Martin Cregg

DPS Thursday Talk ‘Light & Life on the Streets’, by Damien Demolder

damien demolderFREE THURSDAY TALK WITH DPS – IN ASSOCIATION WITH PANASONIC IRELAND

We are delighted to bring you an evening of Street Photography ‘Light and Life on the Streets’, presented by Damien Demolder.

In this heavily Illustrated talk, Damien will explain his approach to street photography and how he uses light and exposure to grab the attention of the viewer. The talk is instructive as well as fun, and you will come away with new concepts to think about and a new way of looking at street photography.

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Time: 7.30pm
Date: July 5th 2018
Venue: The Carmelite Centre, 56 Aungier Street, Dublin 2.

Damien is a photographer, journalist and photographic equipment expert, speaker, judge and educator. He has worked in the photographic publishing industry since 1997, including 15 years at the world’s only weekly photo magazine, Amateur Photographer, where he was editor.He writes for regularly for DP Review, & British Journal of Photography magazine as well as occasionally for other UK & international photographic magazines and websites. Take a browse through his work at www.damiendemolder.com

R.S.V.P by emailing info@dublinphotographyschool.ie to secure your place. Please book early as places are limited & will fill up fast.

Guest Blog by Fat Lama: 5 Mistakes For Beginner Photographers To Watch Out For

It’s easy to be by possibility when you’re starting out in photography. And, we’ll level with you, there is a lot that can go wrong. But fear not: by reading this, we hope you’ll know how to avoid the five most common mistakes that beginner photographers make when starting out.

1. Shooting in JPEG

Let’s be clear: whilst some photographers will tell you otherwise, it is ok to shoot in JPEG. The files sizes are smaller, cameras usually allow for a faster burst mode in JPEG, the whole process is quicker, and sometimes all you need is to take a few quick snapshots and be done. However, there are a few of reasons why it might not be the best bet.

Basically, when your camera is shooting in JPEG, between you taking the image and seeing it on the screen, the camera does the processing and voila: your photo is ‘finished’. Shooting in RAW, on the other hand, gives you many more tools for a much wider range of creativity and often this is key in developing your own signature style. So, for greater freedom beyond your shoot, give RAW a shot.

2. Blown Highlights

One of the most common issues facing a new photographer is the blowing or ‘clipping’ of highlights. This means that your highlights are overexposed to the extent that the camera sensor can’t record any information from that part of the image. If your highlights are blown, literally no amount of post-processing can bring them back. The data simply isn’t there. Ouch.

So, what can you do if you’re shooting on a sunny day or in another high contrast situation? Here’s where we ‘expose for the highlights.’ What this means is, when you take a photograph, make sure the exposure is adjusted for the highlights in the image. Naturally, this will result in a darker image. But don’t worry: if you’ve shot in RAW, you’ll be able to bring back the detail from the shadows in post-production.

3. Over-Reliance On Post-Production

The RAW mindset can lead to a problematic ‘I’ll fix it later’ mentality. You may well wonder what the point in nailing your exposure is, when you can easily adjust exposure by up to five stops either way at your computer screen. And why bother getting the white balance correct in-camera when you can just fix it later on?

With Photoshop at your disposal, you may increasingly hear yourself saying, “I’ll fix it later”. Be warned. If you start taking shortcuts in one area of photography, other areas are likely to suffer too. Remember: processing is intended to enhance your work, not rescue poor photos.

4. Overshooting

Whilst you should absolutely try to shoot day, less can be more! Back in photography’s analogue era, you were fixed to either 12, 24 or 36 exposures per roll of film – and it didn’t come cheap! This meant that thought was required before you pressed the shutter.

Whilst digital photography opens up the possibility of vast quantities, it also increases the risk of overshooting. Be careful not to merely ‘spray and pray’ – the quality will suffer. One recommended exercise is to go out for the day and limit yourself to no more than 12 photos. You might just find that you end up putting much more thought into what you are capturing and develop better shooting habits as a result.

5. Conspicuous Editing

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Contrast, shadows, exposure, highlights, vibrance, saturation, vignettes – the list is pretty endless. However, this can often make it easy to lose track of where an image started out! Moderation is key and subtlety is the name of the game. Quick tip: keep a copy of the original image side-by-side with your working edit, so that you can constantly see how far you have come.

We hope these five easy tips will put you on the path to greatness.

