Camera Class In Bakersfield - Ed Ruth Photography Instructor in Bakersfield California

Camera or Photoshop Class in Bakersfield, California

I teach in-person, one-to-one, camera or Photoshop classes designed to meet your needs in Bakersfield California. Up to two students may attend any class. A one-to-one class involves one camera model. Email me using: edruthusa@yahoo.com or text me at 661-303-9210. Classes emphasize general photography but I can provided some insight into black & white, travel, astronomical, landscape, street, macro, or wildlife photography.

Camera class: I teach a beginners’ or advanced digital photography class that covers your camera, lens, and photographic composition.

Photoshop class: I also teach photographic post-production using Photoshop, Lightroom, or DxO PhotoLab Elite.

Photoshop for graphic arts and design: I also teach the use of Photoshop for graphic arts at a beginners’ level.

For the camera class, I often meet students at a coffee shop in downtown Bakersfield. But I have met students in lawyer’s offices, homes, and businesses. All classes are confidential. No private information is ever released.

Camera or Photoshop classes cost $200 for one session lasting about four to five hours. Please pay when class begins. I need to know the make and model of your camera and lens. Bring a pen & notepad, camera, fully charged battery, memory card, and your favorite lenses to class. Sorry, I cannot split this into two sessions or mix classes. Link to my book page here. All images and illustrations by Ed Ruth, Photography Teacher. Many more details below!

Your instructor, witty, charming, modest…

Once you learn the fundamentals, almost any aspect photography will be more manageable for you. Certainly portraiture and landscape photography have their challenges, but you will be able to find a starting point based upon a fundamental understanding of technique. Black & White photography? I can teach you best practices. Astronomical photography, well, that’s a tad more challenging but patience and practice is the best guide there. No need to fear “M” manual mode, a few tricks and I will have you on your way. Consultations, yes, but in a constantly evolving market this will take some thinking.

Your photography teacher taught photography at Henley’s Photography monthly for seven years. I am the author of several Kindle books about digital photography. See my recent: Publications and The Nikon Z50 Book.

Above “Whoever loved that loved not at first sight?” Christopher Marlowe

Nikon Z 50, Nikon Z 24-70mm S at 47mm, 1/320/s, f/2.8, ISO: 500

The 1-to-1 Lightroom Classic Class (see some of the topics covered below) and the Adobe Photoshop CC Class (see some of the topics covered below) provides you with a firm foundation in the use of post-production software to bring out the very best in your images and use them most productively. Please Email me at: edruthusa@yahoo.com for an appointment.

I also spend as much time as needed to thoroughly research your camera and any specific areas of photography you wish to cover. This means that you will get the “latest greatest” information available without any additional charge. If you don’t come to a scheduled class, I lose a lot of time and energy.

If you are a wedding photographer, portrait photographer, real estate sales representative, event photographer, marketing manager, or in any line of work or play involving digital images, I can help you achieve more rewarding results. For example, I have had students planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip who consulted me and returned with stunning images. This takes some dedication, one or both classes mentioned above, and practice. I have also given classes to people who were somewhat shy because, in their profession, they feel that they should already be very knowledgeable concerning the science of digital photography and digital imaging. No worries, my classes are very confidential. I do not disclose any personal information to anyone. Contact me at: edruthusa@yahoo.com

One-to-one class requests for consultation regarding photographic equipment (DSLR cameras and lenses not lighting) or a photography business model are welcome. My best role in a consultation is one of constructive critic. If you want me to review your vision keep in mind that, while I offer only my professional opinion, I will do the best I can for you. And I will be honest with you. Occasionally, after much research on my part, my student decides not to follow through with the class. Please respect my time. Before we meet I will have spent a considerable amount of time reviewing and researching your camera and your specific needs.

