lab.
You could also show them some basic fill flash techniques that they can later use in Niagara, or how the depth of field changes with different aperture and focal range settings. All these things can be tried out immediately. I wouldn't go into color theory etc, though.

Apart from that: I really envy you - I visited Niagara last summer when I stayed in Toronto with my wife. She found it very hard to drag me away from the falls

peter

 

[Abstract]

I got a job with my university starting July 3rd. I will be working with their IELP (Intensive English Language Program), which is made up of mostly Asian students who are new to Canada and are here to learn English.

Part of my job is to run 5 3-hour workshops, 2 hours per week for 5 weeks. I've chosen my topic to be photography, since every kid likely has a digital camera, and if not, I have a couple point and shoots that I can lend.

Anyway, I am in the process of testing out our Mac labs at the university to see how they will handle the students having a .Mac account so they can make a photo webpage to show their friends and family back home. We will be shooting the area around the school, which is wooded and part of the Niagara Escarpment, which is quite photogenic. We will also likely be visiting a local historical waterfall that you may or may not have heard of...

Anyway, my question is... since they'll be using iPhoto which is easy beyond belief, should I mention some of the very basic technical aspects of photography? Shutter speed and aperture is about as far as I plan on going, as well as some simple composition principles such as the rule of thirds. I have a huge Mac lab all to myself to show examples and stuff, but I am worried about boring the kids with 'lecture' style ramblings... any thoughts?

Which uni, McMaster or Brock?

 

[lamina]

Which uni, McMaster or Brock?

Brock. I live a 20 minute walk away, so it's really convenient. About a 5 minute bus ride to school too.

 

[lamina]

Apart from that: I really envy you - I visited Niagara last summer when I stayed in Toronto with my wife. She found it very hard to drag me away from the falls

peter

Thanks for the tips. I think you're right about not boring them to death, especially since they're casual photographers. What is the golden triangle?

The falls has kinda been not such a big deal to me since I've lived here all my life, only a 15 minute car ride away. I love going there and seeing all the smiling tourists. I try to be as helpful as possible because I see myself as somewhat of a representative of Canada, so I'm happy to help with directions. I even catch myself giving history lessons once in a while I'll probably go this weekend just for fun.