It’s difficult to deny the amount of influence the internet has had on visual culture at large and its role in human communication. Every day, millions of people actively view and upload photos of pretty much any aspect of their life for the leisure of others to enjoy. Much of what we interact with in this digital landscape is text-based, and information through language, but complimentary to that and arguably more evocative is the medium of the photo. I was never an artistically inclined individual, never dabbled in painting, played an instrument, or even had the wherewithal to start a blog, but I’ll tell you how simply taking some online photography courses completely transformed my life and creative self.
It improved my Confidence
Before taking any classes, my social media feeds were an absolute hodgepodge of unrelated subjects and blurry photos. I never understood why I wasn’t garnering any likes or having any engaging conversations about what I was posting. To be frank, it wanted on any reason I had to try connecting with people on social media and establish new relationships. It only took a few online photography courses to completely change that situation. I didn’t just learn how to take “good” photos; I truly learned how to distinguish visually appealing compositions from the mundane iPhone snapshot. I increasingly started to improve the quality of my photographs and clarify the intention of why I was shooting them in the first place. It wasn’t long after that I began receiving constructive criticism and compliments about my posts. Even having that scintilla of engagement brought a smile to my heart.
It earned me some extra cash
After a few months of taking various online photography courses from different websites, I finally had the grit to start a blog and document my work. I wanted to travel more and tell picturesque stories about the places I had visited, so a blog seemed most appropriate. I always considered it to be a moonshot, but I began receiving small offers from people looking to obtain stock photography. What a tantalizing idea that this new creative pursuit of mine could start to pay the bills!
It gave me a deeper appreciation for art
In retrospect, my foray into the world of photography seemed insular in its beginnings. I knew I wanted to improve my work, but I didn’t have an inkling of foresight to realize how it might transform my worldview of visual culture and artistic sensibilities. To be fair, the online photography classes I enrolled in were intensive and broad in scope, so it was understood that most of what I learned would follow me in everyday circumstances. Never would I fail to remember the principles of composition, color theory, texture, narrative, and metaphor when I gazed into a cityscape. Never would I critique a fellow photographer’s portfolio without keeping in mind the technicalities of motion, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO standards.