Bradley Allen is a freelance photographer and writer for Fat Lama.

Montenegro Photography Holiday Highlights with TDactive holidays

In April 2018, the DPS team  set out with 16 fellow photographers of all levels to one of the most rugged, untouched and unique areas of Europe, Montenegro. We landed in Dubrovnik, Croatia as the sun was blazing in all it’s glory offering us a balmy 21 degrees with clear skies. It was so refreshing after such a cold and dreary Irish winter that seemed to refuse to leave! We quickly grab our luggage, meet our guide and board a bus to one of the most  beautiful places in the world. After just over a 20 minutes coach ride we are whisked to our destination, where we will spend our first evening at leisure exploring the amazing city of Dubrovnik, where the commanding views from it’s walls hint at the amazing scenes to come.

Settling in for the night our advice is very simple, “have your memory cards empty and your batteries full, as we will hit the ground running in the morning”.

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Don’t Miss Out!

Transylvania Holiday September 13th- 17th 2018

photography trips to TransylvaniaCome travel with us to Romania the largest of the Balkan nations. It is a land of stunning mountain scenery, unspoiled countryside and historic towns, making it a fantastic holiday destination for anyone looking to develop their documentary, street and landscape photography skills. Based in the charming, historic town of Brasov for four nights, you will have the opportunity to photograph the remarkable landscapes of the Transylvania region as you travel high into the Carpathian Mountains, taking in impressive vistas and lake views. You will also visit the picturesque medieval town of Viscri, famous for its traditional houses and Saxon fortified church, and Sighisoara, with its impeccably preserved hilltop citadel. Of course, no stay in Transylvania would be complete without a visit to the imposing fortress of Dracula’s Castle.

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We wake to a stunning sunrise where the weather is fantastic for April in Croatia @22 degrees.  Our day starts with a short drive across the border into Montenegro, but not before we stop to take in the viewing point of Dubrovnik. Moving accross the hard boarder of the E.U is no hassle as Montenegro has a fantastic relationship with Europe and is hoping to join the E.U in the coming years. We then move onto our first destination Perast, a truly picturesque old town on the Bay of Kotor. Despite having only one main street, the tiny town of Perast boasts 16 churches and 17 formerly grand palazzos. Here,on the streets of Perast, we meet our amazing guide Miro. The DPS team teach everything from semi automatic modes to composition, EV Comp and getting everybody up to speed with basics for the next few days.

After a lunch stop we enjoy a guided boat cruise from Perast to the island of Our Lady of The Rocks for a photo shoot in two locations, looking out over Our Lady of the Rocks as well as ample time to photograph the nearby St George’s Island. Regrouping after our boatride from the Island, we rebroad  our bus and head to  our next desitination, a beuatiful old town called Kotor. We plan to photograph Kotor from above so as we climb the steep pathway to our destination, we are treated to commanding vistas of the souroudding hills and bay, before stoping for a sunset shoot and filter demostration. The sun begins to set as we make the trip down to the centre of Kotor and head  to our hotel for the evening, which is located in the stunning oldtown of Budva.

In the early morning, we set out to  Lovcen National Park, located in rocky region of Dinara Alps. Here we  journey via the impressive Serpentine Road that winds through the landscape with numerous stops to  photograph the Bay of Kotor, also known as BokaBay, before continuing on to Skadar Lake. Lake Skadar lies on the border of Albania and Montenegro and is the largest lake in Southern Europe. You will have the chance to shoot iconic images of the lake from an elevated position. Following this we stop for lunch before take a guided boat cruise to the village of Virpazar. On board we are treated to local wines and cheeses and relax and enjoy the stunning views. Here the DPS teach how to photograph and compensate for movement when moving at speed, before stopping at  Besac Fortress and photographing the black hills of its namesake Montenegro.

 

Early next morning we embark on a sunrise photo shoot at the walls of the oldtown of Budva. Following this we regroup for breakfast and board the bus for the Tara River and Black Lake, a glacial lake located on Mount Durmitor at an elevation of 1,416m.  Stopping to photograph the  Tara River Canyon while shooting from Djurdjevica Tara Bridge. At 1,300m deep the Tara River Canyon is among the deepest river canyons in the world. before stopping at a black lake for some stunning views and photographs that would be not out of place in the the rocky montains.

