Before I tell you about the course, let's make sure it's right for you
Cake Photography for Cake Makers is right for you if you want to improve the images you take of your cakes and take them up a notch to the next level using a DSLR or mirrorless camera.
If you are...
- A cake maker with a business where you want to attract the right clients by showcasing professional looking photographs of your cakes
- A cake maker who is thinking about starting a business and wants to build a professional looking portfolio of their work
- A cake maker who bakes for family and friends who takes pride in their work and believes if a photo's worth taking it's worth taking properly
If you don't own a DSLR/mirrorless camera yet...
- ...and would like to learn what to look for when you're buying one
If you do own a DSLR/mirrorless camera and...
- ...don't use it because you feel it's too complicated
- ...are happy pointing and pressing on an automatic setting but know you could get better results if you switch to manual
- ...are happy playing with manual settings but you use guesswork and aren't really sure what functions are important
- ...know how to use it but would like to learn how to set up and take better shots
If you would like to...
- Set up great shots
- Light your cakes in the most flattering way
- Edit your images like a pro
You're in the right place! Cake Photography for Cake Makers will give you the tools, inspiration and support to up-level your photography game.
By the end of this course you will...
Know the differences between camera types and lenses...
...and what's most appropriate for cake photography. You'll also know what camera kit you need and the important things to look for when you're buying it
Confidently be able to use a DSLR/mirrorless camera...
...and its accessories, knowing which functions are important for cake photography and which you can ignore
Learn how to compose a great shot...
...taking into account everything that surrounds your cake such as backdrops and props
Know how to frame your cake in the most effective way...
...and where to place it in your image to show it off at its best, including the most flattering camera angles to shoot from.
Be confident in the art of lighting your cake...
...using either natural light or fill-in flash, and understand why proper lighting is such an important element of cake photography
Be confident in editing your images...
..to take them from 'good' to 'great' and add that little pop
"I've had the great pleasure to watch a number of Caroline's (Facebook Group) tutorials and I have loved every one. She is always generous with her knowledge and takes great care to answer comments and questions on Facebook live sessions and video tutorials. I consider her to be an amazingly talented lady with an enormous amount of knowledge, kindness and patience."
Juliette Bacon
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Alain Maxwell Andrews
"Caroline is a true professional and her work is meticulous. She works in a very logical fashion and her methods are tried and tested and carried out to an extremely high standard. She is also very personable and down to earth and delivers her tutorials in a friendly, outgoing honest way being very clear, concise and pragmatic. She teaches in a warm and gentle way that calms you and helps you to learn. This all makes her tutorials easy to follow and she delivers it in a way where you can transform your skills. You can really learn a lot from her."
Carol McMenemy
"Caroline's teaching style is calm, unhurried, inclusive and natural. She gives a positive vibe throughout and if something isn't quite right, she will calmly fix it so it's perfect. Caroline gives so many useful hints and tips throughout her tutorials, hints you just wouldn't find anywhere else. I would highly recommend."
What's Inside Cake Photography for Cake Makers
Module 1: Hardware
In this module we'll go through the equipment you'll need in order to take great cake photographs. We'll discuss the essential pieces of kit (like camera and lens) and other kit like fill-in flash which isn't essential but could just end up being your secret weapon.
Module 1 Will Cover...
- What to look for when you're buying a camera: what functions are essential for good cake photography and which ones don't matter so much
- Different camera types and why some produce better results than others
- Different camera lenses and the best ones for cake photography
- What you'll need if you want to use fill-in flash
- The best ways to store your images
Module 2: How to Operate the Equipment
In this module we'll go step by step through the process of how to operate your camera and all of the other kit, specifically with cake photography in mind. I'll teach you exactly what you need to know in order to take great cake photographs without overwhelming you with complicated functions on your camera which aren't relevant.
Module 2 Will Cover...
