Fall 2026 Photography Classes

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Do you have a nice camera? Would you like to learn how to take better pictures?

I offer two Photography Classes for beginners and intermediate photographers who are getting started and want to take better pictures. This fall I am offering these classes both in Burlington (through Burlington Parks and Rec) and in La Conner at my Gallery at 306 Morris Street. Here are the details:

How to Capture Awesome Images with your DSLR or Mirrorless Camera – Beginners Class

Capturing decent images with your new camera is easy, just set it on “Auto Mode” and shoot away. Moving your photography up to the next level where you get consistently good shots starts with understanding how to set your exposure manually. This is NOT difficult to do.

What the class teaches:

  • Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO. These 3 settings will be explained in detail with lots of examples and images.
  • How to Shoot in Manual Mode – Once you go Manual you’ll never go back!
  • Depth of Field: You’ll learn how a photographer changes this in an image.
  • Bracketing Exposure is capturing multiple images of the same subject with different exposures.
  • A Circular Polarizer is an optical filter that screws onto the end of the lens.
  • Raw vs. Jpeg – We’ll discuss this as well as an overview of editing a RAW image file.

Prerequisites: You must be familiar with your camera, taking pictures in Auto Mode, image review, etc.Equipment Required: A DSLR or Mirrorless Camera with interchangeable lenses. 

Dates of classes in Burlington:

  • Wednesday, September 23, 6pm to 8pm
  • Wednesday, October 14, 6pm to 8pm
  • Wednesday, November 4, 6pm to 8pm

How to Capture Awesome Images with your DSLR – Intermediate Class

What the class teaches:

  • Photo Composition: We will cover cool tips and ideas of how to compose interesting images
  • Lenses and Focusing: Different lens focal lengths and what they are best for
  • You’ll learn the technique of Focus & Recompose
  • Sharper Images: Blurry images can be avoided by following one simple rule
  • Hyper-focal Distance: How to extend your depth of field in landscape images.
  • We will take time to practice these skills outdoors
  • How to capture Night Sky images of the stars and Milky Way.
    • Discuss all the equipment needed
    • Exact camera and lens settings, Walk through setting up out in the field!
    • Locations for night sky imaging and more!

Prerequisites: You must be completely comfortable with shooting in Manual Mode.  

Dates of classes in Burlington:

  • Wednesday, September 30, 6pm to 8pm
  • Monday, October 28, 6pm to 8pm
  • Wednesday, November 18, 6pm to 8pm

Burlington Parks and Recreation – Maiben House 219 S. Skagit Street, Burlington

Classes are 1.5 to 2 hours long. Cost of each class is: $45 All Photo Classes at Burlington are held on Wednesday Nights at 6pm.

To register for Photography Classes with Andy Porter in Burlington through Burlington Parks and Recreation, Click here!

Andy Porter Photography Gallery – 306 Morris Street, La Conner

Classes are 1.5 to 2 hours long. Cost of each class is: $50 All Photo Classes at Andy Porter Photography Gallery are held on Saturdays at 10am.

Beginners Photography Class in La Conner

  • September 26. Saturday at 10am
  • October 17, Saturday at 10am
  • November 7, Saturday at 10am

Intermediate Photography Class in La Conner

  • October 10. Saturday at 10am
  • November 14. Saturday at 10am

To register for Photography Classes with Andy Porter in La Conner Click Here!

Photography and Photoshop Classes

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Online classes through Burlington Parks and Rec – with Andy Porter

I will be teaching a Basic DSLR Photography Course AND a 5-session Introduction to Photoshop Class, online, through Burlington Parks and Rec. These classes are all done via ZOOM. I just completed the first set of classes and it was a lot of fun!

The Basic DSLR Photography Class is for beginners. We will cover how to shoot in the manual mode, learn about bracketing and how to get the right shot, and also cover use of a circular polarizer, RAW files, and more. You need to have a DSLR Camera for the class (IF you cannot change lenses on the camera, its NOT a DSLR!) The class is scheduled for two different days (same Class, both days). Tuesday, June 1, from 6 to 7:30pm and again, the same class, on Tuesday, June 29, from 6pm to 7:30pm. You can enroll online through Bellingham Parks and Rec. beginning on April 12th at 8:30 am. The class is $40. Here is a link to the Parks and Rec web site. 

Introduction to Photoshop is a 5-session series of classes for anyone interested in learning some basics of Photoshop.

I never wanted to learn Photoshop. I was drawn into it rather reluctantly. But as a Nature – Landscape – Night Sky Photographer editing and prepping my images for printing is now an integral part of what I do. In this series of 5 classes we will first cover how to enhance your images using Adobe Camera Raw.  This allows you to adjust the overall exposure, shadows and highlights, as well as many other options, to make your image look much closer to what your eye saw when you captured the image.

The Camera Raw interface makes it easy to edit any image, portrait, nature or nighttime images and save them in the proper formats for printing and web use.

There will be creative lessons about layers and for some lessons you will need to both capture images, and edit them.  There is a lesson on Multiplicity, or cloning, where you blend multiple images of the same person together and another creative assignment, Levitation, learning how to make someone or something float in the air! We will also cover how to capture and edit a Panorama image and make it ready for printing.  

Students must have a current subscription to Photoshop, newest version/subscription. AND HAVE SOME familiarity with Photoshop. Please don’t download Photoshop for the first time and expect to be able to follow along!  The series of 5 classes can be purchased separately for $50 a class, or as a package for $200 for all 5 classes.  You will also need to have a camera or cell phone to capture images with as well as a simple tripod.

Why should you edit your images at all?

The Human Eye sees more than any camera can record. When you capture images of high contrast scenes, like sunrises or sunsets, the camera cannot capture BOTH the brightest AND darkest parts of the scene. So, sunset images you capture with your camera are either too bright in the sky or too dark in the foreground. But this is NOT how it looked to your eye!

You can use Photoshop to make the brightest parts of the image darker, and the darker parts of the image brighter. This is what Ansel Adams did with his black and white negatives, he “edited” them by dodging and burning (darkening and brightening) parts of the image.

In the world of Photoshop, this is easy to do. Of course Photoshop can do more than brighten and darken parts of the image; you can enhance colors, erase unwanted items in the image, and make the image look like the scene you saw with your own eye.

Each class is $50, or you can enroll for all 5 classes for $200.

Here is the link to Burlington Parks and Rec to enroll.

Classes are Wednesday Night, June 2; Thursday Night, June 10; Thursday Night, June 17; Thursday Night, July 1, and Thursday Night, July 8th. All classes from 6 to 7:30pm, all online.

IF you have ANY questions about the classes, or what will be covered, feel free to email me anytime.

Andyporterphotography@gmail.com

 

New Photo Classes in Burlington

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Evening Light

Evening Light

Here is the new flyer for the classes scheduled in March and April here in Burlington.

There are 3 classes on How to Use Your DSLR: This class is for anyone who wants to become more creative and capture better images.

And then there are two classes about Photo Composition and Editing. This is a two-day class and is for anyone who would like to learn the secrets of taking image taking to a higher level.

Here is the link to the form. 

2 page 2015 Spring Classes