40 Photography & Video courses in Livingston

“Any good photography is a successful synthesis of technique and art.” – Andreas Feininger Discover the magic of Black & White Photography and learn some of the secrets the masters use to make stunning photographs. Explore the fundamentals of light and time and no longer be a slave to the Auto setting. Master the manual functions of your 35mm SLR film camera and unlock its true potential. Get to grips with the complete darkroom workflow from processing film to printing your own black & white photographs. Perfect for those with no experience or those looking for a full refresher. If you don’t have a 35mm SLR camera we have a limited number available for use during the course – please make your selection from the dropdown at time of booking. Week 1 Capture, technical notes, discussions, art context Understand the fundamentals of light and time in balancing an accurate exposure; No longer be a slave to the Auto setting! Learn how to utilise the Manual functions of your 35mm SLR camera including aperture, shutter speed, film speed and metering. Understand depth of field, composition and creative photo-making techniques; Appreciate photography within an art context – Begin to look at the work of other photographers Assignment: You will be given one roll of B&W film to be shot for the second week Week 2 Film processing Learn how to process B&W film by hand in Stills’ darkrooms. We will discuss different film types and chemistry, as well as best practice procedures for film handling. Appreciating photography within an art context-Sally Mann. Week 3 Contact Printing Gain an appreciation of general darkroom procedures;understand how to set up your enlarger and make a contact print using the traditional analogue method; learn how to make 8×10″ work prints using the single filter printing method. All paper and chemistry will be provided. Week 4 Darkroom printing This last session will allow participants to keep on printing with some one to one attention. We will also explore some basic dodging and burning and other printing techniques to get the most from your negatives and make a series of final prints.     Courses are subject to minimum enrolment. Please register early, within five days of the start date, to reduce the likelihood of course cancellation. Please read our cancellation policy before booking. Students, anyone over the age of 65, and those in receipt of any form of benefits can claim the concessionary price, offering a 10% discount on the full course price. Valid proof of eligibility must be produced on the first day of the course. Please use the code CONCESSION when prompted at checkout. Stills uses ILFORD PHOTO chemicals on this course that can potentially pose a risk to pregnant and breast feeding women and asthmatics. We take every care to ensure good working practices and adequate ventilation in our darkrooms. If you feel you may be adversely affected, please visit the Health and Safety section of Ilford’s website for further information.   General Guidance Notes for Pregnant and Breast Feeding Women and Asthmatics: From a risk assessment standpoint, provided all necessary control measures (such as good working practices, adequate ventilation, and the use of appropriate PPE) are in place then pregnant and breastfeeding women should be able to continue to work safely with photochemical products.Inhalation is the main route by which fumes and gases enter the body, making good ventilation a high priority. Exposure to irritant chemicals that would not affect most people may provoke an asthma attack in a person who already has asthma. For example, low levels of the gas sulphur dioxide can be produced by some ILFORD PHOTO processes. Most individuals would be unaffected but asthmatics may suffer adverse affects. ILFORD PHOTO products include no known human carcinogens, and no substances to which phrase R46 (May cause heritable genetic damage) or R64 (May cause harm to breastfed babies) applies. Most ILFORD PHOTO developers use hydroquinone, and their classification therefore includes R40 (Limited evidence of a carcinogenic effect) and R68 (Possible risk of irreversible effects). Some ILFORD PHOTO chemicals use boric acid or borates. These substances are classified as toxic for reproduction. As a result, the classification of some of the powder developers includes R60 (May impair fertility) and R61 (May cause harm to the unborn child).

Edinburgh Photography Tours are ranked as the number one photography tour in Europe. Established in 2010 by local professional photographer James Christie.

Transform your photos into stunning images with Adobe Lightroom! With our comprehensive one-to-one Lightroom course, you will learn how to edit and enhance your images like a pro. From basic adjustments to advanced techniques, you'll discover how to make your photos pop and create a signature style for your website, social media or printed materials. Enrol now and unlock your creative potential! You will learn about: Library module Image import Collections Effective image organisation Image export (different sizes and resolutions for uses such as printing, Facebook etc) Develop module Fix image problems (e.g. under/over exposure, colour temperature, noise etc) Enhance your images (sharpness, clarity, contrast, colour etc) Using AI masking The important stuff The price for a four-hour course is £300 We will come to you at your office or home

During this two-day workshop, you will learn how to tell a compelling story via photographs. Participants will gain the tools for conceiving of and crafting their own projects, with pointers on how to find ideas, develop your vision, and self-edit. We will cover a broad range of themes, including subject interaction, ethical dimensions, natural light usage and composition. There will also be practical guidance on financing projects, and where to place finished work.Between the two sessions there will be an assignment, intended to provide a practical application of newly acquired skills – this will be reviewed in our second meeting.This workshop is perfect for those with a good understanding of digital photography, seeking to hone their storytelling abilities and push the boundaries of documentary photography.Day 1:– Introduction to photographic storytelling.– Case study of Michael’s work in relation to the practicalities involved with funding, organising and producing a documentary project.– Discussion on the work of inspirational photographers, film makers, and artists.– Consideration of the ethical challenges encountered when producing documentary photography.– Introduction of practical task, and review of images.There will be a practical assignment to be carried out before the 2nd session.Day 2:– Photo story workshop and discussion on style.– Editing: how to select the right pictures to suit narrative objectives.– How to work within time constraints.– Practical task– Portfolio review of work produced during the workshop.– Presentation on opportunities, competitions, and publishing documentary photography projects.   Courses are subject to minimum enrolment. Please register early, within five days of the start date, to reduce the likelihood of course cancellation. Please read our cancellation policy before booking. Students, anyone over the age of 65, and those in receipt of any form of benefits can claim the concessionary price, offering a 10% discount on the full course price. Valid proof of eligibility must be produced on the first day of the course. Please use the code CONCESSION when prompted at checkout.

