Bought a new digital camera and feel a bit overwhelmed? Part of a camera club and feel you are getting left behind? I provide photography lessons for beginners like you, and for people who want to win a few competitions at their local camera club.

Learn how to:

Understand your camera
Avoid missed opportunities
Create photographic opportunities
Avoid blurred and badly exposed photos
Stop taking bland and boring photos
Understand lens focal lengths
Photograph fast moving subjects and sports photography
Blur the background of photos like this
Master correct exposure like this
Be better at family photography
Take photos in difficult conditions like this
Get more natural photos quicker like this

How much are the photography lessons?

1st lesson (2hrs) – Fundamentals
£120 (Get £20 off your 2nd lesson when paid on the day of lesson 1)

2nd lesson (2hrs) – Testing
£120 (Get £20 off your 3rd lesson when paid on the day of lesson 2)

3rd lesson (2hrs) – Perfecting
£120

Duration of the photography lessons

An initial 2 hour photography lesson will get you accustomed to the controls of your camera and how the controls affect the results.

An additional 2 or more hours of photography tuition will mean we can be much more practical with the camera as you have already covered the basics. This is where the real fun starts.

During your beginner photography lesson, you will need:

Your camera
All the lenses you own
Charged camera battery
A memory card in your camera

Where will the photography lesson be?

For the first 2 hours, I hold the lessons at my home in Bridgwater. We can sit down comfortably, have a coffee, and look at your camera in detail with a few simple tests with the camera. Beyond the first two hours we can go to a suitable location where there is enough subject matter to experiment with different settings to achieve a variety of different results.

Who do you normally teach?

Generally it is people who have bought or have been given a camera, but feel a bit overwhelmed by all the settings. So far they haven’t been getting the results they hoped for and need some guidance to get them on the right track.

I have taught people from the age of 12 to 88 and will adjust my teaching style to suit personality and ability.

Initially I will talk with you about how you obtained the camera, how you have been using it so far, what challenges you have had, and what you would like to achieve.

Comprehensive notes and teaching aids will be provided after the photography lesson.

Why should I have photography lessons with you?

There are many online photography courses, but there is just no substitute for hands on in person photography tuition, and especially one to one. I look at your specific problems and goals with your specific camera model. Rather than wasting time wading through dozens of videos trying to find a solution to your problem, I will cater to you individually. This can save hours of time and frustration. I can have you feeling more confident and excited about your camera and its capabilities in as little as 2 hours.

How many lessons do I need?

Realistically, you need at least two lessons to benefit from the teaching. The first lesson is the very basics and the second lesson you are starting to apply what you have learned. You can have 1, 2 or 3 lessons, it’s up to you, but you are less likely to forget what you have learned if you have more lessons.

What should I expect after the first 2 hours?

In the first two hours you might feel a little overwhelmed with information, but this is normal. There’s a lot to understand and to take good photos you first need to understand the basic principles. I shall be guiding you with your camera using a mix of learning styles to maximise your understanding the fastest way possible. 2 hours will fly by and will only cover the fundamentals. More time is required to fully understand and digest the principles and techniques required.

What should I expect after 4 hours?

You know what the controls on your camera mean
You can get properly exposed photos in manual mode
Your camera will be less intimidating
The success of your second lesson will be largely based on if you have been practising since your first lesson. Information is easily forgotten if you haven’t been practising.

What should I expect after 6 hours?

Providing you have also been practising in your own time too, after 6 hours you should….

Feel much more confident with your camera.
Be able to change the settings on your camera to suit the situation
Feel more confident to be creative with your camera
Be naturally thinking more about composition

This 3rd lesson is for people who want to be guided in their experimentation with their camera now they know where the controls are and what they do.

Please note:

My photography lessons will teach you the fundamentals of photography and how your camera works. However, as every camera has a different menu system I cannot know every camera’s menu system inside out. I will however be able to help you find the controls that matter most and get you off to a good start.

Many of the menu functions will not be very important in these early stages.

