Picking up new knowledge and seeing how others do things is never a bad idea.

When I found out that Nikon was launching a Nikon School project I was delighted. Among the basic courses I found "Portrait in Natural Light" taught by Jakub Sodomka.

Natural light is free and whoever knows how to work with it is king... I didn't hesitate for a moment and paid for the course. The course was logically structured — from the initial idea, to approaching a model, working with her, shooting, through to post-production and presenting your work. Everything made sense and fitted together.

A fantastic thing was the chance to chat with a Nikon technician, pick up tips and advice on gear, and of course try out some glass. Because you don't always have the budget to shoot with the fastest portrait glass. How much I'll actually gain from it will only show in the next photos. But I have to say it mostly helped clarify my own thoughts and ideas. It showed me the areas I need to focus on more if I want my photos to become something more.