Close-Up Photography

It is not necessary to spend a lot of money to enjoy Close-Up Photography

Photo: Heidi Levin

Richard has been teaching this class only twice a year for more than 15 years. The flexibility of this class allows for instruction and assignments to be tailored for each student's individual needs and level of experience.

The Close-Up class will take four or five hours of your time, each week, for five weeks. This includes two hours of lecture/class time, and two to three hours for planning and shooting your assignments. Each class will have a lecture by the instructor with a relevant shooting assignment for the next class. Shooting assignments may be completed at any location.

At the first class, Richard will demonstrate that it is not necessary to spend a lot of money to enjoy Close-Up Photography. He will show the different equipment available, ranging in price from $50 to almost $1,000 for a dedicated lens.

But don't worry, Richard will help you decide which reasonably priced option you should use:

• a set of close up magnifying filters, or
• a lens-reversing ring, or
• a set of extension tubes, or
• a micro lens.

Starting with the second class, there will be group critiques of each student's assignment

For the fourth class, we will have a hands-on shooting workshop on location at the Chicago Park District's Garfield Park Conservatory. Note that the fourth class will meet at the usual time at this location.

The fifth class will include a review and critique of the photographs taken at the Conservatory. (If you're unclear about any of this, call or text Richard on his cell phone, 312-671-7717).

Students need to bring their camera and a notepad to class every week. You may use either a digital camera (DSLR) or a 35mm film camera (SLR). You are required to expose not less than 48 images with a digital camera. If you are using film, you must shoot one 36-exposure roll of slide film each week and have it processed in time for the next week's critique.