Photography lessons for sports in Somerset

Beginner photography lessons in Somerset - pet photography

Beginner photography lessons in Somerset - family photography

Beginner photography lessons in Somerset - sports photography

THEORY + CAMERA CONTROLS

MOSTLY INDOORS

Hours 1 and 2

Discussion about problems you have been having with photography
Discussion about problems you have been having with your camera
Discussion about what you want to achieve with your camera
What is a lens aperture and how is it used?
What is shutter speed and how is it used?
What is ISO and how is it used?
Understanding how aperture, shutter speed and ISO affect each other
Understanding ‘depth of field’
Avoiding motion blur from the camera and your subject
A tour of the controls of your camera in particular
Talking about your lenses and what you can do with them
Fixing problems with your camera
Manual vs automatic modes – pros, cons and use cases
Demonstrations by me using your camera
Looking at different ways to compose a photo
Exposure scale
Zoom lenses and how they can affect apertures used
Understanding shutter speeds in relation to lens focal lengths
Some basic experimentation of you using your camera in manual mode
What is a histogram and how are they useful?
Direction of light
Why do we have JPEG and RAW photos?
Choosing a focus point in the frame
Using auto focus modes on eratic subjects

PRACTICAL CAMERA TESTS

OUTDOORS

Hours 3 – 6

What is white balance and how do you use it?
Placement of your subject in relation to the background
Light source size and its effect
Sun vs cloud and their effect on shadows
Unflattering lighting
Flattering photos indoors
Flattering photos outdoors
Choosing the best lighting for photos of people
Light intensity of the subject in relation to the background
Using your camera more in depth in manual mode
Composition with a zoom lens and your feet
Using available props to improve photos of people
How to take better bird photos
How to take better landscape photos
How to take better flower photos
Capturing fleeting moments and difficult subject matter
Critiquing of your photos and suggestions of improvement
How to capture light trails in photos
How to deliberately use motion blur with people and water
Discussing photo editing software

Please note:
As everyone learns at different speeds and in different ways, what is covered within each lesson will vary. The above bullet points are simply what I aim to cover in a lesson in that timeframe.

‘I had a 2 hour photography lesson with Ross and it was the best thing I ever did. I learnt more in 2 hours than I did the past 6 months with online tutorials and YouTube channels. I had already done a diploma in photography but did not have the confidence to use manual mode regularly and struggled with portrait photography knowing where to take photos from or how to place person/s in the photo. I am now far more confident with using my camera in full manual mode and have produced some amazing results from my lesson. I cannot recommend Ross enough with how much he helped my needs and the knowledge he shared with me. I am already planning to book more lessons to progress my photography and would strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to improve their skills.’ – Darren

‘Thanks to a couple of hours spent with Ross I have a much clearer understanding of the intricacies of matters relating to camera modes, settings and technology. His meticulously prepared diagrams and charts served to simplify what for me, as a keen but novice photographer, seemed quite baffling. I am looking forward to putting into practice some of the newly acquired techniques before reserving a practical photography session with Ross at some stage in near future.’ – Madeleine

‘I had a one-to-one with Ross to be taught how to use my DSLR Nikon camera and get the most out of it. He was clear and concise with his teaching, making it really easy to understand. He was friendly and patient and I wouldn’t have any hesitation in highly recommending him. I’m now enjoying putting it all into practise. Thank you, Ross.’ – Kathy

‘I had a 2 hour session with Ross to learn the basics of my camera, and specifically how to get out of auto mode and start using manual mode. Ross explained everything so well and in a way I could understand. Ive come away understanding so much and feeling more confident in manual mode. Im excited to start playing around more to see what I can create! Highly recommended- thanks Ross!’ – Mia

‘If you are looking for Photography lessons, I would highly recommend Ross. I had an enjoyable 2hr lesson with Ross at his home, and it was incredibly helpful to me as a beginner. He was very welcoming, good humoured and extremely knowledgable, and explained things in a clear and engaging way. Ross also provided me with extensive notes and learning tools that have been very useful when revising everything we covered in the lesson. I left feeling much more confident with using my camera and excited to continuing my learning journey.’ – Eliza

Brilliant lesson for my daughter. Ross really helped her understand the camera and make the most of the settings. Lots of different ideas and techniques that have inspired her to experiment with her photography. Ross was also fantastic before and after the lesson with advice on lenses and settings on the camera. Many thanks. – Isabel

‘I had a brilliant photography session/lesson with Ross at Moment Photography and loved every minute of it. The session was clear, practical, and wonderfully hands-on, with explanations that actually made everything make sense. Ross is an excellent teacher, knowledgeable, calm, and incredibly patient, and I came away feeling far more confident and excited to get practising straight away. The follow-up information and photos were such a thoughtful touch and have been handy reminders.

It’s obvious how much care and attention Ross puts into helping people truly understand their camera, rather than just ticking boxes. A genuinely enjoyable, confidence-boosting experience from a fantastic photographer and teacher. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Ross at Moment Photography and will definitely be back for the next step.’ – Karen