Cameras & Equipment

Digital Cameras
The Workshops recommends the use of digital SLR cameras for most photography workshops. However, please be aware that you will need to be technically self-sufficient and bring the following equipment with you:
• A laptop computer with CD Burner —PC or Mac. It is recommended that the laptop has at least 15-20 GB of open hard drive space and at least 1 GB of Ram.
• The current version of an image editing application installed
on your laptop such as Adobe Photoshop CS2 or CS3, Adobe
Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop Elements, or Aperture from
Apple. Trial versions of these applications are available from
the manufacturer’s Web sites.
• Digital memory cards with reader
• Power adapters and cables for laptop and digital camera
• Camera manual
• Batteries and charger for rechargeable batteries
• Blank CDs or DVDs for burning images, or an external hard
drive to store images

Unless you are taking beginning workshops with Marcia Reifman, Sarah Meghan Lee, or Rick Allred, it is expected that you know how to download images from your camera to the laptop, edit images using your image editing software, and organize the edited images for critique. Please note: The classroom computer workstation and LCD digital projector are for staff facilitation of critique and projection. They are not for participant use.

Film Cameras
A solid technical foundation enables you to advance more quickly in a workshop. Having a working knowledge of your camera in manual mode means that you are capable and comfortable with evaluating your “in camera” light meter reading and can then choose the appropriate manual settings. If you cannot answer the following questions, please study your camera manual in preparation for your workshop.
• What happens if you choose a faster shutter speed than your meter suggests?
• Do you understand depth of field?
• If you open up the aperture setting, how do you compensate with the shutter speed to get the correct exposure?