If you want your photos to be liked, shared and commented on - in other words, if you want to be SEEN in this great, big online world - you have to put a story or a feeling behind the photos that go deeper than the words you write beneath them. The photo has to say something!

And so, it's a great honor for me to tell you that, for the first time in over 8 years of running Blogging Your Way, the backbone and builder of the site, the co-founder, who is also my husband, will be teaching his first class with a special focus on photography and story telling for bloggers, influencers, writers, online shop owners, designers, book authors and anyone else (even experienced photographers) who is creative or curious and wants to learn exactly how to craft a beautiful photo from the heart.

And I have a small, but very great, confession to make. My first anniversary gift from my husband was a beautiful Canon camera that he bought for me with money he saved up because he knew how much I loved to take photos. And 16 years later, because of his support and encouragement, his patience, and his help in developing my skills in photography, I am finally shooting with confidence. I take photos for clients globally, I travel to events and fairs to take photos, and most of the posts on my blog that I write are filled with my own photos. I also am taking photos for my own books now, and for the books of other authors!

If you don't believe me I want to show you something. These are examples of the photos that I took for decor8 when I first started blogging nearly 11 years ago HERE and HERE. They make me laugh and cringe but they also make me SO PROUD. Because now I am taking photos like THIS and THIS and those are not even my best work. So when I say Thorsten has helped me, well, I mean it.

And now he can help you too.

Thorsten is a tech-savvy genius and knows computers from software to hardware to code, inside out - but also cameras and photography, photo editing and every gadget and app and THING you could possibly use to not only take photos but to take the best photos. On the flipside, he also is a poet and writer, and has an impressive talent to see the beauty in the mundane, to pull it out, and to share it through his photos and writing. With a teaching background for many years in Boston, he has worked in classrooms for years helping to develop skill and talent in his adult students. 

Picture This!

Thorsten will teach for Blogging Your Way, and I will step back and be his co-teacher and assistant, while he leads you through a 3 week intensive course called PICTURE THIS: Photos + Storytelling e-course AND it wraps up with YOU (if you wish to) submitting a photo project and Thorsten will look at it and give you feedback and ideas.

How Many Weeks?

This is how it works. Class starts Friday, November 3, 2017 and will run for two full weeks. Then, students will take a short pause and spend the entire month of December putting what was learned into motion. Then, for one final week in January, from the 8th-15th, each student will share via Milanote (free downloadable app), their photos from December - the "story" they wish to tell. Then, Thorsten and I will look at ALL of the student projects and offer our feedback as part of the class, and all students are welcome to look at and review all projects, too to see what we've said.

What Will Be Taught?

You will learn the principles of visual storytelling: composition... From contrast and affinity to the rule of thirds, golden ratio, deep space, flat space and limited space. Next, you will learn how focal length affects composition, crop factor, ISO tips, using glass filters to control lighting, and the 4 different shot types. Finally, you'll learn how to plan a shoot day for your blog and how to plan a shoot day for a client.

Do I Need An Expensive Camera?

Please note that you will need to own or have access to a DSLR or mirrorless camera (any camera where you can change lenses) as some of the topics cannot be followed with a smartphone camera. A compact camera with a zoom is also a possible option.

How Are Classes Taught?

For this class, mostly video and screencasts along with some written lessons will be pre-recorded especially for this course and posted on Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week - you can view them whenever you wish during class, day or night. All materials can be downloaded and saved. We will also have live chats with students so questions can be asked in real time. And of course, questions can be asked in the forum from November 3 until January 15th, except for Christmas week and New Years Eve and New Year's Day.

We will only register a small group for this class since it includes student feedback on the photograph project - register today so you don't miss a spot!

REGISTER NOW

We hope to see you in class because you will truly love it and learn more than you ever imagined!

(Photography: Thorsten Becker)