Professional photographer Simon will show you how to get the most out of your camera in the most beautiful city in Scotland.

The Smartphone Only Group Photo Tour

Affinity Publisher Training Course for Beginners. Online Affinity Training with live instructors or face to face onsite. Learn to create and design layouts for flyers, brochures, newsletters, marketing documents and business stationery.

As phone and tablet cameras continue to improve and App developments become more advanced, mobile photography – previously considered only suitable for quick snaps and throwaway selfies – is more and more becoming recognised as a legitimate photographic medium. And anyone with a phone or tablet can do it! This course will explore the concepts of digital camera photography (and all that it entails) but through the medium of your own mobile device. Through a mixture of discussion and practical work this course will help you to push the limits of what your phone camera can do. As well as exploring the creative side of photography, we’ll break down some of the technical elements to get a better understanding of photography in general and learn how to achieve similar results using your phone or tablet. We’ll explore useful Apps to help get the desired output from your device and spend time looking at postproduction techniques that can improve and enhance your camera photos beyond a casual snapshot. Some of the Apps we will be looking at include Slow Shutter (iOS), VSCO (iOS/Android), Snapseed (iOS/Android), Adobe Lightroom for Mobile (iOS/Android) and Manual Camera (Android). You do not need to have all these downloaded in advance and, please be aware that depending on the capabilities of your phone, some of the features of these apps may not be available to you. This course is suitable for beginners and requires very little technical knowledge – just an enthusiasm and interest in photography and how to get a little more from your device. Please bring comfy weather-appropriate clothing as there will be some time spent outside shooting. Please specify the Make and Model of your mobile device when booking, so that the tutor can provide specific information tailored to your device wherever possible   Courses are subject to minimum enrolment. Please register early, within five days of the start date, to reduce the likelihood of course cancellation. Please read our cancellation policy before booking. Students, anyone over the age of 65, and those in receipt of any form of benefits can claim the concessionary price, offering a 10% discount on the full course price. Valid proof of eligibility must be produced on the first day of the course. Please use the code CONCESSION when prompted at checkout.

The course will introduce you to some of the most enduring photographic portraits and provide discussion on why they remain so seminal. The course includes an introduction to lighting and composition techniques for portraiture, as well as providing guidance on shutter speed, aperture, lenses, and other visual controls. You will use studio flash lighting to explore basic techniques in formal and informal portrait photography – though all of the techniques taught are transferrable to natural and other lighting media. There will be time for participants to photograph under three standard lighting set-ups. Some digital SLR photography experience is recommended. Morning The morning session centres on discussion of the work of some classic portrait photographers and standard techniques employed. The discussions will include elements of composition, pose, gesture, format and technique. Afternoon The afternoon session will cover practical studio lighting, standard lighting set-ups, direction of sitters, and time permitting also a brief introduction to some of the editing capabilities of Adobe Photoshop. Project Days are designed for those who are already familiar with digital photography processes but who want to pursue a particular aspect or develop more specific skills in one or more areas. This course is the perfect follow-on from our Digital SLR training courses and will support you in building upon your existing knowledge of DSLR camera skills and becoming a better photographer in general. It will help you to work confidently on your own creative projects and develop the artist in you.   Courses are subject to minimum enrolment. Please register early, within five days of the start date, to reduce the likelihood of course cancellation. Please read our cancellation policy before booking. Students, anyone over the age of 65, and those in receipt of any form of benefits can claim the concessionary price, offering a 10% discount on the full course price. Valid proof of eligibility must be produced on the first day of the course. Please use the code CONCESSION when prompted at checkout.

Do you have a growing mountain of negatives and/or prints and wish to have them as digital files? This course will equip you with the skills to digitally archive your collection ready for reprinting and sharing online! It can be intimidating to approach alone, but this class will break the process down into an easy step-by-step tutorial – from scanning, to editing, and exporting. Having completed the course, participants will have a solid understanding of the required processes and can go on to take full control of their negatives and potential outputs. This workshop will take you through the scanning process – turning analogue negatives/prints into digital files – using two different scanners: an Epson flatbed and a Hasselblad virtual drum scanner. Providing an opportunity to look at how best to scan and restore prints as well as negatives, you will learn the benefits of both scanning systems and understand when and why to use them. Once images are scanned, you will then be shown how to take full advantage of all the information you have captured to really get the most out of the files. The course will guide you through the editing process using Adobe Photoshop to bring your photos up to the highest standard, utilizing colour correction, levels, adjustments as well as a walkthrough of the processes used to clean dust and scratches from your images. You will be shown how to export files for digital printing as well as for sharing online. All equipment and software will be provided for you, but in order to get the most out of the course you are encouraged to bring along a varied selection of negatives and/or prints to use during the course. It is estimated that you will have time to scan up to a dozen images during the day, so please do not bring along whole archives at this stage! Having completed the course you will be able to return to Stills to confidently use the scanning facilities here on a session or daily basis. However, much of the information and learning from these systems can be directly applied to your own home scanning setup if required.   Courses are subject to minimum enrolment. Please register early, within five days of the start date, to reduce the likelihood of course cancellation. Please read our cancellation policy before booking. Students, anyone over the age of 65, and those in receipt of any form of benefits can claim the concessionary price, offering a 10% discount on the full course price. Valid proof of eligibility must be produced on the first day of the course. Please use the code CONCESSION when prompted at checkout.