- How to handle your camera and lens and take care of them
- The most important camera functions for cake photography, how to control them, and the effect they have on your images
- How and where to focus when you're taking a picture to make sure your shots are crisp and sharp
- How to achieve beautiful background blur
- How to set up and operate fill-in flash that's remote from your camera
- Best practice for storing and organising your images
Module 3: How to Compose Your Shot, Part A
If your cake is the star of the show, then everything surrounding your cake acts like the supporting cast, and it's more important than you might think. A great cake in average surroundings looks average. A great cake in beautiful surroundings looks fabulous! You've spent many many hours creating your masterpieces so you need to do them (and yourself) justice by giving a bit of thought to what's in the background of your picture.
Module 3 Will Cover...
- How to portray a professional image of your work
- The backdrop you choose for your images
- Where best to position your cake relative to its backdrop
- Props, and choosing whether to use one or not
- What makes a good vs a bad prop
Module 4: How to Compose Your Shot, Part B
Where Module 3 covers all the things that surround your cake in each photograph, Module 4 concentrates firmly on the star of the show which is your cake! I'll teach you some of the basic rules to follow when you're composing your shot, but more importantly than this I'll encourage you to use your own eye in a critical way so you can judge each image for yourself and make adjustments if you need to.
Module 4 Will Cover...
- Cake placement in your images and how to frame it for best effect
- How to make sure your images look balanced
- Essential camera angles to shoot from (and some more unusual ones)
- How to capture your cake decoration in an eye-popping way
- Well known photographic best practice and how to interpret things in your own way
Module 5: Using Light to Your Advantage
How do you make the jump from good photos to fabulous photos? The answer is lighting! If you don't give much thought to your lighting you're missing a big trick, because this single thing can raise your game up up and away. In this module we'll look at why lighting is important and what to aim for when you're lighting your cake to get the best results. The difference good lighting makes to cake photography can be remarkable, and it will set you apart.
Module 5 Will Cover...
- Lighting best practice and scenarios to avoid
- Natural lighting vs fill-in flash, and the pros and cons of both
- Choosing where to take your photographs
- How (and when) to use a reflector/diffuser screen
- How to avoid dull or flat looking images
- Flattering ways to light your cake using natural light
- Unflattering ways of lighting your cake (to be avoided!)
- Getting the 'glow'
- The benefits of fill-in flash
- How to use flash to give you consistent and beautiful results even on the darkest days
- How to change the look of flash in your images to give natural or dramatic results
Module 6: Editing
Editing, along with lighting, is the key to making a great image look fabulous. You can use an image straight out of the camera but it can be made so much better with a little bit of editing and this module will show you how. Each editing function will be covered separately with written guidance accompanied by detailed video tutorials.
Module 6 Will Cover...
- The golden rules of editing
- The essential editing functions (which are important for cake images)
- Non-essential (but still useful!) editing functions
- Editing your images in Apple Photos (for Mac)
- Editing your images in Adobe Lightroom
-
Watermarking your images
Plus... These Bonuses to Inspire you Further and Get you Thinking a Bit Deeper
Bonus 1: 7 Weeks of Live Q&A Sessions
I will be present in person with you in a new private student-only Facebook group where we'll hold live weekly Q&A sessions to make sure you get your burning questions answered. I'll also be there in between Q&A sessions to help you in any way I can and steer you down the right road.
Bonus 2: Tech Talk
Here we get technical and discuss some of the relevant features of cameras and lenses in even more detail than is covered in the main course. Although not essential for successful course completion, its nice knowledge to have and gives a little bit more understanding of the 'why' for the camera and lens choices which are recommended.
Bonus 3: Venue Photography
Stop relying on your wedding couples' photographers to capture decent images of your cakes. Use the knowledge in this bonus lesson to successfully take your own fabulous shots time after time.
Bonus 4: Bringing Your Brand Through
Your 'brand' is more than just your logo, it's the image you portray to the world. What does that mean though when it comes to taking cake photographs? In a world of social media which is saturated with a sea of sameness wouldn't it be good if your images were instantly recognisable as your own. This bonus lesson shows you how to put a bit of 'you' into your images.