 

As the DPS team wind down for the evening before heading to the airport in Dubrovnik, we take one last stroll through the streets of Budva oldtown, which is like something from an old historical movie. The empty streets are both romantic and mysterious as they weave in and out of old squares, lit only by old lamps. Montenegro is truely a stunning country and destination. Our friends in TDactve Holidays have outdone themselves yet again in planning our logistics and comfort for this trip. See you in 2019 Montenegro!

 

Morocco Photography Holiday
Oct 18th– 21st 2018

dublin photography school  holidaysMorocco is the perfect destination to learn and develop your documentary, street and landscape photography skills. Join us on this exciting tour offering an array of photographic opportunities, from the bustling souks of Marrakech and busy fishing port of Essaouira, to quiet Berber villages in the Atlas Mountains and the rocky and barren Agafay Desert. In the heart of Marrakech’s walled old town, storytellers, acrobats, musicians and snake charmers vie for attention and make for wonderful photo opportunities. We will escort you on this three night photography holiday of a lifetime where you will visit the port to photograph fishermen and their boats and capture the sun setting over the Atlantic.


Ring of Hook Photography Trip Highlights

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On March 24th 2018, the DPS team boarded a coach with 13 other photographers of all levels to one of the most scenic locations in the sunny south east: Hook Head. Taking in some stunning locations in Irelands Ancient East…including Ducketts Grove in Carlow, Clashganny Lock just outside Borris and Tintern Abbey in Wexford, before arriving at the jewel in the crown that is, Hook Head Lighthouse. Hook Head is one of Ireland’s most iconic lighthouses aswell as being one of the oldest operating lighthouses in the world.

Ducketts Grove Photography tour

The day was blessed with amazing spring weather. We were spoiled with blue skies and fluffy white clouds that always make for a fantastic day out.

Each location is introduced with new techniques, settings and guidance from the DPS team.

Including:

  • Sample Compositions
  • Shutter Priorty
  • Aperture Priorty
  • Full Manual Mode
  • Circular Polarizers Explained & Demonstrated
  • ND Filters Explained & Demonstrated
  • ND  Grad Filters Explained & Demonstrated
  • White Blanace Explained
  • Much, Much More ….

ring of hook photography trip dublin photography school

The day ended with an incredible sunset on Hook Head, with a stunning display of colour and a fantastic opportunity to capture misty waters, and as we moved into the “blue hour” after sunset, the guys were treated to a tutorial on spinning steel wool to create some fantastic effects.

ireland photography tours with dublin photography school

If you are interested in checking out this trip, we will be updating the trip page with a 2019 Hook Head date soon here.

 

Check out more images from the day on our Instagram account here

 

 

Snapshot Podcast – ‘Camera Maintenance & Repair With Eoghan Murray From F/1.0 Camera Repair’ Online Now

 ‘Camera Maintenance & Repair With Eoghan Murray From F/1.0 Camera Repair’ Online Now

The Dublin Photography School are delighted to announce that our latest episode of our Podcast – Snapshot is available now. In this episode, Stewart Kenny and Sinead Murphy talk to Eoghan Murray From F/1.0 Camera Repair

 you can our latest here as well as all our previous episodes. 

We here at Dublin Photography School were delighted to have Eoghan in, who gave us some fantastic insights into camera repair and procedures from sensor cleaning and basic camera maintenance. Why not visit his website here for all your camera repair needs.


 

DPS Thursday Talk presented by Stewart Kenny – ‘An Introduction To Film Photography’

FREE THURSDAY TALK WITH DUBLIN PHOTOGRAPHY SCHOOL

Dublin Photography School are delighted to invite you to an evening presented by Stewart Kenny – ‘An Introduction To Film Photography’

film photography courses dublin Have you ever wanted to try your hand at film photography but didn’t know where to start? Does it all seem a little too bewildering ? Let us introduce you to film photography. Throughout the evening, Stewart will introduce you to the different types of film, process and cameras, as well as fun and the creative practices of Lofi- photography and Lomography.

Time: 7.30pm
Date: February 8th 2018
Venue: The Carmelite Centre, 56 Aungier Street, Dublin 2.

