Lessons
Class Introduction
19:06 2Storytelling & Ideas
27:34 3Universal Symbols in Stories
03:19 4Create Interactive Characters
02:16 5The Story is in The Details
04:13 6Giving Your Audience Feelings
05:49 7Guided Daydream Exercise
04:20 8Elements of Imagery
02:19The Death Scenario
01:47 10Associations with Objects
03:01 11Three Writing Exercises
06:39 12Connection Through Art
30:35 13Break Through Imposter Syndrome
07:40 14Layering Inspiration
23:13 15Creating an Original Narrative
07:42 16Analyze an Image
04:12 17Translate Emotion into Images
04:31 18Finding Parts in Images
06:02 19Finding Your Target Audience
04:05 20Where Do You Want Your Images to Live?
12:01 21Create a Series That Targets Your Audience
32:43 22Formatting Your Work
06:08 23Additional Materials to Attract Clients
07:24 24Which Social Media Platforms Will be Useful?
04:17 25How to Make Money from Your Target Audience
11:27 26Circle of Focus
07:55 27The Pillars of Branding
06:18 28Planning Your Photoshoot
09:05 29Choose Every Element for The Series
07:38 30Write a Descriptive Paragraph
09:37 31Sketch Your Ideas
17:27 32Choose Your Gear
02:50 33How to Utilize Costumes, Props & Locations
26:18 34What Tells a Story in a Series?
13:06 35Set Design Overview
01:43 36Color Theory
19:50 37Lighting for the Scene
12:05 38Props, Wardrobe & Time Period for Set Design
06:00 39Locations
04:31 40Subject Within the Scene
07:26 41Set Design Arrangement
05:46 42Fine Art Compositing
03:46 43Plan The Composite Before Shooting
10:29 44Checklist for Composite Shooting
18:52 45Analyze Composite Mistakes
12:11 46Shoot: Black Backdrop for White Clothing
10:42 47Shoot: Black Backdrop for Color Clothing
08:36 48Shoot: Black Backdrop for Accessories
08:17 49Shoot: Miniature Scene
09:59 50Editing Workflow Overview
01:57 51Add Fabric to Make a Big Dress
08:35 52Edit Details of Images
08:09 53Add Smoke & Texture
10:47 54Blend Multiple Images Into One Composite
24:58 55Put Subject Into a Miniature Scenario
17:55 56Location Scouting & Test Photoshoot
22:10 57Self Portrait Test Shoots
22:30 58Shoot for Edit
04:21 59Shoot Extra Stock Images
10:01 60Practice the Shoot
25:07 61Introduction to Shooting Photo Series
03:33 62Shoot: Vine Image
10:40 63Shoot: Sand Image
09:50 64Shoot: End Table Image
04:59 65Shoot: Bed Image
06:18 66Shoot: Wall Paper Image
05:54 67Shoot: Chair Image
08:02 68Shoot: Mirror Image
06:57 69Shoot: Moss Image
05:48 70Shoot: Tree Image
07:33 71Shoot: Fish Tank Image
04:09 72Shoot: Feather Image
09:00 73View Photo Series for Cohesion & Advanced Compositing
07:35 74Edit Multiple Images to Show Cohesion
36:55 75Edit Images with Advanced Compositing
29:33 76Decide How to Start the Composite
09:35 77Organize Final Images
21:37 78Choosing Images for Your Portfolio
08:19 79Order the Images in Your Portfolio
16:28 80Why do Some Images Sell More Than Others?
16:03 81Analyze Student Portfolio Image Order
11:42 82Framing, Sizing, Editioning & Pricing
02:19 83Determine Sizes for Prints
16:44 84How to Choose Paper
13:56 85How to Choose Editions
07:18 86Pricing Strategies
18:59 87How to Present Your Images
13:26 88Example Pricing Exercise
09:39 89Print Examples
08:23 90Licensing, Commissions & Contracts
04:44 91How to Keep Licensing Organized
06:07 92How to Prepare Files for Licensing
07:28 93Pricing Your Licensed Images
12:33 94Contract Terms for Licensing
12:07 95Where to Sell Images
04:55 96Commission Pricing Structure
08:23 97Contract for Commissions
12:17 98Questions for a Commission Shoot
08:45 99Working with Galleries
08:58 100Benefits of Galleries
07:39 101Contracts for Galleries
10:32 102How to Find Galleries
05:22 103Choose Images to Show
08:53 104Hanging the Images
03:38 105Importance of Proofing Prints
08:04 106Interview with Soren Christensen Gallery
21:59 107Press Package Overview
04:35 108Artist Statement for Your Series
18:20 109Write Your 'About Me' Page
09:04 110Importance of Your Headshot
03:55 111Create a Leave Behind & Elevator Pitch
20:19 112Writing For Fine Art
04:44 113Define Your Writing Style
14:49 114Find Your Genre
06:41 115What Sets You Apart?
