Photography and Video Editing Level 2

Who it is for. People who have finished Photography and Video Editing (Level 1), or who already work with a phone or camera and can show the same skills. At National Proficiency II, learners do a range of mostly routine, predictable work under limited supervision, and the level leads on to National Certificate I.

Bridge from Level 1: what you already know

Level 2 builds on each of these. If any feels weak, ask your trainer for a refresher before Unit 1.

How the module works

Each unit has learning outcomes, performance criteria, the range and the evidence your assessor needs; your assessor judges your evidence against the performance criteria, and photos and videos can be part of that evidence. You are judged Competent or Not Yet Competent. About 70% of the time is practical.

• Steps are numbered. A line ending with a source name comes from the sources list. A step with no source is standard safe practice or the author's teaching advice.
• Any number marked example is made up for practice. Replace it with local prices.
• Every unit ends with a Check yourself of three questions. Answers are in the Teacher Copy.

Competency standard

Range. Training camera (or a phone with Pro mode), indoors and outdoors. Evidence. Settings log; histogram screenshots; depth-of-field set; oral questions.

The modes

Setting manual exposure step by step

1. Set ISO to the lowest that the light allows (100 or 200 outdoors).
2. Set the aperture for the look you want (Unit 1.4 below).
3. Turn the shutter speed until the light meter in the viewfinder sits at 0.
4. Check the shutter speed is fast enough: about 1 over the focal length for a still subject held by hand (50 mm → 1/60), much faster for moving people. If not, open the aperture or raise ISO.
5. Take a test shot. Check the histogram (below). Adjust by one stop and test again.
6. When the light does not change (a hall, a studio), keep these settings for the whole session.

Reading the histogram

The histogram is a graph of the picture's tones. The left side is the dark areas and the right side the light areas; a dark picture has most data on the left, a bright one on the right. Data piled against the right edge means blown-out highlights (white with no detail); data against the left edge means blocked-up shadows.

1. Turn on the histogram on your camera's playback screen (or Pro mode on a phone).
2. Turn on highlight warning ("blinkies") if your camera has it.
3. For a white wedding dress, a white shirt or a bright sky: the graph may touch the right side but must not pile up against it.
4. For a dark-skinned face against a bright wall, check the face looks right on screen too; the graph alone does not tell you the face is correct.
5. On RAW files the histogram is less exact, because it is drawn from a preview.

Metering modes

• Evaluative / matrix: the whole frame; good for most scenes.
• Centre-weighted: the middle counts most; good for portraits.
• Spot: a small spot; use it on a face when the background is much brighter or darker.

Focus

1. Single (AF-S / One-shot): focus locks when you half-press. For still people and products.
2. Continuous (AF-C / AI Servo): focus follows movement. For a bride walking in, children running, dancers.
3. Focus point: choose one point and put it on the nearest eye. Do not let the camera choose for portraits.
4. Back-button focus (optional): set focus to a button on the back so the shutter button only takes the picture.
5. Manual focus: for low light and product close-ups on a tripod. Zoom in on the screen to check.

Depth of field: how much is sharp

• A wider aperture (smaller f-number) gives a shallower depth of field: less is sharp.
• A longer focal length also reduces depth of field.
• Closer subjects have much smaller depth of field.

Lenses and focal length

• Wide (about 18–24 mm on a kit lens): rooms, groups, places. Faces near the edges stretch.
• Normal (about 35–50 mm): natural look; a 50 mm f/1.8 is a common low-cost portrait lens.
• Telephoto (85 mm and longer): portraits from a distance, church ceremonies from the back, less distortion of faces.
• Image stabilisation can let you use speeds 3 to 4 stops slower by hand; it does not freeze a moving person.

RAW or JPEG

Many photographers shoot RAW + JPEG at events: the JPEG for a quick preview to the client, the RAW for the final edit. Snapseed opens RAW files on a phone.

Check yourself: Unit 1

1. Which mode would you choose for a child running, and why?
2. What does data piled against the right edge of the histogram mean?
3. Name two ways to get a more blurred background.

Competency standard

Range. A small studio corner or a room with a window; two lights; a reflector. Evidence. Lighting diagrams; portrait and interview set-ups; safety checklist.

Four things about light

1. Direction: front light is flat; side light shows shape; back light outlines.
2. Size: a big light close to the person (a window, a softbox) is soft, with gentle shadows. A small light (bare bulb, small flash, midday sun) is hard, with sharp shadows.
3. Strength: depends on the light's power and its distance.
4. Colour: set white balance to match (Level 1); do not mix colours on a face.

