Acquiring a certificate in photography helps give official recognition to your photographic skills. A photography certificate develops essential photographic skills in students, and provides basic and advanced photographic training. The program may teach fundamental principles of photography art, including the behavior of light, optics, and shutter. The in-depth knowledge of important principles assists students in doing professional level photography. Nowadays, digital photography has gained increasing popularity. Skilled digital photography may be learned by mastering the right techniques and editing expertise. The certificate program may also teach how to use photography software and how to set up a home-based photography business.
These days, students may obtain a photography certificate online. The flexible nature of these programs enables students to continue work at the same time. They also save time and enable students to save on commuting costs by not having to attend classes on a campus. These programs may also be less expensive than campus based programs.
Photography Certificate Program
The program may cover the following objectives:
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Teach students the fundamentals of photography
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Teach the steps involved in processing photographs
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Coach students about digital photography techniques
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Help students pursue a career as a professional photographer
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Teach students techniques to start a photography business
Requirements
In order to enroll in an online photography program, a computer with high-speed internet connection and photography software is usually required. Other requirements may vary from one program to another.
Curriculum
The curriculum may be divided into different photography modules. The first module may teach basics such as photography facets, styles and approaches of photography, wavelengths and colors, how light works, lenses and their control, depth of field and focus, and essential components of cameras.
The second module may include lighting equipment, practical lighting issues, subject features, structuring photos, films and filters, storing film, exposure measurements, and tips.
The third module may include the following:
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Equipment and General Preparations for Processing
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Processing various Negatives
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Black and White Printing
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Darkroom Organization
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Making Contact Prints
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Film Processing
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Controls During Enlarging
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Print Faults
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Mounting Methods and Framing
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Post-Production for Digital Images
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Advanced Editing
The fourth and fifth modules may cover the following:
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Taking digital Photos
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Light Consideration
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Exposure control
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Creative photo techniques
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Sharpness and depth control
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Photoshop Elements
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Basic Image Workflow
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Photographic Prints
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Home-Based Photography
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Financial Planning for photographic business
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Computers and Business
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Start-up costs
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Photography Business Management
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Marketing Photography Business
The above mentioned curriculum is typical for many programs. However, please note that the details may vary from one institute to another.
Career Prospects
The certificate program in photography prepares students to get started in their photography career. However, career growth in photography depends on many factors, such as photographic skill, creative skill, and business acumen of an individual. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual wage of photographers was $28,490 in May 2012. The BLS expects the employment of photographers to grow by 4 percent from 2012 to 2022.