Exploring Digital Photography and Alaska: The Last Frontier

COURSE DESCRIPTION

In this Photography + Destination Combination class, you will learn about basic digital photography and apply your new knowledge and skills during a trip to Alaska. The course is for anyone who loves nature, learning about new places, and is interested in improving their photography skills, using any digital camera or smart phone, so that you can take exceptional pictures when traveling.

Please note that this class will be on the move! It will start in Anchorage and finish in Fairbanks. Activities for this course will vary based on season. (Our winter activities will be announced this summer!) Also note that in order to take this course you must be able to:

Ride a bicycle.
Do easy to moderate hiking.

Alaska is by far the largest US state by area, comprising more total area than the next three largest states (Texas, California, and Montana) combined! During this 5-day hands-on class, you will get to experience many aspects of Alaskan life. You will learn that native cultures strongly influence their way of life, from names of rivers, mountains, and communities on traditional lands to art, architecture, and culture in their cities. You will experience the culture, history, wildlife, and of course, its glorious landscape.

Some of our Summer Class activities:

While in Anchorage, we will visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center, where we will take a tour of life-sized village sites, watch Alaska Native dance performances and games, listen to Alaska Native stories, watch films, and view exhibits.
We will bike on the famous Tony Knowles Coastal Trail where we can spot local wildlife and stop at Kincaid Park and Earthquake Park.
During a visit to the Anchorage Museum, we will learn the real story of the North – a story that weaves together social, political, cultural, scientific, historical and artistic threads. We will get to appreciate the rich diversity of Alaska Native cultures, including masterworks of Alaska Native art and design.
The class will spend a day exploring and experiencing the wilderness at Denali National Park. Expect lots of walking, hiking and picture taking!
Our class will conclude in the city of Fairbanks. Gold and oil played significant roles in the history of Fairbanks, which is why we will be visiting Gold Dredge 8, a ladder dredge operated by the Fairbanks Exploration Company from 1928 to 1959. It is now a National Historic Site. After learning how the mining machine extracted gold from sand, gravel, and dirt, we’ll have a chance to pan for gold ourselves.
At the Chena Hot Springs we will take the Chena Kennel Tour and learn about the sport of dog mushing. We will be introduced to some amazing Alaskan Huskies, learn about the fascinating breed, and tour a working mushing kennel of over 50 dogs. There will also be some time to relax and enjoy the geothermal hot springs water.
During the course of our class, we will also try to see Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, an atmospheric phenomenon that can be describes as beautiful dancing waves of light. It is easier to see the Northern Lights in the winter, although they start to appear after August 21.

**Make sure you bring comfortable shoes (there will be plenty of walking and hiking), weather appropriate clothes, water and of course camera/phone!

Your post-assignments will consist of editing your pictures from the trip to Alaska, as well as assignments demonstrating your knowledge of the state and all the places you visited.

ASSIGNMENTS AND COMPLETION CERTIFICATE

In addition to the in-person meetings that will take place on Wednesday – Sun this class will include pre-assignments and post-assignments as part of the 72-hour class.

You will be invited to join Google Classroom about 2 months before class starts, which is the platform we use for the course. Check your spam folder, as invitations to join Google Classroom sometimes end up there. Please make sure you register for the course with a valid email address, since this is where you will receive the invitation and later, your certificate. Your email has to be Google compatible, so it’s best to use gmail, outlook, hotmail or yahoo. If you do not receive a notification to join Google Classroom, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to contact us.

The pre-assignments will be posted on Google Classroom 2 weeks before class starts. Make sure you join Google Classroom early and complete the assignments BEFORE coming to class. It will take you approximately 18 hours to complete.

The follow-up assignments will be posted on Google Classroom on the weekend of class, and also consist of 18 hours. You must complete them in order to receive your course completion certificate. Course completion certificates will be emailed to you, a few days after the class has officially ended. You will have 4 weeks to complete the assignments. If you need your certificate earlier, please indicate it during the registration process and we will email it to you as soon as you successfully complete all assignments.

ATTENDANCE

Attendance IS MANDATORY all days during the class in Alaska. If you are late or leave early, your will risk not receiving your certificate. Please note, that this is a long weekend intensive class and the days are long. Bring comfortable shoes, appropriate clothing, water and snacks. We expect you to come to class rested and ready to participate, learn and have fun!

$1,095 | IN-PERSON | 72 hours (equivalent to 6 credits)

Contact Information

Office of Continuing Education
161 Newkirk Street, Room E504
Jersey City, NJ 07306
(201) 360-4224
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