Learn how to interact with your subject and explore film photography techniques with color, texture, and depth
Part of the magic in analog photography is the mystery of what an image looks like until it is developed. For award-winning photographer Maya Fuhr, that part of the process allows her to become more in touch with her subjects, resulting in striking, intimate photos. Maya has collaborated with fashion brands like Chanel, Miu Miu, and Iris Van Herpen.
In this online course, Maya shows you how to use an analog camera with flash to take eye-catching portrait photographs. From learning to interact with your subject to exploring analog camera techniques, discover how to create distinct images that express your creative style.
What will you learn in this online course?
11 lessons & 11 downloads
Casting Your Subject
7 minutes, 34 seconds
Choosing Your Background or Location
8 minutes, 33 seconds
Choosing Your Camera and Film
15 minutes, 6 seconds
Loading Your Film and Setting up Your Camera
12 minutes, 32 seconds
Shooting Your Subject
20 minutes, 25 seconds
Double Exposure and Rewinding Your Film
7 minutes, 29 seconds
What's included in this course?
Begin by getting to know Maya, a professional photographer of over a decade, and your teacher for this course. Hear about her creative background and how she came to hone her style. She also shares her influences and her sources of inspiration.
Get an overview of the basics of analog photography before discussing how to cast your subject and choose your background or location. Learn the difference between point and shoot, medium format, and 35mm cameras, as well as how to work with a flash. Understand the difference between 35mm and 120mm film and how to load the film on all three different cameras.
Time to shoot! See how to prepare your camera’s ISO speed, shutter speed, and aperture. Maya then walks you through the process of shooting the portraits of your subject. Then learn about double exposure techniques before exploring where to develop your photos.
Once the photographs are developed, learn how to digitize them on your computer for post-production editing. Maya covers a few editing techniques with different editing tools in Photoshop. Wrap up the course by hearing Maya’s tips on how to choose the strongest ones and share them online.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Carry out a photoshoot using an analog camera with flash and one entire roll of film by shooting their subject close-up, wide, and a detail shot.
Who is this online course for?
This course is for photographers of all levels, from professionals to hobbyist, who want to explore the world of shooting in analog with film and flash.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience is necessary.
All you need is a film camera with flash. If you choose to edit your images, you also need access to a computer with editing software like Adobe Photoshop or similar.
Reviews
- 4 years ago
Buon corso, per il momento mi soddisfa.
- 4 years ago
I really enjoy all the lessons, especially the one about the flash setting up! Thank you so much Maya!
- 4 years ago
I really enjoy Maya's visual style and her personality. However, the class was not very useful to me personally. There were some technical aspects that Maya presented incorrectly. To name one, not all medium format film cameras produce square frames. But the thing I had hoped most to learn from Maya never came up, namely how to sync flash with film cameras, how to set the flash correctly and how to meter the flash with a light meter combined with ambient light. The course was too superficial.
- 4 years ago
I was really pumped when I found that Maya Fuhr has done a Domestika Course since I really love her style. Analog Photography can be intimidating at first, but watching this course helps you to understand how easy and also how cheap it actually can be.
This Course is really low key, fast and straight forward which I really liked.
- 4 years ago
The course is nice and the teacher is very kind but it’s really for very beginners. It’s more an overview of her practice than teaching. Nice to watch though.
Her work has been featured on several magazine covers including King Kong Magazine, Fräulein Magazine, Editorial Magazine, The Fader Magazine, Dauphine Magazine, and Intersection Magazine. Maya has collaborated with brands like American Apparel, Miu Miu, and Chanel, and with musicians like Metro Boomin, Orville Peck, 6lack, and Mac Demarco.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- U2
Preparing for Your Shoot
- Casting Your Subject
- Choosing Your Background or Location
- Choosing Your Camera and Film
- U3
Time to Shoot!
- Loading Your Film and Setting up Your Camera
- Shooting Your Subject
- Double Exposure and Rewinding Your Film
- U4
Colour Correction
- The Selection Process
- Editing Your Selects
- Posting on Social Media
- FP
Final project
- Analog Flash Photography for Expressive Portraits
What to expect from a Domestika 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.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Yes, this course is designed for beginners with no prior experience in portrait photography or using film cameras.
You’ll need a film camera (35mm or medium format), film rolls, a flash unit, and basic accessories like batteries and a tripod. No advanced gear is required.
You will learn how to cast subjects, build trust, select film types, use flash, compose portraits, and ethically document people and subcultures using film cameras.
No, the course is beginner-friendly and covers all the basics of portrait photography and film camera operation.
The course teaches you how to select film stocks and cameras based on your desired aesthetic, including differences between 35mm and medium format options.
Yes, you’ll discover practical strategies for building trust and making both models and non-models comfortable on set.
Yes, you’ll learn inclusive casting techniques, street casting, and how to find subjects online or through platforms like Craigslist and Peerspace.