OM Mentorship Program - Part 1
What to expect
The OM System Nature Photography Mentorship Program Part I is focused on understanding the technical elements of photography with the OM-1 and the OM-1 Mark II camera bodies. The technical side of photography is centered around understanding the controls, buttons, dials, levers, menus, and features of the camera bodies; as well as, the technical side of exposing an image. This would include an understanding of histograms and highlight/shadow alerts, plus, the Trinity of Photography which is shutter speed, aperture (f-stop), and ISO.
Finally, the technical side of nature photography would include autofocus and all the related settings and processes, and a proper understanding of RAW versus JPG files.
Sessions
Session One
Introductory Session
The introductory session will familiarize you with the Zoom meeting platform so that you will be able to fully engage in every live, interactive session, as well as your private live sessions. We will discuss expectations, participation, projects, and the OM System Mentorship Program website and how to access session materials. We will also review how to use your camera during each session. Finally, we will create a list of each participants personal goals and desired results from the program.
Session Two
OM System Camera Controls
Session one is designed to immerse you into the controls of the OM-1 & the OM-1 Mark II. These controls are comprised of the dials, buttons, levers, and directional pad. These controls are how we access the features, menus, settings, and operations of our cameras. Mastering our system begins with mastering the controls. Without developing the muscle memory for each of the most critical controls, you will already be hobbled before you ever venture into the field for nature photography. We will also consider should we use the touch controls and how to do firmware updates safely and properly.
Session Three
OM System Camera Menu
Session two will walk us through the entire menu of both the OM-1 & OM-1 Mark II and we will only address those features that have a direct relationship with nature photography. We will discuss the menu design, how to navigate, make selections, and create a custom menu. The menus have items that only need to be set once and never touched again and some items that might need to be adjusted more regularly or changed from one genre of nature photography to another (i.e. macro to night sky).
Session Four
Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) & LCD Monitor / Battery & Sleep Settings
Session three will cover two separate areas including the Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) and LCD monitor display, and the battery and sleep settings. The first category we will cover include the EVF’s live view mode, night vision mode, the EVF Auto Switch, EVF display rate, and viewfinder and monitor brightness. We will also learn the most important information displayed on each. We will also consider battery settings which relay information regarding our battery status and priority (and camera settings which can use a lot of battery power), and how to charge our batteries in camera. Finally, what are sleep settings and how do they affect our cameras.
Session Five
Battery, Sleep, & Clock Settings
Session four will address the various settings affecting the battery and related information, sleep and auto-off settings, clock settings and how to make adjustments easily while traveling, This session is a bit lighter in material offering a nice break from the intensity of the prior sessions. We will be discussing all things related to powering your camera, conserving battery power versus more batteries, and making changes to clock settings so RAW or JPG files have accurate date and time information.
Session Six
Recording & Playing Back Images
Session four will cover how the camera records images and which memory cards should we use. We will discuss the differences in RAW versus various JPG file formats. We will consider settings such as color profile, color space, and image aspect ratios. We will learn the difference between deleting images from a card and formatting a card. We will also discover the various information that can be displayed during image playback and how we choose what we want to see displayed and how many images we can see at once. We will cover how to move through images in any order and how to set defaults according to your preferences. Finally, we will learn how to cycle through the various image playback views.
Session Seven
OM System Exposure Modes
Session five will cover the critically important topic of exposure modes. When it comes to exposure modes, photographers are often given mixed signals even from professionals on which exposure mode is “best.” We will develop a full understanding of each mode so that you can decide which mode is “best” for certain situations. We will consider program, shutter priority, aperture priority, and manual exposure modes. We will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Session Eight
OM System Drive Modes
Session eight will immerse us in the world of drive modes! What modes are best for landscape, wildlife, macro and night sky photography? Is the fastest mode always the best? What are the limitations to each drive mode? Is there one that works for all situations? These and many other considerations will be addressed during this session.
Session Nine
Mastering OM System Autofocus
Session nine is one of the most appealing sessions for nature photographers because of the technological advancements in autofocus technology and the critical aspect of acquiring and keeping focus with fast moving subjects. This session will discuss not only subject tracking, but what situations might it struggle, should we use it all the time, and how can we use the many autofocus settings found in the AF menu to improve our AF speed and accuracy.
Session Ten
Understanding Exposure with the OM System
Session ten will explore all the settings related to exposure which is different than exposure modes. We will consider settings related to shutter speeds, aperture, ISO, metering, and histograms and highlight alerts. We will be introduced to how we can properly expose our images almost every time using the live histogram and live highlight alerts of the OM System cameras.
Session Eleven
Understanding Flash Photography with the OM System
Session eight will demystify the use of flash in nature photography with the OM System cameras. We will learn the difference in a full flash exposure versus fill flash, how to use manual and TTL exposure modes, when to use flash exposure compensation, the concept of light “fall-off” and what that means for a proper exposure, and when we should use flash. We will discuss the impact of flash photography on histograms and live highlight alerts and how we can begin to properly expose images with flash. Finally, we will explore the impact of the aperture (f-stop) on ambient light.
Session Twelve
Computational Photography Features of the OM System
Session twlve will explore the computational photography features that are used for nature photography. These features are some of the most advanced features available on any camera system. We will learn when and how to use Live Neutral Density Filter, Live Composite, Live Time, and Live Bulb exposure modes, focus stacking/focus bracketing, and high dynamic range (HDR)/auto exposure bracketing. We will master the proper use of these advanced features and how to activate them at a moments notice.
Session Thirteen
Miscellaneous Features & Common Errors
Session thirteen will explore the miscellaneous features that don’t really fit into any other category. We will also consider some of the more common errors that users may receive. These include keystone correction, fisheye compensation (for use with the M.Zuiko 8mm F1.8 FISHEYE Pro lens). and interval (time lapse) photography. We will consider common errors you might receive in the EVF or LCD monitor. Finally, we will address the use of Custom Modes and how to program them! This is the culmination of your program. Knowing your camera inside and out so that you can program the custom modes for different genres of nature photography or different purposes! We will walk you through the process of programming a custom mode (C1,C2,C3,C4) on the OM-1 and OM-1 Mark II. These are some of the most powerful features on these OM System bodies since they let us quickly move from a C1 mode programmed for wildlife to a C4 mode programmed for macro with flash. We will discuss why every nature photographer should use all four (4) custom modes on each body
Session Fourteen
Final Q&A
Session fourteen will be an open discussion to address any lingering issues related to any of the topics we have convered in sessions one to thirteen! We will have a free time to examine features further, to consider advancements in your understanding, any firmware updates that have added new or improved features since the start of the program, and to wrap up our time together as a group.
Bonus Session One
Histograms & Highlight Alerts
Bonus session one will help you understand how to read, interpret and utilize histograms and highlight/shadow alerts to nail your exposure almost every time! We discuss the technical aspects of histograms, the brightness versus RGB histograms, when to display them, when to ignore them, and how to interpret them. We will also discuss highlight alerts, related settings, their use in exposure and adjusting settings.
Bonus Session Two
The Trinity of Photography
Bonus session two will help you master the trinity of photography which are shutter speed, aperture (f-stop), and ISO. These three elements of photography are how we control the technical side, and some of the creative elements, of nature photography. We will discuss the difference in technically correct versus creatively correct exposures.