A single photo, a thousand settings: A certificate course for photography enthusiasts

Participants try their hand at photography during previous events. Pics Courtesy/Anurag Kukrety

When his audience across platforms would enquire about photography schools and courses but refrain from signing up for them because of the exorbitant fees they charge, Anurag Kukrety, founder of Photowalks Mumbai, decided to structure the platform's own course at a subsidised rate. "One of the most common questions we get is where can people learn about photography and using a Digital Single-Lens Reflex [DSLR] camera. The aim is to make photography affordable along with good content and a syllabus that covers everything required to get started," says Kukrety, a private banker who turns photographer on weekends. The aptly titled programme, Hack The Manual Mode, is the platform's first certificate course among many photo walks, meet-ups, photography expeditions, and workshops, and will help beginners or hobbyists looking to dive deep into a passion or turn it into a living.

Anurag Kukrety

Kukrety tells us that the course caters to those graduating from a mobile camera to a DSLR, those who shoot on DSLRs but only in the automatic mode, or those who are not confident about creating an image in the manual mode. The four-day, 16-hour course takes place on Sundays and covers topics ranging from the foundations of digital photography like shutter speed and understanding exposure to advanced techniques, post-processes, storytelling, portfolio-building as well as myth-busting. Busting a myth for us, Kukrety explains that usually, people think that more equipment will produce better pictures. But what one really requires is a good eye with the knowledge of producing images, and a great photograph can be achieved with whatever lens kit and camera one has. The online and offline sessions will offer students a chance to learn from industry experts based in India and across the globe, including Neena Majumdar, the course's programme director, and instructor of photography, IIT Bombay. The in-person classes will be held at a city studio to accompany theory with practical lessons.

If you don't have a DSLR of your own, you can rent one from Photowalks Mumbai or other outlets, or even use your phone camera. "Before they buy equipment, participants can look at different genres of photography like street, food, landscape, wildlife and others during the course, and find one that they want to explore. Based on the chosen genre, we can suggest the lens and equipment best suited for it," the founder concludes. Personifying a quote attributed to American photographer Adam Ansel, we ask you - are you ready to make a photograph?

ON September 11, 18, 25 and October 2; 10 am to 2 pm
LOG ON TO linktr.ee/photowalksmumbai_ or @photowalksmumbai
CALL 9082624292
COST Rs 9,500