Accessibility Statement
    Specialization

    Specialization in Urban Photography

    Specialization in Urban Photography

    What will you learn in this specialization?

    A total of 6 modules and 62 lessons
    A total of 8h 21m of vídeo lessons
    Taught by 4 selected expert teachers

    Introduction1

    Introduction

    The city is in constant motion, revealing fleeting scenes to those who know how to look. In this lesson, you’ll step into urban photography as a way of observing everyday life, understanding light, movement, and timing, and learning how personal vision emerges through practice. A reflective starting point that connects the genre’s history with its contemporary relevance, inviting you to train your eye, trust the process, and let the streets shape your photographic voice.

    1m

    Inspiration | Joerg Nicht2

    Inspiration | Joerg Nicht

    We are all inspired by different artists and their works. In this lesson, I'll show you who has influenced me the most. In addition to the photographers Arno Fischer and Robert Frank, Edward Hopper is very important to me, but films are also a source of inspiration for me.

    9m

    Inspiration | Gustavo Minas2

    Inspiration | Gustavo Minas

    Now you will know some of the influences that, with your work, helped me in the search for a personal style. I will talk about names like Carlos Moreira, Harry Gruyaert and Gueorgui Pinkhassov. I believe that influences are fundamental in the construction of your language. Of course, it is not a matter of copying the work of those who inspire you, but of accumulating resources that increase your sensitivity and help you to react and solve visual problems.

    6m

    Inspiration | Voileau Fabien2

    Inspiration | Voileau Fabien

    In this section, you will present the different influences that allow you to build one color and one style.

    7m

    Inspiration | Tomás Westenenk Orrego2

    Inspiration | Tomás Westenenk Orrego

    My work does not have many clear influences, since my apprenticeship was self-taught, but I consider that architecture in general has influenced a lot. Anyway, I think there are some architects and photographers who have influenced me in a positive way. I will tell you about them in this lesson.

    10m

    Photographing: how, what, why3

    Photographing: how, what, why

    How do I find a topic? What story do I want to tell with my photos? Everyone who deals intensively with photography knows these questions. In this lesson you will learn how I found the topic for the project and how I would like to approach this topic with you.

    7m

    Know your camera 14

    Know your camera 1

    Modern cameras offer a lot of technical possibilities - you will also need some settings for your project. In this lesson, I will explain important settings and give tips on how to use them.

    7m

    Know your camera 25

    Know your camera 2

    It is well known that practice makes perfect. Practicing the key camera settings is important to developing confidence in the camera. But I also encourage you to use your camera in automatic mode.

    4m

    Motif search6

    Motif search

    This lesson is about the active search for a motif, because just theoretical preparation of the picture is not enough. Therefore, I will explain to you what I pay particular attention to when choosing a motif.

    7m

    Light and movement7

    Light and movement

    Light is important for every photo. In order to be able to explain which lighting situation is favorable for our project, I will use various example photos to present lighting situations and their effects. Finally, I give you tips on how to use light in your project.

    4m

    Composition8

    Composition

    The different elements of an image can be combined in different ways. In this lesson, I'll focus on the golden ratio and how color contrast can be used to draw attention to specific image content.

    6m

    Planning of the photoshoot and the photo series9

    Planning of the photoshoot and the photo series

    For the planning of the series of photos, I present a system in which I relate different movements to the movement of the camera. This results in a matrix that suggests individual motifs in the photo series.

    6m

    We go outside10

    We go outside

    In this lesson I'll take you on my photo tour in Berlin Mitte. Using the various motifs, I explain how I proceed when taking photographs.

    14m

    Editing11

    Editing

    Now I will show you how you can edit your photos with an image editing program, primarily to correct or adjust the sharpness and contrast. I use Adobe Photoshop Lightroom for this.

    12m

    Social Media12

    Social Media

    In this lesson I will show you how to present your photo, i.e. your story, on social media. Various properties of the image are taken into account, not only the format, but also the complexity of the motif.

    2m

    The construction of an essay4

    The construction of an essay

    In this class, you will learn more about some of the essays I have done in different places from 2010 to today. I will show its thematic and formal characteristics and comment on how I arrived at these results.

    6m

    Introduction to photographic language5

    Introduction to photographic language

    Here, I will show examples of basic concepts of photographic language, such as framing, perspective, plans, angle, lines, balance, among others.

    12m

    Light and shadows: the mood of an image6

    Light and shadows: the mood of an image

    In this class, I will talk about light, shadows and silhouettes, elements that help determine the climate or atmosphere of an image.

    8m

    Reflections in street photography7

    Reflections in street photography

    In this step, I will talk about reflections, another valuable element that can determine the climate or atmosphere of an image.

    7m

    Lens types8

    Lens types

    In this class, I will talk about the characteristics of each type of lens and cell phone.

    3m

    What I carry in my bag9

    What I carry in my bag

    In this class, you will get to know the equipment I use for street photography. I'll show you which lenses I usually wear and why I choose one or the other according to the situation.

    5m

    How do I set up my camera10

    How do I set up my camera

    In this class, I will share with you some technical information, such as the memory cards I use, the settings of my camera and I will also give you other tips for you to go out and shoot.