02:25 116Write to Different Audiences
05:10 117Write for Blogging
39:57 118Speak About Your Work
14:21 119Branding for Video
07:37 120Clearly Define Video Talking Points
14:27 121Types of Video Content
31:45 122Interview Practice
13:22 123Diversifying Social Media Content
22:32 124Create an Intentional Social Media Persona
24:48 125Monetize Your Social Media Presence
18:46 126Social Media Posting Plan
04:01 127Choose Networks to Use & Invest
02:57 128Presentation of Final Images
19:13 129Printing Your Series
09:16 130How to Work With a Print Lab
13:39 131Proofing Your Prints
10:11 132Bad Vs. Good Prints
03:32 133Find Confidence to Print
10:50 134Why Critique?
06:55 135Critiquing Your Own Portfolio
10:39 136Critique of Brooke's Series
16:18 137Critique of Student Series
40:07 138Yours is a Story Worth Telling
02:09Lesson Info
Branding for Video
A large part of how we present ourselves is branding. This is the way that we speak, the way that we dress, our cadence, the way that we showcase certain elements of our process over others, so branding questions. When it comes to the work, the video, the words you're putting out there, think about how do you want your audience to feel? I told you we're gonna ask that question again and again cause it's the most important one. What content is relevant to your brand? There are plenty of times when I want to just show a video of me playing with my cats. Nobody cares about me and my cats, right? Oh, thank you, somebody cares about me and my cats. Thank you, but in general, people would be really confused if my Instagram turned into a whole page of me and my cats. Right, and then maybe my public speaking turns into like, this is Nia, she's my gray cat, I love her so much. And then you're like, okay are you gonna make something with her or are you just telling us about her, I don't know. So...
make sure that it's relevant. What type of content will get you the most jobs that you want? So if you're going to take all that time to present yourself visually and verbally, make sure that you're speaking to a topic that will get you jobs that you want. What type of video, if you're doing video, will put you in an authentic light? It is so easy to make a video of yourself talking, where you look very uncomfortable and like you don't want to be there. And I know from doing it over and over that there are ways to speak and there are ways to present yourself that look over the top just not who you are and it's obvious immediately. Audiences are incredibly intelligent. They know right away if you're being yourself or not, so it's really important that you keep that authenticity in mind. And then what visuals go with your brand, what lighting goes with your brand? What are ways that you can visually enhance this product that you're putting out to all fall under this umbrella of what your business, your photography, your persona should look like? Okay, how do you want your audience to feel? Now, I put out a lot of content, okay? And this content is often video related. I release tons and tons of videos. It's one of my favorite things to do. I love video. How do you want your audience to feel, though? Now, this changes for me from video to video, but it does not change within my photography generally. My photography's very consistent. The type of video content that I make is very inconsistent. I make behind the scenes videos, I make how-to videos, I make inspirational videos, I make technical videos, all across the board, and I'm okay with that because this is showcasing my process, my thoughts, my opinions, just like a blog would. So, how do you want your audience to feel is going to change day to day, based on the type of video or talk that you're giving. Now in this case I'm setting off a smoke bomb in a hollow tree. It was funny. I couldn't stop laughing. I just couldn't stop breathing in smoke which was terrible for me, but it was funny at the time too. Like my dress falling off, it was all a mess. So, it was funny, and I want people to see that I have fun. That's the point. How do I want you to feel? I want you to feel happy when you're watching this. I want you to see it and be like, yeah that is funny. You do look stupid. That's like 50/50. I want you to think I look like an idiot. What content is relevant to your brand? Now, this is why I'm talking about creating different types of content. Now I'm creating a video here that is behind the scenes, showing my shooting process, what it's like when I'm out in the middle of the forest by myself on a photo shoot. What type of content will get you the most jobs that you want? A lot of content that I put out there has nothing to do with the types of jobs that I want. And that's a conscious choice that I'm making. I am recognizing that me twirling around in a parking lot is probably not going to get me any jobs. But I'm okay with it because I want to show people my spirit. And really, if you think cyclically enough, these types of images and this type of video, which this is a still from, might not directly get me any jobs, but I'm communicating my spirit. My joyous spirit and that is my persona, my brand that's going to build up over time and build a relationship with people who are following my work. That's really important. What type of video will showcase you authentically? This is so me, just wearing a nude onesie jumping in a milky pool of water. So ridiculous, but that's my day to day life. I do silly things like this and it's really fun and you can see, just kind of a little bit, just right there, that this is a Disney Princess pool. Yeah? Gotta love it. So, what type of video will showcase you authentically? You know, maybe for one of you guys this would be totally inappropriate. You'd be like, no, I would not spend my time jumping in a Disney Princess pool. Fine. That's not your type of video then, trust me. And then, what