Let's Learn Together How to Capture Your Story
Introduction to Professional Photography: five weeks online class is designed for the people with strong desire or business need to create images that will tell their story.
This class is for you whether you just starting out or you are seasoned amateur photographer.
$490.0
April 5 - May 10, Tuesdays, 5:30pm - 7:00pm PST
REGISTER
All proceeds from the class will be donated to Children Hospital in Kiev, Ukraine and Ukrainian Refugees
Let me teach you
how to understand natural light setups, and you will realize how easy it is to achieve amazing image results with just a solid background and an open sky or a window light.
Requirements for the class
Any camera with manual mode, basic understanding of your camera, access to Zoom and Adobe Lightroom.
Real time Zoom class
The curriculum is designed based on many years of experience teaching photography at UC Berkeley and Academy of Art University. 40 minute lectures are pre-recorded and can be viewed anytime. Each live class meeting once a week is one hour long to discuss homework and present your work for feedback in the class.
One-on-one sessions
Two one-on-one sessions: one in the beginning and one at the end.
What you'll learn
You'll learn your camera and its best modes for your needs, natural light setup, creative composition, color editing in Lightroom and get introduced to conceptual photography.
Review
"Elena is a great teacher and an amazing creative. It was a pleasure to have classes with her, she is very easy to talk to, the way she explains is perfect and she is so much fun! I felt I was kind of trapped with studio lightning. The workshop was a great way to refreshen my skills, to work without pressure and to make beautiful images just because. I loved it!" - Martina Orska, Quito, Ecuador
IG: @martinaorska
Review
"This was hard, this was amazing! I feel happy now. I feel my personal life is changing, I'm glad I decided to try it on a maternity leave at the time I felt I started to loose myself, my own life. Elena is a high professional for sure." - Regina Sharipova, Ufa, Russia
IG: @regi_curlymama
Review
"This class made me go to the farthest corners of the city, fear had taken over my whole being. But I did not give up. I promised my teacher and myself that I should take the best photos, I am glad that I was able to fulfill my promise to some extent. I will continue this way. I believe that one day I will take photos that will be selected as the best photo in the world. Society and its limitations are meaningless to me. During these five weeks, I got closer to my goals. I owe this success to my teachers, Ms. Elena and Ms. Golnaz. Borders are challenging to humanity but It is important for the human heart to be close to each other." -Mansoureh, Herat, Afghanistan
Review
"First, I've learned light approach to natural light work, one that you can hardly learn from a book or guide. Also, there was efficiently to hear many opinions and discuss your work with other participants. Each one of us perceives images according to own experiences and attitudes. After all, the class gives you great impact aligned with motivation to step aside your comfort zone and experiment with casual stuff around you. it fits for both beginners and advanced participants, since everyone gets a task according to his own level." - Mark Rafaelov, Baku, Azerbaijan
iG@: markrafaelov
Review
"Your class helped me so much to understand my self better, see the world a little wider, open up. Thank you!" - Olga Dmitrieva, Seattle, USA
Review
"There I find a true Alice's in Wonderland world of colors, with a true generous teacher who gave us all of herself. I found a fantastic world of pals with immense creativity, a team spirit, and a never-ending willingness to continue shooting. And in this Alice's in Wonderland world, no stone remained unturned, no question was not asked, no vision remained unexplored. I'm just so sorry it's over. Among the things I am left with, it's my first self portrait, and I really dressed up with rabbit hears." Stefano Companini, Miami, USA IG: @Stef_wine
Review
"This class is just amazing! Elena is such a wonderful teacher! I have so many emotions about this class and the work that I have created during the period of the course. I have never completed my homework with such passion and desire to practice and create.I can't wait for Elena to start a new class so that I can continue on a journey of discovering myself as an artist! I would like to thank Elena for sharing her knowledge with us and for being so open. This was an unforgettable experience that has made me a better photographer." Oksana Kovneva, San Francisco, USA
IG: @oksanakovneva
Review
"I found the class was very engaging throughout the lecture and 1:1 sessions. It's a great class for both beginers and photographer look to expand on their conceptual work. The homework assignments pushed me to work outside my comfort zone and try new techniques."- Heather Quercio, NY, USA
IG: @heather_que
Review
"I had not used my camera in nearly a decade and enrolled in Elena's class to relearn the basics. Little did I know, I would learn so much more. Each assignment required differing levels of imagination. Turning those ideas into something practical was challenging. I enjoyed this because it took my imagination to a whole new level. Similar to a lot of people, I dislike getting my picture taken. I slowly began to change that perspective while taking self-portraits. So much can be said with the slightest change in facial gestures and I really enjoyed making that self discovery. Painting with light was an eyeopening experience and I hope to expand on what I had learned." - Bailey Cashio, Kansas City, USA
IG:@baileycashio
Review
Well, tomorrow we are having our last class, and I am on the verge of tears, this class meant a lot to me. Elena is so brave and creative, she has shown to me that there is no fear in creativity, only depth, vulnerability and a journey of self - discovery.
