Digital Camera help with Rob Purbrick
Professional photographer Rob Purbrick has always enjoyed teaching photographic techniques to keen amateurs but his latest U Photo training has proved the most popular course to date,
“ Most people have a camera that they have spent a reasonable amount of money on” says Rob, “but usually they just use it on automatic and never change the exposure or aperture. I give some simple tips for taking better photos and show people functions that can help them get seriously creative. People often come back to do the next level and recommend friends to the course. I am planning more going forward.”
Commercial Interior specialist Nick Ford wanted to improve his photography, partly so he could take decent images of his design projects
“ I had a new digital camera and wasn’t sure how to use it. The instructions were simplistic so I went online but it’s much better if somebody shows you. Rob explained functions, composition, exposure, depth of field and the difference between a snap and a portrait and taught us the rule of thirds. He recommended the best time to take pictures and made us think about taking from different angles – from the floor, on our knees, and looking from above. We started off in the studio with some theory, went to the Common then into Chorleywood and back to the studio to look at our shots.”
“ It was good getting feedback” adds Helen Alsop, “Rob showed us our photos on a big screen and how they could be improved by cropping and using Photoshop. At the end of the day he gave us a card summarizing the main points. I was inspired to buy a new camera and it has given me something to look forward to when I walk around the Aquadrome. I always wanted to do a photography course but they tend to be in colleges and I prefer smaller groups so this suited me very well.”
Sadie Cook’s 11 year old daughter Isla had a fantastic time on the course with friend Sam, Rob’s son,
“ We bought Isla a Canon 350D camera for from ebay. We discovered photographers are such gadget freaks and update their equipment regularly and there are good second hand cameras available. The course was great. I was impressed by the way Isla and Sam learned so quickly about light, camera, angles, everything! Rob is very relaxed and a brilliant teacher.”
U Photo courses £100 a day 9.30am – 4.30pm including lunch
www.purpix.co.uk Three levels – Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced. Participants are asked to fill in a pre-workshop questionnaire and are teamed with others who have similar aims and skills.