Bonus 5: Example Library
An extensive reference library of 65 of my own images with full details of camera settings, location, lighting, props used and detailed additional notes on each one.
Bonus 6: Flat Lay + WIP (Work In Progress) photography
Cakes are the main focus of this course, but what about other edible treats like cookies, cupcakes and macarons or anything else that lies flat on your table? What about your 'work in progress', for example sugar flowers while you're making them and sticking them into dummies or your cake tiers just after you've covered them? How do you photograph these things to show them off at their best? This bonus lesson has you covered!
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Inside Cake Photography for Cake Makers You'll...
- Get 6 Modules and 18 Lessons teaching you everything you need to know to level up your cake images
- Understand the Differences Between Camera and Lens Types and know what's best for cake photography and why
- Be Able to Confidently Use a DSLR or Mirrorless Camera for your cake photography, knowing what functions are important and which you can ignore
- Understand the Benefits of Flash Photography and know how to effectively use flash in your images
- Be Able to Confidently Set Up Professional Looking Shots of your beautiful cakes
- Know How to Light your Cakes in the Very Best Way to elevate your cake images and set them apart so they stand out from the crowd
-
Learn How to Successfully Edit Your Images to give them that extra pop
Plus You'll be Backed by a Risk-Free 30 Day Guarantee
In this course you will learn how to set up, take and edit professional looking photographs of your cakes to showcase them in their very best light.
Place your confidence in a money-back guarantee and set any enrolment nerves aside.
By the end of 30 days you'll have received access to the first three modules of Cake Photography for Cake Makers plus three of the bonuses.
If within the 30 days you don't feel the course was for you simply drop me a message and let me know why, and your investment will be refunded.
Would you like me to let you know when it's running again?
Add your name to the waiting list and you'll be the first to know!
Answering Some Questions
"Is camera kit not expensive to buy?"
Yes it can be, but it doesn't have to be. If you buy second hand you can bring the cost down. Think of it in terms of investment vs benefits. If you have a business and make wedding cakes you can purchase a new camera and lens for the price of one reasonably sized wedding cake. The benefits you get will be immediate, allowing you to showcase your work more professionally and attract the right type of client.
"Cameras are far too complicated and I don't have the time to learn"
If you choose to learn every single camera feature and function plus all the jargon that goes alongside you could well be there for weeks or months tearing your hair out. If you know what functions are important and which to ignore (including the jargon!) life suddenly becomes easy. By following the learning in this course you can be confidently using your camera within a day or two of reading modules 1 & 2.
"Some smartphones have fancy cameras, will these not do the job just as well as a DSLR or mirrorless camera?"
I'm really sorry but no, no matter how fancy your phone is it won't match a DSLR or mirrorless camera for indoor cake photography. The camera sensor is much smaller in a phone which results in poor low light performance, coupled with no option to change lenses and a tendency to produce harsh images with distorted lines. Look at it this way - what would you think if you turned up at a wedding and the professional photographer just had a phone in their hand instead of a camera. Your gut reaction would be what?...
"Do I need to own a camera before I start the course?"
No, absolutely not, in fact Module 1 gives you guidance of the best things to look for when you purchase a camera so it's ideal if you start the course without one.
"I have a point and press camera. Will this be good enough to use?
Compact cameras are definitely a step up from smartphones so you could start with this and see how you go, but they won't perform as well as a DSLR or mirrorless camera, so if you're serious about getting good results and want to reap the benefits of all the teaching in the course you might want to consider upgrading.
"Do I get the full course at once?"
The course is delivered in six modules, with one module delivered each Monday for six weeks. It's laid out this way to make the content easier to read and digest without rushing, along with plenty time to get your questions answered before moving on to the next section. On the Monday of the 7th week the course will be wrapped up with a high level summary.
