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Looking purely from a photogenic aspect however, summer is actually one of the most challenging times of the year to take great images, and there are a few reasons for this.

Firstly, the ‘golden hour’ around sunrise and sunset, when the light is at its best for most forms of photography, happens at inconvenient times.  Unless you are willing to get out of bed at 3am, and be out until midnight, then you are not going to be able to get the most out of the day.

Secondly, places of photographic interest are often also places of general interest, such as national parks, coastal areas, historic towns, etc, and during the summer they are packed with tourists – all seemingly determined to walk into your frame just as you press the shutter.

Thirdly, the air quality is often hazy during the summer months, and this reduces the contrast of anything in the far distance of a landscape.

There’s not much we can do about the seasonal air quality, but we can make an extra effort to get out with our cameras at times when the light is at its best, and coincidentally, this also reduces the number of tourists on location.  Although summer is far being the ideal season for photography, we can make the most of what it has to offer by putting in the required effort.

So what does summer have to offer?

Landscape

This is at its most vibrant towards the beginning of the season, with many scenes so green that you will find yourself turning the saturation down in post production rather than up.

Wildlife

Is abundant at this time of year, with many migratory birds and marine life making their brief annual appearance in the UK. If you don’t live close to the coast, then try  out your macro skills by capturing bees or butterflies on flowers in your garden.

Thunderstorms

Make for great photographic subjects, and if you have never tried to photograph them before, it is easier than you might think.

Here in the UK, such storms tend to move in a north-easterly direction, and often occur late in the afternoon.  If you find yourself right beneath one, find cover and wait around, as once it has moved on, you will be in the perfect position to get the sun shining under the dense black cloud to provide the perfect lighting conditions imaginable.

In such situations, you can take a photo of almost any subject and it will look good, but obviously the better the subject the more potential your image will have.  If you find a thunderstorm at night, then making a long exposure to capture lighting flashes is a good technique to ensure you get something worthy of your effort.

Beaches

Although these can be photographed at any time of year, we often find ourselves on them in the summer months.

As a general rule, easterly facing beaches will work best at sunrise, and westerly facing ones will work best at sunset.  To avoid footprints in the sand, try to coincide your visit when the tide is receding, as this will ensure you are faced with a spotless beach.  Just be careful not to walk in areas you might want to photograph.

If you are on a beach at twilight, try composing a scene using waves in the foreground. Avoid looking straight out to sea, but try to shoot at 45 degrees to the waterline.  With an aperture of around f11 – f16 you should be able to get an exposure time of around a second or more.

If you start your exposure as a wave recedes back down the beach, this can make for some really interesting effects, with the moving water streaking over the sand or pebbles.

Coast

If you can’t find a beach, then anywhere where the sea meets the land usually has potential not too far away. Waves crashing on rocks always offers something interesting when caught with a long exposure.

Woodland

Although autumn could be argued to be woodland’s golden moment of the year, visiting in summer often provides vibrant scenes.  With dense leaf cover overhead, and an abundance of green below, it is easy to get some great results in most weather conditions.

Try to avoid sunny days when the sun is more than 20 degrees above the horizon (or your own shadow is less than twice your height) otherwise the contrast between directly lit areas and deeply shaded areas will prove too much for your camera.

Bright overcast days suit woodland very well, but the best woodland condition of all is morning mist.  A rising sun shining through the canopy will create amazing beams of light reaching down to the ground.  If you use a wide angle lens, these will fan out like a giant flower and look amazing.

On joining one of our online photography courses all students will be posted full-colour photography manuals and free photographic kit and can then complete the course modules at their own pace, submitting their work online and receiving feedback from expert photographers via email.

Course membership provides access to exclusive online photo techniques content, discussion forms and online gallery for them to share images and chat with other members of the same course.

Students also benefit from receiving free photographic kit and great discounts – including discount on Photoshop CS6.

Our online photography courses are informative and fun, guiding you through everything you need to know to take and process images of the highest quality.

