One to One ~ photography course ~ A review

I am very pleased to be able to share this review from one of my recent 1-1 sessions.  If you would like to book one of these sessions for a friend or family member, please contact me here.  Further details about the course are here.

~Cath's Story~

My husband bought me the photography course for my birthday (3 x 2 hour sessions, one-to-one with Suzanne). I have always enjoyed messing about with my camera and had completed a course at school a very long time ago but was very rusty. I really wanted to get out of the ‘Auto’ habit and learn how to edit more effectively.

For our first session, Suzanne began by talking through what kind of pictures I wanted to take – I have sporty children so this was a subject I wanted to focus on, along with nature shots and portraits. We discussed loads of different ideas and she showed me lots of examples of how to compose a satisfying shot. She also gave me lots of ideas of how I could edit and present the final pictures. We then ran through the basics of the camera workings and discussed some of the main principles of light, settings, etc. It was an excellent refresher and Suzanne was very patient explaining the trickier concepts while whizzing through the parts I was confident with. I had several handouts to take away with me, which gave me time to digest all the information I had received. In one session Suzanne completely reignited my passion for photography and got me really excited about taking pictures again.

In the second session, we went through the ‘homework’ shots I had taken. Suzanne provided me with lots of constructive feedback and was really encouraging with my first attempts. She gave me some really practical tips about how to improve the pictures for next time. This was extremely useful as it was geared specifically to the type of photos I wanted to take. We then went for a stroll and took some photos together. Suzanne gave me even more ideas and introduced me to some clever little tips for improving my pictures further.

In our final session I had asked Suzanne to teach me how to use Photoshop for editing my photos. Again, more excellent handouts with clear instructions on how to do some brilliant editing techniques, such as sunbursts, colour enhancement, creating montages, etc. It was so exciting seeing my pictures turn into the kind of ones I've always wanted to take! There was lots of “oh, so that’s how you do that!”

Since then, I have really got back into enjoying my camera. I have become the unofficial photographer for all school and kids sporting events, as well as the odd hen do, and have received lots of positive feedback from people. My camera is never on Auto anymore and I have a much better understanding of how to compose a good shot. I still have a way to go but I feel inspired and excited by my camera again.

Overall, I would highly recommend this photography course. Suzanne is so encouraging and passionate about her art, as well as great fun to take pictures with. Each session is carefully geared towards your specific needs and she is an excellent teacher. The only downside is that it’s now going to cost my husband a lot more in future birthday presents!

I am pleased to share one of my recent shots ~ Cath