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Ready to learn web development but don't know where to start? Should you take a lighting class before - or after - an audio class? One of the best things about BDA is our size so you don't have to deal with any bureaucracy. Just let us know what you need and we'll take care of it or ask any questions you have and you'll hear back from an actual person quickly.

At BDA we like to think of ourselves as the education option for the modern world. Our training programs all teach practical skills by working professionals and are designed to be both focused and flexible, so you can learn what you need when you want without the extra stuff you don't need. In other words, we're the "buffet", rather than the multi-course meal approach to training! We also offer different types of programs to suit the variety of learning styles and busy schedules of our customers. For example, you can take a one-night workshop, practice those skills for a while, then come back and take a workshop in something else or immerse yourself in a one-week intensive. Everything is up to you and according to your schedule.

The first step with any of our classes is to be sure to look at the "Who Should Take This" section of the program's description to make sure it's a good fit for you and your needs. If you're looking for something maybe more "advanced" then you'll probably want to take notice of the programs listed under the "Related Offering" tab.

BDA offers free consultations

Free, No-Obligation Consultations

Being small allows us the opportunity to be responsive. Please let us know your objective - web designer, graphic artist, video producer - and we can help you figure out the best, most cost-effective way to get you where you want to be. To get your career going with a free, no-obligation consultation, just email us at info@boulderdigitalarts.com, and we'll help you get the ball rolling!

Learn everyting from photography to web design at Boulder Digital Arts

Common Questions & Answers

I'm a traditional artist but I know it's wise to have a working knowledge of programs like Photoshop and Final Cut Pro. What do you suggest I take?

Digital cross-training is a boon to any fine artist! Read this blog post to start, which will give you a sense of how and when to use two of the most popular Adobe programs, Photoshop and Illustrator. Then you can take Getting Started with Adobe Photoshop and Getting Started with Adobe Illustrator to get the basics of these programs. After you take the first two classes, you can either practice on your own or move on to a hands-on class for a more in-depth training session.

Final Cut Pro is a video-editing program, and you'll get the most out of it if you have some background in video production. If you just want a better understanding of visual tools, Final Cut Pro isn't as essential as the Adobe suite, so I would probably hold off on that for now, or at least until you have footage you need to edit. Then when you're ready, you can start with Getting Started with Final Cut Pro X or Getting Started with Adobe Premiere Pro, which is Adobe's non-linear editor.

I want a class on blog headlines and email subject lines. Do you have one?

Have you taken Copywriting for the Web or How to Run A Successful Email Marketing Campaign? Both classes go into headlines and subject lines and will give you a lot of good stuff you can use.

My teenager is interested in learning more about film and film editing. Do you accept teens in your classes and where should they start?

We're also looking for a good film editing program for him. Which do you recommend, PC or Mac, Premiere or Final Cut Pro?

Teens as young as 13 are welcome in our classes if they're mature and genuinely interested in the material. We have a great one-week Video Production program, or teens can take evening workshops, starting with Digital Video Camera & Lighting Basics.

For editing programs, platform is largely a matter of personal preference. Many video people work with Final Cut Pro, which is only available on the Mac. Others prefer Premiere, which works on Mac or PC. The important thing to remember with video editing is that no matter which computer you have, it will need a big hard drive, a good graphics card, and lots of RAM to do post-production.

I have never opened Adobe Photoshop before; should I start with the beginning class or the hands-on class?

If you have never opened Adobe Photoshop before, the hands-on class might be a bit fast-paced for you. Quick learners or very tech savvy people can jump right into this class with both feet, but if you don't consider yourself in those categories, I recommend taking Getting Started with Photoshop first. There is a "Who Should Take This" section below the description for each class on the website which will tell you more about whether a class is right for you before you sign up.

I recommend downloading a free trial of Photoshop from Adobe.com if you don't already have the software and playing with it to see how it feels. That way, when you come to class, you'll have seen the interface.

I would like to get Photoshop for my PC so that I can work with graphic images on a very basic level for web design an mobile apps. I would like to take your beginning class - which version of the software should I get, and is there a way to do it inexpensively?

Our Getting Started with Adobe Photoshop workshop, which is a great class for beginners, will use the most current version of Photoshop, CS5. You can get a free 30-day trial from Adobe.

If budget is a concern, Photoshop Elements is much more affordable and will do a lot of the things the full-fledged version does. If you reach its limits with what you need to do, you can always upgrade. Some aspects of our Photoshop workshop will not apply to Elements, but you would still get a lot out of the class.

