Photography Classes in Chicago, IL

The Fundamentals classes are, by far, the most popular starting point for photography classes in Chicago and are designed to give the complete beginner a solid understanding of their digital camera and the fundamental knowledge needed to embark upon a lifetime's exploration of photography. There are no 'hidden' or extra fees to pay for any classes...

Explore the creation of photographic images beyond color, looking into the shadows and textures that lay beneath nature’s color spectrum, using plants and objects found at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Tonality and dynamic range, the potential of depth of field, and the zone system of shooting in black and white will be discussed.  Digital SLR...

Make your photographs more experimental and abstract through a variety of photographic techniques to move beyond the traditional, representational approach. We’ll cover camera basics, look at a brief history of abstract photography, and involve different projects both inside and outside of class. With digital cameras (either your own or EAC’s)...

Learn to manually control each variable including the ISO, the shutter speed, and the aperture. Learn how to organize and edit your photos using Adobe Photoshop, and print a selection of your images with EAC's inkjet printers.  Understand how to properly adjust your camera's exposure to achieve different results and become a more confident photographer!...

Digital Photo Academy instructors are available to accommodate personal schedules and provide a half day, 3 hours of instruction to suit the needs of individual parties. Typically the session will last approximately, beginning with a discussion about the student’s specific camera equipment and photographic needs, then leading into an in-the-field...

With your foundational knowledge of technical basics—correct exposure, filtration, and sharpness, concentrate on using composition and aesthetic design to convey meaning and emotion in landscape photography. Learn how technique affects the aesthetics of the image—for example, using filtration to enhance the mood of a scene rather than simply to...

Learn how to start working with analog photography in our black and white darkroom through making photograms! Photograms involve laying various objects on top of light sensitive paper and exposing the paper to light. This results in a unique image with silhouettes of the objects placed on top of the paper.  Bring in a collection of objects you...

Lightroom 1 is a wonder tool for organizing and editing images. We will begin by downloading images from your camera, naming  folders, backing up your work, and importing them into Lightroom. This workflow system allows you to locate and develop images into collections for emailing, printing, or other projects.  A personal laptop with...

This advanced class will further your knowledge of selections and layers, allowing for photo enhancement and manipulation. Projects include black and white with color accents, old photo restoration, and abstract art creation.  Requirements for the course are a laptop computer with a current version of Adobe Photoshop installed and a digital...

Nothing compares to the thrill of taking professional looking photographs. Learn photography in this comprehensive course specifically designed to have you taking incredible shots in almost no time at all. Step-by-step, you'll learn how to operate a camera to achieve maximum creativity. Topics will include in-depth knowledge of shutter speeds, metering,...

Explore the texture, pattern, and color in the Garden’s three distinct greenhouse environments through photography. Discover new ways to use the elements of composition for both large and small-scale subjects in addition to discussing the best camera settings for the each greenhouse.

Digital Photo Academy instructors are available to accommodate personal schedules and provide a full day, 7 hours of instruction to suit the needs of individual parties. Typically the session will last approximately, beginning with a discussion about the student’s specific camera equipment and photographic needs, then leading into an in-the-field...

This course focuses on the foundations of photography and the various ways to use a digital camera. Students examine how to choose and shoot subjects that are both personally meaningful in content and contemporary in context. Instruction includes capturing and printing images in both black and white and color, and investigating digital photo editing. ...

Take the next steps in developing your photographic practice! Experiment with tools like Adobe Bridge and Photoshop and begin to understand photography on a conceptual level. Create a more developed portfolio of images and prints and form a better understanding of your own style. Bring a DSLR camera, a hard-drive or large thumb drive for transporting...

Break away from relying on your camera’s automatic settings and begin to manually control each variable that makes a photograph “work” including the ISO, the shutter speed, and the aperture. Along with learning how to manually control your camera, you will learn how to organize and edit your photos using Adobe Photoshop, and go through the process...