There are no classes to attend and you can enrol at any time. Full length courses cost £299, though we also run a number of bite-sized courses for £79 those who prefer something shorter.

 Join one of our inspirational online photography courses and let our faculty of professional photographers and tutors transform you into an accomplished photographer!

Choose from the following courses. Sign up before the end of October 2012 and get a free camera bag!

Foundation in Photography – The art of photography for beginners & intermediates

• Master your camera
• Learn to compose images to a high technical and artistic level
• Hone your skills in specialist subject areas such as landscapes, action, wildlife and portraiture

Foundation in Digital Photography – Learn how to use your digital camera

• Learn how to use your camera
• Gain a basic understanding in how image editing works
• Improve your technical and creative skills to take better pictures

Diploma in Digital Photography – Advanced digital photo techniques

• Build on your existing photography skills to capture and process a digital image to a high standard
• Learn new skills such as using white balance, sharpening and image adjustments including levels and curves

Foundation in Digital Imaging Techniques – Photoshop & Elements for beginners

• Learn to use Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements and other image editing programs
• Find out how to correct tone, improve colour, remove blemishes, convert to monochrome How to present your images at their very best whether printed or online

See our full range of courses

Enrol now!

See full list of benefits of joining an SPI course

Find out more about the SPI tutors

Read testimonals from past students

Each module is a short standalone course that guides you through a series of carefully designed exercises and then gives you detailed illustrated feedback on the results from an experienced professional photographer and SPI (School of Photographic Imaging) tutor.

How our short photography courses work

Download a module, read it thoroughly and crack on with the exercises.

Once you’re done, upload your completed module to the School of Photographic Imaging website and within days receive detailed feedback using your own images to show where you might make improvements, inspirational examples to learn from and step by step tutorials that are unique to your needs.

Overview of all our short photography courses:

Landscape, Cityscape and Seascape

In the Landscape, Cityscape and Seascape course, you will learn how to:

• Distil the elements that are crucial to the image
• Organise those elements with an underlying design that feels right
• Translate 3D into 2D successfully – learn to see as the camera does
• Develop a personal style
• Plus five technique essentials – five essential skills for every landscape photographer

Suitable for film and digital camera users of all levels.

Find our more about this course

Practical Composition – framing, composition, viewpoint and perspective

The Practical Composition course in three stages sets out to explore the frame itself, composing a subject within its two dimensions, and finally looks at composition in three dimensions by controlling viewpoint and perspective. Structured exercises take you through:

• Aspect ratios
• Framing options
• View point
• Focal length, distance and their effect on perspective

Suitable for film and digital camera users of beginner/intermediate level.

Find out more about this course

Creative Camera Control – stepping out side of Auto and exploring the Modes

If you’ve promised yourself that one day you’ll get to grips with your camera’s creative controls but have never got round to it then this is the course that will have those controls in days rather than years!

The Creative Camera Control course sets you a series of guided tasks that explore the various shooting modes and focus options. The exercises are carefully designed so that you can clearly see the effects of the choices you make in the pictures you take.

• Emphasise subjects by using the aperture and focus to control depth of field
• Explore the portrayal of movement using the shutter priority mode
• Understand the choices subject specific modes are making on your behalf
• Avoid common pitfalls of being in the wrong mode for the situation
• Take the fear out of taking back control of your camera!

Find out more about this course

Ten Steps To Perfect Pictures

Every photographer eventually realises it’s the small details that give you the edge, but gaining that edge can be a long winded process. What’s needed is a program designed by a pro with thirty years of experience to draw on that systematically tackles each area where gains can be made.

In this ten step plan to perfect your images you’ll tackle such areas as achieving ultimate detail by knowing the optimum aperture and shutter speed for any situation. You’ll explore what factors make for the perfect exposure – how to measure light, how to filter it and how to ensure the perfect histogram.

See full details about this course

Worry Free Workflow – A Complete Guide From Lens To Print

Intimidated by digital imaging workflow options?

Our Worry Free Workflow course lays out all the steps from camera menu to printer profiles, sets you practical tasks that motivate you to master each stage and then talks you through your results.

