Bloom: a photo e course

“Bowl of Strawberries” by Rachel Ballard. All rights reserved.

If you don’t know Rachel Ballard, she is (among other things!) a fabulous photographer. Her images are absolutely gorgeous and now she’s offering to share her expertise with you! 

Recently, I had a chance to ask the lovely Rachel  a few questions about her upcoming photo e course “Bloom.”  I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for new ways to become a better photographer and Rachel’s new course has me really intrigued. The thought of actually being able to use the “manual” setting on my camera makes me giddy. And let’s face it, any time I can do something in my pajamas, well. . . sign me up!  

But I’m  also a bit nervous about taking a course in photography. What if I’m not good enough? What if it’s all math and I don’t do math! What if. . . So, I put my questions to Rachel and she was gracious enough answer. You’ll find she’s warm and funny, just what you want from an instructor.  Read on, my friends. . . you won’t regret it!

“Birch”

The Interview: Where Wende asks the hard questions while simultaneously admitting she knows nothing about cameras. 

So, Rachel, you’re offering an “e-course” on photography. But if I’ve never taken an online course before–what should I expect? 

Well, first you can expect to feel relaxed. I like to feel comfortable when I’m learning, don’t you? Our class will meet on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I will post an assignment each Monday. We will discuss the “homework” each Wednesday, and Friday I will leave my students with some food for thought over the weekend.  Our discussions will take place in a forum within the site. These discussions will be private, that way we can all feel open to ask any questions and give feedback. I will also offer a gallery within the site for students to share their photos, along with a Flickr group for more interacting! Sharing photographs will be optional; encouraged, but optional.

I will cover basic camera function, finding light, creative composition, photographing people, post processing, and developing style. I plan on offering PDFs for students to print out and refer to after the course is finished as well.

I’ll confess, I own a camera. But I don’t know an f-stop from my knee caps and I’m pretty sure ISO is a lingerie designer—can I still take your course or will I be in over my head? 

Personally, I learn best when I LIKE what I’m reading. Does anyone really LIKE reading their camera manual? (ok maybe some do) I prefer to make the technical side of things seem- well- not so technical. I will teach my students how to understand their cameras in a way that doesn’t bore them to tears or confuse them. I feel like a beginner would be completely comfortable taking my course.

“Blackberries”

 As an Etsy seller, I’m looking for new ways to make my product shots better. Can your course help me?

Photographs of products are so important! I really believe that the images determine how well your products sell. I will discuss how to photograph “still life” and products using natural, flattering light and using creative angles and props for “styling”.

This all sounds amazing! But it must cost a fortune, right? Can I really afford your course? 

The course is for 4 weeks, and the cost is $45.00 per student. I feel like the information I will offer is valuable, and the fee helps cover my time, website maintenance and costs.  I also have a limited number of spots open, this way we can all have a chance to get to know one another and I can address each person’s individual questions.

Anything else I should know before I sign up?

You should be able to set aside about an hour or so a day to really benefit from the assignments. Also, you should be prepared to enjoy yourself! 

Registration closes the 21st, so go sign up TODAY! 

A big thanks to Rachel for being so willing to answer questions and I know if I didn’t ask your question, she’d be happy to talk with you about the course.