Beginners Photography Classes - Weekly Evening Classes

This isn't one of those courses where you walk away with vague inspiration and no concrete skills. This beginners photography course delivers specific abilities that will change how you use your camera. Three weeks from now, you'll be able to:

• Take full manual control of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO without panic

• Ditch automatic mode for good because you'll understand exactly what each setting does to your photos

• Apply the exposure triangle like it's second nature to get proper exposure while keeping your creative vision intact

• Use composition techniques that actually work including rule of thirds, leading lines, and framing to make images people want to look at

• Read your camera's histogram so you'll never have to guess whether your exposure is right

• Control depth of field to blur backgrounds when you want them blurred, keep everything sharp when you don't

• Choose the right focusing mode whether you're shooting landscapes or your kid's soccer game

• Get accurate colors by adjusting white balance for any lighting, from bright sun to those awful indoor fluorescents

• Handle tricky lighting using your camera's metering modes for situations like backlighting and high contrast scenes

• Use exposure compensation to get exactly the brightness you're picturing in your head

These results align with what the Professional Photographers of America considers essential foundation skills for any serious photographer.

Week 1: Break Free from Auto Mode

First session cuts right to the chase. You'll understand why automatic mode makes terrible decisions half the time and how to override it with confidence. Alan walks you through the complete process from initial idea to finished image, introducing the exposure triangle that controls every single photograph you'll ever take.

You'll learn aperture priority, shutter priority, and full manual modes. More importantly, you'll know when to use each one and why. The technical stuff gets paired with composition fundamentals that professional photographers use without thinking. Rule of thirds, leading lines, symmetry, and negative space stop being abstract concepts and become practical tools.

Your first assignment gives you something concrete to practice before next week.

Week 2: Master Light and Shadow

Building on your manual mode foundation, week two focuses entirely on getting exposure right. That confusing histogram display? It becomes your most reliable tool for perfect exposure. Alan shows you how spot metering, center-weighted metering, and evaluative metering work in different shooting situations.

This session tackles exposure compensation head-on. You'll understand why your camera sometimes needs your input to achieve what you're visualizing. Bracketing techniques for high-contrast scenes, intentional over and underexposure for creative effects. The exercises push you to shoot in various lighting conditions from harsh midday sun to golden hour and challenging indoor situations.

Week 3: Fine-Tune Everything Else

The final session brings it all together while adding crucial advanced settings. Focusing techniques go beyond the basics. Single-point autofocus for portraits, continuous autofocus for moving subjects. The relationship between aperture and depth of field becomes automatic as you practice controlling exactly what stays sharp.

White balance moves beyond the default setting. You'll adjust color temperature for accurate or creative color rendering. Alan explains dynamic range and how to preserve detail in highlights and shadows. The session wraps up with a comprehensive review and a final assignment that puts all your new skills to the test.

Description text goeThe complete three-week program costs £150. That includes six hours of instruction, comprehensive course book, and personalized feedback on weekly assignments. Maximum four students per session means about 1.5 hours of individual attention throughout the course. That's exceptional value compared to larger workshops where you're lucky to get your questions answered.

What's Included:

• Six hours hands-on instruction with Alan Ranger

• Comprehensive course book (yours permanently)

• Personalized feedback on three assignments

• Maximum four-person classes guaranteeing individual attention

• Email access for questions after course completion

Special Deal: Book two people together and save £25 (£275 total for two instead of £300).

Similar courses at bigger institutions charge comparable fees with 10-15 student classes. Alan's intimate setting means significantly more personalized guidance tailored to your specific camera and learning style.s here

Item descriptioYou need a DSLR or mirrorless camera with manual exposure modes (aperture priority, shutter priority, full manual). Age doesn't matter as long as it has these options. Basic kit lens works perfectly for learning fundamentals.

Must Bring:

• DSLR or mirrorless camera with manual modes

• Fully charged battery plus backup

• Empty memory card (8GB minimum)

• Camera instruction manual (helpful reference)

Camera Advice: Alan provides personalized equipment guidance after you've booked, ensuring recommendations match your specific needs and budget rather than generic suggestions. Most beginners find entry-level cameras from Canon, Nikon, Sony, or Fujifilm handle everything needed for this course and beyond.