A course can be just the motivation required for you to get to grips with each step – especially when once you’ve completed them.

A skilled photographer will talk you through what you’ve done to make sure you are confident you are doing things the right way and in the right order.

See full details about this course

Macro And Close-Up Photography

Want to tackle close up and ‘macro photography course’ but don’t know where to start?
Our close up and macro course guides you through the equipment you need, sets structured exercises that teach you how to use it and then our feedback gives you detailed tips on how to build on the results.

The SPI Close-up and macro module helps you meet those challenges by guiding you through equipment choices, setting you step by step tasks to build your skills and confidence and finally giving detailed personalised feedback on the results.

See full details about this course

Enrol on a course

The School of Photographic imaging is brought to you by the makers of Amateur Photographer and What Digital Camera magazine and is one of the largest and most vibrant photographic communities in the world

Our photography courses are informative and fun, guiding you through everything you need to know to take and process images of the highest quality. See full list of courses.

Courses cost £299 for a full length course or £79 for a bitesized photography course and include full-colour photography manuals, free photographic kit and great discounts – including discount on Photoshop CS6 . See full list of benefits.

As these are home study courses, (or distance learning courses or correspondence courses as they are also sometimes called) students are free to work at their own pace and in their free time and can submit their work via the web or post. There are no classes to attend and you can enrol at any time. Each module is run by professional photographers who are experts in their field and can give you detailed and valuable feedback on your work. Find our more about the tutors.

Join one of our inspirational home study courses and let our faculty of professional photographers and tutors transform you into an accomplished photographer!

Choose from the following home study photography courses:

Foundation in Photography – The art of photography for beginners & intermediates

• Master your camera
• Learn to compose images to a high technical and artistic level
• Hone your skills in specialist subject areas such as landscapes, action, wildlife and portraiture

Foundation in Digital Photography – Learn how to use your digital camera

• Learn how to use your camera
• Gain a basic understanding in how image editing works
• Improve your technical and creative skills to take better pictures

Diploma in Digital Photography – Advanced digital photo techniques

• Build on your existing photography skills to capture and process a digital image to a high standard
• Learn new skills such as using white balance, sharpening and image adjustments including levels and curves

Foundation in Digital Imaging Techniques – Photoshop & Elements for beginners

• Learn to use Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements and other image editing programs
• Find out how to correct tone, improve colour, remove blemishes, convert to monochrome
• Learn how to present your images at their very best whether printed or online

Bitesized courses

• Creative Camera Control – stepping out side of Auto and exploring the Modes
• Practical Composition – framing, composition, viewpoint and perspective
• Worry Free Workflow – from lens to print – A complete programme
• Ten Steps to Perfect Pictures – ten factors that give your images the edge:
• Macro and Close-up Photography
• Landscape, Cityscape and Seascape

Book now!

See full list of benefits of joining an SPI course

Find out more about the SPI tutors

Read testimonals from past students

Enrol now!

SPI Tutors are on hand to help 24/7

Book now and receive a free camera bag!

• Shooting landscapes with impact
• Expert metering techniques
• Shooting striking portraits
• Depth of field control
• Winning composition
• Mastering still-life
• Using colour
• Sports & action shots
• Choosing the right lens
• Wildlife and nature photography

Course summary

The Foundation in Photography is designed for people with beginner and intermediate photography skills.

It will provide you with the key tools you need to take images of a high technical standard and artistic quality.

Whether you are starting a new hobby or feeling the need for a refresher course, this course will help you take your photography to the next level.

The Foundation in Photography takes you from the basics of composition right through to working on a fully fledged photo project.

Book now to receive a free camera bag!

How the course works

As this is a home study course students are free to work at their own pace an in their free time.  There are no classes to attend, the course continues all year round and you can enrol at any time.

On joining you receive the course manual and the module book which outlines the work you need to submit to your tutor as you progress through the course. You can work to suit your own schedule but 8 modules (out of a possible 11 plus a personal project) should be completed within three years.