Topics covered in a the 1-to-1 Photography Class vary according to student needs but often include:

Overview of the design and features of your camera
Your camera’s buttons and dials and their function
Camera menu introduction – setup and shooting options
Proper use of viewfinder, LED display, and “Info” screens
Your lenses – strengths and challenges, aperture, servo, image stabilization, and field of view
Mode dial options – Manual, Program, Aperture Priority, and Shutter Priority
Other mode dial options and moving away from “Automatic” mode
Effective use of shutter button and focus point options
Memory card, formatting, and best practices for image management
Controlling motion shake and use of tripods
Obtaining a proper exposure, image review, and histograms
Point of focus and depth of field
Imaging sensor science, RGB, and resolution PPI
Bit depth (12 vs. 14) choices
Selecting image size and format (JPEG vs RAW) and choosing JPEG compression options
Dynamic range, more about image histograms, and exposure compensation
The “Exposure Triangle” and ISO options
White Balance plus: gray card and ExpoDisc
Full 36mm x 24mm vs cropped (APS-C) sensors and Aspect Ratio
Resolution and image printing (PPI vs DPI)
Exposure metering modes – Matrix, Center-Weighted, and Spot
Exposure Bracketing
Color modes (sRGB vs Adobe RGB) and X-Rite ColorChecker Passport
Flash photography options
Camera Picture Style or Picture Control options
Manual exposure and manual focusing if you wish…
Advanced: “pushing highlights,” long exposures, Active D-Lighting, panorama shooting
Black and White photography
Care, maintenance, and environmental considerations
Hold Harmless agreements
A review of composition and lighting
And…much more Back to top of page

The Adobe Lightroom Classic class is very popular and will include:

An overview of Lightroom as a photo cataloging and editing program
Lightroom’s Catalog and Preference settings
Understanding Catalogs, Collection Sets, Collections, and Quick Collections
Creating, moving, and renaming folders using Lightroom
Applying search criteria to photographs
Importing and Exporting images…including file formats and color spaces
Develop Module and the use of Presets…including creating your own Presets
Using Snapshots and History to your advantage
Understanding and using the Lightroom Histogram
Using the Presence Tools effectively
Using Hue, Saturation, and Luminance color correction tools
Effective use of Sharpening and Noise Reduction Tools
Lens Correction and Chromatic Aberrations
Using Transform for perspective adjustments
Cropping and Aspect Ratios
Use of Graduated Filter, Radial Filter, and Adjustment Brush
Spot Removal and Cloning
Keyboard Shortcuts
Edit in Photoshop CC
Using Photo Merge Panorama to greatly expand the use of your lenses
Exposure metering modes – Matrix, Center-Weighted, and Spot
Printing from Lightroom or Photoshop
New Enhance Details feature and artificial intelligence
Black & White images and Split Toning tools
Soft Proofing and Gamut Warnings
And…further investigation of special needs Back to top of page

Topics covered in the 1-to-1 Adobe Photoshop (or DXO PhotoLab 4 or ON1) Class vary according to student needs but often include:

History and nature of Adobe products and Photoshop CC
Photoshop Preferences, graphics card options, Color Settings, and monitor calibration
Selecting an Image color Mode (RGB – CMYK), color space, and Bits/Channel
Creating the proper “Workspace” for your work
Tool Bar tools and tool Options bar (Window > Options, Tools)
Using Adobe Bridge as a file browser and to retrieve images from your camera
Processing of Raw vs JPEG image files
Overview of the Camera Raw Plugin and the Raw Histogram
Processing Raw or JPEG images in Camera Raw and Camera Raw output options for Raw and JPEG files
Raw lens adjustment options, Raw sharpening, and Raw noise reduction
Raw Color and White balance adjustments
The concept of “Workflow” and how to create a productive workflow for your work
Use of the Selection options and specialized selection tools
Using rulers and guides
Selection tools, Cut and Paste, Color Picker, and other basic tools
Image size, straightening, Cropping, and resolution
Canvas Size and image resizing
Use of nondestructive Adjustment Layers
Adjustment layers and Layer Mask techniques
The Curves Adjustment Layer – contrast and color correction
The Levels Adjustment Layer
Proper use of the Saturation Adjustment Layer
Other Adjustment Layers and using layers to aid color correction in Photoshop
Unsharp Mask and other sharpening filters
Use of the Pen Tool and creating vector paths
Selective sharpening and selective color saturation techniques
Use of Content Aware Fill and Free Transform tools
Placing (Embedded vs Linked) images and layer options for multiple images
Use of layer Blending Options, Opacity, and Layer Fx
Adaptive Wide Angle and Lens Correction filters and Chromatic Aberration correction
Transform Points, Skew and other perspective correction tools
Revert, File Info, Print dialog, Check Spelling, Fill & Stroke, and aftermarket filters
Proof Setup and Proof Colors for color printing
Background Eraser Tool
Fixing image flaws using Healing Brush, Patch Tool, and Clone Stamp Tool
Many uses of the Use of the Brush tool and feathering
“Automate” and Creating simple Macros for production work
Output file format options
Creating exceptional images for the internet
Save, Save As, and Export options
Easy panorama photography, expand the functionality of your lenses
Proper output sharpening and color space choices
Proper use of type, type imagery, and traditional printers typography
And…much more! Well, a little more anyway Back to top of page

