Welcome!
If you want to learn to use your Big Girl Camera, you've come to the right place!
DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOU?
Do you have a Big Girl Camera and never use it? Are you intimidated by all those buttons and menus? Did you try to use it and were disappointed by the resulting pictures? Do you have fear of missing the money shot?
Don't worry we've all been there.
Here is a collage of pictures I took when I first got my Big Girl Camera. It was a hot mess of dark, blurry, poorly lit snapshots. Occasionally, I got a happy accident, but I had no idea why! The important thing...I stuck with it and I PRACTICED!!!
Here is one of my happy accidents!! This is one of my FAVORITE photos of my daughter. I had no idea back then why it was good. I now know that it has many elements of a good photo. Beautifully lit eyes, even lighting (due to open shade,) it is well composed, and she is engaged with the camera. I didn't know ANY of that back in the day. It was spray and pray!!
After taking countless courses and reading innumerable books, my mission is to teach you to use your Big Girl Camera in a way that makes you excited to get out your camera and shoot! I don't want you to feel confused, flustered, or intimidated. I want you to be your own go-to photographer. Whether that means getting frame-worthy shots of your family, or Instagram-worthy shots of your product or service, I teach you how!
Learn to capture everyday memories with confidence. Take your snapshots to great shots!
This course is for you if...
This course is NOT for you if...
Improve your artistry. Learn to see things in a new way!
Sabine
FORMER STUDENT
My husband got me a camera for Christmas last year. I never touched it, since I didn't even know where to begin, so he got me a photography class for Christmas this year. Andrea taught a 3-week beginner's class that was amazing. She taught us all the basics we needed to know about getting started with your "big girl" camera, and her enthusiasm and passion for photography was more than contagious. Andrea was able to explain things that have always been super confusing in a way that made sense, and the assignments were exactly what I needed to get me started. I have not put my camera down since taking class, and I never thought it could be this much fun!!! Her class was the perfect gift that keeps on giving, and I would highly recommend it to everyone!!!
I remember the first time I got an SLR (back then, I had to buy rolls of film for it!) I had no idea what I was doing. In fact, I never took it off of Auto. My results were hit and miss. But I KNEW there was something different about this camera and I wanted to know more.
When I bought my first digital SLR back in 2004, I searched for local camera classes and was lucky to find one. I practiced and practiced. I took my final project very seriously. I was hooked. Over the years I took every class I could find, and began taking online classes in 2010. In 2013, when I left my corporate job, I began traveling all over North America photographing corporate events, concerts, and Fortune 500 executives. Who knew this hobby would become my business and allow me to meet some of the most successful and interesting people both behind the scenes and in front of my camera.
One of the best things to photograph when you are learning is flowers! They don't give you attitude and they don't run away.
My first foray into teaching was in 2011 and came as a result of some fundraising I was doing on behalf of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I was raising money for Team in Training and I asked my best girlfriends if they'd be willing to donate to my fundraising and in exchange, I would teach them to use their DSLR's. They all had one but no one knew how to use them. They enthusiastically said "YES!" and thus it began.
melissa
former student
I got my first "real camera" in 2009 and couldn't wait to use it! 6 years later, I was still shooting in auto and longing to know how to REALLY use it. I met Andrea and signed up for her Beginner's class. I was hooked!! I loved how she made understanding the basics so simple. My photos got 100% better just from that class. Andrea does such a fabulous job putting technical information in an easy to understand lesson. I just wish I'd met her earlier!
Do You Want to Take Control of Your Big Girl Camera?
Seven years later, the demand for my class has grown, but my basement has not. I'm excited to bring you the same class that I've taught live all these years with the added benefit of rewatching when you need a refresher and no commute. You no longer have to live within a 30 mile radius, be available on Thursdays, and fight the traffic to get here. You no longer have to fret if something comes up and you can't make class. You also get the added benefit of all the resources I've pulled together for you in one convenient spot. You are getting everything I gave my students live plus MORE. You will still get that 1:1 feedback and opportunity to ask questions via Facebook Live and the ability to post pictures within the lesson.
The class will be ready very soon! Give me your email and you'll be the first to know when it goes live. Plus, you'll get regular updates and helpful tips to get your started on your photography journey. Wherever that may take you.
Join us in the Facebook Community or on Instagram for Weekly Challenges and inspiration.
Andrea Ferenchik, Founder
Andrea is the founder of The Big Girl School and a professional photographer based in Atlanta, GA. She is a wife and mom to two beautiful girls! There is nothing she loves more than sharing her love of photography with other women and watching them grow.
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