Masterclasses

As you may be aware we have a second photography training brand, Photography Skills - Beyond the Basics, originally the research and development for this was done with the intention of adding them as a new section of Camera Images, but we have several fundamental differences between these Masterclasses and the Camera Images training, so decided it would be better to split them out onto their own website as a second brand. Later we added a third training brand Photo Skills, this provides the basic skills preparing non Nikon users so that they can still make use of both Camera Images business courses and the Masterclasses. Photo Skills also has some budget group courses, and although we know that group training is very poor value compared to 1 to 1, there are some who choose to spend less, and have lower expectations.

The Masterclasses are intended for people who have already mastered the basics, know how to use their cameras and other equipment, a person who has done our Hands on a Nikon course (HNK), would find they had no problem. Some who have thoroughly read their manuals and had a lot of practice will also be able to, as will some who have been on group courses and then read up and gained a lot of practice.

By 'mastering the basics' we mean that they can set all the generally used parameters on the camera, understand the concepts of aperture including what the f numbers mean, understand the basic concepts of depth of field, and exposure. It would be nice if they also understood white balance and many of the other items we cover on the HNK course, but when we put this together we originally had in mind the person who had progressed from the HNK course that they had done the previous year, so needed a refresher on some points. Someone who is using the camera in point and shoot mode, and has no understanding of how and why things work, would struggle, although we of course would do our best to make sure the day proved a worthwhile experience.

As we are assuming that people know how to use their cameras on the Masterclasses and are now moving to a deeper level of knowledge, we can include people who have other makes of cameras, as we can show them something and they are able to apply it to their own equipment. Of course as we are Nikon based it will still be ideal for all Nikon users.

The Masterclasses often involve utilising extra items we have produced, that are just not available elsewhere, examples of these are a thick booklet with a lot of details about lenses in, but mostly detailed depth of field tables for many focal lengths, apertures and focusing distances, or a special laminated 3 fold chart that makes working with exposures, particularly tricky ones far easier, and allows exposures to be set manually without a meter if necessary. We have a range of other specially developed items available or being developed that will allow people to get the most from these Masterclasses and of course we will give them a copy to take away with them, empowering them to master that particular facet of the photographic art. The Masterclasses, are based on a mixture of general photographic knowledge and a range of skills that we have developed as a part of our own R&D programme.

Camera Images training is very flexible, you can mix and match if you like, except for the HNK (hands on a Nikon course) and CNX (Capture NX training), which both need a full day, other courses we can squeeze and select from to give you the 'pic and mix' course to suit your own requirements, available time and interests. For example a person may decide that they would like to do some macro and some creative flash lighting in a day, and if there is likely to be a problem we can tell them when they book. Within the Camera Images courses we can go off in different directions when you have questions and still cover the ground. With the Masterclasses we have to be far more structured, are far more rigid in the order that we look at things, in order to be able have already covered some topics by the time they are being used further. They also have minimum times, that we don't feel we can do justice to the subject fully in less than, but with the Masterclasses you can select any length day you want from the minimum up and add on extra time to gain practical time.

For most Nikon users, the logical route is the do the Camera Images HNK (Hands on a Nikon) and CNX (Capture NX) courses, possibly the creative lighting one and then to look at what would improve their photography the most, for many at some point the sharpness Masterclass will be high on their list, with exposure and Black and White photography, probably following at equal levels of interest.

For some professionals or would be professionals, the Masterclasses may be an early solution to allow them to achieve more technically or to undertake more themselves and reduce costs.

Camera Images, Photography Skills and Photo Skills all have the same price structure for 1 to 1, based on training vouchers, and both training and gift vouchers can be used with any of them, allowing you to select across the ranges, plan to have further training, with courses and at dates yet to be decided, yet still to get the savings of blocks of training vouchers. ... see more on training voucher discounts.

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