Photography Fastlane!

The History of Photography

• You will learn and be inspired about the evolution of photography from its early beginnings to the digital age. Discover the major milestones, influential figures, and the importance of photography in capturing moments, documenting history, and connecting people through visual storytelling.

The Major Genres of Photography

• You will learn what major genres of photography exist and the wide range of opportunities to work and specialize in photography.

Gear vs. Knowledge: The Most Important Video in this Course

• This lesson will empower you to realize that the greatness of your photography work is not determined by your gear, but by your skill and knowledge, allowing you to achieve remarkable results even with cheap equipment. 

The Different Types of Cameras and Their Abilities

• In this lesson, we'll explore the wonderful world of cameras, learning about different types and their unique features, so you'll gain a solid understanding of cameras and be able to choose the right one for your photography needs.

Light's Journey: How Light Interacts with a Camera

• By diving deep into the journey of light through a camera, this lesson will equip you with a solid understanding of what actually happens when you take a picture, helping you become a more knowledgeable and skilled photographer.

The Importance of Focal Length

• In this lesson, we'll explore the importance of focal length, and by the end, you'll have a solid understanding of how to use it creatively to capture stunning photos with different perspectives.

How to Hold a Camera: Ergonomics Matter

• By following the tips and techniques taught in this lesson, you will learn how to properly hold a camera, resulting in sharper images, reduced fatigue, and improved overall photography skills.

Habits for Protecting your Data

• This video explains very important and necessary habits you need to make to keep your data safe. It’s very easy to accidentally lose your photos to data loss, and after learning this, you’ll be much less likely to be a victim. 

Controlling Aperture and Depth of Field

• By understanding aperture and its various effects on exposure and optics, you will gain the knowledge and skills to confidently control the quality and appearance of your photos, enabling you to achieve your desired results and create the mood you envision.

Controlling Shutter Speed and Motion Blur

• In this lesson, we'll dive into shutter speed and motion blur, helping you understand how to control exposure and capture the right amount of motion in your photographs.

ISO: The Final Piece to the Exposure Puzzle

• By mastering ISO and understanding its impact on an image, you'll be able to confidently control the balance between image quality and proper exposure.

The Unspoken Power of Auto Exposure Modes

• By understanding auto-exposure, metering modes, and exposure compensation, you will be able to confidently capture well-exposed photos in rapidly changing lighting situations, allowing you to focus on your creativity and achieve amazing results.

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White Balance: The Key to Proper Color

• By understanding and correctly applying white balance in your photography, you will be able to capture accurate color providing a proper starting point for color grading.

Mastering Auto Focus and Drive Modes

• By understanding and utilizing different autofocus and drive modes, this lesson will help you capture sharp photos without missing the action, giving you the confidence to work with any subject accurately.

Stands and Tripods: Your Greatest Support

• This lesson will help you understand the importance of investing in quality support equipment and guide you in choosing the right stands and tripods to ensure the safety of your gear while shooting.

Studio Lighting Explained

• By understanding the different types of studio lighting and modifiers, you will be able to make informed decisions about the best lighting options to use in your photography, ultimately helping you to work more efficiently as you grow in your craft.

Modifiers: Essential Tools for Shaping Light

• Shaping light is essential to any photographer's success. Lighting modifiers are your painting tools to shape the shadows on your canvas. This lesson will teach you about the essential lighting modifiers available and what they do, so you can choose the exact tools you need for any shoot.

Clamps and Precision Rigging 

• This lesson will cover more advanced studio equipment designed to make your life much easier when precise placement of props and equipment is required.

How Light Size and Position Affect Shadows

• By understanding light size and position, you'll be able to control the look and mood of your shots, creating more impactful photos. This lesson contains the secrets to unlocking the ability to create any mood you imagine.

Demystifying the Inverse Square Law

• In this lesson, you'll learn how to harness the power of the Inverse Square Law to transform your approach to photography and become a much better lighting designer. This knowledge will transform your approach to lighting.

