How will I learn to take better photos? What’s involved in the course?

Module 1: An introduction to photography and light + phone photography and settings.  What makes a good photo, brief history of photography, how a camera works, using light to create a photograph.  Plus phone settings and taking photos on your phone.

Module 2: An introduction to composition.  Using various composition rules and techniques to create interesting and eye-catching photographs.

Module 3: Editing photos on your phone.  Improving your photographs with some editing techniques; filters and editing within Instagram, and using an editing app on your phone.

Module 4: Accessories.  An overview of some of the accessories you can use in your phone photography. (A smaller week this week at the half way point in the live version, to give you time to catch up if needed).

Module 5: Photo tips for your business: selfies, portraits, products (straightforward shots, lifestyle, works in progress, close-ups), flatlays, behind the scenes, events.

Module 6: Getting your brand into your photos.  The look and feel of your brand, planning your photos, styling your photos, taking and editing photos for your brand, consistency.

The first module of the course is available as soon as you sign up, and then you'll unlock each of the next modules when you complete the previous one.  I suggest you aim to do one a week over the next six weeks - or you could go for it and do one a day for a week, or even spend a whole day working through it all if you wanted to! 

Each module has one or more PDFs to download of all the lesson material, and a video to watch to give you an introduction to that week's subject(s).  And then there are some homework tasks to do with most of the modules, to make sure you've understood, and give you something to practice!  

We have a private group just for members of the From Basic To Brilliant course - so you can ask me any questions you have about the course in there, and do share your homework or any other photos you take for any feedback I can give you :) 

Oh and there will also be homework tasks each week to make sure you learn and practice your photography!

I don’t sell products, can I still do the course?

Yes!  Almost all of the course will still be really relevant.  In fact, without products to photograph and share all the time, this course will help you to see all the other photos that you can take and share from behind the scenes of your business, so your customers can really get to know you.

How long does the course take?

The first module of the course is available as soon as you sign up, and then you'll unlock each of the next modules when you complete the previous one.  I suggest you aim to do one a week over the next six weeks - or you could go for it and do one a day for a week, or even spend a whole day working through it all if you wanted to! 

Do I have to finish it in six weeks?

Not at all, it's a self study course, that you can do in your own time and take as long as you like.  You'll keep access to all the info in the course hub here in the Academy, for as long as I have it (and you can download and keep the PDFs of all the course info whenever you like anyway).  You’re also welcome to stay in the Facebook group for as long as you like to keep asking any questions about the course.  

So who’s teaching you all this?!

Hello!  I’m Jane, a branding photographer based in Kent, UK.  I have been taking photos since I was at least seven, when my favourite birthday present was my first camera!  My first proper job was in a picture library, selling photographs – but I soon realised that I wanted to be the one taking them, so I found some evening classes and got learning properly.  Then followed nearly a decade of photographing for other companies, before children, and redundancy, led me to starting my own photography business.

I love meeting and photographing other amazing business owners, and creating them beautiful story-telling imagery that will build their stand-out brand and grow their business.  And I’ve discovered that I love teaching photography too!  So let’s have fun sorting out and super-charging your social media photos :)