Life through a lens - Photography Course in Mallorca

As a complete novice to using a DSLR (digital single-lens reflex), I wanted to start at the very beginning and considered her ‘Beginners Group Course’ prices pretty reasonable at 350€ for 3 full days. Whilst Diana’s mother tongue is German, her website states she also teaches the courses in Spanish and English. Before I knew it, I was emailing her to enquire about her next course and when/where it would take place. Within 24 hours, she called me and we discussed my experience (or lack of) and motivations for doing the course before talking about prospective dates I was available.

Diana explained that the summer months are her high season with weddings but she could schedule a course in July. She informed me that the course would take place at the Hotel Nixe Palace (just outside of Palma) and that she would advertise the course via her Facebook page, for others who might be interested in participating. In the days that followed, an itinerary for the 3-day course arrived by email and I fixed those dates in my diary. I did not yet own a camera but Diana very kindly offered to let me borrow her camera for the course.

We had been informed to meet at 8.30am for a ‘get to know each other’ coffee on the first day. On arrival I met the only other student on the course in the reception area and was reassured to find she was nervous as I was. Diana arrived and her bubbly personality instantly calmed our nerves as we chatted over coffee in the hotel lobby. By 9am we were sat in our intimate meeting room and the course commenced.

We started at the very beginning, with how images are created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, followed by the history of photography and how it has transformed over the years, most recently the technology evolving from the analogue camera to a DSLR.

The course then covered the different types of DSLR cameras, the brands and their strengths and weaknesses before going over the basics of taking a photo, including focus points (including when to use autofocus and manual focus), the different types of lenses (wide angle and telephoto lenses) and when to use them.

The most complex part of the course was understanding apertures and shutter speeds, how to use them in different situations and the different types of photos you can create. The theory side of this felt a bit complex but once we were outside taking pictures it all seemed to come together surprisingly naturally. Most of the first two days were theory, with a bit of practical in between just to get to know the camera.

On the third day, Diana suggested meeting at 5.30am in Son Ferriol (just outside of Palma) so we could put what we had learnt into practice, from taking photos of the moon and sunrise to creating silhouettes and running through techniques like blurred motion. We wanted to get the most from the day, so happily agreed to this time and never looked back as it was well worth it.

At around 7.30am, our field trip took us to Sineu, where we went for breakfast at a charming little coffee shop in the square to discuss the mornings photos. We then went on to take pictures of the island's oldest and largest market ‘Sineu Market’, which offered plenty of opportunities for us to practice our new techniques. Using both telephoto and wide angle lenses, we spent a good couple of hours taking pictures, whilst being shadowed by Diana for guidance when needed.

By the end of the morning, I was absolutely exhausted! Diana took us to her favourite traditional Mallorcan restaurant ‘Moli D’en Pau’ just outside of Sineu. Here we sat and had a much-needed lunch, before going on to evaluate and edit the best photos of the morning.

First, we went through and highlighted the best photos, evaluating composition / lenses used etc. Then Diana briefly went through the basics of Adobe’s ‘LightRoom’, a tool (along with Photoshop) used by photographers to develop their pictures. I was stunned and ecstatic at the quality of the images we had both taken (especially with a little bit of editing). I never imagined I could take such good photos after just 3 days!

Having now completed the course, I certainly have a great deal more confidence and on the right track. It was money very well spent and I would highly recommend Diana and this course to any beginner. Next step; to find and buy the DSLR and get practicing. I feel extremely fortunate because there are so many opportunities to take beautiful photos in Mallorca, with beautiful ports, beaches, the historic city of Palma and the quaint traditional towns with stunning architecture and markets will definitely be taking other specialised courses with Diana in the future. So watch this space…