The lure of travel is surpassed only by the inevitable desire to bring home pictures and share your adventures. Since the late 1800s when George Eastman produced the first traveling camera with the slogan, "You press the button, we do the rest," travel and photography have been eternally joined. With the added benefits of digital photography so readily available to consumers today, the field is full of new opportunities and new challenges.

Join us and discover this fascinating world through a photographer's eye. This course will address the special needs and techniques digital photographers need to capture scenes from around the world and bring them home. We'll focus on specific tips for digital photographers, and how to use both traditional techniques as well as those unique to digital equipment.

We'll look at subjects such as wildlife on land and at sea, and how to get the best shots of animals in captivity as well as those in the wild. We'll discuss ways to blend in with nature for this popular area of photography and the best kind of equipment for specialized shooting.

We'll share tips on taking shots for professional use and those to treasure from a family vacation. We'll discuss the situations that require model and property releases, and those that don't. You'll learn how and when it's appropriate to pay people to take their picture and how to make the most of those types of opportunities.

Environmental challenges can put your camera equipment in jeopardy, yet conditions such as freezing temperatures and tropical heat often abound in some of the most beautiful places in the world. This class will address those issues and offer practical solutions that travel easily.

You'll learn more about traveling with digital equipment and what to take and what to leave behind as you venture into the wilderness, onto a cruise ship, up in a helicopter, or over an international border. We'll share various examples from destinations around the world, and expand your knowledge of techniques for shooting digitally and working with the images after you get back.

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Requirements:

Completion of Beverly Schulz's Secrets of Better Photography online course (or equivalent photography experience), Internet access, e-mail, the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and the Adobe Flash and PDF plug-ins (two free and simple downloads you obtain at http://www.adobe.com/downloads by clicking Get Adobe Flash Player and Get Adobe Reader).

Syllabus:

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

A new section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

Week One

Wednesday - Lesson 01

We'll cover a lot of ground in our first lesson where we'll start with an overview of the equipment you'll need to pack before you head out on the road. We'll look at cameras, lenses, and tripods, as well as other options for stabilization. You'll be ready to go before you know it!

Friday - Lesson 02

In this lesson, we'll look at a number of different ways to photograph the wilderness. You'll explore ways to carry your equipment, keep it safe from rain, and power it up on a long trip away from home. We'll discuss some of the basic rules of composition and how to put them to good use, as well as focal points and getting the depth of field that best suits your subject

Week Two

Wednesday - Lesson 03

In today's lesson, we'll concentrate on animals and how to capture their essence, whether they're in the wild or protected in cages. We'll look at equipment for zooming in and camera options for the best quality images. It's easy to get up close to a captive animal, but when you're in the wild, you'll need to know how to merge with nature so you can observe natural behavior, so we'll discuss that, too. We'll also go over shooting fast-moving animals like birds in flight, and how to use your camera to its best advantage.

Friday - Lesson 04

Even under the water, light is the magic that makes the photographic process work. So in this lesson, we'll look how to manage light when you're under and over the water. When you finish this lesson, you'll know how to work with backlighting, reflectors, fill flash, and spot metering. You'll also see how to use lines in an image to set off your subject as you improve your composition.

Week Three

Wednesday - Lesson 05

Sometimes you'll find that there isn't much light when you're traveling and you'll need to know how to accommodate low light and mixed light situations. Today, we'll work with settings on your camera like customized white balance, ISO, and flash options to make sure you get the pictures you want. You'll also see the power of shooting in RAW, and the options available with digital editing. As we finish up this lesson, we'll even explore some options for cave photography, lightning, and fireworks!

Friday - Lesson 06

Visiting warm climates is a big part of many travel experiences, so in this lesson, you'll see how to protect your equipment from condensation and heat. You'll also see how to work within a rainforest environment. With the added control that manual exposure settings give you, you'll find the Sunny 16 Rule a great help. We'll also take a look at macro work and how to get the best shots of the details wherever you are.

Week Four

Wednesday - Lesson 07

In today's lesson, we'll move from warm climates into winter settings. Snow and ice make great backgrounds for dynamic photos, but they can present some exposure challenges, so we'll discuss how to solve any of those problems. We'll also look at shooting indoors, freezing action, and how to make the most of bad weather. When you finish here, you'll have a good idea of how to photograph star trails and the Northern Lights as well.

Friday - Lesson 08

Welcome aboard! As we move into today's lesson, you'll investigate the many advantages of cruising and being at sea with your camera. Lighting can be confusing at sea, but with easy solutions to exposure latitude issues, you'll get the shots you want. To finish off the lesson, I'll send you on a photo assignment where you'll document your journey with all the tools at your disposable. Bon voyage!

Week Five

Wednesday - Lesson 09

It's time to rise above everyday sightseeing and shoot from the air. In this lesson, you'll have a chance to learn many techniques for working from a hot air balloon, a helicopter, or an airplane. We'll talk about histograms and blinkies, and how they can help you improve your shots as well as how to use exposure compensation to quickly correct exposure problems. You'll see the importance of perspective from the air and how to shoot through hazy skies.

Friday - Lesson 10

Big cities are a part of many trips, and you won't want to miss the action! We'll start today's lesson by discussing sightseeing tours, safety precautions, and making the most of your time in the city. You'll also see how to shoot in fog and use various metering options and handheld light meters. Many cities have amusement parks, so we'll spend some time discussing how to put panning, long exposure, and light painting to work to bring home images of all the fun.

Week Six

Wednesday - Lesson 11

As we near the end of our course, you'll see how to make the most of a trip across the border. We'll look at international travel, power concerns, and customs issues so you can make sure you get back and forth across the border easily. You'll also have a chance to explore the mysteries behind model releases and selling your work. And you won't want to leave home without a passport, so we'll spend some time discussing how to take a great passport photo, too!

Friday - Lesson 12

Welcome home! In our final lesson, it's time to get your images organized so you can share the best of your images with friends and family. We'll conclude with information on cleaning your camera so you're ready to go when the next opportunity arises. You'll find that in six short weeks, you've mastered a wealth of techniques that will change your pictures forever!

This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Beverly Schulz.

Beverly Schulz is a freelance photographer and a graduate of the New York Institute of Photography's Professional Photographer's program. She teaches a number of classes in digital photography and has more than 25 years of classroom instruction experience. Her writing and photography have been published in a number of magazines. She has traveled extensively and participated in onsite photography workshops as well as independent photo quests. In addition to teaching and photographic work, she provides consulting services for digital photographers and clients.

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