Institute of Professional Photography

1. Photography as a living

• Making money as a professional photographer
• The top ten types of picture
• The equipment you’ll need now or later
• How to avoid failure and achieve success

2. Make your photos look like a professional's

• The do’s and don’ts of professional photography
• How to avoid the mistakes amateurs often make
• In the darkroom - wet and/or digital
• 12 things you should know about digital photography
• Tricks of the trade - how to shoot like a pro
• The professional mindset - how to think and act like a pro

3. Travel photography A checklist for better travel photos The types of holiday pics that sell Getting the best stock photos – parades and ceremonies How to get free holidays What equipment should I take? Using digital cameras for travel photos Producing your images How to capture beautiful scenery for stock photos

4. Portraits - why families love them, and how you can get commissions

• Working from home or a studio
• Working in the client’s home
• How to get commissions
• Setting up for a shoot
• Choosing lighting and background
• Deciding on the right pose
• Positioning your subjects
• The do’s and don’ts of portrait photography
• Dealing with restless and problem children
• Presenting your portraits

5. Newspaper and magazine photography

• How to shoot photos that newspapers will want to buy
• How to get started as a freelance news photographer
• Shooting photos for trade journals
• Photos for consumer magazines
• How to get started on a freelance, part-time basis
• Other markets for newspaper or magazine photographers

6. Manipulating your images

• Why you need digital photofinishing
• Correcting imperfect images
• Working with a file
• Picture orientation
• Cropping
• Levels, brightness and contrast, and colour
• Red eye
• Cloning
• Creative photofinishing

7. The great outdoors

• Finding locations
• Preparation and equipment
• Working in the field
• Working with natural light
• Wildlife photography
• Scenic photography
• Macro photography
• Displaying your images and finding markets
• Captioning and recording data

8. Wedding Photography - Part 1 An introduction to wedding photography How to get assignments The wedding market Developing a portfolio Dealing with potential clients Vital preparations Creative specialization

9. Wedding Photography - Part 2

• The wedding day
• Setting up
• Capturing the fleeting moments
• Staying true to the bride and groom
• The traditional wedding album elements
• Telling a romantic tale
• Having fun with the job
• The reception
• Wrapping up the day

10. Wedding Photography - Part 3

• Film and image management
• Choosing a good lab
• Directing the processing
• Video editing
• Digital presentations
• Showing your work
• Orders – now and later

11. Cheesecake and beefcake

• History
• Glamour Photography
• Boudoir Photography
• Portraiture
• Where to sell your photos

12. Photojournalism

• The photojournalist basics
• Why a picture is worth a thousand words
• How to catch the perfect shot
• Finding (and getting) freelance photojournalism work

13. School, college and social photography

• Working on location
• Preparing for a shoot
• Lighting and backgrounds
• Posing your subjects
• Dealing with problem subjects
• Organisation
• Do’s and don’ts of school, college and social photography
• Freelance or employee?
• Presenting your work

14. Equipment for the specialist photographer

• Tripods
• Monopods
• Camera bags
• Lens bags and cases
• Digital storage

15. The world of advertising photography

• Why you should consider having sub-specialities
• How to select one or more sub-specialities
• The best sub-speciality to start out with
• What you’ll also need to photograph small items
• Some suggestions on choosing lights
• Tips on setting up a professional photo studio
• How advertising photographers get assignments
• How to find potential clients

16. Business Photography

• Working on location
• Setting up for a shoot
• The importance of light
• Environmental portraiture
• Capturing the essence of a business
• Dealing with challenges
• The do’s and don’ts of business photography
• Public relations photography
• Obtaining commissions
• Presenting your work

17. Selling sports photos Equipment you can’t live without Mixing speed and focal length Who to contact and where to shoot Shooting soccer and football Shooting basketball All the rest: baseball, hockey, tennis, curling, and everything else In your digital darkroom Who buys sports photography and who sells it

8. Fashion photography

• What is fashion?
• The role of the fashion photographer
• Expressing yourself as a fashion photographer
• Developing a style
• How to get the right shot
• Technique
• Marketing and branding yourself
• Sourcing contacts
• Your duties as a fashion photographer

19. Starting your photography business

• How to establish yourself as a professional photographer
• How to select a business name - what to do and not do
• How to write a business plan - and why you should
• How to write a marketing plan - and why you should
• Effective, yet low-cost ways to attract new customers

20. How to get a job in photography

• General tips for finding employment
• Entry level photography jobs
• Becoming a photographer’s assistant
• Obtaining a high paying job in photography

We supply all the modules at the beginning of the course. That means you can study topics whenever you choose. You don't have to wait weeks to get to a section that you need. Though we recommend you take the modules in the order shown, you can tackle them in any order you choose. To help you get the most from the course, we aim to be completely flexible.