One-Day Workshop and Field Trip

Workshop Objective

A hands-on introduction to outdoor photography that teaches participants how to understand their camera, compose stronger images, focus for sharp landscapes, and use natural light to create dramatic photographs.

The workshop is suitable for participants using a DSLR, SLR, mirrorless camera, or smartphone.

9:00–10:30 AM — Part 1: Know Your Camera

Getting the Most From the Camera You Already Own

A practical, beginner-friendly introduction to the controls that matter most when photographing outdoors. bring your Camera or Smart phone manual.

We'll cover:

• Camera basics and terminology
• Aperture, shutter speed and ISO
• The Exposure Triangle
• Autofocus and selecting focus points
• How to focus for sharp landscape photographs
• Choosing a useful shooting mode
• Lens selection and focal length
• Basic settings for outdoor photography
• A few simple techniques for getting sharper images

Hands-on exercise:

Participants make a series of photographs while changing aperture, shutter speed, ISO and focus to see the effect each has on the image.

10:30–10:45 AM — Break

10:45 AM–12:00 PM — Part 2: Seeing & Composing the Photograph

Composition, Framing & Creating Impact

This session focuses less on the camera and more on the photographer's eye.

We'll explore:

• Finding a strong subject
• Rule of Thirds
• Leading lines
• Foreground, middle ground and background
• Creating depth
• Framing
• Perspective
• Negative space
• Simplifying a busy scene
• Horizontal vs. vertical compositions

We'll also look at how light changes a landscape, including:

• Directional light
• Shadows
• Backlighting
• Texture
• Contrast
• Overcast light
• Creating drama with changing outdoor light

The key question:

What caught your eye—and how can you make the viewer see it too?

12:00–1:00 PM — Lunch / Transition Outdoors

A casual lunch and opportunity to discuss the morning's lessons before heading outside.

1:00–3:30 PM — Part 3: Outdoor Photography Walk

Putting It All Together

This is where the workshop comes alive.

Participants photograph the landscape while receiving hands-on instruction and individual guidance.

We'll practice:

Finding the shot

• Identify interesting subjects
• Look for foregrounds and leading lines
• Find layers and depth
• Look for interesting light

Getting it sharp

• Select the appropriate focus point
• Choose an appropriate aperture
• Check shutter speed
• Stabilize the camera
• Review images in the field

Working with light

• Use shadows to create depth
• Look for texture
• Work with backlight
• Use changing light to create mood
• Recognize opportunities for dramatic landscape images

Composition challenges

Participants will be challenged to create:

1. A strong Rule-of-Thirds composition
2. An image with a compelling foreground
3. An image using leading lines
4. A photograph with three distinct layers
5. A dramatic light-and-shadow photograph
6. The same subject from three different perspectives
7. Textures and Contrast
8. Negative space 
9. Photograph the same subject from three different perspectives

The Takeaway

This workshop will give you a small set of skills you can immediately use on your next hike or outdoor adventure:

Understand your camera → See the photograph → Compose the image → Focus carefully → Use the light → Press the shutter intentionally.

Chasing the Light

Being a volunteer trip coordinator for several outdoor clubs has brought a different kind of reward: spectacular vistas, new friendships, shared memories, crisp mountain air, and the occasional great workout. These experiences continue to draw me back to the outdoors and to the community of like-minded people who love exploring it.

My connection to nature, exploration, and photography goes back as far as I can remember. I’m grateful to my Dad for taking my brother and me to nearby parks, creeks, and cross-country trails. Then came my first camera—a Yashica SLR—and later the Pentax Spotmatic SLR I used in high school photography class. I was hooked. Processing Ilford 400 black-and-white film in the darkroom and watching an image emerge on paper felt magical. I never lost that fascination and I’m still chasing that perfect image.

My formal training in Communication and Design has helped me develop a strong visual eye and apply those skills to wilderness and outdoor photography. Over the years, fellow club members began commenting regularly on my images and asking about my approach. That encouraged me to take the next step and offer my photography experience to help others develop their own creative abilities.

I hope to do more than simply document our adventures. I’d like to help Calgary Explorers Club  members see the landscape differently, understand light and composition, and discover the satisfaction that comes from creating an image that tells a story.