Portraiture 101 | Virtual

DURATION: 3 Hours Of Instruction
FORMAT: 1-Day Weekend or Weekday Class
TIME: Classes Are Held In Eastern Standard Time (EST)
PREREQUISITES: Photo 101 or equivalent

Showing Beauty, Style & Emotions

A portrait can capture style, emotions, memories and much more! Natural light, real life settings and relaxed posing are all characteristics of good Lifestyle portraiture. This workshop will cover shooting locations, what times of day offer the best lighting, using natural lighting and tips for using a reflector.

“I am so grateful to have found GTA!!! I now feel so much more comfortable with my camera, not at all daunted by it, and am enjoying putting my newly learned skills to the test with gratifying results, and understanding where things can be improved. The quality of teaching, content, and so on was stellar.”
– A. H. Rubenstein

Studio lighting portraiture thumbnail landingpage

LIVE Virtual Classes

Interactive online workshops allowing you to ask questions and get personal with our award winning photography instructors in small class sizes!

5 Star Reviews

Not only do we consistently get 5 star reviews, we’re also listed as one of Toronto’s Top 10 Photography Schools by BlogTO.

Quality Instructors

Our instructors are professional photographers AND excellent teachers! They know how to simplify technical concepts and teach through exploration, and creativity.

Same Great Content

Due to Covid-19 we have moved our photography classes virtual. Enjoy all the same great classes from the comfort of your own home!

Course Summary

Compositional tips for portraiture
Natural lighting techniques and how to use a reflector
Candid photography
Relaxed posing for natural looking shots
Current trends and how to work with tricky subjects/scenarios
Equipment considerations (lenses, reflectors, etc.)

Indoor & Outdoor Lighting

Lighting is the key to any great shot and in this course we’ll focus on lighting techniques for both indoor and outdoor photos. Learn how to look for natural daylight and how to modify it to best suit your subject and your own creative vision.

Posing

When shooting portraits you have to be able to make your subjects comfortable while giving them clear direction. Our portraiture instructors have lots of shooting experience and will give you their expertise advice based on their experience.

Tricky Subjects & Scenarios

Photographing little kids, shooting big groups of people or photographing a back lit subject are just some of the tricky conditions you might be faced with. We’ll give you all the tips you need to make your photo shoot fun for you and your subject while resulting in really stunning images.

The live online video lecture take place on an interactive video meeting platform – Zoom. Upon registration you’ll receive a password and meeting ID to join your lecture. There, you’ll meet your instructor and classmates, and begin learning our 5-star rated class. Each lesson is interactive and questions are encouraged.

How early do I need to register?

Registration is open right up until the day the session begins. Please note however, that some of our classes sell out well in advance. In order to guarantee enrolment, we recommend registering as soon as you know your schedule.

What are your class and cancellation policies?

Policies:

Prepayment is required to confirm your registration and spot in the class / camp / workshop.
All sessions begin promptly at the stated time. Any missed material is forgone by the student.
Register early: If you wait until the last minute, the class might be filled or cancelled due to insufficient enrolment.

Cancellation by Student:

CLASS/WORKSHOP: Cancellations are non-refundable whether the student cancels or fails to show up for class; however, if we are notified within 7 days prior to the scheduled session, we will reschedule you to another session but a $50 administration fee will apply*.
PRIVATE LESSONS: Cancellations are non-refundable whether the student cancels or fails to show up for the lesson; however, if we are notified 48 hours prior to the scheduled session, we will reschedule your session, but a $50 administration fee will apply.

Class Cancellation:

GTA Photography Classes reserves the right to cancel or postpone any class if there is inadequate enrolment. In the event that a class must be cancelled, you will be notified by email in advance (please be sure to register using the email address where you can best be reached). You may then either reschedule for another session or receive reimbursement of class fees.

Do you offer certificates?

We offer a certificate of completion to students upon request. Please contact us through email or by phone to speak with an instructor to receive your certificate if you require one. Certificates will be delivered through email. There will be a $25 admin fee if you would like a physical certificate mailed to you.

What equipment should I bring to class?

• DSLR Camera or point & shoot camera that can shoot in manual mode
• Tripod
• Memory Card
• Fully Charged Battery Pack
• Class notes (you’ll be able to download these in your confirmation email)

What type of payment do you accept?

All of our registration is done ONLINE using MC and VISA. (Note: We do not accept Debit or Cash at this time) Cheques can also be mailed to our studio.

Do I need prior training or experience?

For the introductory courses (Photo 101), no prior training is required. More advanced courses such as Photo 201 and our workshops, do require prior experience as they build on basic techniques taught in Photo 101. If you have some prior knowledge or experience and not sure if you need some of the prerequisites, give us a call and talk to an instructor today!

What is the difference between and online class and in person?

All of our virtual programs include the exact same lecture material, the only difference is there are no field trips included. Our online classes are live which you will still have the opportunity to ask questions to your instructors and get to know your classmates.