Level Up Your Photography with CreativeLive Classes

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by CreativeLive, however, all opinions expressed in my post are my own. I received the product mentioned in this post for free from CreativeLive. This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Most of you remember when I decided to give up portrait photography and go back to my original love of landscape and nature photography with the hopes of one day making it big and having my photographs showcased in art galleries and throughout people’s homes.

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about a photography challenge called Level Up Your Photography by taking a CreativeLive class. As part of my personal challenge, I took the Nature and Landscape Photography Class in order to take my landscape photography to the next level.

My Issues Before Taking the CreativeLive Class

While my first love has always been nature and landscape photography, I also found it very challenging. Some of the issues I had before taking the Nature and Landscape Photography Class were:

1. What lens or lenses should I be using? This was a major deal for me as I have several different lenses and really wanted to rid myself of the unnecessary ones that I may never use. Of course, I also wanted to cut down on weight in my pack and how much equipment I take with me.
2. How and when to use filters. This has always been a tricky thing for me, mostly because while I understood their purpose I never really figured out how or when I should use them.
3. How to shoot a landscape with a bright sky but a darker land area. This one has always been a mystery to me (somewhat). This is where the use of filters comes in. Let’s just say I had an a-ha moment during the class.
4. Why do my forest pictures always look weird? I hike a lot and love shooting when I am in the “woods” or forests. But, the pictures never came out how I planned or how I saw them with my eye. I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong until I took this class!

What the CreativeLive Class Taught Me

First, let me start off by saying that I have been a CreativeLive junkie for years. This is not the first class that I have taken with them and will not be my last.

I learned so much from taking the Nature and Landscape Photography Class. All of the issues I had before taking the class were answered and I am now able to use those lessons out in the field.

While I have not had the chance to buy the filters I need (I will be buying them next week, so look for future blog posts about that) I was able to use my polarizing filter that has been sitting in my bag for about two years now!

I used it to photograph a waterfall area at a popular state park. The polarizing filter allowed me to remove glare from the water for a more natural look. It also came in very useful for photographing the river directly behind me.

I took the opportunity to not only use my polarizing filter but also using what I learned about depth of field in order to get the entire frame into focus.

A huge thank you to my husband who not only hiked out there with me (and it was a difficult hike) but also got some shots of me in action using what I learned in the class.

I also learned that sometimes getting the right shot means getting your feet wet!

Unfortunately, I only had my monopod as my tripod head was MIA that morning which meant I couldn’t use it. The biggest thing I learned: YOU NEED A TRIPOD!

Before & After CreativeLive Classes

I thought I would show you some before and after shots. The before shots are before I took the class and the after shots, of course, are after taking the class using what I learned. I obviously still need to practice more, however, I am much more comfortable out in the field. I also feel much more at ease about what equipment I need and when I should use it.

BEFORE

A picture of a waterfall I took about a month before taking the CreativeLive class. Notice that I have “frozen” the water in place instead of showing the movement due to my shutter speed being too high.

AFTER

I used this opportunity to use what I learned in the class to slow the flow of water. Unfortunately, my tripod was MIA so I was unable to slow the shutter speed down as much as I would have liked in order to make the waterfall more “dreamy”.

This was another attempt at using what I learned about depth of field and focusing in order to get the three flowers as well as the immediate foreground and immediate background in focus.

My Overall Thoughts

I love CreativeLive and have used them for years to learn not only about the fundamentals of photography but also the more in-depth areas of photography, from posing to sales and marketing.

What I really love is that CreativeLive is more than just photography. They also host crafting classes, business classes, and so many more genres! There really is something for everyone.

About CreativeLive

CreativeLive offers more than 1,500 classes across a variety of topics. Originally founded in 2010, CreativeLive offers lived-streamed courses for free that anyone in the world can watch and copies of the courses are available for purchase at any time.

You are also able to view a calendar of upcoming live courses so you can RSVP to them. By doing so, you will receive a reminder email (which I absolutely love, since I tend to forget!)

20% Off Your First CreativeLive Class

Don’t forget that you can get 20% off your first CreativeLive class by entering code ISHARE20 upon checkout. Check out all the photography classes CreativeLive has to offer by visiting their Photography Class page!

Which one will you sign up for? Leave a comment below and let me know!