Photographer Tony Pilkington to teach photography class at BFAC July 18 and July 25
Breckenridge Texan publisher and photojournalist Tony Pilkington will teach a two-part basic photography class at the Breckenridge Fine Arts Center on July 18 and July 25.
“Your camera roll is probably full of memories…but how many of those photos would you actually print and frame? The difference isn’t having a better camera. It’s learning how to recognize a great moment before you press the shutter,” the BFAC explains.
The class will cover fundamental camera techniques as well as how to think and see like a photographer. Students will learn how to capture compelling photos of family, friends, and everyday moments that tell stories. In sharing those techniques, Pilkington will draw on his extensive photography career that includes the collection of photos he has taken over the past decade while covering assignments for the Breckenridge Texan.
“Really, every event in our life, whether it’s our child’s or grandchild’s birthday party or just hanging out with friends and family in the backyard on a Sunday afternoon, can be approached like a photo assignment,” he said. “And you can use the basic photography skills and storytelling techniques learned in this class to capture memorable photos. The goal of the class is to go beyond the automatic settings on your camera and teach you how to use the manual controls to give you full creative control over your images.”
Some of the basic skills you’ll learn include understanding how to creatively use shutter speed and aperture controls to stop action and control depth of field, what ISO is, and how to match the right ISO setting to the types of photos you want to shoot to improve image quality.
You’ll explore lens selection and how different sizes and types of lenses can influence the look of your image, along with creative ways to use those lenses. Additionally, you’ll learn about shooting techniques, like selective focus, panning, creative cropping, and various lighting setups such as front-, side-, and back-lighting, as well as how something as simple as changing your position when taking a photo can significantly enhance its impact.
Since much of the class focuses on using creative techniques to capture storytelling photos, the skills learned can be applied to taking better photos, whether you’re using a digital camera, a smart phone or a film camera.
“Shooting great photos is about how you see what you are shooting, not what kind of camera you use to capture it,” Pilkington said.
The two-part class will be held on Saturday, July 18, and Saturday, July 25, at the Breckenridge Fine Arts Center. The classes will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break. The cost of the class is $80 per person.
To sign up for the class, click here for the online registration form. Or, visit the BFAC at 207 N. Breckenridge Ave.; operating hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call the BFAC at 254-559-6602.
Cutline, top photo: Tony Pilkington, pictured here in Southern Methodist University’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium last year, will teach a two-part photography class on July 18 and July 25. He was at SMU, covering Lawson for the Breckenridge Texan as the University of Louisville Cardinals took on the Mustangs. (Photo by Brant Thurmond/Breckenridge Texan)
