Boost Your Photography Skills with Our New Classes!

The art world can be intimidating. For the first two years of high school, I refused to pick up a camera because I didn’t know any technical terms or own professional equipment (and I was convinced that I would drop any camera I came into contact with).

Finally, with the quote “Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game” from Hillary Duff’s Cinderella Story ringing in my ears, I ignored my fear and enrolled in photography class. Man! am I glad I did that.

If you are looking for a way to branch out of your typical routine and gain some knowledge about photography, I highly suggest one of these four classes!


Meet the Flower City Arts Center
Thursday Sept. 19 & Monday Oct. 28, 4-5pm

If you have never taken a class at Flower City, this is the perfect place to start! This free tour will give you an insight into the facilities and history of Flower City Arts Center. Chat with our staff and find the right class for you!

Click here to learn more or register!


Flirting with Photography
Wednesdays 6:30-8:30pm, Sept. 18-Nov. 6

Get a taste of all things photography in this eight day class! Students will have projects in the Community Darkroom, Silver Den, Lighting Studio, and Digital Art Studio. The best part? No prior experience necessary! This is an ideal class for those looking to “get their feet wet” in the world of photography.

Click here to learn more or register!


Looking at Photographs
Thursdays 6:30-8:30pm, Sept. 19-Sept. 28 & one Saturday field-trip to the George Eastman Museum 

Want to know what makes a photo great? This class will cover both journalistic and art photos from daguerreotype to digital. You will learn to understand what elements make a photo work and how to apply that to your own photography. Students will share photographs they love and give and get feedback in a final peer-review session. This is a great class for collectors, photographers or those hoping to gain a better understanding of the thought that goes into photography.

Click here to learn more or to register!


Basic Studio Lighting
Mondays 6:30-8:30pm, Sept. 3-Oct. 28

 

If you are looking to improve your lighting skills this is the class for you! Instruction will include various techniques in the use of the studio’s White Lightning strobes in multiple lighting configurations, as well as other equipment such as an incident/flash meter, softboxes, umbrellas, and various other attachment and light modifiers.

Click here to learn more or to register!

 

I hope you found this post helpful in finding some new classes to experiment with! If these don’t strike your fancy, I encourage you to check our our full fall class list.

Get to Know Your Instructor: Christopher Cecere

Chris Cecere is the Sports Photography instructor here in the Photography and Digital Arts Department.

April 27, 2017; Pittsford, NY; USA; Andrew Russell (9) and Frank Imburgia (5) during a Section V high school lacrosse game between the Pittsford Panthers and the Victor Blue Devils at Pittsford Sutherland H.S. Victor won 6-3. Photo: Christopher Cecere/Inside Lacrosse

How long have you been an instructor here?

  • Six years

What would you consider to be the most important thing for students to do in order to reach their full potential in your class?

  • Understanding that one can still cover sporting events, even if you do not have expensive equipment. Keeping this in mind allows the student to learn skills to compensate for not having the latest and greatest camera or lens.
July 26, 2014; Rochester, NY, United States; Blake Davis (10) and Doug Bernier (17) during Rochester Red Wings vs. Indianapolis Indians at Frontier Field. Photo: Christopher Cecere

What do you hope students take away from your class?

  • Trying something new from the class or outside of their normal positioning/angles on the sidelines will give them a new perspective on how they plan to shoot a game.
June 13, 2015; Rochester, NY; USA; during Louisville City FC vs. Rochester Rhinos at Sahlen’s Stadium. Photo: Christopher Cecere

What are some benefits of taking a summer session class?

  • By taking a summer class, we are not limited to indoor events. Also baseball and soccer are the key sports during the summer.

Do you have a catchphrase? If not, what would you make it? Why?

  • I like to say “cool story bro” a lot. Usually as a joke when someone won’t stop talking.
March 08, 2013; Rochester, NY; USA; Luke Adam (72) during Rochester Americans v Abbotsford Heat at Blue Cross Arena. Photo: Christopher Cecere

If you had a superpower what would it be?

  • I don’t think you could beat the ability to fly. Never having to deal with the airport shenanigans again would be fantastic.

Five Interesting Summer Classes

Go Retro With Film!

Learn the building blocks of photography in this introductory class.  Discover how light interacts with a camera, and take great photos while you do it. For more info & to register >>

Intermediate B&W Photography 

If you’ve already learned the basics of film, come back for more. Hone your skills in the dark room and learn new processes to take your images to the next level. For more info & to register >>

Intro DSLR Photography 

Take control of your camera! Turn off auto and learn what your camera can really do for you. For more info & to register >>

Basic Lighting Studio

In need of a professional portrait or just want to spruce up your Instagram? Then learn the basics of lighting to amp up your pictures. For more info & to register >> 

Intro To Photoshop

Now that you have all of these images, learn how to edit them like a pro in Photoshop. Learn how to navigate and use the tools in Photoshop to perfect your photos. For more info & to register >>