Here at Live Snap Love, we’re known for creating easy to follow, step by step, and in depth programs in all areas of photography.

And if you’ve been around a while, or you’e just stumbled across our courses, you’ll see that we have a number of photography programs available - Auto to Awesome and Mastering Natural Light. One is aimed more at beginners, and the other is a more advanced class, for those who are more intermediates rather than beginners.

So essentially Auto to Awesome is a beginner course, and Mastering Natural Light, is an advanced, next level course. I

But a question I get asked all the time is “which of these courses is right for me?” so if you were wondering the same thing, I wanted to take a moment to break down what course might suit you best, based on what skills you currently have, and where you want to get to!

So today, I want to compare both courses, so you can see which course is the best option for you.

What both courses are:

Before we get into the differences between the two, let me just tell you that both courses are 100% online, they are entirely self paced, and each contains step by step video lessons, downloadable cheat sheets and diagrams, exercises and homework, pull backs and either behind the scenes videos or over the shoulder camera demos, along with bonus materials and resources that help you go even further with the skills outlined in the main course.

So literally, in each program, we give you everything you need, all laid out for you in the order you need to learn it.

But each one serves a different level of photographer, so let’s turn our attention to who each program is for, and what you will learn:

When should I take Auto to Awesome?

If you are brand new to photography, have never shot in manual mode, and you’re not taking control of things like focus (or at least, not well!) then Auto to Awesome is definitely the one for you!

In this course you will learn:

About the basic building blocks of exposure (aperture, shutter speed and ISO) what each ones does, how it affects your photos, and all the different factors that affect the “numbers” you choose (as a side note, most people who are self taught never think about some of these!)
How to shoot in manual mode, and get the perfect exposure each time, either using the camera meter as a guide (but equally knowing when to shoot over or under) or with tools.
The basics of working with light. You can’t learn about shooting in manual mode without also learning about light, so we give you strategies for working with both indoor and outdoor light, and with different types of light like sunny or overcast days.
How to get accurate colour in your images.
The FAST framework for tack sharp photos so you know how to get tack sharp photos by choosing the right “ mix” of focusing modes and techniques based on what you want to photograph.
Composition tools and guides you can use to transform your photos from snapshots to awesome shots!

This is the course for you if you’re:

A new photographer, and you want to skip the years of frustration and trial and error and fast track your growth.
Still shooting in AUTO or a semi-automatic mode, and manual mode still scares you a little bit (or a lot!)
More experienced, but you still can't consistently get the results you want.
You want to get great photos in camera, and stop spending hours trying to "save" photos in editing.
Excited to learn how to capture beautiful photos of people, whether that be children, families, seniors, maternity, engagement etc - either in candid lifestyle situations, documentary style or posed portraits.
However, you might also be a multi-passionate photographer, and want to beautifully capture a wide range of subjects, such as macro, landscapes, street photography or photographing your pets!
Want a course that will lay all of it out - exposure, manual mode, light, focus and composition - in a complete step by step framework.

Now I could wax lyrical about this program all day long, but I think the people you would most like to hear from is our previous students! We literally have hundreds of love notes from our students, so many that we can’t even share them all, but I want to give you a quick selection here….

We have created a reviews page on our website too, where you can see even Auto to Awesome Reviews! I haven’t actually updated it in a while (*adds it to her humongous to-do list*) but you’ll definitely get the idea :-)

When should I take Mastering Natural Light

Mastering Natural Light was created as “next step” course after Auto to Awesome, aimed at those who want to go even further on their photography journey, and who want to be pushed out of their comfort zone and go to the next level with their use of light.

If you have been shooting a while, can shoot in manual mode, are getting sharp focus (most of the time anyway) and have a basic knowledge of light then you’re ready for Mastering Natural Light!.

In this course you will learn:

All about the dynamics and characteristics of ALL light, so you can walk into any situation and assess the light you have available. This will help you move beyond thinking in terms of "good" light and "bad" light, and instead, be able to SEE the light around you with fresh eyes!
How to use indoor light effectively, by incorporating different lighting patterns for next level portraits, using additive or subtractive light, the inverse square law, light feathering and diffusion, and more!
Tricks and techniques for shooting outdoors, in full sun, using open and covered shade and on cloudy days (we’ll use all the same tricks we learnt for indoor light, and how to apply them outdoors!)
The secrets to taking your backlit images to the next level by including the different types of lens flare, how to control haze, get dramatic rim light, highlight atmospheric elements, and next level silhouettes.
How to use color to create jaw dropping photos, with tricks such as color theory, chromatic contrast, repetition and association.
Advanced compositional tools, such as how to add depth and dimension, and the golden ratio and fibonacci sequence.

This is the course for you if:

You’re shooting in manual mode and are pretty confident when choosing your settings, and have a good grounding of photography basics.
Feel like you've plateaued, and are stuck taking the same photos in the same way, and you want to uplevel your use of light and composition to take captivating photos.
You're ready to get more creative with your images, and play with different light sources, colour and composition. In other words, you want to break out of your comfort zone!
Want to take your portraits up a notch, getting more nuanced with your lighting for optimum results, and be able to get results you love in any location, and at any time of day (and with minimal gear)
You want to gain more confidence with your camera, and dive even deeper into the world of photography.