Item descriptionCompleting this course opens several development paths. You receive informal certification acknowledging your manual photography skills and understanding.

Alan offers progression options building on your foundation. The Lightroom Photo Editing Course teaches professional post-processing, while RPS Accreditation provides structured mentoring toward Royal Photographic Society distinctions. Photography Mentoring includes monthly assignments with detailed feedback for continued long-term improvement.

Many students combine free online photography courses with their in-person learning. Online resources provide flexible, self-paced exploration of specific genres or techniques, reinforcing Alan's course concepts while investigating interests like macro or night photography.

Your beginner foundation also prepares you for advanced workshops in landscape, portrait, or wildlife photography. Alan stays in touch with past students, offering guidance on next steps matching your developing interests and abilities.

If the first session doesn't meet expectations or suit your learning style, Alan provides full refund minus £25 administrative charge. This reflects course quality confidence and ensures risk-free commitment to photography improvement.

Four-participant limit ensures personalized attention that makes this program work. Book early. Courses typically fill 3-4 weeks before start dates. Course date changes need four weeks' notice to avoid rebooking fees.

What camera do I need?
Any DSLR or mirrorless with manual exposure modes works perfectly. Doesn't need to be new or expensive. Unsure about your camera model? Contact Alan for confirmation.

Do I get a certificate?
No, but I can provide one on request with an informal certification acknowledging your new photography skills.

How much time commitment?
Three two-hour sessions (six hours instruction) plus 2-3 hours weekly on assignments. Total commitment: 12-15 hours over three weeks.

Refund policy?
Full refunds for cancellations four or more weeks before start date. Less than four weeks' notice may transfer to future dates with rebooking fee.

Can friends observe?
Observers disrupt the focused environment and reduce individual attention for paying participants. However, friends can book alongside you at the same instruction level.

How many instruction hours?
Six classroom hours across three sessions plus personalized assignment feedback. Four-person maximum ensures substantially more individual attention than typical workshops.

What comes after beginner level?
Lightroom editing course for post-processing, RPS Accreditation mentoring for distinctions, or monthly mentoring program for ongoing structured development.

Wk 1 Get Off Auto - Beginners Photography Classes

First session cuts right to the chase. You'll understand why automatic mode makes terrible decisions half the time and how to override it with confidence. Alan walks you through the complete process from initial idea to finished image, introducing the exposure triangle that controls every single photograph you'll ever take.

You'll learn aperture priority, shutter priority, and full manual modes. More importantly, you'll know when to use each one and why. The technical stuff gets paired with composition fundamentals that professional photographers use without thinking. Rule of thirds, leading lines, symmetry, and negative space stop being abstract concepts and become practical tools.

Your first assignment gives you something concrete to practice before next week.

Week 2: Exposure - Beginners Photography Classes

Building on your manual mode foundation, week two focuses entirely on getting exposure right. That confusing histogram display? It becomes your most reliable tool for perfect exposure. Alan shows you how spot metering, center-weighted metering, and evaluative metering work in different shooting situations.

This session tackles exposure compensation head-on. You'll understand why your camera sometimes needs your input to achieve what you're visualizing. Bracketing techniques for high-contrast scenes, intentional over and underexposure for creative effects. The exercises push you to shoot in various lighting conditions from harsh midday sun to golden hour and challenging indoor situations.

Week 3: Essential Camera Settings - Beginners Photography Classes

The final session brings it all together while adding crucial advanced settings. Focusing techniques go beyond the basics. Single-point autofocus for portraits, continuous autofocus for moving subjects. The relationship between aperture and depth of field becomes automatic as you practice controlling exactly what stays sharp.

White balance moves beyond the default setting. You'll adjust color temperature for accurate or creative color rendering. Alan explains dynamic range and how to preserve detail in highlights and shadows. The session wraps up with a comprehensive review and a final assignment that puts all your new skills to the test.