Silverlens announces photography courses

Silverlens will hold photography workshops from January to February 2009. The courses are as follows:

First is “Photo 1 – Cameras and Techniques” with five sessions starting Jan. 14, every Wednesday, from 6 to 8 p.m., under instructor Johann Espiritu. The fee is P6,500. Designed for the beginning photographer, students learn about camera handling and operation, principles of exposure, shutter speed, aperture, focal length, and basic composition and lighting. The course outline includes shooting assignments and critiques, which encourage students to practice photography techniques and to develop confidence behind the lens. There are no prerequisites for this course.

“Photo 2 – Exposure to Photographers” has five sessions starting Jan. 13, every Tuesday, from 6 to 8 p.m., under instructor Rachel Rillo. The fee is P6,500. A bridge class between learning technique in Photo 1 and Exploring Expression in Photo 3, this class is a mix of third-world tips for first-world images in terms of lighting, technique. The class emphasizes design in photography and exploration of genres such as street and documentary photography, fashion and commercial photography, and art photography. Prerequisite is Photo 1 or portfolio review. (E-mail portfolios to manage@silverlensphoto.com.)

“Photo 3 — Photography as Expression” has eight sessions starting Jan. 15, every Thursday, from 6 to 8 p.m., under instructor Isa Lorenzo. The fee is P9,000. This course will encourage students to follow their instincts and obsessions as a way to strengthen their directions, visions, and voices. By reviewing other photographer’s work, completing class assignments, and participating in critiques, students will expand their understanding of photography as a contemporary medium of expression. This course is ideal for students who are ready to begin a photography project. Prerequisite is Photo 2 or portfolio review. (E-mail portfolios to pacific@isalorenzo.com)

“The Photo Journal” has four sessions on Jan. 17, 24, 31 and Feb. 7, from 1 to 4 p.m., under instructor Kidlat de Guia. The fee is P7,000. Photographing our daily lives to make a journal of sorts is the best way to evaluate and transform the way we see things. Students will embark on a path to self-discovery, having to photograph everyday for the duration of the course, regardless of other commitments. The contact sheet, whether analog or digital, will form a structure for seeing by mapping the daily evolution of perception. Students will produce individual journals that will provide a framework for their imagery and writing. By the end of the course, students will have uncovered new aspects of their creativity and themselves.

“The Idea of Creativity in Photography” has six sessions starting Feb. 18, every Wednesday, from 6 to 8 p.m., under instructor Johann Espiritu. The fee is P7,500. How does one become creative in the realistic medium of photography? This course aims to answer the personal questions of what creativity means to you by examining why photography came to be, and how to take advantage of its unique characteristics as a means of creative self-expression.

Silverlens also offers a portfolio review with two sessions on Jan. 17 and 24, from 4 to 6 p.m., with panelists Kidlat de Guia, Isa Lorenzo, Rachel Rillo and Lilen Uy. The fee is P500.

To register, call Leonore at 816-0044 or SMS 0905-2650873, e-mail manage@silverlensphoto.com. Fifty-percent reservation fee is required. Balance due on the first day of classes. All classes are held at Silverlens Gallery, 2320 Pasong Tamo Extension, Makati City.