Ula Jarzyna Photography
📸 Photography for Beginners: Capture Your World
June 2025
🎯 Course Objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
• Understand how to operate a camera (DSLR, mirrorless, or smartphone).
• Master basic photography concepts such as exposure, composition, and lighting.
• Edit photos using beginner-friendly tools.
• Develop an eye for compelling visual storytelling.
🗓️ Course Outline:
Module 1:
Introduction to Photography
Module 2:
Camera Settings & Manual Mode Basics
Module 3:
Composition & Framing
Module 4:
Lighting Fundamentals
Module 5:
Portrait, Landscape, and Still Life Photography
Module 6:
Photo Editing for Beginners
Module 7:
Visual Storytelling & Photo Projects
Module 8:Sharing & Growing Your Photography Practice
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Course Extras
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Topics Covered:
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History & evolution of photography
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Types of cameras: DSLR, mirrorless, point-and-shoot, smartphone
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Gear overview (lenses, tripods, memory cards, filters)
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Assignment: Submit a photo with any device and share what inspired it
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Quiz: Camera types & components
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Topics Covered:
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Auto vs. Manual Mode
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Focus modes and white balance
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The Exposure Triangle: Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO
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Hands-on Exercise: Practice using manual mode on your camera
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Quiz: Exposure triangle concepts
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Topics Covered:
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Rule of Thirds
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Leading Lines
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Symmetry, Patterns, and Depth
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Framing and Perspective
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Assignment: Submit 3 photos applying different composition techniques
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Optional Challenge: Street or nature photo walk
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Topics Covered:
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Natural vs. artificial light
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Golden Hour & Blue Hour
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Using reflectors and diffusers
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Intro to flash photography
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Assignment: Take photos in different lighting conditions and compare
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Quiz: Lighting scenarios
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Topics Covered:
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Basics of portrait photography (posing, focus on eyes)
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Landscape techniques (depth, use of foreground)
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Still life setup at home
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Assignment: Choose one style and create a mini photo series
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Topics Covered:
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Introduction to editing apps (Lightroom, Snapseed, VSCO)
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Basic edits: Crop, exposure, contrast, color correction
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RAW vs. JPEG
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Assignment: Edit 2 of your own photos and submit before/after versions
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Quiz: Editing tools and functions
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Topics Covered:
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Telling stories through a photo series
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Using captions and context
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Creating a cohesive visual style
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Project: Plan and shoot a 5-photo story on a theme of your choice
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Topics Covered:
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How to create an online portfolio (Instagram, website, etc.)
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Photography communities and challenges
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Tips for staying inspired and consistent
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Final Submission: Portfolio of 5–10 curated photos
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Live Q&A Session / Peer Feedback Day
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Downloadable cheat sheets (exposure triangle, composition rules)
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Optional gear-buying guide for beginners
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Bonus module: Smartphone photography hacks