The inverse square law

Light from a small source gets weaker with the square of the distance: an object twice as far away gets a quarter of the light; to halve the light, move the lamp about 1.4 times farther away; to double it, bring it to about 0.7 of the distance.

Three-point lighting

Set-up steps (interview or portrait):

1. Seat the person at least 1.5 m in front of the backdrop (less shadow on the backdrop, softer background).
2. Place the key softbox at about 45° to one side, a little above eye level, angled down.
3. Turn on only the key. Look at the shadow side of the face. Take a test shot.
4. Add the fill on the other side: a reflector or a second light turned down, until the shadow is softer but still there.
5. Add the back light high behind the person on the shadow side, pointing at the hair and shoulders. Keep it out of the lens.
6. Check the catchlights in both eyes.
7. Set the camera in M; set white balance for the lights (or use a grey card).
8. Draw the set-up in your logbook: positions, distances, power.

Where to buy and what it costs

October 2026 listings in Ghana (mostly Accra and Kumasi): LED softbox kits about GH¢600 to GH¢1,500; a studio flash (strobe) about GH¢1,100 to GH¢1,400; heavy light stands about GH¢150; some sellers rent a softbox and stand at about GH¢150 a time. Ring lights were listed at GH¢30 to GH¢515. A ring light gives flat, even light for close-ups and short videos, but a softbox to one side gives more shape to a face.

Flash basics

1. Never fire a bare flash straight at a face at close range for portraits: harsh and flat.
2. Bounce: on a camera-top flash, point the head at a white ceiling or wall behind you. The wall becomes a big soft light. (Coloured walls tint the light.)
3. Manual flash power: start at 1/8 power, test, then change power by one step at a time (each step halves or doubles the light).
4. Shutter speed does not change the flash part of the picture much; it controls how much of the room light you see. Aperture and ISO change both.
5. Stay at or below your camera's flash sync speed (check the manual; often 1/160 to 1/250) or a black band appears.
6. Off-camera flash: put the flash in a softbox on a stand, trigger it by radio or the camera's optical command.

Light flicker under mains lights

Ghana's mains electricity is 230 V at 50 Hz. Some bulbs and LED panels flicker at a rate linked to the mains; at fast shutter speeds this can show as bands or changing brightness. If you see bands, try a shutter of 1/50 or 1/100, or switch the room lights off and use your own lights (author's advice; test with your own lights).

Check yourself: Unit 2

1. Which is softer: a small bare bulb or a big softbox close to the face? Why?
2. What does the back light do in three-point lighting?
3. What happens to the light if you double the distance?

Competency standard

Range. One real event (church programme, naming, birthday, school event or wedding) with the organiser's written permission, as second shooter under the trainer. Evidence. Planning notes; shot list ticked off; consent records; edited selection; backup log.

Before the event: the planning meeting

Ask and write down:

The shot list (example: a church wedding)

Adapt the list for a naming ceremony (outdooring), a funeral, a graduation or a harvest.

Funerals: extra care

• Ask the family head what may and may not be photographed. Some families do not want the body or mourners photographed.
• Dress in the colours the family asks for. Be quiet and invisible.
• No flash during prayers or at the graveside unless the family allows.
• Never post funeral pictures without the family's permission.
• Crowds and roads at funerals can be dangerous; keep to the edges, and do not walk backwards while shooting.

Consent at events

1. Agree in writing with the client what will be photographed and how it will be used.
2. Put a small notice at the entrance: "Photos and video are being taken for the family's record. Please tell the photographer if you do not want to be photographed." This tells people the purpose, which the law requires you to make them aware of (s.23).
3. Before close-ups of guests, ask. If someone objects, stop and delete (s.20).
4. Children at events: photos for the family's own record are agreed with the client; for any other use (portfolio, advert), get the parent's written consent. Data about a child under parental control is special personal data (s.37).
5. Pictures of guests in your adverts need each person's signed release and, for direct marketing, prior written consent (s.40).

On the day: working method

1. Arrive at least 45 minutes early (author's rule). Walk the venue. Check the light.
2. Set the camera: RAW + JPEG; two cards if the camera has two slots (recording to both); Auto ISO with a maximum you trust; continuous focus for walking moments.
3. Test in each place: altar, aisle, hall. Note settings.
4. Keep spare batteries and cards in a pocket, not the bag.
5. Shoot wide, medium, close for every key moment (Level 1).
6. Stay out of the guests' view and out of the video person's shot. Agree positions with the second shooter beforehand.
7. Respect the minister and the order of service. Do not step onto the altar unless told you may.
8. For group photos: have a helper call names; start with the biggest group and end with the couple, so people can leave.
9. Eat and drink when the guests eat; do not leave your kit unattended.

