Manual DSLR Photography 101 + 201 (Ages 9-12)

🍎 First Outschool class? Welcome, glad you're here! Coupon code KATEC20 will apply a $20 discount on your first class. 



👋 Hello! I am a teacher on Outschool who loves to share artistic photography and human-animal psychology classes! My goal is to offer high-quality learning experiences that support curiosity, inspiration, and understanding. All classes are held online on Outschool.

As a teacher, I draw from many different professional and academic experiences coupled with a background working with and teaching kids and teenagers in a variety of settings: enrichment programs, community initiatives, scouting, homeschool co-ops, public schools, Montessori classrooms, and mental healthcare. 

I hold a BA from Wittenberg University with a double major in Studio Art (Photography) & Critical Social Psychology, and a Minor in Art History.


📷 Photography Classes 📷

Learners who are thoroughly and genuinely curious and motivated to learn more about their cameras and photography -- and taking lots of photos along the way sounds like fun, not a task -- are a great match for my classes! I offer a lot of classes that work together in different series, making it easy to expand the learning into multiple semester of classes based on interest. 

Classes...
◼️ Center around exploring new ideas in weekly projects, and are geared towards motivated learners who are eager to explore photography with curiosity. Lessons are filled with sharing and discussion: all of my multi-day photography classes class are held in small groups, allowing time for learners to share their work and offer each other feedback using the terms and ideas taught. 

◼️ Are very process-oriented and focus on building the visual awareness, confidence, curiosity, and perspective that allows learners to experiment, tell stories, and communicate their ideas through their photographs. Classes aren't about quick tips to get "better" shots -- instead they aim to foster learners' independent and unique creativity. By building awareness of the camera and the visual world around them, learners are empowered to communicate their experiences and ideas through their photography.

◼️ Offer a positive environment where learners can explore their own creative potential within a supportive group. This means I act as a guide rather than an artistic authority. It's important to me that learners connect with their own learning process so they can continue to learn from their camera long after our class time together.

◼️ Support the technical and creative concepts taught with examples of the uses of photography within a historical context, providing a deeper understanding of what it means to make artistic photographs.

◼️ Are all different! As you can see in each class description, some classes are dedicated to learning technical settings, others are focused on composition and visual awareness, and a few are more about fun creative challenges or social experiences. The library of classes supports many layers of the creative photography process. This allows learners to continue with the subject and take multiple photography classes, progressing from the technical foundations to making compelling and unique personal work: figuring out what we each, as artists, want to show, communicate, and direct the viewer's attention to through our photographs. If you have any questions about which class will be a good fit for your learner’s interests and camera, please don’t hesitate to message me! 




🐴 Animals in Psychology & Mythology Classes 🌿
From my training in psychology and background working with horses, I also offer classes on behavioral science, equine ethology, and horse/human interactions. My specialization is in an ecopsychological perspective on equestrian and other activities with horses, which means looking at what qualities of relationship show up between humans and horses within those activities. Classes offer age-appropriate glimpses into the notions such as species-appropriate living conditions, the need for cognitive enrichment, ethological understanding of the dynamics of horse herds, the impact of chronic stress and nervous system activation on domestic horses' behavior, and the roles of horse figures in world mythologies and folktales. 




⭐ Please Note ⭐
☑️ Videos On Zoom
🔹 For the class group's comfort and security, my default requirement is that all students need to be on camera. Even if your learner is verified in the Outschool system, this is still required for my classes. Virtual backgrounds are ok and encouraged! I have found that this greatly increases the group's comfort level in class, as the anonymity factor in small class sizes is challenging and disorienting for many, and revealing one's own identity while others stay "hidden" is not a good online safety practice. Additionally, in technical classes, watching students' facial expressions, movements, and behavior is critical information for me in order to calibrate my instruction and share advanced concepts successfully.
🔹 If they need to turn their video off at some point due to internet connection, emotional needs, etc., that is no problem! They can communicate that to me (privately, via message), and in that case they will still need to particulate fully via audio. For security, off-camera learners may not participate only via chatbox or "audit" the class.
🔹 If your learner requires any exception to this, please message me and we can definitely find a solution!