"What happens if I don't understand something in a lesson, get stuck, or need more help?"
The lessons are laid out in an easy to follow step by step way, but if you do find yourself getting stuck I'm here to help! Just come in to the new Facebook Group which I've set up only for students of this course and ask me anything you like. I'll be there for the duration of the course and even some time afterwards to guide you and make sure you're not struggling with anything.
"What happens if I don't complete the course within the time frame, or I haven't had a chance to put some of the lessons into practice before the course finishes?"
"No need to worry, life is busy! You will have the course for life, so there's absolutely no pressure to rush through it. I will also be running the course again at a later date where you'll be invited to join in again for no additional cost.
If you're thinking "this sounds amazing but I'm still not 100% sure" keep reading...
You should give Cake Photography for Cake Makers a 30 day risk-free shot if you're motivated by any of the following:
If you'd like to up level your cake photography game...
...because you know that your images are one of the key things that attract potential clients, and better more professional images means attracting more of the right ones.
If you currently take your photographs using your phone...
You make great cakes but are continually frustrated when your phone photographs don't do them justice. You know there is a better way, and that using a DSLR or mirrorless camera will give you a step change in your images.
You already take good cake photographs...
...but you're looking for that extra insight which will take your images from 'good' to 'great' and give them that extra special something which will separate them (and you) from the crowd.
There's no Magical Art When it Comes to Taking Pictures...
...it just takes a bit of know-how.
I'm a cake maker just like you. I'm not a photographer who just happens to have taken a few photos of cakes every now and again, I'm there in the trenches, I make the cakes. So that gives me a unique perspective - I know the things we're looking for when we want to capture a great image of our work to show the world just what we can do and how well we can do it. I know the problems and the issues of taking photos indoors with low light and not very much space. I know the pressures of setting a cake up at a wedding venue and trying to catch a great picture of it before the guests start to arrive. I know how much it matters to show our best selves online through the images of our work. I've never relied on anybody else to take my photographs for me, I've always done it myself. So I'm not passing on knowledge that someone else happens to have told me, I'm passing on knowledge that I've learned and tested myself, time after time. I know how to get great results. And I Can Show You How.
I've been using a DSLR to take photographs of my cakes for as long as I've been making them, and that's over a decade. In the beginning I hadn't a clue what I was doing - I knew for sure great results were there to be had, and I could picture in my head what my images should look like, I just didn't know how to achieve it. So I played around with my camera doing the point-and-press thing taking 100-200 photographs of each and every cake (I'm not actually kidding) knowing that if I trawled through the lot of them there were likely to be a small handful of great images I could use. (Multiply that by the number of cakes I've made and you'll start to realise how many photographs I've taken).
Fast forward a few years and with time and patience I learned. I learned the important camera settings and how changing each one affected my images. I learned the importance of using the right lens. I saw the amazing results I cold get using flash. I learned what a difference a good set-up makes. Through trial and error I learned how to use light so my images had contrast and depth and weren't just dull and flat. I learned how to stop everything looking dark. I learned how to edit my images to again take them up another notch. And everything fell into place. It isn't any single one of these things that makes a great photograph, it's using All-The-Things in combination with each other. THAT is when the magic happens.
In Cake Photography for Cake Makers I pass on all those years of learning to you. No stone is left unturned and I don't hold anything back. I do it in a logical easy to follow way, so it won't take you years to learn, it'll take you six weeks. The lessons in Cake Photography for Cake Makers contain a myriad of illustrative examples from my own experience. I demonstrate each point with practical examples, not just theoretical knowledge. And I won't deliver the course to you and then disappear, I'll be there in person with you in the Facebook group to answer your questions and help you in any way I can. If I Can Achieve These Results You Can Too!
I can't wait to meet you, teach you, and cheer you on!
With much excitement,
Caroline x
Would you like me to let you know when it's running again?
Add your name to the waiting list and you'll be the first to know!