After the event, the same day

1. Copy every card to the laptop and an external drive before you sleep.
2. Open a few files from each copy.
3. Do not format the cards until the backup is checked (Level 1, 3-2-1).
4. Write the backup log: date, cards, number of files, where each copy is.

Selecting and editing an event (culling)

1. First pass: reject blurred, closed eyes, duplicates.
2. Second pass: pick the best of each moment.
3. Edit for consistency: same white balance and brightness for all pictures in one place.
4. Sequence: tell the day in order.
5. Deliver the number you promised, on the date you promised.

Check yourself: Unit 3

1. Why put a consent notice at an event entrance?
2. What do you do when a guest says they do not want to be photographed?
3. When may you format the cards after an event?

Competency standard

Range. Five products of different kinds, one plate of food, one room. Evidence. Brief; set diagram and settings record; finished photo set.

The brief

A repeatable tabletop set

Tools and materials. A table; a white sweep (foam board or paper roll from a stationery shop) or a light tent; one or two LED softboxes or a big window; white card and black card; clamps or clothes pegs; a tripod; a tape measure; masking tape to mark positions.

1. Put the sweep on the table. Mark the product position with tape.
2. Put the key light to one side, slightly behind and above the product, to show shape and texture.
3. Put a white card on the other side as fill.
4. Put the camera on the tripod. Set M, ISO 100, f/8 to f/11 for depth (Unit 1), shutter to suit the light. Manual white balance or a grey card.
5. Measure and write down the distances, light power and camera settings, and photograph the set. Next month you will repeat it exactly.
6. Shoot every product in the same position and framing.

Different products

Food

1. Agree the time with the cook: shoot as soon as the food is plated.
2. Prepare the set and settings with a stand-in plate before the food arrives.
3. Use side or back light from a window: it shows steam, oil shine and texture.
4. Clean plate edges with a paper towel.
5. Shoot from above (flat dishes like jollof, waakye with toppings) and at about 45° (soups, stacked food, drinks).
6. Keep colours true: do not over-saturate red stew or palm-nut soup; customers must get what they saw.
7. Never use inedible tricks (glue, paint) for food that will be sold; be honest in pictures for menus.

Places: rooms, guesthouses and shops

1. Turn on all the room's lights; open curtains; tidy everything.
2. Camera on a tripod at about chest height, lens level (not tilted up or down) so walls stay straight.
3. Wide lens; shoot from a corner or doorway.
4. If the window is too bright, take several exposures (one for the room, one for the window) and combine them in editing, or shoot when outside light is softer.
5. Get the owner's permission and remove personal items and any people.

Check yourself: Unit 4

1. Why record the set positions and settings?
2. How do you stop walls leaning in a room photo?
3. Why must food and product colours be kept true?

Competency standard

Range. One 2- to 3-minute video for a business or community group (with consent and releases). Evidence. Treatment; storyboard; raw files; Resolve project; exported video; music licence proof.

Plan on paper

1. Treatment (one page): who it is for, the message in one sentence, where it will be shown, length, people in it, places, date.
2. Shot list (Level 1) with times.
3. Storyboard: a box per shot with a quick drawing and a note.
4. Get releases from everyone who appears, and permission to film in each place.

Camera settings for video

1. Resolution and frame rate: 1080p at 25 fps is a safe standard for Ghana's 50 Hz power and most uses; choose 50 fps for slow motion.
2. Shutter speed: a 180° shutter angle is considered normal motion blur. That means the shutter is open for half of each frame's time: at 25 fps, about 1/50; at 50 fps, about 1/100 (calculation from the 180° rule).
3. Control brightness with aperture, ISO, lights, or an ND filter on bright days, not by raising the shutter speed.
4. White balance: set it manually (daylight, tungsten, or a custom reading) so it does not drift during a clip.
5. Focus: continuous face-tracking if it works well on your camera; otherwise manual focus with marks on the floor.
6. Exposure lock on phones; Pro mode where available.

Two-source sound

1. Clip a lapel mic on each speaker (Level 1). Wireless sets were listed from about GH¢150 to GH¢1,450 in October 2026.
2. Also record the camera's own sound: it is your backup and helps sync.
3. Clap once on camera at the start of each take: the spike in both sound tracks lines them up.
4. Listen with headphones the whole time.
5. Record 10 seconds of room tone in each place.

Editing in DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve is free for Mac, Windows and Linux. The free version works with 8-bit video up to Ultra HD (3840 × 2160) at up to 60 fps; the paid Studio version (listed at US$295) adds higher bit depth, frame rates and AI tools. It is organised in pages: Media, Cut (fast editing), Edit (full track-based editing), Fusion (effects and motion graphics), Color (colour correction and grading), Fairlight (audio) and Deliver (export). Menu names may change between versions; follow your version.

