Certificate in Photography Course Guide

Before we dive into the complex world of photography technology and technique, it’s useful to step back and think about the bigger picture: why do we take photographs?

In this first lesson, you’ll learn about the history of photography as a medium and the major impact it’s had on society and culture.

You’ll also start thinking about your own personal photography interests, goals and styles, and more importantly, the types of stories you want to tell with your art.

• A Brief History of Photography
• How Photographs Tell Stories
• Exploring Different Genres
• Defining Your Style

The very first step in any photographer’s journey is to get to know how a camera and lens work.

By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to confidently and correctly expose an image using aperture, shutter, and ISO settings.

You’ll also have a solid understanding of how to capture motion in your images and how to use depth of field to your advantage with a range of handy activities and resources to guide you through.

• How Cameras Work
• Shutter Speed
• Aperture
• Depth of Field
• Shutter Speed
• ISO
• Putting It All Together: The Exposure Triangle

When it comes to photography equipment, there’s a whole new language to learn!

In this lesson, you’ll learn about the capabilities of different cameras and lenses and how to make informed decisions about your own camera gear. You’ll also explore some of the more advanced settings and accessories that you can use to achieve your unique photography goals and style.

By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to speak the language of photography with confidence.

• Types of Cameras
• Film or Digital?
• Sensors
• Types of Lenses
• Lens Technology
• Additional Camera Settings

Now you’ve got the skills to operate your equipment with ease, it’s time to get to know the art of taking impactful photographs.

In this lesson, you’ll learn about the design elements and principles that underpin a photographer’s practice. You’ll also engage in some hands-on activities and projects to master the composition techniques used by the pros.

The result? A batch of great photos, but more importantly, a solid understanding of why they’re great.

• What is Composition?
• Design Elements for Photography
• Design Principles for Photography
• Composition Techniques
• Working With Your Subject

Everything in photography comes back to light. In fact, the word Photography comes from the Greek words phos, meaning “light”, and graphê, meaning “drawing or writing”.

In this lesson, you’ll learn about both natural and artificial light and how to use them to produce different effects in your photographs.

You’ll also explore the wonderful world of colour, as different wavelengths of light that can be utilized to bring greater interest and impact to your photographs.

• Understanding Light
• Understanding Colour
• Working With Natural Light
• Working With Artificial Light
• Lighting Set-Ups

Knowing what to do after taking a photo is what separates a casual snapshooter from a seasoned pro.

In this lesson, you’ll learn the foundations of Adobe Lightroom, as the industry-leading tool for photography production.

Starting from the beginning, you’ll work your way through the entire post-production workflow: from importing and organising your files, to basic image processing and editing, to your final export.

• Getting to Know Post-Production
• Introduction to Adobe Lightroom
• Importing Files
• Organising Your Library
• Adjusting Light
• Adjusting Colour
• Noise, Sharpening & Luminosity
• Cropping & Adjusting Perspective
• Exporting