Are you hesitating taking the Advanced Course because you’re waiting to be more, well, advanced?

Sam Maker wanted to capture her first baby’s life in photos that were better than the snapshots she was taking with her phone. She had a DSLR and basic manual mode skills, but she wanted to really refine her technical skills plus explore more advanced lighting and compositional techniques, so she could take the kind of photos she envisioned.

Then she came across our Advanced Course and even though it offered everything she wanted to learn, Sam hesitated at first because she thought she needed to develop her skills a little more before jumping in. But then she heard me explain the Advanced Course is not for advanced photographers… it’s for people who want to become advanced photographers. So she hit the join button and never looked back!

And to quote Sam…

…the sooner you take the course, the sooner you will be taking the photos you envision and love!

Read on to learn how the Advanced Course gave Sam the skills she needed to take the stunning images of her children we’re sharing today!

 

Meet Sam!

Hi, I’m Sam! I live on the beautiful Mid North Coast of NSW in Australia with my husband and two children – a 2 year old daughter and 2 month old son. My family are my ‘why’ for photography and I love capturing them in both documentary and lifestyle images.

Moving Beyond Snapshots of my Babies

My interest in photography began to grow soon after I had my first baby. She was growing and changing so quickly that I wanted to capture as much of it as I could. I really loved looking back at all of the photos and videos I was taking on my phone, but it was a natural progression that I began wanting to take nicer photos rather than just snapshots.

So I purchased my first DSLR thinking that a more professional camera would automatically lead to more professional looking photos. I soon realised I was very wrong!

I searched the internet for guides and tutorials but there was so much information out there, I had no idea where to even begin. Cue the overwhelm!

I taught myself manual mode but if I’d known about Click Love Grow and their Enthusiast Photography Course at that time, I absolutely would have taken it. It would have been so much easier and would have taken so much guess work out of the process for me. There is so much information to read on the internet but it would have been so helpful to receive guidance and constructive feedback from pro photogs right from the get go.

Then my sister pointed me in the direction of Click Love Grow and I began reading their blog post tutorials, and signed up for their free 5 Day Mini Course.

Click Love Grow explained complex concepts in ways that were easy to follow. But above all else, Lou made the learning fun!

I continued practicing manual mode over the months and decided to finally take the leap and sign up for the Advanced Course in March 2020.

Developing the Skills to Execute My Vision

When I joined the course, my goal was to achieve an overall improved understanding of the main technical aspects of photography so I could execute my visions for my photos. Even though I was shooting in manual mode, there were some gaps in my technical skills and the Advanced Course helped with that. But I especially needed a more advanced understanding of light and composition and how to use these techniques to strengthen my storytelling.

Trying to choose a favourite lesson is like choosing your favourite child, but… the advanced exposures lesson was a favourite as it taught me about different metering types and how to use these to achieve different styles, such as low key, so I could purposefully capture a dark and moody style which I came to love.

 

The Game Changing Skill for Kids Photography

A close favourite would be the advanced light lesson… this lesson went beyond just talking about finding ‘good’ light. It went into depth on portrait lighting and different ways you can position your subject once you have found the ‘good’ light. This has helped my photography greatly, particularly when taking documentary photos of my little ones. Quite often I have a very small window of opportunity to capture them in the moment.

Being able to quickly read the light in the space and know which angle I need to shoot from helps me to get the photo of my little ones quickly before the move onto the next thing.

The Click Love Grow Difference

I love so many things about learning with CLG!

I liked how the course was designed to focus on developing one skill at a time through in depth lessons, then create a plan at the end to weave all of the elements together to execute a photo vision.

I also thought the live calls were fantastic as each call was tailored to the needs of the group. Lou was so generous with her time and took as much time as needed to answer all the questions the participants had. No question was left unanswered.

Lou and the course mentors were so forthcoming with sharing their knowledge and experience… they were always positive and supportive in the way they provided their critique, creating a safe space for sharing and learning.

Last (but certainly not least), the amazing community that was created with the participants can not go unmentioned! The ladies really are an amazing group of photography friends!

Why You Should Do The Advanced Course…

Absolutely do it and don’t put it off!

The sooner you take the course, the sooner you will be taking the photos you envision and love!

Initially I was apprehensive to sign up as I didn’t think I was advanced enough for the Advanced Course. But I hit the ‘join’ button as soon as I heard Lou say that you don’t need to already be advanced to take the course, that the course is designed to help you become more advanced.

You will not be disappointed by everything the course has to offer… the lessons, professional guidance, positivity and sense of community are just some of the highlights.

This also continues beyond the course when you are welcomed into the Click Love Grow Grads community. Everyone is incredibly kind, supportive and always willing to share advice. The regular challenges keep you experimenting with different techniques and genres which has been great for continued growth.

It may feel like a big investment now but you will not regret it (and you totally deserve it)!

  

 

Before & After

A before and after set of images is the best way to showcase our students’ growth, and this set are no exception!

 

A big warm thank you to Sam for your time, wonderful words and stunning images of your wee ones! If you want to see more of Sam’s work you can find her over here.

 

Watch My Q&A With Sam!

If you’re shooting in manual mode and ready to elevate your skills, on our Advanced Photography Course you will learn to shoot with confidence in any scenario, and push yourself creatively to find and develop your style through intensive 1:1 critique on your work.  Our next course is kicking off on 15th March and it’s ON SALE NOW! Head here to get more info and reserve your seat!