Creative Lighting Techniques

• This lesson covers powerful lighting techniques that most photographers don’t know, giving you precise control over reflections, refraction, gradient fall off, and illuminating particles like haze.

The Power of Pre-Visualization

• By mastering the art of previsualization, you will transform your photography and projects by creating more powerful and effective end results that evoke emotions and connect with viewers on a deeper level.

Narrative: The First and Most Important Step

• This lesson will help you understand the importance of narrative in photography and guide you in conveying specific emotions and actions through your images, leading to more impactful and purposeful photography for your targeted audience. 

Composition: Narrative's Most Powerful Ally

• By understanding and implementing the principles of composition in your photography, you will be able to control the viewer's eye and create visually compelling images that evoke the desired emotions and effectively convey the narrative of your photos.

Sketching Your Idea: Unlimited Freedom

• This lesson will help you unleash your creativity and improve your photography skills by guiding you through the process of sketching your photo ideas, allowing you to visualize and bring your vision to life with confidence and clarity.

Creative Product Photography: The Egg

• This hands-on demonstration walks you through a real-world demonstration of not limiting your creativity to achieve the photo you imagine without compromise. 

Business Headshot Setups Everyone Should Know

• This demonstration will show you how to take stunning business headshots on a black background with one and two lights in a compact space. Knowing how to take business headshots is a great way to start earning money as a photographer. 

Bright and Punchy Fashion Portraits

• This lesson teaches you how to light for a more fashionable look on a white background with one, two, and three lights. This setup will help you round out your studio Portrait Lighting skills. 

Natural Light and Mixed Light Portraiture

• This demonstration will take you through practical examples of taking photos outside. You’ll learn how to plan and harness the power of the sun with bounce and fill as well as how to use off camera flash to integrate artificial lighting into your environments, giving you ultimate control of your outdoor portraiture. 

Essential Product Photography

• This lesson takes you into the studio where we’ll create a luxurious advertising photo of a bottle. Knowing how to prepare and light a cold beverage unlocks so many skills you can implement in any product shot, giving you a solid grasp on approaching product photography. 

Bulk E-Commerce Photography Setups

• This hands-on workshop will show you multiple ways to approach taking perfect, shadowless e-commerce photos that don’t require any post production time so that you can pump out bulk shots for e-commerce clients. 

Landscape Photography Primer

• This lesson takes you on a mini adventure where we prepare and go out to take a beautiful landscape photo. You’ll learn how to plan the shoot ahead of time, what gear to pack, and how to nail the shot once we get there. 

Intro to Astrophotography

• Astrophotography is one of the most beautiful and special art forms that connect you to nature in a unique way. You’ll get a solid grasp on the planning, gear, and time needed to take beautiful starscapes.

Image File Formats Explained

• Knowing what image file formats exist and what they are used for is essential to understanding how to edit your photos and manage your files color correctly. You’ll be a workflow guru in no time after watching this lesson.  

Understanding Color Correction and Grading

• This lesson covers all you need to know about the essential tools and techniques used to get accurate and creative color in your photos. You’ll also learn more advanced techniques like masking and selective adjustments to dial in the perfect look for your creative goals.  

Portrait Retouching: Keeping it Natural

• This lesson will guide you through the proper steps for making beautifully natural portrait retouching. You’ll understand the essential tools and procedures for making someone look like their best natural self. 

Product Retouching and Background Replacement

• In this walk-through, you’ll build off your knowledge of portrait retouching and go even further to create perfect product shots. You’ll be able to replace the background of your shot if needed while keeping it natural as well as learn advanced tricks for masking and blending layers. 

Exporting Photos for Delivery

• What good are your photos if you don’t send them off with style? This lesson covers the essential ways to export your photos and organize them to send off to a client, print, contacts sheets and more.

You've Come a Long Way

• This lesson encourages you to look back over the course and see your transformation as a photographer. You’ll be given a send off fit for a champion, ready to take on your next endeavor.