Learn to shoot like a pro at Kyiv’s photography schools.
A while ago I visited an old friend of mine, who was eager to show me the new photo camera she had recently bought. As someone who takes a serious interest in photography, I immediately asked her about some technical characteristics of her new treasure. “It’s digital,” she simply replied. When I tried to find out some more information, she added “Oh, I don’t know. My husband bought the camera, and it seems to be cooler than yours.” It’s a common thing nowadays – I often see people buy cameras without really knowing how to use them properly, simply because it’s considered cool. As far as I know, my friend still uses the “Auto” mode while taking pictures, so the only advantage she has from using an expensive camera is just a high photo resolution, which is both good and bad. Sometimes she asks me for some advice, which pleases me to no end. If you also wish to learn more about photography, or perhaps, even make it your hobby, here are some tips for you.
Getting started
For quite awhile photographers have been disputing about which cameras should be used by a “real pro.” Some prefer old-style film cameras, while others favor digital cameras. In general, film cameras are favored mainly because of the sheer excitement they bring with them, working carefully on each shot and developing photos in dark room using complicated equipment and tools.
Some people argue that film photos look different than digital ones. They are “smoother,” with a lower resolution and usually with less noise. Yet sometimes high resolution is preferred, as it helps make the photo more realistic and adds accents to the photo. Noise can also be avoided using a digital camera, with the help of other camera functions or through computer processing. In general, film cameras aren’t that popular anymore, not only among camera users, but among the manufacturers as well – photographic equipment is not largely produced anymore and the existing camera models are not upgraded. The advantages of a digital camera, on the other hand, are widely known and don’t need additional promotion. That’s why I will mainly focus on digital cameras in this article.
Tutors at Kyiv School of Photography make sure their students try their skills in different photography genres, including staged photography and landscapes. (Courtesy photo)
For beginners I would recommend starting with a simpler photo camera to get to know the basic functions, like ISO (analogous to film sensitivity), WB or “white balance,” which refers to the quality of the light source (i.e. 40 or 60 watt light bulb, fluorescent, or sunlight), exposure time, which regulates the amount of time light is allowed to fall on the photographic medium, and diaphragm size, which regulates the amount of light that passes through the lens, the focus (the point of concentration of the camera, to make objects appear sharp as opposed to blurry), and zoom.
This all may sound terribly complicated, but it gets easy once you’ve learnt the basics. First, before taking a picture, you need to figure out what type of lighting there is: dark yellow (as a rule given by a candle), light yellow (standard light bulbs), blue (daylight lamps), and white or grey (daylight). To change the light on the photo you need to either fix the WB, found on the camera’s menu, or mechanically, with help of a filter lens.
ISO also depends on the light, and if you want to make a photo lighter you raise the degree of ISO. The higher the ISO is fixed, the less time is needed for it to fall inside. Whereas ISO controls the sensitivity, exposure controls the amount of time light falls on the sensitive mechanism. These two are interchangeable, but if you want to reduce the amount of noise in the picture, it’s better to use a longer exposure rather than a higher ISO. And if you’re shooting at night, you’ll have to use a long exposure and a tripod.
As for the diaphragm, it can’t be changed by you – it is a functional property of your camera. If you buy a camera with a larger diaphragm, you can make a photo lighter than with a smaller diaphragm.
Now that the hardest part is over and the only thing to do is point the camera at an object, you should press the button lightly to make the camera focus on your chosen focal point, then press it fully, and the mission is complete.
As for other aspects of the photo, such as composition, light, perspective, and foreshortening, it is all up to the photographer, and if the photo doesn’t come out as you wish, you can’t blame anyone but yourself. The perfect composition is based upon the so-called “rule of thirds” that is largely spoken about by professionals, but rarely followed strictly even by them. Photography gurus claim that if you divide a picture into nine parts, as if putting a grid of two vertical and two horizontal lines, and place the most meaningful objects on one or more of the four crossings of these lines, you’ll make an ideal composition that will catch a person’s eye. But this “rule” is just a guideline and a good photo can be taken without following it.
Learning to shoot
As I noticed there are two types of people – those who get to know and understand everything on their own, through trial and error, and those who need to be tutored and guided by a more experienced person. If you belong to the latter kind, you can enroll at one of Kyiv’s photo schools and learn everything from professional photographers.
