

English and photography integrated courses at Light-Tight Madrid.
Use and advance your English skills: learn photography. Sign up for my photography workshops and receive English training as I am both an experienced photographer and a certified and experienced teacher of English. Take advantage of this integrated learning approach, the second-best thing to studying abroad.
At Light-Tight you will find several courses to choose from, one is sure to fit your needs. If you are new to photography try The Basics and learn all that you need to start using your camera confidently. If you already know photography, you can join in on our other classes or seminars and practise English with people who share your enthusiasm for the medium; for example, join the History of Photography course and learn who are the giants on whose shoulders we stand. Coming soon will be seminars on portraiture, tabletop photography and file management, Photoshop® and the digital darkroom.
A further option is the Light-Tight Talk-Shop. Drop by and participate in our light-tight discussions and debates. We will make use of the wealth of resources available to motivate photographic exchanges and thought: books, documentary films, blogs and other materials will all contribute to moments of lively English conversation that will foster the advancement of your language proficiency and broaden the scope of your photographic endeavor.
All our courses benefit from an active approach, students are encouraged to produce photographic and oral materials to bring and present to class.
All you need to join is an intermediate level of English and a camera.
The Basics
This course is aimed at the photographic novice, it provides an overview of the basic concepts that will allow you to use your camera with confidence. You will learn what the different settings on your camera are and how and when to use them. You will also understand how to use the different lenses and what the numbers on them mean. We will talk about light and shadow, exposure, perspective, foreground and background, color and how these elements combine to make an effective image.
After successfully completing this workshop you will have acquired sufficient skills to use your camera more effectively and produce better images; it can also be the first step towards further photographic learning and practice.
To accomplish our goals we will meet for 40 hours and we will use Henry Horenstein's Digital Photography: A Basic Manual as reference material.
Beyond the Basics
Once the basics have been mastered it’s time to put them to use. This workshop is full of activities and assignments to enjoy and learn from. By practising, students will learn more advanced photographic concepts and will be able to perform in more complex situations. We will also look at the work of some insipiring photographers with the aim to help students develop their own photographic vision.
This will be a 40 hour learning experience which will include references to landmark texts such as Kandinsky's Point and Line to Plane, Beauty in Photography by Robert Adams, and Szarkowski's The Photographer's Eye.
Light-Tight Talk-Shop
So you are already a photographer and you are looking for like-minded individuals to share a moment with and talk shop? Come join us and participate in our discussions on books, documentary films and other related materials. Participants will be encouraged to take an active approach and bring materials that interest them to class. Supply is endless, we will not grow tired. However, The Nature of Photographs by Stephen Shore is always a soothing place to start and for lengthier materials we shouldn't forget Traub's The Education of a Photographer, for example. As agents of this workshop, participants are expected to show their own work to the group and get feedback; we can also produce collective pieces or aid and participate in the development of personal projects.
With weekly meetings, the aim of this workshop is to be on on a permanent basis; owing to its non-linear structure, participants are welcome to join in whenever they desire.
Seminars
Through the seminars we will promote training on specific aspects of photography. Currently being offered is the History of Photography seminar. Participants will gain an understanding of what conditions led to the invention of photography in the nineteenth century. Afterwards, we will see how advances in technology brought about a new visual language and we will study examples of its evolution and how it reached a summit of techical, technological, and visual excellence in the 1970s that has provided sustenace and a mirror to look into for photographers in the twenty-first century.
The History of Photography class will meet once a week.
At later dates we will offer other seminars on portraiture, tabletop photography, and file management and Photoshop® and the digital darkroom, for example
Summer Courses
Stuck in Madrid? make the best of it, try one of our summer workshops. The Basics and Beyond the Basics will be offered in intensive format: 2 hours a day for month. Also, photographic outings on the weekends for landscape photography and outdoor portraiture. Get in touch to learn all about these fun activities. Special rates apply.
Dates and Fees
For information on dates and fees please contact me, Guillermo Shelley, at lighttight@guillermoshelley.com, or you can call me at +34+696942793; our courses will be offered at La Industrial at calle San Andrés, 8; Madrid 28004.
Groups will be of at least 5 people and 10 at the most. Classes will start once the 5 people minimum is met. Classes will cost 10 € per hour to be paid monthly and in advance. There will be an enrollment fee of 25 € to be paid once only.
About
My name is Guillermo Shelley I am a photographer with more than 30 years' practice in photography and I am also a CELTA certified teacher of English. I have taught photography and I have taught English; through Light-Tight I aim to teach both together and offer a unique integrated learning opportunity. I will be able to help you with your photographic needs and will offer support in your English language communications. I am very excited about this project and hope that you can join me to make the most of it.
Contact
If you have any doubts, comments or are in need of further information, please write to me at lighttight@guillermoshelley.com, or you can call me at +34+696942793. I’ll be glad to hear from you.
Would you like me to come teach these courses at your company or to your group of friends at another location? Tell me about it, I’m sure we can work something out.
If you paint a goat it is an emblem of goatness, if you photograph a goat it is a specific goat. John Divola