Steps (a short business video):

1. New project. Name it with the job folder pattern (Level 1).
2. Project settings: timeline 1920 × 1080 at 25 fps (match your footage).
3. Media page: import the clips from 04_VIDEO; make bins (folders) for interview, B-roll and sound.
4. Sync sound: select the camera clip and its matching lapel recording and sync them by sound (or line up the clap by eye).
5. Cut page: lay the interview on the timeline in story order. Cut out ums, long pauses and mistakes.
6. Edit page: put B-roll on track 2 above the interview to cover cuts. Trim each clip so the cut happens on movement.
7. Fairlight page: keep speech clear and even; lower music under speech; add room tone under gaps; remove clicks.
8. Color page: first correct each clip (white balance, brightness, contrast) so all shots match; then, if needed, a gentle overall look. Keep skin tones natural.
9. Titles and captions: a name title for each speaker (name and role), and captions for viewers who are deaf or watching without sound. Check every word.
10. Deliver page: export H.264 MP4 at 1080p for most uses. Add the export to the render queue and render.
11. Watch the whole export on a phone and on a laptop, with and without sound.

Music: clear it or leave it out

The Copyright Act, 2005 (Act 690) protects musical works, sound recordings and audio-visual works. The author's economic rights include reproduction, adaptation, and public performance, broadcasting and communication to the public (s.5). The Act allows authors, producers and performers to form collective administration societies to manage their rights (s.49); how licences for Ghanaian music in videos are issued in practice was not verified: ask the collecting society or the artiste.

Check yourself: Unit 5

1. What shutter speed gives normal motion blur at 25 fps, and why?
2. Why clap at the start of a take?
3. Name three pages in DaVinci Resolve and what each does.

Competency standard

Range. Five prints of different sizes; one full client delivery. Evidence. Print sizing sheet; prints; delivery record; archive and security checklist.

Pixels and print size

Pixels needed = inches × PPI (pixels per inch). PPI is the input resolution of the image; DPI is the printer's output. A photo lab's chart gives these pixel sizes for prints at 300 PPI:

The same lab says images of 125 PPI or higher print well, and that you cannot add resolution by enlarging an image.

Shape matters. A camera picture is usually 3:2 (fits 4 × 6, 8 × 12, 12 × 18). For 5 × 7, 8 × 10 and 11 × 14 you must crop; check that no heads or hands are cut off.

Making or ordering a print

1. Edit first; make the screen brightness medium (a too-bright screen makes prints come out dark).
2. Crop to the print shape; check the edges.
3. Export as JPEG, highest quality, sRGB colour (the common standard most labs and home printers expect; confirm with your print shop).
4. Test print one small copy; compare it with the screen in daylight.
5. If it is too dark, brighten slightly and print again; note the change for next time.
6. Paper: glossy for bright colours; matte or lustre for portraits (less glare). A4, 5 × 7 and 4R (4 × 6) papers are sold in Ghana.
7. Let prints dry before stacking; handle by the edges; give them in a sleeve or envelope.
8. Ask your local print shop for its prices and turnaround; prices in Takoradi were not found.

Delivering files

1. Agree the method: flash drive, a shared cloud folder, or a gallery link. WhatsApp compresses photos and video: use it for previews, not final delivery.
2. Deliver exactly what was agreed: number, size, format.
3. Put a short read-me in the folder: what is inside, how to back it up, your contact.
4. Ask the client to confirm in writing (a WhatsApp message is fine) that they have opened the files.
5. Copy the delivered set into 05_DELIVERED (Level 1 folder pattern).

Archiving and data security

Your client folders hold personal data: faces, names, phone numbers, sometimes children. Act 843 requires you to:

• take appropriate, reasonable technical and organisational measures to prevent loss, damage, unauthorised destruction and unlawful access (s.28);
• not keep personal data longer than necessary for the purpose, unless the law, a contract or the person's consent allows (s.24).

Check yourself: Unit 6

1. How many pixels for a 5 × 7 inch print at 300 PPI?
2. Why not deliver final files by WhatsApp?
3. What does Act 843 s.24 say about keeping data?

Competency standard

Range. The trainee's own photo and video business. Evidence. Package sheet; booking form; marketing plan; costing.

Location settings that give good returns

Business ideas

Packages

The Hub's 2026 gap research noted Ghanaian wedding packages advertised at about GH¢4,000 to GH¢7,500; this writer could not open those pages, so treat the range as not verified, and remember a price is not take-home income. Build your own prices from your costs (Level 1 and Unit 4).