Irina Yakobson, Toronto, Canada
IG: @ira_yakobson
Review
The class exceeded my expectations. It challenged the way I was approaching photography and broadened my perspective. I gained a deeper understanding of how the light works and improved my technique. Conceptually, it was a great practice of bringing an idea to life and executing a vision. Highly recommended to anyone who works with visual media. - O. Vinokurova, San Francisco
IG: @pelkos
Review
"It’s been a wonderful class! I’d often dreamed of having the opportunity to learn from you ~2500 miles away and this made it possible. Thanks for all the effort you put into giving us a positive learning experience and for making yourself so readily available to provide support! The amount of prep work you put in was obvious and impactful 🙏🏻🙏🏻😘😘 " - Melissa Mertzman, Philadelphia, USA
IG: @mertzman
Review
"I'm not a professional photographer but I'm studying documentary photography for last 2 years. And Alena's classes taught me many things, professional tips that I didn't know. Alena's art of photography and art of teaching are amazing and powerful. She opened a new world to me." - Maria Saxon, Moscow, Russia
Review
"Elena has been an inspiration to create conceptual images that in particular are not easy to create. Her personal stories about how she approaches personal and professional work was certainly an eye opening. Gave me a new perspective as of how I can plan and create meaningful images." - Frances Velasquez,
IG: @Francesvelasquez
Review
"Elena’s lectures and assignments are a perfect combination of accessible while also challenging, technical while also deeply artistic—all beautifully calibrated for beginners and professionals. She inspires and supports her students to achieve technical excellence and to dive deeply into the creative process to produce meaningful work. I found myself joyfully spending hours and hours to complete her assignments not because I had to, but because I wanted to. So be careful, Elena’s passion for photography and creativity is contagious—if you take this class there is no mask that can protect you from the ways her brilliance will change your life. She is an extraordinary teacher and artist who has definitely changed mine." - Addison Beaux, Oakland, USA
IG:@addytbeaux
Review
"I enjoyed the class tremendously. Homework assignments provided very clear technical guidelines for taking pictures and yet challenged my creativity. In a way it unbound me from my everyday work-home-work cycle and connected me to my environment. I started seeing things I never noticed before. It was also very inspiring to see the work of other students and discuss how the photos were taken. On the technical part, I enrolled in Elena’s course totally unaware of what my camera might do, how to control aperture, shutter, ISO etc. After the course I was comfortable shooting in manual mode and control all these functions to achieve results I wanted." - Inna Nikonorova, IG: @_sciaddict
Review
"I was impressed by Elena’s work as an artist. When I found out that she would be teaching online I decided to join her course. I enjoyed every single one of her classes even though it was challenging for me as a beginner photographer. I also found out that Elena is not only a talented photographer but she is also an excellent teacher and an amazing person. After her course I am inspired to be creative and to learn more about photography. I hope in the future I will be able to take more hands on classes with her. Thank you for being so inspiring". -Asya Houske
Review
"Elena doesn’t ascribe to that notion. Her class impelled us to break free of imposter syndrome and take a playful approach with found objects, available light, and simple set-ups. After learning a couple basics [which takes, at most, a couple days of low-stakes tinkering], you really just need a bit of creativity, flexibility, and a critical eye. I will 100% be taking any of her future offerings that I can. In five weeks I’ve moved from “Errrr, I’m not used to this camera, where’s the aperture wheelie-doohickey?” to feeling motivated to pick up a camera and competent when it’s in my hands". - Anna Mattinger, San Francisco,
IG:@bumpwolf
Review
"I really enjoyed this class! Elena is an amazing teacher, she truly inspired me to create and shoot more. Her homework assignments are both challenging and interesting.I highly recommend this class :)" - Marina Natanson
Review
