This is part of a series of CoDA’s immersive four day courses, intended to provide a first degree fluency in digital tools and technologies for archaeology and cultural heritage. Training is limited to small groups with low student-instructor ratios, limited to 12 participants.

A hands-on, practical training covering studio (artifacts, samples, publication imaging) and field photography. We will cover the essentials of color calibration, resolution, optimal aperture and shutter speed settings, lighting and composition. We will discuss how to develop a ‘born–archival’ workflow, helping to assure digital preservation from the field to the file. Workshop participants will also learn about exciting new state-of-the-art imaging techniques that are readily available to anyone with a Digital SLR, such as exposure fusion, gigapan imaging, stereo photogrammetry, reflectance transformation imaging, and focus stacking.

Check out upcoming dates for this immersive course in our training section!

Prerequisites: None. A strong interest in digital photography and basic computer skills (Mac or PC). Participants may be asked to complete pre-training tutorials online in advance depending on our skills assessment questionnaire.

Equipment: We provide everything you need, but also encourage you to bring laptops, cameras and other gear. We are happy to go over your equipment with you and help you make the most of it. In either case, you’re covered.

Outcomes: We strive to produce first degree fluency in the skills we teach in the immersives. We focus on building core capabilities through active learning by doing. For photography, this means ‘shoot first and ask questions later.’ You will spend a lot of time taking pictures, setting up ‘stages’, selecting and developing, archiving and publishing. By the end of the four days, you will be proficient and self-reliant in digital imaging.

• Understand your DSLR. Key functions, lens and body choices.
• Reciprocity. Digital ‘film’ speeds (ISO), exposure/shutter speeds, f/stop/aperture. Tradeoffs and optimal settings.
• Equipment wish lists and essentials. From DIY to high end professional kit, we’ll make sure you know what your options are at any budget.
• Lighting. Natural, strobe, studio, reflectors, fill, raking. How to improve nasty field lighting situations and safeguard museum and archaeological collections from light damage.
• Composition. We’ll cover the Golden Mean, the Rule of Thirds, and work to compose beautiful images. We’ll cover practical aspects as well – scales, backgrounds, light and scene management.
• RAW image workflow. Using free and low-cost PIE (non-destructive parametric imaging) software, you will learn the 3-2-1 rule of digital backup, and how to protect your media throughout their use-lives. Our production process will help you handle huge amounts (1000′s) of images with remarkable ease.
• Color and exposure management. Elusive, difficult, challenging in the best of times. We will demystify color so you can achieve remarkably consistent results time and again.
• Digital Publishing, Metadata and Rights Management. Whether preparing for publication in a professional journal or on a blog site, we will go through several scenarios each day. By the end of the training, you will be able to send images to a server, Flickr, embed rights information, and understand derivatives and version control.
• Advanced Imaging. Our shooting setups will introduce you to some amazing advances in imaging that are surprisingly doable and easy to grasp. Gigapixel panoramas, stereo photogrammetry, focus stacking, interactive relighting, time lapse – these techniques are as functional as they are cool.