TECHNICAL AND CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY: MASTER

In short...

Preliminary notes: It is mandatory to have completed the 4 introductory courses about basic photographic technique to attend the courses in this package. Book the 4 courses for beginners here

In addition to the 4 beginner courses (see above), This course pack is certifying; it will allow you to obtain the Technical and creative photography: Master certification.

With this titanic training package, nothing will be left to chance! You will see everything and anything! Each course in this package will focus on one aspect, one essential technique of photography, giving you all the skills you need and those you never dreamed of!

Your learning experience will begin with a series of 4 courses on camera skills. You will then be able to follow our artistic development courses (composition, portrait, black & white, street photography, architecture, reportage, night photography and history of photography); as well as our editing courses (Lightroom and Photoshop, and initiation to image selection).

Course #4 - Inspiration (online)

This course is a little out of the ordinary! The teacher, with their keen eye for the history of photography, and in tune with the leading authors of our time, will take you on a journey to discover those who have shaped the art of photography and the photographers who continue its evolution.

Although the formula is less "participative" than the rest of our courses, this course offers a major benefit for those who want to develop the artistic aspect of their photography. In fact, any form of creation relies on a source of inspiration that guides our first steps in the conception of a work.

This 2.5h session will provide you with cultural resources to successfully complete your photographic project, whatever your ambition in this field.

Course #7 - The series (online)

A series of images allows another level of photographic expression! Whether aesthetic, thematic or chronological associations, a series brings depth and interest to a photographer's work. The scenography of an exhibition, the layout of a book, the design of an online gallery; all require thinking of one's work differently than as individual images.

Thanks to numerous examples, taken from the work of a variety of photographers, you will discover the different common threads that can guide a photographic series. We will work on the first phase of the editing process, i.e. the editing and selection of your images. A process with many dilemmas! We will see how to build a coherent series on the basis of images that have already been made (and that were not taken specifically to create a series). This could apply perfectly to a batch of images taken on holiday! Finally, we will discuss sharing on social networks and platforms. What means do you have available to you to get your series seen?

This is a very complete course, designed to help you create harmonious picture sequences that convey a certain vision of the subject: yours.

Lightroom level 1: Organise and select your images (online)

The knowledge of retouching software is a necessary tool in photography: thanks to programs like Lightroom, photographers can achieve the full potential of their raw images. Adobe Lightroom Software manages all the post-production steps of a photograph; from importing and organizing images, through their retouching, to exporting for printing (print, book) or digital presentation (web, slide show).

The first level of our Lightroom training courses will familiarise you with the use of this software. This workshop will be essential for you to understand how the program works, on the one hand, and on the other hand, to learn how to effectively organize and select your images. The selection and organisation phase of images is crucial in photographic post-production work. It is during this stage that stories evolve, series are constructed and a photographer's work is structured. The images selected in this step are the images that will be retouched.

This 3h30 workshop is therefore positioned before the retouching training (which will be taught in the level 2 workshop), and is a fundamental entry point into your Lightroom training... Just as a cook must be able to choose his food with taste before preparing a dish, a photographer must be able to select their images in an efficient and thoughtful way before retouching work...

During this first level of learning, you will be taught:

-The fundamentals of the program and how it works

-The different methods of importing images into Lightroom

-Sorting and selecting images within the software

Street photography for all

Does this genre excite your curiosity and are you eager to learn more about its history and practice? Would you like to capture the moment but your inhibitions put obstacles in your way? Then this class is definitely for you!

This 3.5h class was designed for people wishing to learn street photography, by discovering its history, its great figures, and through accompanied practice.

The curriculum will be developed in three parts, each necessary to begin effectively in this photographic art:

• Firstly through inspiration; by discovering the history of Street Photography, and the great photographers who made it, you will have a glimpse at the diversity of approaches and aesthetics of this genre.
• Before starting shooting, technical tips and tricks will be given, exclusively designed to optimise your technical management in the context of the street and to take photographs "on the fly".
• Finally, the time of practice - the heart of this class. Thanks to precise exercises, with very clear objectives, your instructor will teach you methods of discreet approaches and various tips of compositions for your street photographs to succeed.

At the end of the class, you will approach this practice in a more serene way and with the necessary inspiration to flourish on the awesome playground that is the street!