"I always was fascinated by visual art and photography. When I saw an announcement of a course I hesitated for a bit. However I bought my first camera and signed up despite the huge time difference and a heavy workload. And it was totally worth it and actually recharging! It is an incredible feeling when you create something out of nowhere. An abstract idea in combination with light and colours becomes a visual piece you want to share and tell the story with. It was so much fun to learn and I am glad I met very cool people in the class. Thank you!" - Elena Nikolaeva, London, UK
Review
"I’m very happy with the class. Elena provides ton of information beyond the basics during theory class. The homework is pushing your creativity and allows to work on different levels. The most important for me were one-to-one sessions that were concentrated on my work and my questions. Elena is open to any professional questions and generously share her exceptional knowledge and amazing skills and support every student in her class. Thank you, Elena!" - Kate Fim, San Francisco
Review
"Elena's class was exactly what I was looking for. I needed to push myself and step out of my comfort zone as a life-long photo enthusiast. Elena provided enough structure but also allowed us to have a lot of artistic freedom. The mix of the very well designed slide materials, live instruction as well as pre-recorded and live Zoom demonstrations was very effective. I was very impressed by my classmates' work. The weekly 1-1 session with Elena allowed me to get the feedback for existing work as well as individual recommendations for future assignments. Each class had a large block of time allocated to viewing the homework which resulted in always constructive feedback from the instructor and fellow students." - Fima Furman, Boston, USA
IG: @wet_kimono
Review
"I was a little bit skeptical about taking online photography class but this exceeded all my expectations and I'm glad I did it. Elena shared so much useful information with us in the class. Homework assignments very challenging and forced me to get out of my comfort zone, but I really enjoyed all of them." - Alex Rainchik, Michigan, USA
IG: @alexrainchik
Review
"I was looking for inspiration when I got to Elena's class. I was amazed by the simplicity of the lectures and at the first sight innocence of the homework. These "simple" exercises boosted my creativity and made me step from my comfort zone. The best part of the class is the group discussions of the student's works. It is a great opportunity to see how people perceive tasks and execute them. Another positive side is personal one-on-one meetings with Elena. You can ask whatever you wanna ask and get the answers to any topic." - Alesia
IG: @aaalesja
Review
I thoroughly enjoyed Elena's class. I wasn't sure if an online class would be engaging for me but it really was because Elena is such a great teacher! She is very knowledgable, direct, open and enthusiastic. She is a lover of the medium of photography and it is contagious. Her presentations are tight and her feedback is on point. Lluvia Higuera, Los Angeles, IG: @lluvia
Review
"Elena's class was incredibly helpful (and fun!). I'm a novice photographer, and after just a few short weeks I feel much more capable of shooting high quality portraits, still lifes and landscapes. In addition to having better control of my camera, I have a much better grasp of how to use and incorporate lighting and reflections in my photography. Before this class, I stopped using my DSLR altogether because my pictures looked the same (or worse) than on my phone, but that's certainly no longer the case. Many advanced photographers were in the class as well, and Elena did an amazing job of making the class relevant and impactful to students of all skill levels." - Kevin Karsch, San Francisco
Review
"Elena is an inspiring photographer and competent teacher who makes learning fun. During the course, she gives 5 creative assignments and encourages you to challenge yourself during the execution. So no matter what your photography skills are, you will find “the introduction to natural light photography” challenging and rewarding." Nat Nazarova, San Francisco
IG: @natalia_and_twins
Review
"Elena's class was amazing. It is very informative covering the basics and more advanced things for those who are somewhat familiar with photography/ videography. But besides useful information, the class was like a creativity boost. It challenged me, inspired me to experiment and pushed me out of my comfort zone." - Olga Khrustaleva, Ivory Coast, West Africa