At Fuji Sport photo center, you can have
yourself photographed for documents, as
well as print your own photos or purchase
photo equipment. (Oleksiy Boyko)
Kyiv School of Photography was the first photo school to be founded in Kyiv and it claims to be one of the best. The learning process is dvided into three courses. At the first one (which costs ?180 and includes 42 hours of theory and practice), you’ll get to know the basics of analog and digital photography, technical information and the crucial principles for making good photos. The second course (? 250, 48 hours of theory and practice) is meant for students already experienced in photography and can help improve professional skills. Students are taught how to create an image with the help of a camera and how to make a portfolio. Studies are mainly focused on the elaboration of personal methods in photography and the creation of an “author’s hand,” although I don’t think personal style can be taught – it comes with practice and arises from individuality.
The third course depends on the preferences and needs of the participants, and prices are stated accordingly. The school also offers additional courses and master-classes, in digital, black-and-white, and studio photography, as well as advertisement, landscape, and travel photography. The school also organizes educational journeys to the Crimea, Carpathian Mountains, and various natural and historical sites in Ukraine, where students practice the technique of landscape photography.
Notre Dame Studio is less pretentious and offers only one basic course, which costs Hr 900 and includes 24 hours of theory and practice. Additionally you can visit various master-classes (the themes are the same as at the Kyiv School of Photography), the period and cost of which depend on the time and number of participants, and are discussed individually.
Fotomaster Shkola Studiya offers two courses for beginners. The first includes four classes and costs Hr 600, while the second includes 20 classes and costs $ 400. In addition, the school organizes meetings with professional photographers, and using the school’s student card, you can visit events for free and their master-classes with a 50 percent discount.
The most popular schools are the ones headed by well-known professional photographers. Such schools are considered to be of a higher grade, as you receive tutoring directly from a master, but some of them are unreasonably expensive. For example Gaidai Studio is headed by one of the most popular Ukrainian photographers, Igor Gaidai, who is the author of a number of projects (“Ukrainians,” “Bread,” “Indigo Children”) and permanently shoots for different magazines and advertisement agencies. The learning course at Gaidai Studio includes four lessons of theory and practice, lasting for two hours each and costs Hr 500.
The students that enroll for a photography course given by well-known photographer Viktor Marushchenko at Ra Gallery School of Photography can expect to see their photos later exhibited at the Ra Photo gallery. At the Ra Gallery School, the basic course will cost you Hr 200 and will include eight classes by Marushchenko, and additional consultations and work in the library are free. After the course you’ll receive a certificate, with which you’ll be able to use books from the gallery’s library and visit master-classes.
Kyiv School of Photography (35 Umanska, 243-3258). www.photoschool.kiev.ua
Notre Dame Studio (2 Pyrohovo, 491-9561). www.ndstudio.kiev.ua
Fotomaster Shkola Studiya (28B Honchara, 235-2744). www.fotomaster.info
Gaidai Studio (22 Prorizna, 279-5070). www.gaidai.kiev.ua
Ra Gallery School of Photography (32B Khmelnitskoho, 234-6992). www.ragallery.net
Printing photos
To have your digital photos printed, you can go to practically any photo laboratory, but you can’t be sure that all of them will do a quality job. In addition to the big photo centers, it is possible to rent a studio for a professional photo session. If all you need is a document or passport photo, you can get them practically anywhere, even in underground passages near metro stations. Photo centers are usually places where you can also buy the equipment and accessories for your camera, choosing from a great assortment.
The most popular photo center among photographers, offering high-quality services at cheap prices, is Exar. One photo will cost Hr 1.20 (without processing) and Hr 1.50 with processing by one of their consultants.
Fuji Sport is also considered one of the best in terms of quality. The cost of services there is much higher: without processing a photo will cost Hr 2, with processing, Hr 3. Personal exhibitions of professional and amateur photographers are constantly held at Fuji Sport, and if you have a pretty good thematic collection of photographs, you have a chance to exhibit them there.
Now there is also a photo service available on the Internet that allows you to order prints of your photos online. Using the site www.ukrphoto.net, you can register, order prints and send your photos to be processed online. Unfortunately, however, delivery of prints to your home or office is not provided, which means you’ll have to fetch them yourself.
Exar (112 Chervonoarmiyska, 269-1218)
Fuji Sport (20 Pushkinska, 235-1294).
www.ukrphoto.net, 254-1053