 

Stewart has exhibited both nationally and internationally. He has a huge passion for photography and loves nothing more than to teach others how to achieve the perfect image. He is the head of training at Dublin Photography School and gives talks and seminars about various genres of photography around Ireland. You can visit his website at www.stewartkennyphotography.com

R.S.V.P by emailing info@dublinphotographyschool.ie to secure your  place
Please book early as places are limited & it will fill up fast

Picking The Right Photography Course For You

beginners photography course guide ireland

You have a brand new camera, your memory card is empty, your battery is full, and you are burning with enthusiasm and ready to get to grips with all that photography has to offer. You might start by checking out a few YouTube videos, reading a few books and after a couple of blurry shots too many,  you decide to bite the bullet and take up a photography course. So where to start?

Our photography courses, workshops and masterclasses are broken down into the following categories:

beginners photography courses dublin

4-5-7 Week  Photography Courses

These are short photography courses that take place on a week night at DPS HQ in Dublin City Centre. These evening courses are designed to get you up to speed, not just with your camera but with the principals of photography. They cover everything from complete basics, to more advanced concepts. They are ideal for beginners and form the back bone of any future learning in photography. They do this by helping you get the basics in place, by dispelling myths, by busting jargon, and getting you comfortable with your camera. Our aim is to combine classroom based camera and photography techniques, with at least two classes out on location where you will apply what you have learned in theory. As we say here at Dublin Photography School, “you can’t learn to drive just by reading the rules of the road”.

Level: Complete beginners, experienced novices, self taught photographers looking to formalise their photography knowledge and photographers returning after a long break.

Course Frequency : Depending on the time of the year we can have up to 4 start dates a month depending on demand.

Equipment Needed: DSLR Camera, Mirrorless Camera, Tripod, Remote Control.

See Evening Photography Course List Here

1 Day Photography Courses

Our one day photography courses are aimed at anyone looking to make a quick start or for someone who cannot commit to an evening or part time course due to their own commitments. These courses tend to be similar to the 5-7 week courses but with out the on location shoots, however in line with our ethos, we still provide a practical element later in the day.

Level: Complete beginners, experienced novices, self taught photographers looking to formalise their photography knowledge and photographers returning after a long break.

Course Frequency : Depending on the course anywhere from 3 times per month to twice per year.

Equipment Needed: DSLR Camera, Mirrorless Camera

See 1 Day Photography Course List Here

1 Day Photography Workshops

Photography workshops slightly differ from photography courses, in that they tend to be a little shorter in duration. The can run anywhere from 4.5-6.5 hours depending on the workshop. The subject matter tends to be a little more specific to particular types of photography e.g. flash or studio photography, black and white photography, street photography, smartphone photography, travel photography, macro photography and wedding photography.

Level:  Experienced novices, self taught photographers looking to formalise their photography knowledge, photographers returning after a long break and students after completing a 1 day or 7 week course.

Workshop Frequency : This is workshop dependent.

Equipment Needed: This is workshop dependent.

See Photography Workshops List Here

Photography Masterclasses

A photography masterclass is an intensive short class 3-4 hours long that solely focuses on a single topic of photography, from Composition and Lighting to Semiotics and Visual Metaphor.  These classes tend to more lecture based with more of a focus on refining work, showing samples of how, when and where to use techniques, as well as identifying and refining work already produced.

Level: Experienced novices, xxperienced photographers, camera club members, students after completing a 1 day or 7 week course with DPS. All levels above beginner.

Class Frequency : There are 4 masterclasses scheduled for 2020.

Equipment Needed: DSLR Camera, Mirrorless Camera,

See Photography Masterclass List Here

Photography Location Shoots

Photography shoots are a great opportunity to get out and about with the camera and meet other photographers. They are about a social and peer group as much about learning new practical photography techniques. Each of our Photography Shoots has a different theme or techniques depending on the location or time of year and can take the form of a photo walk or Meet up that will visit several locations or be just confined to two or three spots depending on the location and techniques.

Level: All Levels

Location Shoot Frequency : Depending on the time of year we can have location shoots or location workshops happening up to twice a month (depending on demand).

Equipment Needed: DSLR Camera, Mirrorless Camera, various.

See Location Shoot List Here

Photography Excursions

Photography Excursions tend to be day trips or overnight stays in various locations around Ireland, and are all practical based outings. Some examples of the excursions and photography day trips we have run in the past are Copper Coast (Waterford), Hook Head (Wexford), Kilfane Glen and Waterfall,(Kilkenny) and  White Coast, Co Antrim to name a few.

