Online Photography Short Course

Before we dive into the complex world of photography technology and techniques, it's useful to step back and think about the bigger picture: why do we take photographs?

In this first lesson, you'll learn about the history of photography as a medium and the major impact it's had on society and culture.

You'll also start thinking about your own personal photography interests, goals and styles, and more importantly, the types of stories you want to tell with your art.

Topics covered:

• A Brief History of Photography
  
• How Photographs Tell Stories
  
• Exploring Different Genres
  
• Defining Your Style

The very first step in any photographer's journey is to get to know how a camera and lens works.

By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to confidently and correctly expose an image using aperture, shutter and ISO settings.

You'll also have a solid understanding of how to capture motion in your images and how to use depth of field to your advantage with a range of handy activities and resources to guide you through.

Topics covered:

• How Cameras Work
  
• Shutter Speed
  
• Aperture
• Depth of Field
• Shutter Speed
• ISO
• Putting It All Together: The Exposure Triangle
• Camera Modes

When it comes to photography equipment, there's a whole new language to learn!

In this lesson, you'll learn about the capabilities of different cameras and lenses and how to make informed decisions about your own camera gear. You'll also explore some of the more advanced settings and accessories that you can use to achieve your unique photography goals and style.

By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to speak the language of photography with confidence.

Topics covered:

• Types of Cameras
• Film or Digital?
• Sensor Size
• Types of Lenses
• Lens Technology
• Additional Camera Settings

Now you've got the skills to operate your equipment with ease, it's time to get to know the art of taking impactful photographs.

In this lesson, you'll learn about the design elements and principles that underpin a photographer's practice. You'll also engage in some hands-on activities and projects to master the composition techniques used by the pros.

The result? A batch of great photos, but more importantly, a solid understanding of why they're great.

Topics covered:

• What is Composition?
• Design Elements for Photography
• Design Principles for Photography
• Composition Techniques
• Working With Your Subject

Everything in photography comes back to light. In fact, the word Photography comes from the Greek words phos, meaning “light”, and graphê, meaning “drawing or writing”.

In this lesson, you'll learn about both natural and artificial light and how to use them to produce different effects in your photographs.

You'll also explore the wonderful world of colour, as different wavelengths of light that can be utilised to bring greater interest and impact to your photographs.

Topics covered:

• Understanding Light
• Understanding Colour
• Working With Natural Light
• Working With Artificial Light
• Lighting Set-Ups

Knowing what to do after taking a photo is what separates a casual snapshotter from a seasoned pro.

In this lesson, you'll learn the foundations of Adobe Lightroom, as the industry-leading tool for photography production.

Starting from the beginning, you'll work your way through the entire post-production workflow: from importing and organising your files, to basic image processing and editing, to your final export.

Topics covered:

• Getting to Know Post-Production
• Introduction to Adobe Lightroom
• Importing Files
• Organising Your Library
• Adjusting Light
• Adjusting Colour
• Noise, Sharpening & Luminosity
• Cropping & Adjusting Perspective
• Exporting

To get the word out and gain new clients, you'll need a high-quality portfolio filled with your finest photographs.

With the guidance and insights of pro photographers, you'll start to think about your career goals and the type of work you want you to do.

You'll learn how to create a stunning website to showcase your work and get detailed feedback on how to best convey your unique style.

Topics covered:

• Deciding on Your Goals
  
• Choosing Your Best Work
  
• Building a Website
  

In any creative profession, having a solid set of business skills will enable you to keep growing and doing the work you love.

Although some of these topics aren't the most exciting thing in the world (we're looking at you accounting), this is truly the bread and butter of building a successful business. By the end of this lesson, you'll know how to price your projects, keep track of your finances, protect your intellectual property and build a business from the ground up.

Topics covered:

• Business Set-Up
• Legal Considerations
• Asset Management
• Pricing: Knowing Your Worth
• Quoting
• Invoicing

You've got the skills and the creative talent, now it's time to let the world know about it.

Branding and marketing can seem like daunting areas at first, but as you'll see in this lesson, it's simply about deciding who you are as a photographer and communicating that outwardly.

In doing so, you'll learn about creating customer personas, perfecting a professional website and building a social media presence. You'll also learn about some of the offline methods of getting the word out, including exhibitions, artist residencies and avenues for selling your work.

Topics covered:

• Getting to Know Your Customers
• Brand Personality & Voice
• Building a Social Media Presence
• Finding Clients & Opportunities

There's so much more to a creative project than picking up your camera and snapping some photographs.

In this lesson, you'll learn about the lifecycle of a project from start-to-finish, including developing a brief with a client, creating a range of concepts, planning your shoot, working to a timeline and shot list, directing models on-set, communicating with clients, asking for feedback, and working in a social, economic and environmentally sustainable way.

Topics covered:

• Interpreting a Brief
• Developing a Concept
• Pre-Production Planning
• Communication & Feedback
• Sustainability Considerations