The Basic Photography Course is the most popular entry point at Lux Photo Club. Five live sessions of 2.5 hours each + 12 video lessons (about 2 hours) you watch in your own time. The theory lives in the videos. The room is for shooting.
Here is exactly what we cover, in the exact order. No surprise marketing copy — this is the curriculum, lifted from the student workbook every participant receives on day one.
Pre-course — 12 video lessons (~2h)
Twelve short lessons you watch before Session 1. They cover the language of photography, every dial and button on your camera, the exposure triangle, lenses and color, and composition.
By the time you walk into Session 1, you should already know what the controls do. We don’t repeat the videos in class.
Session 1 — Camera & Exposure
Monday · 19:00 — 21:30 · Studio
Goal: by the end of the evening you set exposure deliberately in M, Av, or Tv mode. You leave Auto for good.
We do a fast 20-minute recap of the exposure triangle, then walk your specific camera together — every button and menu item that matters. Then three practice drills (aperture series, shutter series, ISO series), then open shooting in mixed conditions, then a live review on the projector with a few of your cards.
Homework: 15 frames in M or Av across three different lighting conditions, with your settings written down and one sentence on why you chose them.
Session 2 — Composition & Vision
Wednesday · 19:00 — 21:30 · Studio
Goal: be able to name what your photograph is about before you press the shutter. Remove one distraction from every frame.
We review the homework on the projector, then walk through eight compositional tools with examples — rule of thirds, leading lines, symmetry, figure/ground, negative space, frame within frame, color contrast, camera angle. We practice using lens choice and white balance as creative decisions. Four hands-on composition drills.
Homework: a 5-frame visual story on one topic of your choice, a different compositional tool in each frame.
Session 3 — Studio, Model, Light
Saturday · 11:00 — 13:30 · Lux Photo Studio
Goal: apply everything from Sessions 1 and 2 — on a real person. Build the five classical portrait light patterns yourself.
Part 1 (60 min) — technique on a person: distance, posing, lens, exposure for skin. Part 2 (75 min) — five classic light patterns (Rembrandt, loop, butterfly, split, broad/short) using one light and one reflector. Each student gets one-on-one time directing the model.
You don’t need three strobes to make a great portrait. Every pattern in Session 3 is built with a single light source.
Homework: cull your shots, pick three best portraits across different light patterns, do one round of basic edit.
Session 4 — Outdoor Practice
Sunday · 11:00 — 13:30 · Field walk
Goal: move everything you’ve learned outdoors. Test autofocus modes in real conditions. Repeat composition and exposure drills in unpredictable light.
Five outdoor stops, each with a new technique: leading lines, available-light portrait, backlit silhouette, panning/movement, details & texture. Coach demonstrates first, then you shoot, then we walk. Card review on return.
Homework: pull every card from Sessions 1–4 onto your laptop. Select your 10 best frames across the whole course. This is the start of your portfolio.
Session 5 — Workflow & Roadmap
Tuesday · 19:00 — 21:30 · Studio
Goal: convert four sessions of practice into a workflow you can use tomorrow. Get personal feedback. Leave with a clear next-step plan.
Pro post-shoot workflow — ingest, cull, edit, deliver. Culling demo in Photo Mechanic (500 frames → 20 in under 20 min). Basic edit in Capture One — 15 minutes, five moves. Individual review of your 10 frames, one-on-one with the coach. Roadmap conversation: where you want to go, what to do next.
What you leave with
- Confidence with manual mode in any lighting situation
- 5–10 finished frames you actually want to share
- A culling + edit workflow that takes 5 minutes per photo, not 30
- A group of 5–7 other students you’ve spent 12+ hours with — natural future shoot buddies
- An invitation to the post-course photo walk and a portfolio review with Andre
What you need to bring
- Your camera — any brand, any level. No camera? We provide a Fujifilm body.
- Kit lens (or whatever you have). For Session 3 a 50mm-equivalent or longer is ideal.
- Two charged batteries, empty 32 GB+ memory card, card reader.
- Notebook + pen. Laptop for Session 5.
- Water. The sessions are long.
Pricing
- Non-members: €250 for the full 5-session course
- Standard monthly plan: 20% off (€200)
- Standard annual plan: FREE — included in the annual benefit
- Premium members: FREE, plus 20% off the advanced course