Classes & Activities in New York City

Making a great portrait doesn't necessarily require expensive gear. Take one of the most famous portraits of all time: Steve McCurry's Afghan Girl, shot for the cover of National Geographic in 1985 using only a 35mm camera and natural light. It's not the tools themselves that do the job, but rather the mind creating with them. In this illuminating Crash Course we'll help you to observe, visualize and control natural light, demonstrating how light and shadow, as well as different focal lengths, affect the dimensions of the human face. You'll get valuable practice photographing people and learn to put subjects at ease. Make vivid portraits a part of your everyday.

This camera never leaves your side… lucky for you it's a pretty excellent camera. The iPhone is like the swiss army knife of cameras, with an explosion of apps and filters, but it still has that unique quality entirely its own. Like the Polaroid and Instamatic before it, the iPhone's camera has become a cultural touchstone, beloved by pros and hobbyists alike. We’ll take you through a presentation of the handheld medium, from classic snapshot photographers to contemporary innovators of smartphone photography. We'll break down the important control features often hidden from view in the iPhone's Camera app, as well as how to tweak the camera and options to get what you want. Students will take part in a live-shooting session and share the photos using some of our favorite recommended apps.

Ever wonder why your photographs are coming out too dark, out of focus, blurry, or off-balance? If so, Crash Course is your three hour solution. Crash Course: Camera Basics is an efficient, one-shot introduction to digital photography, and a good place to explore the fundamentals of your camera. We'll get you up and running quickly, showing you what's up with all the buttons and dials, the different modes available, and how to read your light meter. You'll learn about basic exposure control, and just become more familiar with your camera in general. It is designed on the premise that you have little to no prior knowledge of using your digital camera, and that you want to get up and running in as little time as possible (this is New York City after all). The class will focus entirely on helping you to get acqainted with all of your digital camera's features and functions. And of course to have fun while doing so.