Last month I was very kindly invited to try out an online photography course through MyPhotoSchool. I’ve been wanting to take an online class for a couple of years now. It’s one of those things that I’ve talked about over and over again but never got around to doing. I think the reason behind this is that I was never sure what to expect. Can online courses really work? Would I prefer to sit in a classroom and interact with others? Well, now that I’ve finally had the chance to take part in an online photography course I can assure you that they’re a lot of fun, educational and you have the chance to engage with fellow members on the course. If you put the time and effort into the course you’ll get a lot back.
The MyPhotoSchool website is very easy to use. There’s room to chat with your class friends, all videos and notes are easy to locate and I personally didn’t have any issues uploading my photography assignments to the site.
Today’s post is going to focus on Julia Anna Gospodarou’s B&W Fine Art Photography & Beyond course. Julia is an architect and an award winning (SWPA, ND Awards, IPA to name just a few) black and white fine art photographer. Be sure to check out Julia’s blog where she talks about black and white photography and shares a few of her tips and tricks.
The aim of the course is to encourage each individual to explore and develop their own vision and style through creative thinking. Throughout the course Julia shares her own experience alongside examples of her architectural photography. She shares techniques that can then be applied to any form of black & white photography and you have the chance to test this out within the weekly assignments.
There’s lots of course material to read through alongside 30 minute video tutorials. If I found I couldn’t focus on the reading I’d print it out. It can be easier to do your reading offline and then store the notes away in a folder for future reference.
At the end of each week you’re presented with an assignment where you’ll use the skills and information you’ve learned throughout the week. Once assignments have been submitted Julia gives one to one feedback and tips on how to improve. Class members are also encouraged to comment and view each others work. This helps to give a community feel to the course and really gets people chatting. I also like that you can still go back into the course once it’s finished and read up, print notes or watch the video.
Within the B&W Fine Art Photography & Beyond course there were four sections;
Lesson 1 – Vision and (en)Visionography
Lesson 2 – The Guide To Vision
Lesson 3 – Composition in Black & White Fine Art Photography
Lesson 4 – Photography Drawing
At the end of the course you’re presented with a certificate. I suggest printing this out and keeping it within your work folder. I think it’s very important to continue learning and developing upon your skills after college and university.
Would I take another course with MyPhotoSchool? Yes, yes yes. I’ve actually got my eye on one dedicated to exposure. I believe that you have to be well disciplined when taking part in an online course. You must set aside time to watch the video, read the material and then put your new skills into practice and complete all the assignments.
If you have any questions about the course then please drop me a message and I’ll be more than happy to have a chat.