Classes and Programs

Professional Competencies

Essentials of Photographic Knowledge for Certification
The Essentials class is designed for the working professional photographer who is ready to take his or her skills to the next level. This class covers the fundamental knowledge areas needed for certification or to increase your mastery of photography. Topics includes traditional and digital imaging, bit depth, cameras and lenses, exposure, apertures and shutter speeds, light and lighting, ratios, composition, inverse-square law of light, and much more. Dr. Cope, a college teacher, presents this for those who wish to study for the certification examination, however, it is not presented as a "prep" class.

For those who are interested in becoming Certified and taking the CPP Exam, you must resister as a CPP Candidate and pay the required fee at www.CertifiedPhotographer.com. After becoming a candidate, you must then go back to the web site and sign up for the Exam and location you wish to take. You should register at least one week prior to the exam date.
Registration for the class is not handled by www.CertifiedPhotographer.com, but through the host organization.

Format: 3- or 5-day classes
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Cope has a "Workbook" for this class.


Light & Lighting: Getting Started
This is a basic program or class designed for those who are new or just getting started in professional photography. Dr. Cope teaches a two-semester sequence on lighting and studio photography. He covers the equipment, fundamental knowledge of light, lighting, and posing. He beleives that if one learns the qualities of light, patterns produced by different equipment, and the basics of posing then you can become a competent portrait photographer.

Format: 4-hour program
Format: 3- to 5-day class
Level: Basic to Intermediate
This class can be co-taught by Barbara Cope, PPA Certified, Cr. Photog.
He has a "Workbook" for this class that is used in his college classes.


Digital Panoramic Landscape
So many photographers enjoy landscape photography as an enjoyable activity. One of the exciting formats is the panaromic. Cope will discuss cropping, but spend more time on how to stitch several images together. He will demonstrate the different ways to make a panoramic image. Cope is a member of the International Association of Panoramic Photographers.

Format: 1 or 2 hour program
Level: Intermediate

Photographic Creativity
We know photography is like a coin. It has one side that is technical but the other operates out of the other side of the brain – the creative side. For many learning about creativity is a mystery. Cope has taught a two-day college seminar on creativity for many years. He has distilled his information into a program that covers the source of creativity and a discussion of composition.

Format: 1 or 2 hours program
Level: Intermediate
Currently Dr. Cope is working on expanding his 2-day seminar into a week long class.


Forensic Photography
This is a discussion of the basics of criminal investigation and how photography plays an integral part of that process. Photographic principles and specifics for photo investigative tgechniques will be covered. This class is designed for someone interested in forensic photography as a professional photographer who wants to also do investigative work for a lawyer or private investigator. It would be a basic class for a law enforcement or fire investigator. The class could be offered for law enforement training for those with little photographic background.
Dr. Cope has taught Crime Scene photography for fifteen years and currently teaches 3-hour classes on the 4000 level and 5000 level at UCO.

Format: Full 4- or 5-day class
Level: Photography: Intermediate or higher; basic for forensic information; This can be tailored to fit the needs of the audience.



Digital Decisions
This is a basic program designed for an audience about incorporating digital imaging. Cope will present basic information and knowledge dealing with digital capture and output. He will discuss file formats, resolution, archiving, workflow, and working with your lab. He will do this in a way so that the beginner can understand these issues. He will share his studio’s transition to a digital operation pointing out the different decisions made along the way. He will discuss how digital cameras work.

Level: Basic to Intermediate
Format: 2- or 4-hour program
Format: 1-day Class
Format: Multi-day school class. In the class Cope will incorporate actual working sessions in digital capture, exposure, file storage and preparation, archiving, and preparation for the lab. In a full four or five day class he will include basic Photoshop sessions. “Photoshop Simplified” is presented for those with little or no Photoshop experience or tailored to fit the needs of the class. But generally for this class he will teach Photoshop from the “What’s the least I need to know” perspective.


So You Want To Be a Professional Photographer
This is a program especially designed for those just getting into professional photography or those interested. Topics to be discussed include making money in photography and how to price your work, equipment needs, professional training, marketing, and professionalism.

Format: 1- to 2-hour program

This class can be co-taught by Barbara Cope, PPA Certified, Cr. Photog.


Exposure Explained
Making exposures in the digital world can be confusing. Cope will simplify the process and explain the basic concepts of exposure with your digital camera. Topics include metering both studio and outdoors, understanding and reading your historgram, and evaluating your image files.

Format: 1 or 2-hour program or a 4-hour hands-on program

Why Certification
Dr. Cope has served as the Oklahoma's Liaison for Certification for 15 years. In this time he has written many articles and spoken about the advantages of certification.
Cope can add a discussion about the PPA Merits and Degree program.

Format: 1- or 2- hour program.
Check with Dr. Cope about your specific needs.

Want to offer a nature and landscape workshop? You may be able to offer workshops that he is offering. Call him for details.