Lightroom level 2: Starting to retouch images (online)

The knowledge of retouching software is a necessary tool in photography: thanks to programs like Lightroom, photographers can achieve the full potential of their raw images. Adobe Lightroom Software manages all the post-production steps of a photograph; from importing and organizing images, through their retouching, to exporting for printing (print, book) or digital presentation (web, slide show).

The raw images that your camera is capable of producing have enormous potential, and to be able to utilise and maximise it, you need to be proficient with retouching software; adjusting exposure, adjusting white balance, tonality, contrast, correcting abnormalities are just some of the many tasks that Lightroom can do, among many other possibilities....

This retouching phase is therefore an essential part of the photographer's work. Imagine a baker not knowing how to bake his bread; his dough may have top quality dough, but if he doesn’t know how to use it his work will always remain unfinished (and inedible)... The same is true for the photographer who cannot retouch; his chain of work is cut off, he cannot perfect and embellish his work.

During this second level of learning, you will be taught:

-The different tools for image processing

-Adequate retouching formulas (practical phase of the workshop)

-The different methods of exporting images from Lightroom

-Prerequisites: you must have attended level 1 or be already familiar with the use of the software, import, sorting and selection methods

Photoshop level 1: Introduction to digital photo acquisition, development and editing (online)

The first level of our Photoshop training course will familiarise you with the software. This course will be essential for you to understand how to use the program. This course is perfect to go beyond Lightroom and is dedicated to pure photo retouching. It will teach you the techniques necessary to obtain professional quality photographic images through post-production.

Your level of photography does not need to be extremely advanced but you should already be familiar with Lightroom as Photoshop is no longer the best tool for organising your photos and is not very accessible for beginners in software, computer manipulation or photography in general. For complete beginners in these areas, you should first familiarise yourself with the Lightroom Level 1 course.

Photoshop is an essential tool for photographers in the digital age. It has infinite potential and, as such, it is important to be able to distinguish its most efficient functions in order to achieve the desired result. Through this software, you have the possibility to interpret and realise your vision as well as finalise images and prepare them for printing. This course will enable you to completely utilise your photos to their full potential and shows you the multitude of possibilities that Photoshop has to offer for improving and optimising your shots. You will quickly become familiar with Photoshop's interface, tools and functions, and learn how to solve the most common problems encountered in photography.

The teacher will help you discover their own workflow, from the development of the digital negative (raw file) to the basics of photo retouching, through image processing with a non-destructive approach. In order to allow students to better understand Photoshop's functions and techniques, the explanations are based on real examples of digital photo retouching.

At the end of this training, you will be able to:

• Understand and master the Photoshop interface
• Analyse image problems and implement the necessary tools and functions to correct them
• Correct and improve your images
• Adapt the knowledge acquired to your digital workflow
• Work with text and images
• Carry out elementary photographic montages
• Prepare an image for printing

Portrait

Sometimes, the simplest photos are the hardest ones to take. How do you take an impeccable portrait of a loved-one or of a friend on the spot, and only with the help of natural lighting? How do you end up with an expressive and successful portrait without the aid of a studio?

It is essential to take the environment into consideration when composing a portrait. Managing the background's colours and graphics, choosing the point of view, directing the model - these are all points that will be covered during the course.

Light control is an equally important aspect; in particular, analysing a given moment's light and using it wisely are elements that will be explained to help you make a successful portrait.

This workshop will teach you:

• How to observe the environment so as to guide your aesthetic choices: point of view, directing a model
• How to "read" light and place your subject accordingly
• How to correctly define parameters in your camera according to your desired result
• How to frame and compose an image to highlight the subject

The workshop includes a theoretical explanation, a main "practical" part, as well as a class debriefing at the end. The class takes place outdoors and the debriefing takes place at a coffee shop. The exact meeting place will be communicated to enrolled participants. The workshop is composed of a theoretical part, practical training and a debriefing.

Composition for all

The objective of this course is to teach the guidelines of composition to new photographers. Although many established photographers tend to think that there is no such thing as “correct composition”, you will learn why these guidelines exist and can then choose if you will abide by them or not.

After you learn about composition, your eyes will start to notice the interesting shapes surrounding you. Once you have become aware of them, all you have to do is appropriately position yourself to see them appear in your viewfinder. We will discuss where the theories of composition derive from in order to have a better understanding of how relevant they are in making an interesting photo.

This workshop will teach you:

• The theories of the rule of thirds, filling the frame, perspective, balance, leading lines, symmetry, patterns, background, depth, and cropping
• The history of the theory of composition

You will leave the class trusting your photographic judgment, maybe even feeling that the composition guidelines are second nature to you.