    3m

    Practice on the streets: light and movement11

    Practice on the streets: light and movement

    In this class, you will accompany me on a photo tour around the city. I will show how I choose places and situations to photograph, how I usually work a scene, how I position myself in relation to the subject and the light and how I relate to people.

    6m

    What worked12

    What worked

    In this class, I'm going to take a look at the material I produced during my week in São Paulo. In addition, I will take the opportunity to comment on how I organize my material after departures. And finally, analyzing my contact sheets, I will discuss what I think worked and what didn't work.

    12m

    Image treatment13

    Image treatment

    Here, you will see step by step how I usually treat my images, including light and contrast adjustments, colorization, noise and sharpness reduction and local adjustments. I will comment on which tools work best for each type of image and which ones I prefer to avoid.

    15m

    The ways of editing14

    The ways of editing

    Here, with the photos produced during the week, I will edit the essay in order to publish it on the web.

    17m

    Promoting your work: from social media to the printed book15

    Promoting your work: from social media to the printed book

    In this class, you will learn a little about my social media publishing strategies. My focus will be Instagram, which is undoubtedly the biggest showcase for photographers these days. In addition, I will also briefly talk about the possibility of publishing a photobook.

    5m

    The different typologies of images3

    The different typologies of images

    In this section, you will present the different types of images available in street photos.

    10m

    The material and the basic rules4

    The material and the basic rules

    Avant toute chose, je vais vous montrer le matériel nécessaire pour la street photography, les réglages basiques à connaître also que mes tips personnels.

    9m

    The composition5

    The composition

    Je vous présenterai les différents types de cadrages, la gestion de la lumière ou encore la profondeur de champs au service d'un style d'image puissant.

    6m

    The narration6

    The narration

    Presently, I spoke to storytelling. Comment donner du character à ses images et les faire vivre ensemble.

    6m

    The repérages and the preparation7

    The repérages and the preparation

    Pour commencer, vous verrez comment sélectionner des lieux intéressants en lien avec le storytelling recherché puis je vous présenterai le matériel nécessaire pour la street photo.

    4m

    Sur le terrain: quoi faire et comment?8

    Sur le terrain: quoi faire et comment?

    You can read the comments and analyze the selected images to download the images and decrypt the attitude in question, the camera in main.

    7m

    L'attitude à avoir9

    L'attitude à avoir

    In this article, you are going to share some tips on the attitude towards street photos, where you can read the best images.

    6m

    L'analyse des images prizes10

    L'analyse des images prizes

    Finally, you will learn the comments by clicking on the Lightroom images. so you can see the comment below to see a premiere selection of images.

    12m

    The selection of photos11

    The selection of photos

    Je vais vous enseigner comment selectionner les images interessantes et commencer les premiers tests liés au storytelling souhaité.

    12m

    Reinforcer the characters of images12

    Reinforcer the characters of images

    In this section, enter the image editing, you will see the comment on the character and exporter.

    18m

    The spread on Instagram13

    The spread on Instagram

    Pour vous guider dans ce processus, je vous vous expliquer comment présenter les images, trouver le bon format, le bon rythme, afin de les diffuser de façon « remarquée ».

    17m

    Prepare a printed project14

    Prepare a printed project

    Finally, you will see a moment to present your creative and impactful work via the edition print of a journal of images.

    8m

    History of night street photography3

    History of night street photography

    In this class, you will get to know some classic and contemporary examples of photographers who dedicated themselves to photographing at night and produced outstanding work.

    9m

    Photographic language4

    Photographic language

    Here I will talk about some basic concepts of the photographic language, with examples of night photos of me and other photographers.

    5m

    Night photography with available light5

    Night photography with available light

    Now I will present and comment on some night photos of myself and other photographers taken in different situations, always using the light available in cities.

    8m

    The flash in night street photography6

    The flash in night street photography

    Let's get to know some different ways to use the flash (or two flashes) in night photography, with examples of photos from me and other photographers, including the use of modifying accessories to change the quality of the light produced.

    5m

    Equipment for night street photography7

    Equipment for night street photography

    Here we will see some types of lenses and accessories recommended for street photography and talk about their advantages and disadvantages.

    3m

    How do I configure my camera8

    How do I configure my camera

    In this class, I'll go through your camera menu in detail, showing you some specific adjustments I make to mine for a nighttime shoot.

    4m

    Photo output with available light9

    Photo output with available light

    Now you will accompany me on a night photo outing. Let's explore the photographic possibilities with the light available in cities, having as sources poles, bars, gas stations and neon signs, for example.

    4m

    Photo output with flash: portraits at night10

    Photo output with flash: portraits at night

    In this lesson, we will use flash in different ways to produce night portraits. We will go out on the streets of São Paulo in search of characters and discuss different ways of portraying them in order to express their personality and the mood of the night in the city.

    5m

    What worked and what could be improved?11

    What worked and what could be improved?

    In this class, I will comment on some of the photos I produced during the course recording week, analyzing strengths and weaknesses and evaluating the reasons why the images work or not.

