A Professional Photography And Design Course – What I've Learned So Far

Now here’s a post I have been meaning to write since February, when I started an online course. I’m studying ‘Create. Shoot. Publish. A TAFE Cert IV in Design, specialising in Photography. ‘

This course is delivered entirely online, so can be studied at my own pace. Some people can do it in six months, the maximum time allowed is two years and so far I’m shooting for the latter.

This is the outline for the entire course – terrifying.

I’d wanted to do a photography course for a long time, and had a wee yen also to learn InDesign… with this course I really have bitten off more than I can chew whilst running the household and my blog too.

That’s a habit of mine… and I’ve decided I need to stop blogging for the whole of June to concentrate on the course. Time to focus.

Anyway, in the past four months I have learned heaps. I’ve been practising taking photos, watching loads of videos about photography, set up InDesign, Photoshop and Adobe Bridge. I’ve learned how and why to shoot in RAW format, and have started some basic (it feels complicated to me) photo editing.

Here are a few JPGs from a visual diary I’m keeping and which is used as one of six assignments for this first part of the course.

Task 1 was to take a self portrait and start to use the online portal and forums.

I’ve just completed Assessment 3 which was to brainstorm a creative photo shoot and do a mood board for it.

Next up I have to do the shoot, at sunrise down at gorgeous Narrabeen Rock Pool. Then I have to lay it out.

After that I need to prepare and shot and layout another complete shoot… thinking of doing an ocean swimming one. Love those early mornings down at the beach!

And that’ll the the end of the first of the six parts. This course is big. Help.

Anyway, that’s the story so far. I’m committed to doing a good job with this course, partly because I paid a few thousand dollars for it up front!

But the main thing I am loving is being so far out of my comfort zone. I find some of the course hugely challenging and am learning heaps. Love, love, love.

This course is done through Open College. The full price is about $5000 which you can pay in installments. But they often run specials. I got about a 20% discount but had to pay upfront.

That’s a lot of cash, so I have to get on with it. June will be spend just doing the course, to try to get to grips with InDesign and to finish the first section of the course. Wish me luck!

Do you enjoy finding yourself way out on the edge of your comfort zone?

Have you done a photography course?

Happy snapping,

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