I should also point out that if you plan on doing a lot of images with clean, crisp lines, gradients, and a more "graphic" than a "photograph" look, you should check out Adobe Illustrator, which is really better suited for those kinds of images. Things like navigation buttons and mobile app interfaces can be designed in either program, but Illustrator is better at them.

Do you offer any PHP classes? If so, when do they occur and how much do they cost?

The class you're looking for is our Web Application Development Transitions Certificate Program. Click the link for all the details, including price, schedule, and topics covered.

Will you be hosting a class for 2- and 3-D artists on how to use Photoshop and/or Photoshop Elements?

Can you tell me if Photoshop Elements will do the job that my iPhoto program cannot: change DPI, PPI, etc?

Yes, Photoshop Elements can change image resolution, or PPI. Our Getting Started with Adobe Photoshop workshop will give you a great start to the full-fledged version of the program. Some of the material in that workshop will not apply to Elements, but much of it will be helpful.

If I have Final Cut Express, will the Final Cut Pro classes still be helpful?

It depends on which class you're talking about. With Final Cut Express, you would get something out of a class in Final Cut Pro 7. With the release of Final Cut Pro X, Apple changed a lot and discontinued Final Cut Express entirely, and the new program is so different that you won't want to take any of the Final Cut Pro X classes or the Transitions Video Post-Production program.

I want to take the Video Production Transitions Certificate class, but I work full time, so I am unable to do the 1 week long/full day classes. Is this certification offered for the longer two days a week period?

I'm sorry, but due to the structure of the Video Production class and the equipment requirements, it just doesn't work in an evening format. You have a couple of alternative options:

Our lecture-style workshops cover much of the same material over a longer period of time. Here are the first workshops you'd want to take:

If you need training right away, or not all those dates work for you, we can also arrange private training. It's not as cost-effective as classes, but it is customized precisely to your situation, camera, equipment, and workflow.

I am looking to get my girlfriend into a photography workshop as a holiday present, but am not sure which to go with. She has traveled quite a bit and has taken many photos, but wants to take an actual course on the subject. She's using a point and shoot for most things and wants to learn how to use the camera a little more to her advantage, but not necessarily Photoshop. What do you recommend?

If your girlfriend is happy using a point-and-shoot and does not plan to upgrade to a digital SLR camera, then I recommend the Digital Photography Hands-On Introduction (1 day) as opposed to the Transitions Certificate Program. Although both are geared towards beginners, the 1 day course is accessible to people with consumer cameras, where the week-long course will not benefit her much unless she can manually change the aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and other features on her camera. The 1-day hands-on course also uses Picasa and not Photoshop.

We have gift certificates available in any amount, so you could purchase one for her for that specific class, for a dollar amount, or for a number of workshops. You can also sign your girlfriend up for a workshop directly by registering yourself and indicating that it's for her in the Notes field.

If she wants to learn about her camera's manual settings, that's really a beginner level course. You can see a list of all photo courses here. All of them except for the Transitions, Hands-On Intro, and Introduction to Digital Photography workshops are considered "intermediate," because they presume the student understands the manual settings on their camera. If she already understands how to use aperture, shutter speed, and white balance manually, then she can take any of the other courses. If she doesn't have a good handle on those settings yet, she can get them by taking any of the 3 intro classes.

I recently took an introduction to WordPress class and I'm ready to get a bit more advanced. I want to really get into my site and take control of it, and I already have a very solid understanding of HTML. Do I now learn CSS?

If you have a solid grasp of HTML, you're ready for our two-night workshop in Understanding CSS. Then you can take any of our more advanced workshops in customizing WordPress like these:

I am interested in learning how to set up and customize a a WordPress site. I already maintain the site at work but would like to know the back end. Do you offer offer anything like this?

Take the WordPress for Beginners workshop for a solid introduction to managing the back end of a WordPress site.

I see that Fundamentals of Web Design is a prerequisite for all your other web design courses. I've messed around with web design a little bit. Do I really need that beginner course?

Fundamentals of Web Design demonstrates how all the pieces of a website fit together. You don't need the Fundamentals workshop if you understand:

  • The difference between a web host, a web server, and a domain registrar
  • Why FTP is essential in web design
  • The difference between a static vs. a dynamic site
  • The role HTML, CSS and Javascript each play

Where do I fit in? I am an experienced artist/instructor who wishes to advance her career, specifically in the graphic arts area.