Additional information for One-to-One Classes:

Contact me at: edruthusa@yahoo.com
For the camera class, remember to bring the camera, charged battery, memory card, manual, and lenses
For the post-production class, bring a notebook and pen. Bringing a laptop is not required
For the camera class, I need to know the make and model of your camera
For the Lightroom or Photoshop classes, please give me some idea of your goals and interests
Feel free to bring a friend or partner to class
If you wish me to come to your location, I need an address and map
Date, address, time and your needs are important to me. Please be specific and as long winded as you wish!
I have been teaching digital photography for seven years locally!

1-to-1 Classes:

Individualized courses include: the Digital Camera Class (using your specific digital camera) this also includes an introduction to black & white photography, the Adobe Lightroom Classic Class, and the Adobe Photoshop CC Class. The cost is $200 for about four or five hours and until ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED.

To schedule a class or for additional information, contact me at: edruthusa@yahoo.com. You may include a friend or family member in any one-to-one class. One-to-one instruction will be tailored to meet your individual needs. I can jump-start your skills with easy to understand and practical training. You will be left with functional knowledge that you can use to great personal or professional advantage.

Need to get up and running with digital photography today? email me at: edruthusa@yahoo.com

Nikon D810, Sigma 14-24mm @ 15mm, 1/1/125s, f/14, ISO: 100. After taking my class you will know how to take the shot anywhere with any subject at any time.

Nikon D810, Tamron 85mm closeup, 1/200s, f/11, ISO 200. The closer we get to the subject of interest, the more depth of field we need. This is why f/11 is used here.

Nikon D810 Tamron 85mm, 1/400s/ F/4.5, ISO 125. Bored street photographer!

Cholla cactus branches fall of with the lightest touch but cling to you like a lost kitten. Nikon D810, Sigma 12-24 at 21mm, 1/400s, f/5.6, ISO 64. Here, ISO 64, that is below the camera’s “native” ISO of 100, is used to extend dynamic range into shadows.

How sharp is the Tamron 85mm? It is very sharp! Nikon D810, Tamron 85mm, 1/5000, f/1.8, ISO 125. Note the very nice bokeh in the background and very limited depth of field at f/1.8. A number of aftermarket lenses come to us with maximum sharpness at their lowest f-number.

A black and white image is easy on the eye.

Photography can be fun, profitable, creative, and technically superior at the same time. Contact me at: edruthusa@yahoo.com

Individualized 1-to-1 photography classes covering digital photography, Adobe Photoshop CC, Adobe Lightroom CC, and CorelDRAW 2018 are always available. Contact me using: edruthusa@yahoo.com for additional information.

About your photography teacher:

Ed Ruth received a BS degree in Secondary Education from the University of Central Connecticut and a MS in Recreation Administration and Public Administration from the university of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He frequently presented slide shows within Everglades National Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and Cape Hatteras National Seashore during his 28-year career with the United States Department of the Interior. He received a Meritorious Achievement Commendation from the Department of the Interior for work performed following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Photography can be fun, profitable, creative, and technically superior at the same time. Contact me for a custom one-to-one camera class in Bakersfield, Please text me at: 661-303-9210 (preferred) or email me using: edruthusa@yahoo.com for an appointment.

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Photography can be fun, profitable, creative, and technically superior at the same time. Contact me for a custom one-to-one camera class in Bakersfield, California. Please text me at: 661-303-9210 (preferred) or email me using: edruthusa@yahoo.com for an appointment.

Ed Ruth’s Digital Services Sole proprietor mission statement: My goal is to provide quality photographic services and photography classes to individuals and groups. I promise to arrive on time, come prepared, be thorough, candid, and not complete any course until you are quite comfortable with the subject matter.

edit 5 16 2023