Save on two-fer at Panasonic photo school

Panasonic's Digital Photo Academy, a series of nationwide digital photography workshops, is offering a Mother’s Day special that allows someone to go to school with Mom at no additional cost. While the promo is aimed at mothers, I doubt that fathers, or even non-parents, will be rejected from the classroom. Gift certificates can be purchased by calling 1-877-DP-ACAD-1. The Digital Photo Academy offers courses at three levels, making it accessible for people with any level of photography skills.

Courses are scheduled for Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa and Washington, D.C. Each level of Digital Photo Academy courses is offered monthly in each city and you can bring whatever brand of digital camera you use. Gift certificates can be purchased for any of these three levels of courses:

Beginner Course: Three Hours, $50. The “Discovering Digital” beginner course is designed for all types of users, whether it is the family record keeper, a passionate scrapbooker, the casual point-and-shoot user or the person looking to choose the right camera. Instructors address how to reduce red-eye, better use a flash, include special effects and create better composition. Beyond photographic techniques, the course also teaches valuable “post-capture” skills, such as how to use Adobe® Photoshop® elements to create a greeting card or calendar, and send prints to friends and family via e-mail.

Intermediate Course: Four Hours, $65. The “Digital Endeavours” intermediate-level course is designed for users who are quite familiar with the settings on their point-and-shoot and are looking to take digital photography to the next level. Either a recent purchaser of a digital single-lens reflex (SLR) camera, or someone considering buying one, benefits from this course. The class compares point-and-shoot cameras to SLRs and discusses the differences between the two categories, helping to ensure a smooth transition. For those who have some experience in post-capture and Photoshop, this class offers more advanced techniques, such as burning and dodging and an introduction to color management. Attendees also will learn about printed layouts, and how to make newsletters and brochures.

Advanced Course: Eight hours, $150. At the advanced level, the “Digital Vision” course is divided into two parts: in-field shooting and learning post-capture computer application skills. The four-hour in-field shooting session will be held in local parks, streets, during seasonal events to capture newsworthy current affairs. The second component, involves four hours of classroom time learning techniques from Adobe® Photoshop® Creative Suite 2, such as converting and processing RAW files, using layers and masks, working with black and white files, and more.

Photo Academy courses are held in photogenic and inspirational locations, according to Panasonic, such as professional studios and museums. They are taught by professional photographers who serve as ongoing resources to students after the course has ended. Classes are limited to 15 students each.

The Digital Photo Academy Mother’s Day gift certificate special is available for purchase until Monday, May 12, 2008. A gift certificate must be purchased for a specified level, and can be redeemed for that level only, in any city before December 31, 2008. To sign-up and purchase a personalized Panasonic LUMIX Digital Photo Academy Mother’s Day gift certificate, call 1.877.DP.ACAD.1 or visit www.digitalphotoacademy.com for more information and to view course schedules and locations.