I recommend taking a look at our graphic design workshops to start with. If you're not yet familiar with Photoshop, that's the starting point for a lot of graphic designers and pretty much any graphic design gig will assume you know that program. We have 2 main types of training, 3-hour lecture-style workshops and all-day hands-on intensives, though we plan to introduce a longer graphic/interactive design accelerated certificate program soon.

I also recommend familiarizing yourself with web design and web technology because so many graphic designers are having to work in both the web and print worlds these days.

Facebook, Constant Contact, WordPress. Do you have anyone that can show me some of the details of these programs?

Our Marketing with Social Media workshop will give you the basics of social media strategy for business, primarily with Facebook and Twitter. It's not exclusively about Facebook, but it will get you started.

We have a whole slew of WordPress workshops, but the first one in the sequence is the 2-part WordPress for Beginners - How to Run Your Own Site/Blog workshop. That class is for people who have just installed WordPress and need to learn how to use its interface.

We don't currently offer any workshops in Constant Contact - there isn't any real demand for it but How to Run A Successful Email Marketing Campaign teaches great strategies to use in any email program.

I do freelance public relations work and would like to expand my skills to include social media marketing and basic video skills so I can edit, compress and post videos to You Tube and other sites.What should I take?

We have a really comprehensive program in Web Marketing and Social Media, but if you're not looking for something that long, you can also take the 3-hour Marketing with Social Media workshop for an overview of social media strategies.

If you want to shoot video as well as edit, our Video Production Transitions Certificate Program is the best place to start, and if you're only looking to edit, then we have a Video Post-Production Transitions Certificate Program, as well as workshops in Getting Started with Final Cut Pro X or Getting Started with Adobe Premiere Pro.

Our website is on WordPress and I want to add a blog to the site. Which class will help me set up a page for blogging?

We have a really comprehensive program in Web Marketing and Social Media, but if you're not looking for something that long, you can also take the 3-hour Marketing with Social Media workshop for an overview of social media strategies.

There are 2 classes that will be helpful - WordPress for Beginners - How to Run Your Own Site/Blog is a thorough introduction to the WordPress platform and will include creating both standard pages and blog posts. Basics of Blogging is strategic rather than technical and will give you guidelines for creating good content on your blog.

I would like to take beginning photography and video workshops with you, but I have no equipment yet. What do you recommend that's not too expensive)? I see that there are hybrid cameras. What do you think of these? I have a PC at home, but not a good laptop right now. Does an iPad work for the storing and processing required for film and video?

For many of our classes and workshops, no equipment is required.  Since there are so many types and varieties of photo and video equipment, most of the time we recommend taking a class or two before you buy something, so that you can better learn what specific features you'll need or want - that way you can be sure whatever you do end up buying has those features. We also recommend coming to the Boulder Filmmaking Incubator - it's a free networking and support group for filmmakers, and you can meet many different people in the field and ask them for their recommendations for cameras. And when you ask for opinions, it's helpful to let others know what kind of work you'll be doing - the best camera for a wedding photographer may not be the best for a landscape photographer.

As for classes, you'll get a lot out of the Digital Video Camera & Lighting Basics workshop, the Introduction to Digital Photography workshop, and possibly the Introduction to DSLR Video workshop. Some people will bring equipment to these classes, but as they're lecture-style, you don't have to.

Oftentimes a great way to get specific equipment recommendations is to post your question on BDA's Facebook page, so that our audience can give you their advice. In general, hybrid cameras do a wonderful job, but at this moment in time it will always be best to have a still camera to take stills, and a video camera to shoot video.

A laptop or desktop computer will work best; an iPad will probably not work well as a primary tool for photo and/or video work.

I'm a seasoned graphic designer working in Adobe CS5, and I need to jump into web design and the interactive design world. I created my website in Dreamweaver with a friend's help. What classes or programs do you suggest taking to help me land jobs?

Lots of print designers need to move online these days. Dreamweaver is a good place to start, and we highly recommend our Web Design Transitions Certificate Program if you've messed with it a little but don't really understand what's going on behind the scenes. That course will help you understand the software better and introduce you to HTML and CSS, the basic code of the web.

We recommend going with WordPress for Beginners - How to Run Your Own Site/Blog after that, since WordPress is such a popular technology, and can be used in conjunction with Dreamweaver. As you get comfortable with WordPress and Dreamweaver-built sites, you can expand your repertoire to include Javascript and HTML5.