A few months ago I talked about teaching my first class in product photography for indie designers at Webs. A few people commented I should teach the class online. I had to bite my tongue because what I couldn’t respond with was, “I know! Wouldn’t that be great? Wait a few months and I’m going to do a class with Craftsy.com!” For what feels like forever, every minute not spent at work or at a photoshoot has been spent writing, revising, and re-writing. (Do you know someone who can write a class outline while watching TV, trying to eat dinner and keep three cats happy? I don’t!) This has meant little time for blogging. Seriously, eating and writing are hard enough at the same time. (ipad+quinoa = big mess)
At the end of May I flew to Denver to shoot the class. It was scary, but super fun. I tend to tell stories better in photo format, but since I was in front of the camera instead of behind it, I’ll take a stab at how it went:
Things I Learned Shooting a Class for *Craftsy
Looking directly into the camera when speaking? Harder than it looks.
Speaking normally into a camera? Also harder than it looks. (Sounds? No. Looks. No. Sounds.)
Time it took for me to shout “LINE!?” 2 seconds.
Number of times I said, “sorry!” I lost count (I’m Canadian, I can’t help it!)
Ways my brain reminded me the internet is forever, thus freaking me out? 4 and then I lost count.
Number of times burping on camera? 5. I think. It may have been more. (I was nervous, ok?!)
Number of hours spent in Spanx? 30+ (Which is 29 hours more than I would have liked.)
Minutes spent debating whether Americans would understand the command “Control-Zed”? 7
Ways the production crew at Craftsy rock? 400 and then I lost count
And y’all, the low humidity in Denver made my hair super flat and super shiny. I should live there all the time! (Having a makeup lady every day would be pretty kickass too.)
Want to see the trailer?
And here’s the official spiel about Shoot It! (Apparently I’m irreverent! Hee!)
If you’ve ever noticed the beautiful photography on someone’s blog, book, published patterns or Etsy page, and wondered, “How do they DO that?” this is the class for you. Quality photos make the difference between marketing that sings and stuff that makes you look like a total amateur.
Knitter and photographer Caro Sheridan explains it all – from planning before the shoot to editing afterwards, and all the details in between. Whether you’re looking to shoot product pics, or just want to learn more about photography, you will benefit from Caro’s upbeat, irreverent and detailed instruction.
What You’ll Learn in Shoot It!
- How to plan and execute a photoshoot from start to finish
- Making a storyboard and shot list to create the story you want to tell
- What a pro keeps in her tool kit – from lipstick to legal forms
- How to capitalize on the fancy features of whatever camera you have
- Directing your model and getting the hero shot
- Photo fundamentals like composition and color
- The basics of digital editing – without expensive software
*You know about Craftsy, right? They have online classes that you buy and watch on your schedule and own forever. There are instructor interactions, ways to make notes during the video, student forums; it’s awesome! Their online classes are better than a live class – you can take it as many times as you want, whenever you want and access never expires. I’ll admit, when I first checked it out last year I was sort of skeptical, but OMG it’s fantastic. I’m taking the quilting Block of the Month class as well as Miriam’s Lace Shawl Design class and they’re fab. I honestly thought I wouldn’t groove on learning this way but I’m a convert.
So my Shoot It! class is there! Check it out! Come join me in the class! You can sign up anytime and the class is yours forever to watch whenever you want. COME PLAY!