On completion of the 8 modules, students submit a Personal Project which draws together the skills and knowledge acquired throughout the course and should be made up of a collection of images related either by theme, subject or techniques.

Modules (choose 8 out of the following modules):

• Picture shapes
• Getting the right exposure
• Perspectives
• Focus and sharpness
• Shutter speeds and movement
• Action
• Buildings and structures
• Macro and close up
• Landscape, cityscape and seascape
• People and storytelling
• Wildlife and nature
• Personal project (compulsory module)

Students are assigned a personal tutor who is responsible for providing written feedback and guidance, and who will be able to answer any questions.

Tutors are fully qualified photographers and either teach photography professionally or have extensive occupational experience within the field.

On successful completion of the course you will receive a certificate graded and signed by your tutor and the SPI senior tutor.

Meet the tutors and read some of our student testimonials to get a first-hand account of what the courses are like.

Book now!

Course outline

The 11-chapter, fully illustrated, colour manual covers everything you need to know about photographic equipment and accessories.

Chapters include the following:

Equipment
In-depth description of camera types, film formats and lenses for certain jobs and a full explanation of everything you need to know about photographic equipment and accessories.

Mastering exposure, metering & depth of field
Learning how to control elements of the picture using metering, apertures and shutter speeds.tackling focus issues such as depth of field, hyper- focal distances and subject emphasis.

Composition
The effects created by subject placement in the frame. Basic rules of composition, how to use them and when it is appropriate to break them.

Colour & shapes
Using colour and shapes for impact, effect and atmosphere. Seeing graphically and using line and form to lead the eye around the picture.

People
Getting the best from your portrait subjects – either in the studio or on location. Bringing personality into your photos. Choosing appropriate angles, lighting and lenses. How to take candids, groups and children.

Landscapes
From rolling hills to cityscapes, industrial sites to seascapes, you will be shown how to create depth and interest in your landscape photography. Creating atmosphere with lighting, camera angles and the best lens for the job.

Still life
Photographing still objects both in studio and on location. Mastering the use of daylight. Controlling flash and using reflectors.

Buildings & Architecture
Shooting exteriors and interiors. Choosing the right time of day and weather most appropriate for your subject. Framing for details and placing your subject in the context of its surroundings, as well as converging verticals and tricks to avoid them.

Nature
techniques on photographing nature and wildlife. Capturing wildlife shots unobserved. How to photograph flowers close-up (macro photography).

Sport & Action
Coping with high speed shots, being prepared and anticipating the moment. Absorbing the atmosphere of the event into your photography.

Darkroom Techniques
The basics of printing and processing in black & white. Processing your first film, test-printing and toning. How to lay out a darkroom and the equipment that is used.

Formulae & Glossary
A handy reference guide for optical and chemical formulae, basic development times, working out guide numbers, reciprocity compensation plus a glossary of terms used in photography.

Book now!

Equipment and software

You can use a digital camera, a film camera or a mixture of the two to complete the course.

You will need a camera that gives you full manual control of all functions (focal length, focus, aperture, shutter speed and ISO.

In the case of digital capture, white balance) and has focal lengths from medium wide angle to medium telephoto.

A camera capable of producing at least 5 million pixels is essential. You will also need a good tripod.

There are no specific modules on darkrooms however the course manual does cater for those who have access to a darkroom.

50% off Amateur Photographer and What Digital Camera

A massive 50% discount on the full price of an annual subscription to Amateur Photographer or What Digital Camera magazine.

Overseas students receive a 40% discount

About Amateur Photographer | About What Digital Camera

Book now!

Past SPI students comments:

“The course is encouraging me to experiment and become more adventurous in my picture taking”
Peter Clapham, Somerset

“I’m very glad that I did the course, it has helped me gain a lot of self confidence and the ability to take better photographs.”
Sarah Hulse, Nottingham

“Every module brings a new challenge, helped by constructive criticism where appropriate from your own personal tutor.”
Adrian Wicks, Birmingham

Need more information?

