Online Photography Course
The Nikon D40/D40x and D50 Cameras

What You Get

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	Benefits: You get direct feedback on your photos from world-acclaimed, professional photographers. You can learn photography in this way from anywhere in the world.
Learn at your pace, with structure. Be guided by a real pro instructor. Get your photos critiqued every week. Join students from around the world. Go far beyond any book or DVD. Make great pictures, again and again!

Instructor

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Simon Stafford
Photographer-author Simon Stafford has accrued a wealth of experience during nearly thirty years involvement with photography. Throughout his photographic career, he has worked, almost exclusively, with the Nikon camera system.

Following a string of successes in photographic competitions, he became - and has remained for the past twenty years - a regular contributor to many popular U.K. photography magazines, including Professional Photographer, Photography Monthly, Practical Photography, and Digital SLR Photography. More recently, the tables have been turned as he has been invited to judge a number of photography competitions on behalf of both Fujifilm and Kodak.

Simon’s involvement with photography stretches back to his days at university in Scotland, where his interest in photographing the landscape first evolved. Since then, his work has been published widely in books, magazines, travel brochures, and calendars, photographing many subjects including, sport, portraits, travel, nature, and even on occasions the weddings of friends!

Passionate about photography, Simon is always keen to share his knowledge and experience, presenting photographic workshops and seminars on a wide variety of topics, regularly, to many audiences in the U.K. He also contributes his time and photography to document the work of several U.K. based charities that promote health care in third world countries.

Technical Editor to Nikon Owner magazine, he is the author of the Nikon Compendium, and has written a number of books as part of the Magic Lantern guidebook series, including the Guide to the Nikon AF Speedlight System, Guide to the Nikon D200, Guide to the Nikon D80, Guide to the Nikon D70/D70s, Guide to the Nikon D50, Guide to the Nikon D60, Guide to the Nikon D40, and Guide to the Nikon D40x. During 2008 he completed books in the same series on the Nikon D90, D300, D700 and D3 models.

A Couple of Photos by the Instructor

© Simon Stafford

© Simon Stafford

Course Outline

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Lesson 1: File formats, Metering, & Exposure
Topics include: A discussion on the principal attributes of Nikon’s NEF Raw file format, the JPEG standard, plus when and how to use them. Learn how each metering mode (multi-sensor, centre-weighted, and spot metering) works, and when to apply them to ensure you achieve the best possible exposure. Understand how adjusting the sensitivity (ISO equivalent) setting on your camera influences the metering system, and affects final image quality. Learn how to take control of your camera, and have the confidence to ditch the "point and shoot" program modes!
Learn how to override automatic exposure control, and appreciate how manual exposure can help you express your creative vision. Understand how to interpret the histogram display.
Assignment: Demonstrate control of exposure by shooting a picture of a subject with very light tones, and another with very dark tones.

Lesson 2: Custom Settings & Control of Color
Topics include: The custom setting menu allows you to configure your camera so it operates just as you want it to. Explore what these settings do and how to use them to best effect. Understanding the concept of color temperature, how it applies to the white balance control, and its use for technical and creative purposes. An explanation of color mode, and how appropriate selection depends on the intended use of your pictures.
Assignment: Shoot a scene lit by daylight, and another lit by artificial light using automatic white balance, and a pre-set white balance value.

Lesson 3: Creative Commands
Topics include: Learn how to select shutter speed and lens aperture values for creative purposes (including a description of the panning technique). A discussion on the effective supports you can use for your camera, including hand holding techniques, tripods, and others to help improve image quality. Understand when and how to use auto-focus (AF), including the various AF options, and identify those situations where manual focus may be preferable, or even necessary.
Assignment: Shoot a moving subject and a static subject to show creative use of shutter speed and lens aperture.

Lesson 4: Accessories
Topics include: Lenses: Choosing and using different focal lengths (fixed and ‘zoom’ types), vibration reduction (VR) lenses, and the advantages of wide aperture lenses. Flash: A discussion on using an external Nikon Speedlight flash, why taking the taking the flash off camera is often a good idea, and how to apply the fill-flash technique. General accessories: Batteries, chargers, remote release, filters, close-up lens, and SD memory cards.
Assignment: Shoot a picture to show either the creative use of a lens, or flash.

© Simon Stafford

© Simon Stafford

Requirements

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Either a Nikon D40, D40x or D50 camera, or a desire to learn about and/or own one of these models. A working knowledge of basic camera controls and some shooting experience. Any image editing software that can open and process image files (Nikon NEF Raw & JPEG) produced by the D40/D40x or D50.

FAQ

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Yes, although the course lessons and the assignments are geared toward assisting current owners, anyone with an interest in either camera model is welcome to sign up. 

No, the course will concentrate on the camera, its features, functions and controls, together with accessories such as lenses, and flash units. You are free to use whatever image editing software you are familiar with to prepare pictures prior to posting them for critique. 

All you require is a basic working knowledge of camera controls and some shooting experience. If you do encounter a problem, you will have ample opportunity to discuss it with the instructor. 

If you are 100-percent satisfied with the camera and the images you are producing, you may not need to take this course. However, if you wish to become more proficient in using your D40, D40x or D50, have specific questions about its features and functions, or are experiencing problems with some aspects of its operation, this course can help. 

© Simon Stafford

© Simon Stafford

No, you do not need to be online at any specific time. The lessons are sent to your email and you are also provided the Campus Square - where you interact with your classmates and instructor. This is also where you upload your photos to be critiqued by your instructor. The instructors are very punctual and respond quickly.

Absolutely! Students can ask questions in the special Q&A forum set up in the course's Campus Square, or can ask the instructor via email.

Yes. We are confident that you will fully enjoy our courses. All the same, for our 8-week classes, we offer a 100% money-back guarantee before the Wednesday that Lesson #3 is sent out. If for any reason, you are not satisfied and let us know that you would like to withdraw before the Wednesday that Lesson #3 is sent, you will be promptly refunded.

For our 4-week courses, we offer a 100% money back guarantee before the Wednesday that Lesson #2 is sent out from BetterPhoto. If for any reason you are not satisfied and you let the ordering department know that you would like to withdraw before the Wednesday that Lesson #2 is sent, you will be refunded within 7 days. After the second lesson has been sent out, no refunds will be given.


If you have further questions about this course, feel free to contact us via the Contact link below.

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