Your life is made up of a series of scenes and characters, and places are the stages upon which your life unfolds. When you seek to capture the spirit and unique personality of a place, you are also expressing and reflecting your personal experiences of the place. This course will delve into your understanding of different locations that have particular meaning to you, and how to capture them with your camera.
You will discover your own Sense of Place — and grounding in the way you explore and encounter the world around you through the textures, symbols, landscapes, buildings and materials that show you where you have been and where you are going.
DATES: April 7 – May 31, 2013
LENGTH: 8 weeks
PREREQ: (none)
Over 8 weeks in this online course, you will find inspiration in photographing places whether they are near or far from home. You will increase your awareness of the millions of tiny details that combine to form the unique personality of a place. You will form your own Sense of Place, building a photography practice that will improve your capture regardless of location. Whether you seek to capture the allure of exotic locales or your everyday environment with artistry, you will discover increased gratitude for the places you encounter.
- Registration is closed for the 2013 class. To be notified of class registrations in the future, sign up for the monthly Kat Eye News email newsletter.
Topics Covered
- Preparing for Photography of Place – identifying the skills and equipment you need to photograph places
- Defining Place – understanding what “place” means to you
- Exploring Icons – examining the capture of iconic images
- Capturing the Big Picture – investigating landscapes and cityscapes
- Finding the Details – discovering the details which form the personality of place
- Seeking Differences, Finding Similarities – exploring differences as a way to discover universal themes
- The Time Factor – learning how “time” effects the experience of place
- Putting it Together – completing a final project to share your Sense of Place
Course Logistics
- One in-depth lesson arrives via email per week, on Sunday morning. Each lesson will cover a specific topic in the Photography of Place, including photographic tips, a photography assignment to integrate the material and journaling exercises to help you understand and refine your personal Sense of Place.
- Inspirational emails will arrive Monday through Friday on the topic of the week.
- A private class discussion group on Flickr, for sharing experiences and photographs for feedback with Kat and classmates from around the world.
- Limited class size – registration will be capped at 50 participants.
- More general logistics information is available in the Kat Eye Studio Course FAQ.
What Participants Say…
Overall – an AMAZING experience!! I feel like I’ve grown so much in respect to my own vision as a photographer and in how I can explore that in different ways – representing “place” wherever I happen to be. I am very grateful for my experiences here. The interaction and encouragement of Kat really made this course the best I have taken to date. The assignments were well thought out. This course was so focused on its theme and investigating it without limiting those taking it to a specific style or subject. I liked the strong focus on photography itself and on each person’s individual interpretation of the assignments. The daily inspirations kept up the momentum – but it is really Kat attentiveness and creativity that is so brilliant!
– Rene’
[The course is unique compared to other photography courses because] the lessons in A Sense of Place have more “heart” and were so insightful. Other courses (taken from other instructors) have felt rather boilerplate. This class felt fresh and inspiring.
– Annie
I think Kat’s approach is unique. It is very thoughtful and deliberate and she does a wonderful job of taking it step by step each week and putting it all together in the end. I really look forward to going through these lessons again and again.
– Molly
There were so many things I liked about the course! I have never taken any type of art class before and had no idea how to express what I felt and saw looking at the postings. The participant’s and instructor’s comments on my photos, and everyone elses, helped me immensely. Everyone was so positive and encouraging as well. I thought the content of the course was well-developed and followed a very logical sequence. The “thinking and writing” part of the course helped me a great deal. It got me in the habit of contemplating before I start snapping pictures.
– Angela
[This course was different from other courses I’ve taken in that] the content was very focused on just one topic: the photography of place. (But it covered more aspects of that than I ever imagined!) The lessons were packed with information and wonderful examples. Every topic gave me food for thought. I know I’ll be referring to these again and again.
– Karen
[My favorite thing] was the community created. I especially appreciated that Kat participated in the discussions and commented on photos. I have not had an instructor who was so personally involved before.
– Victoria
I liked the approach- looking at a sense of place in our own context, looking at what each individual is motivated by. [I] loved Kat’s enthusiasm and lovely gentle approach. [I] love how Kat thinks about photography.
– Leanne
Want to Learn More?
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Prerequisite Experience
There is no minimum experience or equipment requirement for this course, however a minimum level of technical photography knowledge is assumed. To get the most out of the course, the participant should come to this course with basic technical knowledge of operating their camera (understanding exposure, shutter speed, aperture, etc.) and editing photos. (Please download the free Digital Photography Basics eBook if you are in need of this minimum technical knowledge.)
- Registration is closed for the 2013 class. To be notified of class registrations in the future, sign up for the monthly Kat Eye News email newsletter.
