Fundamentals of Photography

Photography happens before the photographer presses the shutter. This means knowing exactly what they are photographing, from what angle, how they use light, how they set their camera, what the result will be, how they will post-process it, and—most importantly—what they want to say with that photograph and to whom.

This is the promise of our course—by the end, you will know what photograph you want to make and how to achieve it.

What you will learn:

1. Photographic Technique (lecturer: Andrei Păcuraru) –manual mode, composition, basic post-processing; includes photo walks and practice with the lecturer and the group.

2. History of Photography (lecturer: Cristina Irian) – from camera obscura to digital; movements and practical applications today; includes practical exercises for building a camera obscura, and museum and gallery visits.

3. Storytelling in Photography (lecturer: Cornel Lazia) – storytelling, framing, angles, POV, cinematic principles; includes practical exercises for photographing both during the sessions, as well as assignments for home.

4. Documentary Photography (lecturer: Ioana Moldovan) – an introduction to storytelling and story editing for documentary photography; it includes the assignment of creating a photographic series, as well as the deepening of the selection and sequencing for the final result of the series.

5. Studio Photography (lecturer: Ionuț Staicu) – an introduction to studio equipment and lighting setups for portrait and product photography; with the exception of the first session which is theoretical, all of them are practical and imply hands-on learning in the studio.

6. Personal Style in Photography (lecturer: Natan Dvir) – an exploration into the history of photography from the perspective of a photographer's personal style, and a platform of support in identifying and understanding your own perspective. This module is online; every session is interactive and stimulates crtical thinking and image reflection.

7. Methods of Critiquing and Evaluating (lecturer: Panos Kasimis) – lays the theoretical foundations of photographic critique so that each student can acquire the necessary notions to be able to make their own image selections and look critically at their own work. This module is online and it includes a review of every student’s selection of images.

8. Fundamentals of the Photographic Project and Portfolio (lecturers: Andrei Păcuraru & Toma Hurduc) – an introduction to the photographic project and support in creating a portfolio; includes practice during lessons, at the end each student has a portfolio.

9. Street Photography Workshop (lecturer: Toma Hurduc) – what is street photoghraphy and most importantly, what isn’t? Includes going out to photograph, editing, printing, and identifying a narrative thread.

10. Film Developing Workshop (lecturers: Ionuț Staicu & Matei Dumitru) – a workshop where you receive a film camera, practice portraiture in the studio with Ionuț and then develop your own film under Matei's guidance at ISOpatrusute.

    
    

Course details:

• Total of 192 study hours, nearly ¾ practical (going out to photograph, photographing in the studio, practical exercises at CdRF, developing etc.)

• 3 classes per week (Tue & Wed 18:00–21:00, Sat 11:00–17:00)

• Maximum 20 participants

• Held at the Center for Resources in Photography (Popa Tatu 68, Bucharest, Romania)

• Required equipment – ​​digital camera with manual control with at least a 50mm or equivalent zoom lens, laptop with processing software installed (Lightroom);

• You will have access to the CdRF library with its nearly 500 photography books, albums and magazines. You will also have access to the CdRF studio for self-practice;

• Finalized with a group exhibition

• Students can register for the exam; those who pass the exam obtain a graduation certificate for the specialization of photographer. CdRF is accredited by the Ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity, through the Commission for the Authorization of Adult Vocational Training Providers in the Municipality of Bucharest, and the graduation certificate is recognized at European level. Anyone can take the course, but to obtain the certification, a minimum of high school education is required.

• Students can purchase the Portfolio Review in June with a 40% discount.

About the lecturers, briefly:

Cristina Irian – PhD in the history and theory of art, artist exhibited nationally and internationally, researcher specializing in photographic archives.

Ioana Moldovan – Award-winning photojournalist, published in some of the world’s most important newspapers and magazines such as The New York Times, Huffington Post, BBC, Der Spiegel, ESPN, etc.

Andrei Păcuraru – Photographer with over 20 years of experience in both teaching and commercial work; founding member of the National Association for Contemporary Visual Arts; contemporary artist.

Cornel Lazia – PhD in cinematography and media, artist exhibited nationally and internationally; photographer with over 20 years of experience in the commercial field—fashion, advertising, music album covers, corporate work, etc.

Ionuț Staicu – Photographer with over 20 years of professional experience, focused on commercial fashion and product photography, with award-winning advertising campaigns.

Natan Dvir – Educator and conceptual documentary photographer. He holds an MBA from Tel Aviv University and a master’s degree in photography from the School of Visual Arts (New York), after which he became an adjunct faculty member at the International Center of Photography (ICP). He is currently Managing Director of Education at the Houston Center for Photography.

Panos Kasimis – Photographer and educator with over 38 years of experience in artistic and documentary photography. He studied at the Royal College of Art in London and was a student of Chris Killip and Mary Ellen Mark. His work has been exhibited in cities such as Athens, Rome, Berlin, and Istanbul, and his photographs are part of both public and private collections.

Matei Dumitru – Develops film at °isopatrusute, a laboratory dedicated to film photography. With a background in cinematography, Matei is focused on creating a bridge between the creative and the practical, providing photographers with the technical means and support they need to implement their ideas and bring their projects to life.

Toma Hurduc – The youngest member of the team, Toma studied image-making at UNATC. He works on long-term projects and edits the zine “Past Few Days.” He is interested in comfortable and uncomfortable moments from his own daily life and that of the people around him.

Feedback from former students: