Camera Basics
Montgomery County Recreation
This is a beginner class to help DSLR and mirrorless camera owners demystify the buttons, symbols, and functions of their seemingly complicated cameras. Sample topics include WB (white balance), aperture, shutter speed, ISO, color space, metering, and focus modes. If you have a fancy camera sitting in the closet unused because it feels too intimidating, this class is for you. All participants will need to bring their camera, charged battery, and SD card. Participants should also have access to their camera's instruction manual (printed or digital).
Intro to Digital Photography
Montgomery County Recreation
Participants will learn the fundamentals of the exposure triangle (aperture, shutter speed, ISO) as well as composition rules, lens choices, and ideal camera settings for taking artistic photos. Examples of this would be obtaining a blurry background, using motion to create a painterly effect, how to take close ups, and shooting in low light situations. This class is part lecture and part hands-on practice. Notes and handouts provided.
Participants should bring their camera, charged battery, lens(es), and SD card. Tripods are encouraged but are not required.
Mastering Exposure
Montgomery County Recreation
Comprised of six sessions, this class is designed to teach participants how to get out of auto and into manual mode on their DSLR and mirrorless cameras. Students will learn in both classroom and on-location settings. Monday classes will be held in the classroom while Wednesday classes will take place at various designated locations where participants will practice and solidify the concepts learned the previous Monday.
One of the best ways to learn photography is by doing which is why this class is going to be a fun way to create artistic photographs while learning the fundamentals of the exposure triangle (aperture, shutter speed, and ISO). By the end of this class, participants will be able to shoot in manual mode. Handouts and notes will be provided. All participants will need to bring their camera, charged battery, SD card, and tripod (optional) to all class sessions.
Creative Capture: Exploring Varied Perspectives || Virtual
Santa Fe Workshops
Are you looking for a light-hearted and fun workshop to stretch your imagination while paying close attention to technical details? If so, then photographic artist Cat Simmons has an online workshop designed especially for you!
Over three inspiring weeks in June, Cat plans to change the way you see the world and the way you create images by exploring varied perspectives. Each week, Cat introduces a different photographic perspective that you then spend the week photographing in time for the next class. You are challenged to think technically, creatively, and in some cases, conceptually. These exercises span a range of approaches to photography.
First, we look at historical and contemporary artwork, making new images that pay attention to lighting, composition, and detail. Next, visually narrating a song calls upon our ability to communicate a story while taking into consideration factors such as sound, poetry/lyrics, rhythm, and instruments. Lastly, we choose a subject and photograph it from a wide variety of angles, carefully considering focal length, perspective, camera-to-subject distance, and how these varying perspectives work together to give the viewer a larger understanding of the subject matter.
At the end of our three weeks together, we have developed a fresh appreciation for the many facets that photography offers while having had fun expanding our imaginations and capabilities.
Defying Convention with Conceptual Photography || Virtual
Santa Fe Workshops
Do you have a desire to make images that explore an idea, emotion, or narrative? Cat Simmons invites you to go beyond traditional genres like landscape or still life and take a deep dive into conceptual photography and use images to transmit your abstract ideas.
This creative approach to photographic art allows us to convey abstract concepts while reveling in the incredible freedom of deviating from convention. In this rigorous workshop, you gain a practical knowledge of conceptual photography and the starting points for creating—or expanding upon—your own body of work.
Together we delve into the origins and progression of conceptual art, considering the work of notable conceptual artists and discussing ideas relevant to the constant evolution of photography.
Participants engage in reading, individual research, and, of course, the creation of photographs. Cat facilitates lecture presentations and group discussions while introducing a wealth of resources that propel you forward artistically long after the workshop’s end.
Because it lacks constraints and functions without boundaries, conceptual photography is less anchored in aesthetic perfection, which opens the door to curiosity and playful experimentation. As you make images that reflect your own ideas and concepts, you become a more thoughtful, articulate, and insightful artist.
Writing an Artist Statement || Two Part Virtual Workshop
Praxis Photo Arts Center
The artist statement is a key component to connecting an artist’s work with the viewer. This two-part workshop is designed to equip artists with the knowledge and tools to construct a compelling and informative artist statement through a combination of Zoom presentation, class discussion, and individual statement critiques. If you consider yourself to be an artist, but feel you lack the necessary writing skills to draft an equally successful artist statement, this class is for you. Note: The first session is primarily lecture and group discussion. The second session is for peer and instructor critique of students’ statements. Participants may register for the first session only at the cost of $35.
Intro to Digital Editing
MD Rockville Science Center in Rockville, MD
This editing workshop is designed to introduce participants to basic editing techniques across three different applications: Adobe Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, and Snapseed (mobile app).
This is an introductory course intended to serve as an overview of these options, but to equip you enough to begin to enhance your own images with ease.
Dates Will Be Announced Here
General Photography Tutoring
Zoom and In-Person
Private instruction from beginning through advanced levels in Bridge, Camera Raw, and Photoshop. Students will receive recordings of each session for later review along with copious notes for future success.
CAT’S EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Cat is a photographer and educator who teaches classes related to Digital Photography and Camera Basics, Portraiture, Studio Lighting, Adobe Photoshop, Conceptual Photography and as a side bar offers instruction in areas of Bracketing and HDR, Digital Printing, Mat Cutting and Framing, Research, Writing, and certain methods of Alternative Processes. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Photography from Savannah College of Art and Design.
Her experience teaching began while she lived abroad in Vienna, Austria where she wrote and taught her first class on Photography Basics as a member of the United Nations Photography Club. Since returning to the States, she has taught classes for Capital Photography Center in Washington DC, Praxis Photo Arts Center and Gallery, Frederick Community College, and the MD Rockville Science Center in Rockville, MD. Additionally, she has volunteered her time as an educational group facilitator for a Conceptual Project Development class offered through the North Bethesda Camera Club, as a critique panelist for portfolio and project reviews, and as a speaker on the camera club circuit lecturing on various topics.
Outside of creating photographic art, the classroom is where Cat loves to be. She is passionate about sharing what she knows with others, providing resources for artistic growth, and equipping others to pursue photography with as much confidence as possible. Whether you are a novice, hobbyist, or seasoned photographer, there is always more to learn. Cat is ready to share everything she knows with anyone who wants to learn! She teaches on Zoom, in her studio/classroom, and on-location when requested. Subscribe below to learn more about her upcoming learning opportunities.
