Photo II: Technique & Style
ART-40631
Elevate Your Photography
9 Weeks | Live Online with In-Person Field Trips
Prerequisites: Photo I: Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO (ART-40629) and Digital Photography Workflow (ART-40705).
Photo II: Technique & Style is the ideal next step for photographers seeking to refine their technical skills and cultivate their unique artistic vision. This course is designed to take you beyond the fundamentals, pushing you to experiment, explore, and embrace creative challenges. With expert instruction, hands-on exercises, and supportive critiques, you'll develop the confidence and competence to create captivating images.
Course Details
Through this course, you'll explore diverse photographic techniques and styles that inspire new perspectives and approaches. From exploring artificial lighting to uncovering the secrets of long exposure, you'll learn to adapt to various environments and create impactful images that tell a story. Whether you're interested in vibrant portraits, evocative night photography, or intricate still-life compositions, this course will help you find and refine your voice as a photographer. In this course you'll not only learn the technical aspects of photography but also discover how to create emotionally resonant images that leave a lasting impression.
What You'll Learn
- Refine your composition and exposure techniques for creating visually dynamic photographs.
- Develop the ability to craft compelling and expressive portraits.
- Gain foundational skills in artificial lighting, including off-camera flash and light modifiers.
- Master techniques for low-light photography, including long exposures and composite imaging.
- Enhance your post-processing workflow using Adobe Lightroom Classic, Camera Raw, and Photoshop.
- Learn how to create visual narratives that evoke emotion and tell meaningful stories.
Course Information
Quarters Offered: Fall, Spring
Equipment/Software: Fully adjustable DSLR camera or prosumer camera. Creative Cloud Photography Plan required (or full Adobe Creative Cloud plan). Lightroom Classic needed (not Lightroom Creative Cloud). Tripod recommended.
Flexible Enrollment: This course is a required course for the Photography: Images and Techniques Professional Certificate but is open to all students, who meet the prerequisite requirements, even if you're not enrolled in the Certificate Program.
Academic Calendar: The Academic Calendar shows the open enrollment dates and term start dates for each quarter. Courses do not necessarily start on the first day of the term.
Course sessions
Section ID:
Class type:
Textbooks:
All course materials are included unless otherwise stated.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 4/21/2025
- Early Enrollment Discount: $400 ($425 if enrolled after 3/3/2025)
- 1st meeting mandatory
- Early enrollment advised
- No UCSD parking permit required
- No visitors permitted
Schedule:
| Date | Day | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/17/2025 | Thu | 6:00 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. |
| 4/24/2025 | Thu | 6:00 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. |
| 5/1/2025 | Thu | 6:00 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. |
| 5/4/2025 | Sun | 7:00 p.m. | 10:00 p.m. |
| 5/8/2025 | Thu | 6:00 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. |
| 5/15/2025 | Thu | 6:00 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. |
| 5/18/2025 | Sun | 9:00 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. |
| 5/22/2025 | Thu | 6:00 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. |
| 5/29/2025 | Thu | 6:00 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. |
Instructor:
Christopher Wood, M.S.
Taught geography at the university level and lectured on photography at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido
Christopher Wood teaches Photo I: Aperture, Shutter Speed, & ISO, Photo II: Technique & Style, and Photographic Portraiture I for the Photography: Images and Techniques certificate program. Chris earned his master's degree in geography before embarking on his career in photography. He has taught geography at the university level and lectured on photography at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido. During the past 10 years, Wood has worked extensively as both a wedding and sports photographer.
