Review of Photography Masterclass, Udemy's Popular Photography Class

Want to up your photography game with the help of Udemy, just in time for the new year?

Check out IFB's review of Photography Masterclass below!

With 2018 around the corner many of us plan on making New Year’s resolutions. If you’ve struggled in the past with getting your blog off the ground, now is the perfect time to make the commitment to get it done in 2018.

And that’s where Udemy courses come into play.

If you weren’t already aware, Udemy is know as “the Academy of you”. It features a multitude of courses on just about any area of interest – including blogging, vlogging and podcasting. Its whole purpose of existence is that anyone, anywhere in the world can improve their self-knowledge on a variety of topics. This means signing up for a Udemy course is an excellent first step in making that commitment to keeping your blogging-related goals.

But let’s say you already have a great blog, and aren’t planning on making a blogging-related New Year’s resolution for 2018. Can a Udemy course still be helpful?

The answer is absolutely.

You shouldn’t rule out taking a Udemy course in the near future, especially if you’re the proud owner of a thriving online business or blog. Many successful business owners know how important to develop their knowledge surrounding all topics of their business. Whether you want to learn how to optimize your ROI or pick up a few effective marketing online techniques, Udemy can help you out with both.

This week on IFB, we're reviewing Udemy's Photography Masterclass.

Let's get real here: photography plays a large role in fashion and lifestyle blogging. And if you want to take it seriously, you need to know your way around a camera.

Want to learn the basics of photographer? Have no idea where to start? Udemy's Photography Masterclass by Phi Ebiner is the course for you. While it may seem a bit long for an online course (it contains 232 lectures and 13.5 hours of video instruction), it leaves its students with a comprehensive understanding of photography.

IFB's Laura Kell takes a closer look at Udemy's most popular photography course. Check out her in-depth review of Udemy's Photography Masterclass below…

Review of Photography Masterclass by Phi Ebiner and Sam Shimizu-Jones

Note: full price of this course is $199 but you can often see it discounted to $49.99 (sometimes less!).

If you see $199 it might make sense to wait to get a better deal.

As someone who has worked in both the blogging and fashion industry for years, it might come as a shock for people to find out that I don't know my way around a camera.

Aside from understanding the basics when it comes to good lighting and photoshop, I'm clueless when it comes to photography. The camera on my smartphone has always been good enough for me, but now it's pretty obvious that I need to step up my game. This Christmas 2017, Santa was very generous and gifted me my first DSLR camera. I have to admit, I was extremely excited when I unwrapped the box – until I realized I had no idea how to work the darn thing.

There is where Udemy's Photography Masterclass came into play. For a mere 15$, I could sign up and learn all about the basics of photography from the comforts of my own home. Excellent! I did so immediately…

Meet The Instructors…

The course is taught by both Phi Ebiner and Sam Shimizu-Jones.

Ebiner runs Video School Online, another education platform, and has been creating online courses since 2012. He's no Steven Spielberg (sorry Phil!), but he is more than qualified to teach Udemy's Photography Masterclass. Shimizu-Jones is a director and cinematographer and brings his own skillset to the course. Both instructors live in California and attended Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television.

According to trainyourcamera.com, Ebiner is available for questions and answers promptly, unlike many online instructors who never seem to be around. I can't really attest to this, as I didn't have to message Ebiner for any questions, but it's good to hear other students have had a positive experience when interacting with the instructor.

A Closer Look at Photography Masterclass

At first glance, the course might seem a bit overwhelming – but don't be intimidated!

Yes, it contains 232 lectures and 13.5 hours of video instruction, but it's organized into easy-to-digest modules (i.e. lessons). You can complete the course at your own pace, and students have a lifetime access to the lessons. Therefore, you can take all the time you need to fully comprehend a module before moving on.

There are several downloadable resources, assignments to complete, and quizzes to test your understanding of the course. Once you complete Udemy's Photography Masterclass, you will receive a Certificate of Completion.

Topics for the course include all you need to get a decent grasp of the field of photography.

There are the actual techniques such as…

Exposure
Depth of field
Composition

There are also sections that explore…

Landscape Photography
Night Photography
Wedding Photography
Pet and Child Photography
Action Photography
Smartphone Photography

The course also explores a few of the most popular DSLR cameras in-depth. Things like lenses and filters are also explained, so students can know what kinds of equipment will work best for their photography needs. You also learn how and when to use a tripod. This is pretty important for all those Instagram influencers that enjoy snapping their outfits of the day.

Knowing that even under the best of conditions, post-production work in some program is often necessary to transform a good photo into a great one, the instructors also offer lessons for photo-editing software like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. Finally, you learn how to take your skills and work towards making money with your photography. This instruction includes everything from how to protect your rights to where to sell and how to gain exposure.

Overall…

Photography Masterclass is a very comprehensive course, that covers a wide range of topics surrounding photography.

This course includes topics other courses don't cover, like doing photography smartphone with a camera or building a personal photography kit. The learn-at-your-own-pace approach is excellent and yet you have the feedback you need with quizzes and assignments. Beginner photographers will gain the most from the Photography Masterclass; but there is something to be gained for anyone who chooses to take it. The assignments are varied and fun.

Having lifetime access to the lessons is also something that you don’t find often. It's helpful for those times when you have neglected one area of photography to concentrate on another and need a refresher. Overall, this is a class worth taking if you're looking for an online course to help you improve your photography.

And for $49.99, Udemy's Photography Masterclass is a steal. Overall, this is a class worth taking if you're looking for an online course to help you improve your photography.