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A practical course on creating professional documentary photographs with a digital camera. Participants learn the fundamentals of camera operation, photographic technique, image composition, and subject selection and apply them to typical documentation tasks from their working environment.
You will learn how to photograph buildings, rooms, locations, objects, details, and people so that the resulting images meet the technical and informational requirements of professional documentation.
You will become familiar with the essential camera settings, use focus, exposure, and perspective deliberately, and develop a systematic approach to photographic documentation. You will also learn how to make appropriate adjustments to images and how to select, organise, and archive photographic material.
By the end of the course, you will be able to plan documentary image series, produce technically reliable photographs, and process and manage the resulting files appropriately.
• Recognise and apply quality criteria for documentary photography
• Operate the main functions and settings of a digital camera confidently
• Use aperture, shutter speed, and ISO appropriately
• Control focus, exposure, perspective, and framing
• Document buildings, rooms, locations, objects, details, and people systematically
• Combine overview, orientation, and detail photographs effectively
• Identify and avoid common photography mistakes
• Make basic image adjustments and select and archive photographs
• No advanced photography experience is required
• A digital camera, preferably with manual or semi-automatic controls
• A suitable battery, charger, and memory card
• Basic familiarity with your own camera is helpful but not essential
*We customize the course outline and content to your specific needs and relevant use cases.
Module 1: Fundamentals of Documentary Photography
• Purposes and applications of documentary photographs
• Differences between documentary and creative photography
• Technical, informational, and organisational quality criteria
• Clarity, completeness, and traceability of photographic material
• Requirements for overview, orientation, and detail photographs
• Common quality issues and their impact on documentation
Module 2: Camera Design and Basic Operation
• Structure and operation of a digital camera
• Camera types and their possible applications
• Lenses, focal lengths, and angles of view
• The significance of sensor size, resolution, and file format
• Using camera controls and menus confidently
• Shooting modes and automatic functions
• Reviewing images using the display, viewfinder, and histogram
Module 3: Exposure and Photographic Technique
• The relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO
• Automatic and manual exposure
• Aperture priority, shutter priority, and programme modes
• Exposure metering and exposure compensation
• Working with bright, dark, and high-contrast subjects
• Photographing in low light and backlit situations
• Using tripods, stable surfaces, and image stabilisation
Module 4: Focus and Sharpness
• Fundamentals of focus and depth of field
• Autofocus modes and focus points
• Single autofocus, continuous autofocus, and manual focus
• Selecting the correct focus point deliberately
• The effect of aperture, focal length, and distance on depth of field
• Avoiding motion blur and camera shake
• Checking image sharpness after capture
Module 5: Subject Selection and Image Composition
• Capturing the essential information of a subject clearly
• Selecting an appropriate position, distance, and viewpoint
• Perspective, leading lines, and spatial effect
• Managing framing, backgrounds, and image edges
• Showing scale and spatial relationships
• Combining overview, orientation, and detail photographs
• Identifying and avoiding distracting elements
Module 6: Documenting Typical Subjects
• Photographing buildings and façades clearly
• Recording rooms and spatial situations systematically
• Documenting locations and larger areas through image sequences
• Photographing objects neutrally and consistently
• Making small details, damage, and distinctive features visible
• Using scales and reference objects
• Photographing people objectively, respectfully, and appropriately
Module 7: Practical Exercises and Image Review
• Preparing and planning a photographic documentation task
• Creating a logical shot list
• Practical exercises using typical subjects
• Working under different lighting and space conditions
• Applying different camera settings
• Comparing and selecting different versions of an image
• Reviewing photographs against defined quality criteria
• Identifying and correcting common photography mistakes
Module 8: Image Editing and Quality Control
• Selecting suitable photographs
• Making basic adjustments to brightness, contrast, and colour
• Cropping, straightening, and correcting perspective
• Managing image noise and sharpness
• Differences between lossless and lossy editing
• Limits of editing documentary photographic material
• Preserving the authenticity and informational value of an image
• Checking resolution, file size, and output quality
Module 9: File Formats and Archiving
• JPEG, RAW, and other relevant file formats
• Advantages and disadvantages of different capture formats
• Transferring images to a computer or storage system
• Meaningful file names and traceable folder structures
• Selecting, tagging, and assigning photographs
• Backing up and archiving files for long-term use
• Managing original files and edited versions
• Basic requirements relating to data protection and access rights
Hands-on learning with expert instructors at your location for organizations.
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