For more information or to enrol by phone please contact the course administrator on 020 3148 4326 or email spiadmin@ipcmedia.com

To enrol online visit our enrolment page

Enrol now!

Book before the end of August 2013 to receive a free camera bag!

• Size and crop a digital image
• Adjust tones, correct colours and convert your images to monochrome
• Use the selection tool to adjust certain areas of your images
• Remove dust & scratches from previous photos
• Banish red-eye forever

Course summary

This is an entry-level course for first time users of digital imaging software. You will learn how to take control of your pictures after you’ve shot them using the adjustments and tools available in your image editing software. On completion, you will have learnt how to correct and enhance your digital images and feel capable and confident when using editing software.

The Foundation in Digital Imaging techniques is for first time users of Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements and other image editing programs.

Book now to receive a free camera bag!

How the course works

As this is a home study course students are free to work at their own pace an in their free time.

There are no classes to attend, the course continues all year round and you can enrol at any time.

On joining you receive the course manual and the module book which outlines the work you need to submit to your course tutor as you progress through the course.

You can work to suit your own schedule but 6 modules should be completed within two years.

Modules

• Sizing and cropping
• Level, colour balance and the channel mixer
• Working selectively
• Removing blemishes and red eye from photographs
• Sharpening your image
• Creating an archive

Students are assigned a personal tutor who is responsible for providing written feedback and guidance, and who will be able to answer any questions.

Tutors are fully qualified photographers and either teach photography professionally or have extensive occupational experience within the field.

On successful completion of the course you will receive a certificate graded and signed by your tutor and the SPI senior tutor.

Meet the tutors and read some of our student testimonials to get a first-hand account of what the courses are like.

Book now!

Course outline

The course consists of 6 practical modules designed to cover the core skills you’ll need for
editing images.the fully illustrated course workbook covers everything students need to know to complete the course successfully, including four illustrated step-by-step case studies on image manipulation. We have identified what you really need to know and made it fun to learn!

Understanding digital images
At last understand what a pixel is and learn how to size your images for print and email, for instance – not just for geeks!

Levelling, balance and mixing
Learn the tricks to making tones and colours in your image look just how you saw them – or how your imagined them!

Using selections
Master the power of working selectively to control exactly where changes take place – and where they don’t.

Retouching
At last banish dust, dirt, scratches and other imperfections from your most precious photos – and learn the secret of red eye removal.

Sharpening
Learn to give your images an edge using the sharpening tools to make them look as crisp as you require.

Glossary
An at-a-glance explanation of technical terms in a clear and easy to understand A to Z format

Plus step-by-step case studies
4 fully-illustrated click-by-click imaging case studies that demonstrate the key skills you will learn throughout the course

Book now!

Equipment and software

To complete the course you need a good quality digital camera, preferably a DSLR or bridge camera, a computer (Mac or PC) and some form of digital imaging software.

You might wish to explore using the open source program Gimp, which is freely available for download. There is a version for all operating systems and it has the majority of the tools used on the course.

Benefits and exclusive offers

50% off Amateur Photographer and What Digital Camera

A massive 50% discount on the full price of an annual subscription to Amateur Photographer or What Digital Camera magazine.

Overseas students receive a 40% discount

About Amateur Photographer | About What Digital Camera

Book now to recieve a free camera bag!

Book before the end of August 2013 and you will also get a free camera bag sent to you with your student pack

Book now for your free camera bag

Past SPI students comments:

“The course is encouraging me to experiment and become more adventurous in my picture taking”
Peter Clapham, Somerset

“I’m very glad that I did the course, it has helped me gain a lot of self confidence and the ability to take better photographs.”
Sarah Hulse, Nottingham

“Every module brings a new challenge, helped by constructive criticism where appropriate from your own personal tutor.”
Adrian Wicks, Birmingham

Need more information?

For more information or to enrol by phone please contact the course administrator on 020 3148 4326 or email spiadmin@ipcmedia.com

To enrol online visit our enrolment page

Enrol now!