visuals and lighting go with your brand? This was filmed at sunrise. And I love shooting then. This was before the sun came up. Totally my colors and my lighting style. So this really fits visually with my brand. This is my hippie pose. Thank you, I know. Clearly defined talking points. But you see guys, it was a video and this was a still and I was holding up the number two but it looks like a peace sign. Do you get it? (laughing) Okay, great. Glad that we covered that. All right, now if you're going to define talking points these four ideas are really good to consider. What is the theme of what you're talking about? What is your opinion about what you're talking about? What ideas do you have about this topic? And, what experiences do you bring to the table? These are four things that you might use as talking points. So if we talk about theme, we've got the overarching idea of your content. This is the thing that will unify all of your talking points. This is what you can always go back to to judge your points against. So if our theme is... Let's see, what's a theme for a video that we might make? (laughing) now I'm nervous, it could be selling your art that's the theme. So if we're making a video about selling your art and you're writing down talking points, if you can take each talking point and put it against selling your art and it makes sense, keep it. If it doesn't, you might be going off the trail a little bit. So always think about that. Make sure that you care a lot about the topic that you're talking about. It's always obvious when somebody doesn't really care that much about what they're speaking about. And that's probably the number one thing that will make somebody lose interest in hearing you talk is when you clearly don't have an interest in hearing you talk. Right? Like I don't want to listen to myself talk but I know that when I'm speaking about something it's cause I'm really passionate about it. That makes all the difference. Have an opinion about the topic. And, make sure that it's relevant to your brand. So, I'm not gonna make a video about how to do an ollie on a skateboard because that has nothing to do with me and my brand. It had to do with me when I was in ninth grade but not any time after that so might as well not talk about it now.
Class Materials
Bonus Materials with Purchase
Ratings and Reviews
April S.
I tuned in for most of Brooke's lessons in this course and watched some of them more than once as they were rebroadcast. First I want to say that Brooke is a very good instructor. Her easy-going, friendly, down-to-earth, somewhat quirky manner cannot be mistaken for unprofessional. She is very prepared, she speaks well (not a bunch of hemming and hawing), she is thoughtful, she is thorough, she is very relatable and at ease, and she is definitely professional in her presentation. I really thought when I first tuned in that it would mostly be background noise while I was at work, sound to keep me company. Not because I didn't like Brooke but I really didn't think I was into fine art photography nor did I think I cared about the business side of things much. Not now anyhow. I was really wrong. Brooke sparked a deep interest in me to delve into fine art photography, to consider creating images for myself, from my imagination. In fact, I realized that this was something I'd been thinking about for a couple of years though I hadn't put a name to it (the idea of creating pre-conceived images based on my own creative goals). I gleaned many little treasures from her about image sizes, working with printers, different types of paper, selling, interacting with galleries, and so much more. I may not need all of what she taught right now because I'm definitely headed in another direction at the moment, but she planted ideas and information in my head that I know will be useful at some point. Things I may not have thought of on my own, but that seed is in my head now so when the time comes, I'll know. I'd really like to buy her course but at the moment, with the holidays right around the corner, it's not in my personal budget. I'm grateful to have caught the live and rebroadcast lessons though, and her course is on my list to own. I think it's a great reference to be consulted over and over again, not watched once and forgotten. Kudos Brooke for really putting together an excellent course.
Angel Ricci
When the title says comprehensive, it means comprehensive! I loved every part of this course. It's inspirational, motivating, and insightful towards creating art work. Even if you are not necessarily considering a fine art specialty, the concepts discussed in this course are applicable to many areas! I find this super useful as a videographer and photographer and look to apply all of these exercises and concepts for my personal and business work moving forward. It is lengthy, but you will not regret a single minute. Brooke Shaden is an amazing artist and educator. I recommend keeping up with her work, presentations, and any future courses that may come in the future.
Ron Landis
I'm retired now, but spent decades in the people and training business. Brooke is extraordinary! Even though this course is extremely well organized and she's left nothing unattended, she moves through it with friendly conversational manners and without a sense of it being stilted. It's as though we are all her friends, not students, as she shares her heart and passion with us. What a joy it is to listen to her. And what a clear, unambiguous command of her subject. Wow! She explains it with such ease using explanations and techniques that won't overwhelm artists just starting their portfolio or the Photoshop-squeamish among us; but despite its simplicity her resulting art is breathtaking and beyond original. I wish more of my professors at school were as engaging. This was by far my best buy at Creative Live yet.