Back in 2011 when I was pregnant with my first child, my husband and I made an impulse buy on a Nixon D60 camera while we were browsing through a “going out of business” sale at one of the former electronic chains. I tell you this because although it was drastically clearanced, we still spent a LOT of money in this camera. One of my husband’s requirements before we headed to the register was that I take a class and learn how to properly use it. In total agreement, I began nodding my head and we swiped that credit card.
Fast forward almost three years and two babies later, I still had yet to take a class to learn how to properly use my camera.
Like most of us, I’m guilty of leaving it in “Auto” and jumping for joy when my photos actually look professional–the whole point of purchasing this expensive camera.
Tired of feeling like this was a waste of money, I made 1 request at Christmas…I wanted a class on how to use my (once) expensive camera.
Like magic, an email appeared in my inbox that SAME WEEK from Candace Moss of Mom & Pop Photo School asking me to come and give one of her classes a try. So without hesitation, I signed up to sample a class and headed to the Dallas Museum of Art the Saturday after Christmas for my first face-to-face photography class.
Be Your Own Photographer was a 90 minute workshop specifically designed for parents in mind. It’s a personal class with about 5-10 people all with various skills and cameras. In my group, I was one definitely the least experienced “photographer” and Candace was extremely patient showing me the basics I’d need to know for the class–including helping me with that scary step of sliding my camera off Auto and onto other settings.
As we walked around the DMA, Candace did a great job pointing out the variations in the indoor lighting and allowing us time to experimenting with the settings to discover on our own what worked best for each of our own cameras. I was amazed at her awareness of shadows and white spaces; details that I would never have noticed that makes a huge impact to your photos.
With each stop at a new location, we practiced rotating our settings and becoming more familiar with the lighting in our surroundings. By the end of the class, I felt confident that I’d no longer needed to stay within the comfort of my Auto setting and could start practicing on my kids!
Now, I’d like to tell you that I left that class and my photos are now AMAZING! But I can’t tell you that. One class was definitely not enough, so I took advantage of her class discount and signed up for the self-paced online courses Portraits 101 and Camera 101.
If you’ve found yourself in the same position as me and are looking for a way to finally learn how to use your digital camera, I can highly recommend Mom & Pop Photo School! Whether you take advantage of the self-paced courses or you’d rather meet in person, Mom & Pop Photo School does a great job of helping moms and dads of all backgrounds take their photography skills up a level (or two..or three in my case!)
You can sign up for Portraits 101 and Camera 101 here, but I’d highly recommend giving a class a try first and then taking advantage of her same-day discount for the online courses for attending!
The next Mom & Pop Photo School classes are as follows:
Mom’s Night Out {Photo Class}
The LOT in East Dallas
February 5, 2014
7:30-9:30pm
Ticket – $49 / person or Bring a Friend for $79
Each ticket includes a mix of fun (friends, food, drink) and photography (presented lessons, plus Q&A), light appetizers, plus a $7 drink credit. You are free to open a tab if you want another drink or dinner ($5 burgers on Wednesdays!)
Intro to Photographing Children {Mommy & Me Class}
NorthPark Center
February 11, 2014
11:00am-12:30pm
Cost: $29
Be Your Own Photographer {Workshop for Moms}
BabyMoon Midwifery, Wylie
March 2, 2014
1-3pm
Cost: $49/person or Bring a Friend for $79
* * Dallas Moms Blog did not receive compensation for this post; however, was provided a complimentary ticket to the class in order to write this review. All opinions in this post are 100% our own.