The workshop is split into three sections: a theoretical explanation, a hands-on practice session, and a debriefing of the class at a nearby café. During the debriefing, we will review and discuss the class’ photographs. The workshop is composed of a theoretical part, practical training and a debriefing.

Black and white

If you like black & white rendering and wish to improve your monochrome photography skills, this workshop will teach you how to sublimate your black & white compositions with the help of a professional photographer.

To begin, your teacher will explain the different settings that can be applied to your camera to optimise monochrome rendering and develop a style that is unique to you.

The workshop will also be an opportunity to review some of the great photographers who have worked in black & white. Iconic images will be analysed and you will understand how monochrome rendering has served their photographic practice.

The shooting will be the main part of the course; a phase during which you will be able to put into practice the technical and compositional tricks taught by your trainer.

This course will teach you how to:

• Read light and contrasts
• Choose your subjects for optimal black & white rendering
• Manage exposure for shadows and highlights
• Optimise black & white conversion on your device

At the end of the workshop, we will offer you a complete debriefing to share your images taken during your training. This collective review, carried out by the teaching photographer, will allow each participant to ensure a good understanding but also to draw inspiration from the achievements of the other students.

Low light photography

This workshop is intended for people who wish to practice night photography: an enchanting genre with a certain poetry. This workshop will also allow you to experience the limits of the camera when light is scarce.

To begin with, fundamental technical notions will be recalled specifically for low-light conditions (control of exposure time, "noise" in digital photography, white balance, etc.).

Then comes the time for practice and creation (the major part of the course); you will discover the city and deal with a variety of subjects: monuments, architecture, urban landscapes, statues, road traffic, candles and light painting (the art of drawing with light).

Night photography offers incredible creative possibilities, all you have to do is discover them!

Architecture photography

Is architecture photography, its history, its styles and its techniques, a source of interest for you? Are you eager to learn about its practice, and to discover the wide range of aesthetic and technical possibilities? In that case, this workshop is for you!

This 3.5h course is intended for people who wish to learn about architectural photography, through its history, great figures and essential techniques, but above all through guided practice.

The curriculum will be developed in four parts, each covering a fundamental aspect of this practice:

• First of all, a time of inspiration by discovering the History of Architectural Photography, and the great authors who built it. You will discover the diversity of approaches and aesthetics of this genre.
• Before starting shooting, your teacher will establish an exhaustive and explanatory list of the best materials to fully engage in architectural photography, as well as the minimum equipment required to start this practice.
• Then will come the time of practice, the core of this workshop. Thanks to precise exercises, with very clear objectives, your instructor will teach you the technical methods and the various composition tricks to make your photographs a success.
• Finally, the images taken during the workshop will be commented on by the teacher in terms of aesthetics and technique. A digital "HDR" and "Stitching" assembly will also be demonstrated.

At the end of this course, you will have a serene approach to this practice, be technically equipped and have the necessary inspiration to develop yourself in the field of architectural photography!

The reportage : storytelling through pictures

The reporter is first and foremost a witness.

Therefore the photo reporter testifies in images. These testimonies can be expressed in two ways: in daily news, or over a longer period of time through the development of a series on given themes (this is called documentary reportage).

Even if the reporter's neutrality during the shooting is essential, their point of view can still be supported, particularly by the angle of the photo, or by the way the photographer chooses to order their images.

The course

We will start the day with a discussion about photo reportage, its history and its role in society.

The instructor will then propose 2 or 3 reporting themes from which the students will have to choose the topic of the day.

The early afternoon will be dedicated to reportage. The instructor will take part in the exercise themself, while spending time with each student individually to provide advice and tips (how to choose the right moment, the right angle, etc.).

Once the reportage is completed, the trainer will use the pictures they have created to approach the crucial issue of editing. They will explain their choices of rhythm and coherence that will lead them to the final series.

The day will end with a long collective review of each other's work.

Material

Of course, the equipment is important. To be able to work on everything, wide angle and long focal length should be used. A quality lens with a large diaphragm aperture is recommended in order to adapt to the most diverse lighting conditions.

Course sequence

• 10am-12pm: Photo reporters: history; 2/3 themes proposed for vote
• 13h-16h: Reportage
• 16h-18h: Debriefing of the students' work; editing via the example of the instructor.