For as long as I can remember, photography has been like meditation for me. After losing my partner in 2005 I found my way back to my self with a camera in my hands and a notebook by my side. For me a camera is a meditative tool, an extension of my own eyes that provides a way to observe and record my world and the moments I want to keep close to my heart.
In this five-week e-course I will be sharing everything I know about creating images that carry an imprint of our heart. And that doesn’t mean you need an expensive fancy camera to do that — I shoot with Polaroid cameras, big digital cameras, compacts and my iphone, but what they all have in common is my eye and my way of seeing.
I’m going to teach you how to see
THIS FIVE-WEEK COURSE INCLUDES:
- Two photo theory lessons each week
- Weekly challenges and prompts to explore
- Narrated photo slideshows to inspire you
- In-depth posts detailing how I shoot
- Group connecting in the private Flickr group
- Interviews with soulful intuitive photographers
- A fully-comprehensive resources section
- A beautifully-designed ebook (114 pages!) of the
entire course for you to download and keep,
including the slideshows & resources
TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE:
- Composition theory and application
- Embracing the light
- Self-portraiture
- Shooting for your blog
- Story-telling with photos
- My top tips for getting soulful shots
- All my secrets :)
NEXT REGISTRATION: Spring 2012
Registration opens – Saturday March 17th, 2012
Start date – Monday April 16th, 2012
Duration – 5 weeks
Fee – £87
Note: When registration is open a red ‘register now!’ button will be visible at the top of this page
‘Watching the slideshow, with your narration, just touched me so deeply. To be unearthing the how of seeing for its emotional impact, to hear another artist deciphering the beauty in images that move them, is a generous slice of heaven that you are sharing with your photo girls. From my perspective, the simplicity of your voice beneath the pictures is as magical as radio – it feels so personal, and yet like community. I can already tell that i will be reaping rich rewards from this experience for a very long time to come.’
~ Brenna, autumn 2011 class
‘I don't want it to end! I'm really enjoying your teaching style and it's just been so inspirational. Even though I've been working on my photography since my first class *gasp* 13 years ago, each week there's been a few "aha!" moments. And just the excitement and enthusiasm of my fellow students is inspiring. Loving. it.’ ~ Diana, autumn 2011 class
Week by week
Week 1. The Bones: Cultivating awareness
In the first week we look at the bones of a photograph, the compositional elements that form the foundation of an image, and explore how to cultivate more awareness as we use our cameras to filter the world around us.
Week 2. The Flesh: Lightness of being
In the second week we examine the flesh of a photograph, the layers of information that give an image more depth and resonance. We’ll also begin looking at ways to weave more of ourselves into our images.
Week 3. The Heart: Shooting from the heart
In week three we figure out how we can layer more emotion through our shots, diving into different ways to capture our loved ones and record the memories as they happen.
Week 4. The Soul: Going within
In the fourth week we turn our cameras on ourselves, experimenting with self-portraiture as a way to translate our inner world and create metaphors for how we feel.
Week 5. The Tale: Telling stories
In the last week we bring together everything we’ve learned over the previous four weeks as we explore the art of photographic story-telling.
Please note that while I will be briefly touching on post-processing your shots this isn’t a technical photography class. I prefer to use my intuition when taking photographs so this is what I will be teaching too – it’s important to know the basics, and we’ll be looking at the important ones like composition and light, but this class will be a mix of inspiration, tips and essential know-how.
I won’t be teaching you how to use your camera ‒ I will be teaching you how to use your eyes!
Frequently Asked Questions
The course fees are in British pounds – do you accept payment in dollars/euros?
Yes! Payment is made via Paypal, which automatically converts currency for you. To check the current exchange rate, visit this useful online currency converter.
Do I have to take Unravelling before Photo Meditations?
No. Photo Meditations is a completely separate course so you can dive straight in :)
Do I have to share my photos with the group?
It’s not a cast-iron requirement but it’s always fun to share our shots and see what everyone else has created :)
What’s a Flickr account?
Flickr.com is an online photo-sharing website that’s free to join. With an account you can upload photos to your own galleries, share photos with other users or keep your photos private if you prefer.
1. To open a new account go to www.flickr.com and click on the ‘Create Your Account’ button
2. Click ‘Don’t have a Yahoo ID? Sign up’ and create a Yahoo account (if you already have one, you’ll be able to use that to sign in).
3. Sign in with your new Yahoo ID and password.
4. On the ‘Make a new Flickr Account’ page, choose your Flickr screen name and click ‘Create a new account’.
5. Click on the ‘Personalize Your Profile’ link then click option 2: Choose Your Custom Flickr URL. This is where you can choose the URL address that links to your Flickr page (the default address is a series of letters and number that isn’t very memorable, so it’s best to choose a word or name).
6. Back at the home page, click ‘Upload your first photos’, following the steps to locate a photo on your computer and upload it to Flickr.
What do I need?
A camera, access to a computer and the internet, a Flickr account, a notebook and a pen.
What sort of camera do I need?
Any camera! Your favourite camera! DSLRs, point ‘n’ shoots, iPhones, Polaroids, Instax. All cameras are perfect for this class.
I don’t have much technical knowledge – can I still take this class?
Yes! As long as you can switch on your camera (or load it with film :) and click the shutter button, you’re good to go!
Do I have to be in class at certain times?
No, there are no set times when you have to be in class. The assignments and lessons are posted to the private course blog on set days, but you can visit the blog at anytime. It’s a self-paced course, so you can fit it in whenever is best for you. Expect to spend about an hour or two on the course each week.
Do you give feedback/critiques on our photos?
I had to make a decision about the commenting-on-photos thing as I know how great it is to get feedback. After 3 years of running Unravelling I’ve figured out the optimal number of peeps to have in a class to build a lovely community feel (and also keep the class fee affordable). But with so many photos coming into the Flickr pool it’s not possible for me to comment on every single one — and i don’t want anyone to feel left out or ignored! So i look at all your photos but I do not leave comments — i want to be fair to *everyone*. However, i am always available to you on email (and also on the discussion board) throughout the class, so do get in touch if you have any questions, concerns or musings you want to share.
In the future i may create a class or service where i offer critiques to those who’d like to go deeper with their work, but it will be at a higher price point to fit the one-on-one nature of the offering.
‘I'm finding the course really inspiring. I've done a similar class but there is such a new perspective in this course that everything feels really fresh and I am starting to look at things in different ways. I absolutely love the slideshows - something about words and pictures makes my brain take it in without me realising!’ ~ Becs, autumn 2011 class
‘I am really enjoying the course! Your course and guidance has been wonderful. I have always been happy with my photos, but this has broadened my vocabulary and shown me new ways to consider what I shoot and how. I love that your course has been a combination of emotion and technical. Cheers to you!’ ~ Sue, autumn 2011 class