IG: @olgacrystal
Review
"I would definitely recommend Elena's class to anyone wanting to flex their creative muscles and get confident with the basics of natural lighting, composition, and post processing. I really enjoyed her teaching style and assignments. The lectures expanded my technical skills which allowed me to play more with conceptual ideas without feeling overwhelmed. And the assignments challenged me to get creative in new ways. If she ever teaches a class on studio lighting, I will surely take it!" - Lindsay Gauthier, SF
IG: @lulutrublu
Review
"This class was fun, challenging but in a fun way, packed with tips and information. Elena was very generous with answering our questions, helping with lighting setups ( over zoom, phone and other social distancing means). The one- on-one consultations every week contained just the right blend of relaxed conversation and proper kick in the butt to keep me moving and experimenting." - Yuliya Levit, NY
Review
"Elena’s class will leave you wanting to create! With newly learned lighting techniques and editing tips, that you thought you knew, but now can use differently, you will become way more confident photographer, no matter what level you are at now. Masterfully built class!" Polina Litvinenko, NY
IG: @polichphotography
Review
"My experience with Elëna Zhukova photography class has been outstanding! I am loaded with amazing information about photography and useful practical tools about my camera, lighting, and editing. Elena has been an inspiring teacher and I am looking forward to learning more!" Kristina Semenovskaia
IG: @mybombinate
Review
"Elena's class was exactly what I needed to pick up my camera again and exercise my creativity. Elena is super knowledgable, will share all of her tips and tricks, stories about her experiences and her creative process. She is super invested in the success of her students and will spend ample time giving feedback. Elena is very passionate about her craft and that was super inspiring. Her class surpased my expectations, as a student you get weekly 1x1 meetings with her to go over homework or any other questions. Highly recommend and can't wait to enroll in another one of her classes. Thank you Elena!" - Camila Lachman, SF
IG: @camila_lachman
Review
"I have never experienced a photography class where you could literally take a camera out of the box and in 4 weeks have the knowledge to make conceptual or commercial photography. If you are a professional, this class is also a welcomed gift to be creative and learn from a very talented artist. Elena is not only an engaging teacher but she is a real and dynamic human, which shows in all she does. This class will teach you the essentials of photography and additionally inspire people to make meaningful work." - Whitney Browne, NY
IG: @whitneybrownephotography
Review
من تو ایران عکاسی میخونم و تا یه زمانی از این رشته دور شده بودم تا اینکه با شما آشنا شدم این کلاس منو به چالش کشید و کلی دیدگاه های جدید به من داد و همچنین ایده های جالب باعث شد نور پردازیه بهتری تو کارام داشته باشم این کلاس برای من خییلیی لذت بخش بود و انرژی مثبت شما باعث شد علاقه بیشتری به عکاسی پیدا کنم🥂
Yasaman, Teheran, Iran
IG: _yasamanzk
Review
"If you are full of emotions and words but you don’t know how to put them together on the paper take Elena’s photography class so you can learn how to tell your own story. It was an amazing learning, exploring, experimenting, brainstorming, creative thinking, healing and sharing experience for me. First, Elena is a great teacher who shares not only her professional expertise but also her feelings, thoughts, ideas, and feedback. I appreciate every minute of our one-in-one online sessions: very constructive and straight forward. Second, a lot of, a lot of practice that can make result perfect. Personally, for me this was the first time when I was proud of my works and felt confident about my ideas." - Veronica Hsu, San Francisco
IG: @tabletop_by_veronika
Review
"This class is beautifully orchestrated, allowing us the chance to learn the technical aspects of photography through a creative lens. Elena is beyond generous with her time and knowledge throughout the weeks and inspires you to push yourself. It is SO fun, meeting each week to talk about color and light and art with the group. Prior to this class, I was unsure how to practice my photography in a productive way, and now I cannot stop shooting :) Highly, highly recommend." - Chelsea O'Flynn, USA
IG: @chelsoflynn
