I was thrilled when I was given the opportunity by I am Michelle Gifford to review and try out her brand new Girlfriend’s Guide to Photography Basics. Because here’s the honest truth. I started this blog a little over a year ago with just my computer that had a broken screen {thank goodness for a TV monitor} and my iPhone. Yes, every picture at the beginning of my blog journey was taken with my iPhone and edited as best as I could through Picasa. Gasp! Fast forward to my birthday and my husband surprised me with a new DSLR camera. Double gasp!  

For the past year I’ve watched videos, read books, and experimented with my camera. I went back and forth on taking a photography class in person but they are so expensive. And don’t get me started on the jargon used that leaves me questioning my ability to ever take great photos. So that leads me to A Girlfriend’s Guide to Photography Basics. Michelle has created an online course that walks you through every single aspect of photography using terms everyone can understand.  A tricky word pops up? Michelle defines it immediately. That’s one of the many reasons that makes this course different than any other that I have looked into or tried. 

After spending last the weekend completing the course, I’ve decided I’m not leaving home without my camera again. Just by investing a few hours of my time {and not once feeling overwhelmed}, I now feel like I can conquer the photos I’ve only dreamed of. And you guys, I’m not shooting on auto anymore! Hello manual mode!  Here’s a glimpse of what you can find in the course and my personal photos taken throughout:

Getting to Know Your Camera 

All I ever did with my camera was turn it on and put it on auto.  Michelle walks you through the buttons and components on your camera from the very beginning to help you say goodbye to auto and hello to manual.

ISO

You’ll learn how to use and adjust the ISO on your camera {one of my favorites} to take bright and natural pictures.  You can see the difference in my pictures here as I adjusted the ISO: 

Aperture

This part of photography has easily become my favorite!  Michelle teaches you how to put an object more into focus while the background becomes blurry by using the aperture function on your camera.  Take a look at the difference in my three pictures:

Shutter Speed

I headed to my front porch to complete my assignment for shutter speed.  Here’s a side note: Michelle gives fun assignments throughout the units to put what you’ve learned into practice.  She does it in a fun and engaging way for you to understand.  For this unit, I needed to find a moving object to practice shutter speed.  Hello moving cars! 

Bringing it all Together and Lightroom

The second day of this course I learned how to use ISO, aperture, and shutter speed to take pictures manually and in the right lighting.  But then came my favorite part: learning Lightroom and the tricks of the trade.  This part of the course was invaluable due to how extensive Michelle went into photo editing.  You’ll learn how to get a polished {not edited} look with your pictures, creating composition within photos, Lightroom workflow {the steps that work every time to edit a photo}, and even how to take the perfect selfie with a DSLR. Here are a few before and after photos after learning composition and editing within Lightroom. I love how these photos turned out of my little fur ball!

If you’re a creative, a blogger, or someone that has invested in a DSLR camera without any prior experience, this is seriously the photography course for you!  This course teaches you how to shoot in manual without all the confusing technical terms and gives you the thrill and confidence to put your camera to great use with amazing results.  With each part of the course being taught through detailed videos, you can go back at any time to review the course content or to jot down notes.

Now, rather than taking 10 shots of the same setup, I can confidently take just a few and know I will have great results.  I can’t wait for you to see the difference in my blog!  Here’s what the Girlfriend’s Guide to Photography Basics covers:

Sign me up!

I’m beyond excited to recommend A Girlfriend’s Guide to Photography Basics as a way to up your photography skills.  I was blown away at what I walked away with after spending just two afternoons on the course. There’s a whole new outlook when it comes to my DSLR.  Want to see what the excitement is all about? Now through October 1st, the course is just $49.  It’s a steal with the invaluable information and course work you receive. After October 1st, the course will go up to $79 which is still an amazing price.  Just click on the image below to sign up!

Let me know if you jump on board and take this course! I’d love to hear what you think, how your pictures have changed for the better, and what this course will do for your creative business or personal life.  The best photography course ever is about to inspire you in so many ways! 

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