SOWETO ACADEMY

JOURNALISM CLUB CURRICULUM.

 For grade 5,6,7 & 8.

1.What is photography?
2.Why do you want to learn photography?
3.What do you know about a camera?
4.Have you ever handled a camera before?
5.What are your expectations for this phptography class?
CAMERA OPERATIONS.

WEEK 1

1.Camera modes- most cameras have different modes such as manual, automatic, and semi
automatic modes.
In automatic mode, the camera sets the aperture,shutter speed and ISO for you.
In manual mode,you set these parameters yourself.
2.Aperture- The aperture is the opening in the lens that controls the amount of light entering the
Camera.A smaller aperture (higher f-stop number) will result in a larger depth of field,while a larger
aperture (lower f-stop number ) will result in a shallower depth of field.
3.Shutter speed- shutter speed is the amount of time the camera’s shutter is open to expose the
sensor to light.A faster shutter speed freezes motion ,while a slower shutter speed allows for motion
blur.

(Understanding the basic camera operations: all this will be demonstrated by a Camera)
WEEK 2

4. ISO – ISO is the camera’s sensitivity to light.Higher ISO settings allow for shooting in low light
conditions,but can also introduce noise into the image.
5.Focus – Focus is the process of adjusting the lens to ensure the subject is in sharp focus .Some
cameras have autofocus features,while others reqiure manual focus.
6.White balance- White balance adjusts the color temperature of the image to ensure that whites
appear white under different lighting conditions.

ASSIGNMENT.

END OF JANUARY : TEST 1.

WEEK 3
PART 2

DEPTH-OF-FIELD
Depth of field refers to the area within the photo that is in focus.By adjusting the aperture of the
camera,photographers can control the depth of field ,creating a shallow depth of field to blur the
background and draw aattention to the subject,or a deep depth of feld to keep the entire image in
focus.

1.Aperture refers to the size of the opening in the lens through which light passes to reach the
camera’s sensor .It is measured in f-stops,such as f/2.8,f/4,f5.6,and so on.
A smaller aperture (higher f-stop number ) will create a larger depth of field,meaning more of the
scene will be in focus,from the fore ground to the background.Conversely,a larger aperture (lower f-
stop number) will create a shallower depth of field ,where only a specific area in the image will be in
focus while the rest of the image will be blurred or out of focus.

(will be demonstrated by the use of a camera)

 WEEK 4

2. Shutter speed refers to the amount of time the camera’s shutter stays open to allow light to reach
the sensor.A slower shutter speed allows more light to reach the sensor ,but it also increases the
likelihood of motion blur.A faster shutter speed will freeze motion but may result in under exposure if
there is not enough light .In relation to depth of field ,the shutter speed does not directly affect it,but
it can indirectly influence it by affecting the exposure.If a longer exposure time is needed to achieve
proper exposure time is needed to achieve proper exposure ,it can result in a shalloer depth of field
due to increased light reaching the sensor.
3.ISO refers to the sensitivity of the camera’s sensor to light .A higher ISO setting results in more
noise and grain in the image but allows for faster shutter speeds in low light conditions .A lower ISO
setting produces a cleaner image but requires longer exposure times in low light conditions.In
relation to depth of field ,ISO does not directly affect it but it can indirectly influence it by affecting
the affecting the exposure .A higher ISO setting allows for faster shutter speeds or smaller
apertures,which can result in a shallower depth of field.
4.Aperture – In summary, aperture is the primary factor that determines the depth of field in
photographs,with a smaller aperture creating a larger depth of field and a larger aperture creating a
shallower depth of field. Shutter speed and ISO can indirectly affect the depth of field by influencing
the exposure,which in turn can affect the aperture size used.

ASSIGNMENT.
WEEK 5

EXPOSURE
EXPOSURE is a crucial factor in photography that determines the brightness and darkness of an
image.A photograph that is ‘overexposed’ is too light,while an ’Underexposed’ photograph is too
dark.
Exposure in determined by three factors ; aperture,shutter speed,and ISO .Getting the correct
exposure requires a balance between these three factors.Here are the methods to get the correct
exposure in photography.
1.Automatic method : Most modern cameras have automatic modes that calculate the appropriate
exposure settings based on the available light.The camera’s metering system measure’s the light and
calculates the optimal combination of aperture priority ,shutter priority ,and program mode that
allow you to prioritize specific settings while the camera automatically adjusts the others.
2.Manual method: Manual mode is a powerful tool that gives you full control over the exposure
settings.It is essential to understand how the three factors (Aperture, shutter speed, and ISO )
Affect exposure to use this method.To use this method ,follow the steps;
a. Set the aperture- aperture is the opening in the lens that controls the amount of light entering the
camera.A larger aperture (larger f-number ) limits the amount of light entering the camera ,resulting
in a darker image.
WEEK 6

b.Set the shutter speed : Shutter speed is the duration for which the camera’s shutter remains
open,allowing light to enter the camera .A faster shutter speed limits the amount of time the
camera’s sensor is exposed to light ,resulting in a darker image.A slower shutter speed increases the
amount of time the sensor is exposed to light,resulting in a brighter image.
c.Set the ISO: ISO measures the sensitivity of the camera’s sensor to light.A higher ISO allows more
light to enter the camera ,resulting in a brighter image. A lower ISO limits the amount of light
entering the Camera,resulting in a darker image.

By adjusting these three settings ,you can achieve the desired exposure for your photograph.

ASSIGNMENT.
WEEK 7
EQUIVALENT EXPOSURES
Equivalent exposures refer to different combinations of aperture ,shutter speed,and ISO settings that
produce the same exposure or brightness in a photograph .For example ,if you adjust the aperture
by one stop (say, from f/4 to f/5.6) but also adjust the shutter speed by one stop (say from 1/60 th of
aa second to 1/30th of a second) to compensate ,the overall exposure of the image will remain the
same .This is because the amount of light entering the camera through the lens (controlled by the
shutter speed)
Equivalent exposures are important because they give photographers flexibility in choosing settings
to achieve specific creative effects .For example ,if you want to capture a sharp image of a moving
subject you might choose a faster shutter speed and a wider aperture to freeze the action and create
a shallow depth of field .However ,if you also want to mainatin a specific exposure level,you can use
an equivalent exposure with a slower shutter speed and a smaller aperture ,which will allow more of
the scene to be in focus while still capturing the same amount of light.
Understanding equivalent exposures also helps photographers when using different cameras or
lenses with different maximum aperture settings or ISO capabilities .For example ,if you’re used to
shooting with a lens that has a maximum aperture of f/2.8, but you switch to a lens with a maximum
aperture of f/4 ,you can adjust the shutter speed or ISO to compensate and achieve the same
exposure level.
In summary,automatic modes are great for quick and simple shots,while manual mode provides
control over the final image.
ASSIGNMENT.