Pilkington to teach series of photography classes at BFAC starting Saturday, Feb. 23
The Breckenridge Fine Arts Center is offering a series of one- and two-Saturday photography classes this spring by photographer Tony Pilkington, beginning with “How to Get The Most Out of Your Digital Camera,” on Saturday, Feb. 23.
The other two classes will cover “Basic Photography” and “Digital Photo Computer Techniques.” See the sections below for details on each class.
Anyone interested may take any one of the individual classes or any combination of the classes. The classes will be open to anyone age 15 and older.
To register for any of the classes, send an email to BFAC Director Shalon Wilson at info@BreckenridgeFineArt.org, call the BFAC at 254-559-6602 or visit the center at 207 N. Breckenridge Ave.
Digital Camera Class
The first class, “How to Get The Most Out of Your Digital Camera,” will be offered on Saturday, Feb. 23, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The one-day class is designed to get students jump-started on shooting great photos with digital cameras.
The class focuses on the basics of using your digital camera. You will learn how to use the controls, buttons and settings on your digital camera to get the best photos possible. Plus there will be tips on downloading images to your computer, creative ways to store and archive your images and tips on how to get good prints from your digital photos.
“This is a good basic class on how to use your digital camera. We start very slow and cover the basics of using a digital camera,” Pilkington said. “This is also a great class to take if you don’t yet own a digital camera but are thinking about purchasing one. It’ll give you a lot of knowledge on what to look for when shopping for one.”
The cost of the one-day “How to Get The Most Out of Your Digital Camera” is $40, with a portion of the fee going to support the Breckenridge Fine Arts Center.
Basic Photography Class
The second class, “Basic Photography,” is a two-part workshop scheduled for Saturday, March 2, and Saturday, March 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
In this class, you will learn to “see” the world around you through the eyes of a professional photographer, capturing compelling photos using the digital or film camera you already own. You will learn photography techniques with a special emphasis on how to see and find unusual photos in everyday life.
During the second half of the workshop, the class will venture out of the Fine Arts Center and into downtown Breckenridge for hands-on shooting.
“The techniques you learn is this class will help, whether your goal is to turn your camera into a creative, expressive tool or just shoot better pictures of your kids during your vacation,” Pilkington said.
The cost for the two-day “Basic Photography” class is $70 per person, with a portion of the fee going to support the Breckenridge Fine Arts Center. Pilkington recommends that students have a digital or film SLR camera for this class.
Digital Photo Computer Techniques
The final class, “Digital Photo Computer Techniques,” is a two-part class, which will be taught on Saturday, April 6, and Saturday, April 13.
This class offers students in-depth instruction on creative ways to use and share photos. You will learn how to use computer photo software programs to transfer, improve, organize and archive your photographs. You’ll also learn the best way to prepare your photos for e-mail, website pages, social media and family slide shows, as well as how to get professional quality prints from your computer files.
Techniques covered in this class can be applied to photos shot on film and scanned into the computer or those initially shot with a digital camera. The class also will include tips on how to get good scans of old photos using computer software. There will be an array of creative projects covered in this class, including making photo collages, postcards and greeting cards. The class will also cover basic techniques for using the computer to repair and restore old photographs and creative ways to print them out and share them with family and friends.
The cost for the two-day class is $70, with a portion of the fee going to support the Breckenridge Fine Arts Center.
About Tony Pilkington
Tony Pilkington, who is the publisher of the Breckenridge Texan local news website, has photographed a wide-variety of subjects over the years for magazines, wire services, newspapers and business clients. He developed these classes and has taught them at the Fine Arts Center for several years.
For more information on any of the classes or to register, call the BFAC at (254) 559-6602 or visit the center at 207 N. Breckenridge Ave. The Breckenridge Fine Arts Center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Cutline, top photo: This photo is just one example of the types of photos that students can learn to shoot when they take the “How to Get The Most Out of Your Digital Camera” class at the BFAC on Saturday, Feb. 23. Photographer Tony Pilkington shot the view of the sunset last week on Highway 67 just outside of Breckenridge. (Photo by Tony Pilkington)
