When I got my first DSLR in 2009, I was lost. Although I knew and remembered a very little bit from the days of film, my little Canon Rebel was a foreign object to me. My toggle stayed on that little green box (auto), and I was scared to venture off of it. As months went on, I just wasn’t getting the results I wanted. How come my pictures don’t look how they should? Why does my flash keep popping up and turning everything a weird shade of blue? And what are all these functions on my camera? My camera’s manual seemed to be written in a foreign language (even though it was the English version) and sometimes I would just break out my old Powershot because I was getting frustrated.
Then one day while I was working at my full-time job, I hit up google and started researching. I found photography forums full of information! I found websites full of knowledge! And I went home from work that day and started playing around. I still wanted to learn more. Everything! I wanted and just wished someone could just teach me everything. That is when I enrolled in the photography program at the local college. I learned everything I wanted to know. It all “clicked”. The exposure triangle and how aperture and shutter speed play a huge roll. What ISO meant. White balance. Shooting in RAW. Photoshop. I instantly fell in love and I never looked back. Four years later, I have learned an ocean of knowledge, so much so, my little business is booming and I couldn’t be more thankful.
Although I spent a good 3 years and three cameras later really learning the camera functions and photography and everything that came with it, I know that not everyone out there has the time or patience to do that. Several months back I started getting a ton of inquiries from people (some I knew, some I didn’t), that they had a new DSLR and were curious what A meant or P meant, and what was aperture? I ALWAYS answer emails, I love sharing the knowledge and if you have a DSLR, you really should try and learn it to the best of its ability and move away from that tiny green box into the awesomeness of M. I promise you, your pictures will show the difference and you will “learn to love. your camera”.
So one day during a FB conversation with someone about their camera, they said to me “You should totally teach a class”. WHAT?! Me? Teach a class on the basics of DSLR/Photography?! At first I laughed and then I really thought about it. I mean, I was giving knowledge over emails, why couldn’t I do it in person, when it is so much easier to show someone something on their camera? So “Learn to love. Your Camera” was born. The name says it all.
My “Learn to love. Your Camera” DSLR class is a group class I teach in VA & NJ to help people learn the basics of their DSLR & photography, where they will learn to love their camera and not get annoyed with it, like I did that one day. There is a wealth of knowledge out there, but if you are like me, you will learn best from someone teaching you and being hands on.
My class is no more than 6-8 participants to give a real “one on one” experience. We go over aperture, shutter speed, white balance, metering and more (yes you really will learn what all that means!) It is a 3 hour laid back class, where we have light food and drinks, and we chat and go over my self-written manual in terms you will understand. We take some test shots and I answer any questions you may have. And it doesn’t stop there. I have many people who still email me since the class asking me about different things, the knowledge continues. Click here to learn a little more and see what past participants are saying.
I take great pride in the knowledge of the camera and I want you to as well.
My next class is in NJ on June 22nd and late summer in VA. Come join the fun and “Learn to love. Your Camera”. Register here for NJ or email me at jessica@nicellaphotography.com to get on the waiting list for VA.
love.
Shot in Auto in 2010.
Shot in Manual settings RAW in 2014