Level: All Levels

Excursion Frequency : Photography day trips and excursions tend to run 1-2 times per year.

Equipment Needed: DSLR Camera, Mirrorless Camera, Tripod, Remote Control.

See Excursion List Here

iceland photography tour

Photography Holiday

In 2013 we teamed up with Travel Department & TDactive to bring you a series of photography holidays to some of the most stunning photographic locations in the world. These 3-5 Day trips are designed for all levels and are an outdoor classroom that bring you to handpicked locations by the DPS team and show you how to get picture perfect images that you would see in any travel book or brochure. Its a great experience with photographers of all levels catered for, thanks to the fact that there are 2 DPS trainers on every holiday allowing us to focus on all levels from COMPLETE beginners to ADVANCED veterans. The DPS crew pride themselves on creating a warm, fun and inclusive atmosphere where photographers of all levels can flourish and take advantage of the outdoor classroom. With Destinations including Romania, Italy, Croatia, Iceland, Morocco and India, There is something for everyone.

Level: All Levels

Course Frequency : We run up to 5 photography holidays a year depending on demand and locations available.

Equipment Needed: DSLR Camera, Mirrorless Camera, Tripod, Remote Control.

See Photography Holiday List Here

Photography Talks

DPS run a series of FREE photography lectures during the year called “Thursday Talks” With a mix of in house and guest speakers on a wide variety of subjects in and around photography. These talks have proven to be very popular over the years and tend to be a full house everytime.

Level: All Levels

Photography Talk Frequency : Up To 4 Times Per Year

Equipment Needed: None

Keep an eye on our photography Blog here or DPS  Facebook Group Page Here for upcoming Talks in 2018.

Online Photography Courses

At Present Dublin Photography School do not run any online photography courses. We feel that photography is a hands on practical subject that requires a “look and feel” approach to learning. The art of photography has always been more than just dry technical specs, no matter how import technics are in photography, they are just one important thread in a very rich tapestry of learning  photography. With that said DPS has plans for an “Online Campus” that will supplement the classroom based learning process and not replace it.

Keep an eye on our photography Blog here for upcoming future developments.

Mirrorless Camera Courses Dublin – With Dublin Photography School

Mirrorless camera photography courses ireland With recent upsurge in popularity of Mirrorless cameras with brands like Olympus, Fuji, Sony, Canon & Nikon all producing various Mirror-less Cameras models that are taking the photography world by storm. Dublin Photography School are delighted to announce that we have been on trend the last 18 months and that our staff and trainers have been fully trained and up to date on the latest mirror less cameras. while Mirrorless cameras work in principal nearly identically to DSLR cameras and are interchangeable, there are several areas such as camera lag, focus times, print size, aspect ratio, battery life, EVF etc, that require a slight modification of technique to get the most out of your camera. The entire crew here in DPS have been working and traveling with Mirror less cameras from all brands and companies for the last year making sure we are on point with the latest technologies and everything that this exciting innovation have to offer.

Our 7 Week Beginners Photography Course, 5 Week Follow On Photography Course and 1 Day Beginners Photography Course have all been modified to cater for Mirrorless users and cover all camera brands. While still being geared toward photography principals that will allow our students to use any given camera from, camera phones and compacts to DSLR and Mirrorless technology.

If your interested in learning more about Mirrorless cameras, why not check out Dublin Photography School Snapshot; Which has it the first half of the Podcast dedicated to mirrorless cameras.

 

Dublin Photography School Holiday Review By Nadia El Ferdaoussi – the daily s’elf

photography holidays translyvania from ireland

Click To Read Article

Travel blogger Nadia El Ferdaoussi  – the daily s’elf traveled in October with DPS tutors Stewart Kenny & Steven Maybury to Romania and Transylvania on one of our fab travel photography holidays with TDactive Holidays. We are delighted to show you a brief snippet of her write up in the January edition of STELLAR magazine. Looking forward to getting our hands on a few copies. Cheers Nadia, it’s a great read.

If you are interested in taking your  own photography adventure of a lifetime, then why not look at one of the destinations we have planned for 2018 which include stunning destinations like India, Morocco, Croatia, and Transylvania and more to be announced as the year goes on. you can see our full range of exciting photography holidays here or you can pop over to our friends in TDactive Or Travel Department and see what they can offer you.

 

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