    10m

    Workflow and image processing12

    Workflow and image processing

    Now let's move on to the post-production phase of the images in Lightroom. I'll talk about workflow to keep your files organized and see how we can improve a photo's light and shadow balance and color balance, as well as other adjustments.

    14m

    Editing a night series13

    Editing a night series

    In this class, with the photos produced in the course recording, we will discuss how to edit a series of up to ten night photos. I'm going to talk about how to sequence and work the narrative in a set of images.

    11m

    Dissemination of work14

    Dissemination of work

    Here I'll show you some strategies for getting your work out there, including posting on social media, creating a website, and publishing a zine or photobook on demand.

    2m

    Similarities Between Architecture and Photography3

    Similarities Between Architecture and Photography

    Architecture and photography have a common language. There are many concepts in both disciplines that can help to compose an image or design a work. Then you will see what I mean.

    6m

    Basic principles of photography4

    Basic principles of photography

    Now you will learn about the correct exposition and its meaning. Then, you will see what is the ISO, the aperture and the speed. You will learn how these variables also affect the moment of taking a photograph and you will understand that by managing these three variables you will not only be able to expose a photo well, but you will also be able to intention them.

    10m

    Rules of photographic composition5

    Rules of photographic composition

    In this lesson I will teach you the fundamental photographic composition "rules" with examples from my portfolio. You will learn to use the concepts and rules of composition to create powerful and balanced photographs.

    14m

    How to take advantage of your cell phone camera6

    How to take advantage of your cell phone camera

    To take pictures, it is not essential to have a professional camera. For this reason, now I will tell you about the potential that mobile phone cameras have today. I will go into detail about the different default modes of the camera, more pro modes and I will also show you through examples different techniques to take mobile photography to another level.

    5m

    Previous analysis of the place7

    Previous analysis of the place

    I'm ready to go out to take photos, but first I'll prepare everything I need. Also, I will tell you about which places of interest can guide a tour as a reference. Then, I will analyze the different hours of the day and how they affect the result of the photograph. I will also talk to you about the importance of not setting so many limits and leaving space to change course and allow inspiration to guide you. You will see that this process is more to orient yourself and become familiar with the sector, not to go with all the photos resolved in your head.

    2m

    Walking, learning to see and find singularities8

    Walking, learning to see and find singularities

    In this lesson, I will give you some recommendations before going out. I will review the equipment with which I will take the photos and I will worry about taking what is necessary to be able to spend a good time taking pictures. Then, I will analyze different ways of observing to be able to identify the singularities. Remember that singularities are different for each person. The photos will be yours, not copies.

    1m

    Shooting9

    Shooting

    Now is the time to go out and get down to work! I'll start my photography tour and show you how to put what you've learned in the previous units into practice.

    5m

    Selection and organization of photographs10

    Selection and organization of photographs

    Today we accumulate a lot of information, especially photographs. In this lesson, I'll suggest an order so you never lose your original and edited files.

    3m

    Edition 111

    Edition 1

    Now I will show you the photographs that I took in the field and the selected material. Then I'll move on to editing, where I'll handle some essential variables that can be found in virtually any editing application or program. Then I'll show you how these adjustments affect the image and how they can help you give it personality. Finally, I will analyze the photographs in relation to the decision making at the time of taking them and how they were composed.

    14m

    Edition 212

    Edition 2

    I have taken many photos and sometimes choosing just a few can be a difficult task. For this reason, I will continue to show you my selection process and the editing adjustments I make on my chosen photos. At the end of editing, I will make the final selection of the five photographs for the course project.

    15m

    Tips for sharing on networks13

    Tips for sharing on networks

    It's time to share your art with the world! In this lesson, I'll give you some tips to consider when sharing your content on social media. The idea is that you can reach the right audience and be able to interact with your followers.

    1m

    What is this course's project?

    Who is this specialization for?

    Requirements and materials

    Select to get to know your teachers in this specialization course

    Gustavo Minas

    Gustavo Minas

    Photographer

    Joerg Nicht

    Joerg Nicht

    Photographer

    Voileau  Fabien

    Voileau Fabien

    Photographer

    Tomás Westenenk Orrego

    Tomás Westenenk Orrego

    Architect and Photographer

    See all 4 teachers

    What to expect from this specialization course

    • Learn at your own pace

      Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.

    • Learn from the best professionals

      Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.

    • Meet expert teachers

      Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.

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    • Share knowledge and ideas

      Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.

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      The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.

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    FAQs

    Yes, this course is designed for intermediate photographers who want to deepen their skills in urban photography, composition, and visual storytelling.

    You can use a DSLR, mirrorless camera, film camera, or even a smartphone to complete the course assignments and exercises.

    You’ll learn how to analyze urban environments, use composition and narrative techniques, recognize city patterns, and capture decisive moments to create compelling city images.

    Some basic photography knowledge is recommended, as the course builds on foundational concepts and introduces advanced urban photography techniques.

    Yes, the course provides tips and techniques for using smartphones effectively to capture creative urban photographs.

    Urban storytelling in photography involves capturing city scenes and everyday moments to convey narratives and emotions through visual imagery.

    You’ll learn techniques for anticipating street interactions, observing city life, and capturing authentic, candid moments that tell a story.

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