Class Information

6th thru 12th Grade

This class is for past Camera Club members as well as new students. All levels of experience are welcome. Our class will do something new this year in that I will reach out to Palaestra’s entrepreneurs who are running businesses and offer to have our students photograph the products that are being sold. All interested business owners may contact me directly to set up a photo shoot on a Friday during our class. The images may be used by the business owner if they desire to do so. Throughout the semester, we will refresh ourselves on the basics of shooting, look at issues with the various cameras that students are using, and explore a little bit of photo history along with some famous photographers. We will bring back the “Phone Photo Contest” as well as Critique Days. I have found that the students greatly benefit from having their images reviewed by their peers and it reveals which photos have the strongest appeal to other people.

What kind of camera should you have?

I really like the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS Digital Camera for students. It costs $429.00 as of May 2017. Canon has a PowerShot series camera in the $250 range as well: Canon PowerShot SX530 HS Digital Camera. On both cameras, the lenses are permanently mounted. There are many models within the Canon line from very simple point and shoot to extremely high end DSLRs.

There is a camera shop in Livonia on Plymouth Road called PRO CAM Photo & Video Gear. The address is 34224 Plymouth Road and the website is www.procam.com. This would be a great place to see all kinds of cameras and get a feel for what is best for you.

The more you can do in Manual Mode the better. Look to see if your camera can turn off the automatic flash and if it has and ‘M’ setting for going manual. Also, a camera that can get very close to objects using Macro mode is extremely valuable for this class. A tripod would be a great thing to have on hand as well.

Course Requirements

Own a camera with a memory card

Have access to email so you can submit your images every week

Passion for photography!

Please contact Mrs. Schmidt at mrs.schmidt@hotmail.com with any questions.