
Practical Photography - Level 2
This course will take place in person.
If you have always wanted to take fascinating photographs or if you just got your first digital camera and you don’t know how to use it then our practical photography courses are for you. During the sessions, the tutor will give you creative advice, ideas on what subjects to shoot, and tips on how to shoot them in an inspiring way.
Who is this course for?
Anyone with passion for photography and visual arts as well for those who are thinking of gaining employability skills in photography.
Do I need any previous skills or knowledge?
You should have skills and experience equivalent to our Practical Photography - Level 1 course.
Will I need any equipment or materials?
You will need your own DSLR or hybrid camera with manual functions.
Practical information
This course will be taught through a combination of tutor presentations, group discussions and practical exercises.
How we’re keeping you safe
August 2022 update: Keeping you safe and healthy is our number one priority.
If you test positive for Covid-19 or are asked to isolate and are not able to attend your class or pre-booked event, please contact the Bishopsgate Box Office for further information (enquiries@bishopsgate.org.uk). Please do not come to the Institute in person if you have symptoms or have tested positive.
Bishopsgate Institute has a thorough cleaning schedule in place and we clean the most populated areas more often. You will find hand-sanitising stations throughout the building as well as touch-free drinking fountains.
Find out more about how we’re keeping you safe.

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Need to Know
Metadata
- Time
- 18:30 - 20:30
- Price
- £132/£99 concession
- Day
- Tuesdays
- Duration
- 120
- Venue
- Bishopsgate Institute
- Tutor
- Paulina Czyz
- Max Students
- 10
- No. of Sessions
- 6
- Course Code
- CA23116
You will learn
By the end of this course, you will have learnt how to:
- Use the manual functions on your camera to produce creative images that also demonstrate some technical and theoretical competence
- Compositional devices to produce visually appealing images.
Meet the Tutor

Paulina Czyz
Paulina Czyz’s personal work mixes fashion, architecture, street and fine art conventions, producing digital images representing surreal worlds, but also documenting world that surrounds us.
Commercially she continues to work as a commissioned photographer for private clients, businesses and independent fashion labels.
She produces a wide range of courses in photography. As well as a degree in Journalism, Paulina undertook two years of Photography Studies at the University of Arts, London College of Communication.
Paulina also has five years’ experience in the publishing industry. She then went on to do a diploma in teaching before becoming a supportive teacher at City of Westminster College, where she taught digital and silver photography. Her website is www.paulinaczyz.com.
Course Overview
Week 1
- Depth of Field (D.O.F.) and shutter speed, and both as controllers of light; the reciprocal relationship
- Three factors in D.O.F changing
- Lens characteristics and focal lengths
- Creative use of shutter speed and movement
- File Formats: Image size and Image quality (RAW or JPEG)
- Featured Photographer Review
Week 2
- Advanced exposure: camera metering modes, exposure compensation, and the histogram. The impact of camera sensitivity on images
- Dynamic Range
- Developing an idea for a long-term photography project
Week 3
- Advanced Flash Photography
- Respond to challenging lighting conditions by selecting appropriate use of flash
- Balancing ambient light and artificial/flash light
- Visual elements that make a photograph
Week 4
- Portraiture Genre and photographic techniques in portraiture
- Portraiture Photographers’ Review
- Experimental posing and framing, motion & expression
- Further understanding on exposure, lenses, on-camera flash, and photographic composition
Week 5
- Presentation of photographic projects - from initial concept to work in progress
- Personal expression, individual vision, and style
- Communication and context
- The decisive moment
- Featured Photographer Review
Week 6
- Final presentation of photographic projects
- Image editing decisions
- Identify differences between "science of photography" vs. "art of photography"
- Describe various parts of a photograph and use those parts to "build" a new one