The booking form

Who owns the pictures?

Under Ghana's Copyright Act, 2005 (Act 690), photography is an "artistic work" (s.76), and artistic works are protected (s.1). Section 7 says that, unless a contract says otherwise, the economic rights in a work go to the employer or the person who commissions it, where the author made it in the course of the employment or commission. The author keeps moral rights: to be named as author and to object to distortion that harms their reputation (s.6).

What this means for you (teaching summary, not legal advice):

1. If a client pays you to take pictures and your contract says nothing, the client may hold the economic rights (copying, publishing, selling).
2. If you want to keep the copyright and give the client a licence to use the pictures, write it in the booking form.
3. If you want to use the pictures in your portfolio or adverts, write that permission in the form, and you still need the people's consent under Act 843 (Unit 3).
4. Have a lawyer check your booking form once; then use it every time.

Drones: refer, do not fly

Clients often ask for aerial shots of weddings, land or buildings. The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) says:

• No drone may fly within 30 m of buildings, vehicles or people not under the operator's control, without explicit permission.
• No flying within 10 km of an airport or helipad with published instrument procedures, or 5 km of one without, unless GCAA approves. Takoradi has an airport: check before any job near it.
• Even recreational small or light drones flown below 400 feet and in sight must be registered, with a letter of approval renewed every year; night flying needs special authorisation.
• Commercial use (paid aerial photography) goes through the GCAA Safety Regulation Department.
• GCAA's sanctions list includes operating an unregistered drone, operating commercially without approval, using the services of an uncertificated drone company, and flying in a way that invades people's privacy.

So: do not fly. If a client wants aerial shots, hire a GCAA-certified operator, ask to see their certificate, and keep a copy. The Hub's Precision Agriculture manuals cover the drone rules in more detail.

Data Protection Commission registration

The DPC says all data controllers and processors must register with the Commission. The 2025 fee regulations (L.I. 2512) set registration at GH¢156 for small data controllers (annual turnover of GH¢90,000 and below, with a maximum of 50 staff or customers), and GH¢1,170 for medium ones (turnover above GH¢90,000 up to GH¢5 million). How often you must renew, and how the "50 customers" limit applies to a photographer, were not verified: ask the DPC.

Market yourself

• WhatsApp Business profile and catalogue with packages.
• Google Business Profile with your studio location and hours.
• A printed price card and a sign outside your studio.
• Partners: event planners, decorators, caterers, churches, print shops and frame makers; give each your card and offer a referral thanks.
• Show behind the scenes (with consent): clients like to see you working carefully.
• Ask every client for a review a week after delivery.

Accessibility

Act 715 is Ghana's disability law; enforcement of access to public buildings is still weak. Make your studio and your work open to persons with disabilities:

• A ground-floor studio with a ramp and a seat for clients who cannot stand long.
• Captions on every video you make (also helps deaf clients and staff).
• Deaf photographers: agree visual cues with second shooters; use the camera's visual audio meters.
• Wheelchair users: studio, product, editing and printing work at table height; events with level access; a monopod or light tripod.
• Low vision: large-screen editing, screen readers for admin, a partner for focus checks.

Ask each person what helps. (Author's advice; no Ghana source found.)

Check yourself: Unit 7

1. Under Act 690 s.7, who holds the economic rights in commissioned photos if the contract says nothing?
2. What must you do if a client asks for drone shots?
3. What is the DPC registration fee for a small data controller under L.I. 2512?

1. In which mode do you set the aperture and let the camera set the shutter speed?
2. What does a histogram piled against the left edge mean?
3. Which gives more depth of field: f/2 or f/11?
4. How much light reaches a face if you move the light from 1 m to 2 m?
5. Name the three lights in three-point lighting.
6. Why put a consent notice at an event?
7. What does Act 843 s.37 say about children's data?
8. What shutter speed do you use for 25 fps video, and why?
9. How many pixels for an 8 × 10 inch print at 300 PPI?
10. What does Act 843 s.28 require you to do with client files?
11. Under Act 690 s.7, who holds the economic rights in commissioned work when no contract says otherwise?
12. Name two drone rules from the GCAA FAQ.

Best next reads: the DaVinci Resolve training pages on Blackmagic Design's website; the GCAA drone FAQ; the Data Protection Commission website; the Hub's Social Media and Canva Design Level 2 and Precision Agriculture Level 2 manuals.

What this module does not cover: advanced colour management and grading, multi-camera live production, running a registered studio with staff, full bookkeeping and tax (Level 3); flying drones.

Every source used in this manual is listed, with links, in the Teacher Copy.