Brazilian photographer Paulo del Valle (@paulodelvalle) is known for capturing bright, sprawling landscapes that inspire excitement and awe — and it's helped him establish an impressive brand on Instagram.
In this one-hour class, you'll join Paulo in Rio de Janeiro as he shoots for a client project. Along the way, you'll learn tips on
- camera selection
- capturing engaging Instagram photos
- editing essentials in Lightroom and mobile apps
- building a strategy that gets you noticed on Instagram (especially by brands)
By the end, you'll capture and share images for a brand you care about. Get ready to up your Instagram game!
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What You'll Learn
- Introduction. In this digital photography course, you’ll learn how to create an Instagram presence that brands will notice. Paulo del Valle will preview his class, which starts with choosing the right camera and ends with editing photos specifically for Instagram.
- Equipment. Today, being a professional photographer means you have two, main options when it comes to your equipment. You can either opt for a traditional camera or a smartphone. Paulo will tell you what accessories to get for each and how to stay up-to-date when it comes to mobile photography.
- Basics of Instagram photography. You’ll learn the basics of beginning photography, including ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. Paulo will detail these three key elements of photography and explain how to read your light meter. You’ll also learn how to take photographs that capture movement, the difference between RAW and JPEG, and the rule of thirds. Paulo will teach you composition techniques that make your Instagram photos unique by using people and props to spice up beautiful — but heavily trafficked — locations.
- Photography skills. You’ll join Paulo at one of his favorite locations in Rio to learn how to use a camera in manual mode. You’ll observe the ideal settings to use when shooting during “golden hour” and what happens when you over – versus. underexpose.
- Making selects and backing up photos. Before editing your photos, you have to choose which ones to edit and make sure you back them up. Paulo will suggest ways to organize the photographs you plan to edit and places to back up your photographs so you can gain access to them no matter where you are — you never know when a client will ask for a specific photograph.
- Editing I. You’ll learn the basic functions of Adobe Lightroom, starting with centering and aligning the horizon of your photograph. Paulo will demonstrate how to adjust a photograph’s temperature, tint, tone, contrast, highlights, shadows, clarity, color, and saturation. You’ll also learn how to correct photographic distortions in Lightroom.
- Editing II. You’ll learn how to transform a very dark photograph into a bright, colorful work. By adjusting the photograph’s temperature, tint, highlights, and clarity, you’ll see how a deep blue and black photograph can reveal a multi-hued sunset. Paulo will also show you how to easily apply the edits you make on one photograph to another.
- Instagram strategy. If you want to be a professional Instagrammer, you need to have a professional Instagram. Creative photography is a key part of this, but you’ll learn that you also need to pay close attention to your Instagram profile picture and bio. You’ll learn to make your photographs look consistent and to write stories in your descriptions. Brands aren’t just looking for photographers; they’re looking for clever writers, too.
- Working with brands. You’ll learn how to attract brands’ attention, which brand offers to turn down, and how to best reach out to a brand you’re interested in working with.
- Wrap up. After taking this photography class online, you’ll be able to put Paulo’s tips into action. He’ll encourage you to take three different types of photos to practice what you’ve learned.
