Canon EOS Digital SLR Training

February 6th finally dawned and I was off to my grown up DSLR photography course. On purchasing my Canon EOS 750D camera a few months ago, I was told to register for a free introductory level course worth €150. 
The course was held in the Chartered Accountants building on Pearse St, nearly across the road from the Science Gallery (which incidentally has a gorgeous cafe!).
​The only  gripe I had with the course was the start time. Registration was from 8:30am and it started at 9am (Sharp!). As the directions recommended public transport, it was impossible for those of us outside  of Dublin to arrive on public transport before 9am on a Saturday. Even if the course started a half hour later, the start time would be achievable for the culchies! Also we were informed the day before that we were invited to a "dusk shoot" at 7pm. It was a bit late notice for those of us who traveled across the country and/or had made plans for the evening.
Dave McKane of the Institute of Photography guided us through 3 tutorials:

1. Use rule of thirds to get interesting shots
2. Camera buttons to improve your photography
3. Resources on the Web

He worked off a large presentation screen where he switched between his laptop and a visualiser to demonstrate directly on the camera. All the presentation slides were contained in a little booklet each participant received on arrival, which I am finding very handy now to digest.

Dave was assisted by four Canon representatives. He would explain and show a function and if you had any difficulty finding it on your camera (there were many different models in the room) you just raised your hand and one of the assistants would show you where to find it.
The morning moved very quickly and it was a bit daunting (especially when you're 20 minutes late) but it was a good format once you settled into it and Dave has an entertaining manner and is easy to listen to. He invited questions from the floor and was happy to repeat instructions. 
So what did I learn from the day?

• I need to get a tripod
• Tripods are very important
• I really can't take a picture without a tripod!
• After my tripod purchase, I need to start saving for a Flash Gun. Not only will I look professional but it will be great for indoors and people shots
• I know now about the different functions and when to use them
• I have a lot of practicing to do!

I have to say, I really enjoyed the course.  It gave me a taste for the possibilities and a hint of smugness as I had learned about the rule of thirds years ago!  Definitely a course like this is a must after purchasing your first DSLR, if only to get to know half the buttons on the camera.
I now have my little booklet to study and I need to do more of the tutorials on the Canon Companion app. Let's see if next weeks photos in Lisbon are better then last Decembers offerings!