As the academic year kicks off, we believe it’s the perfect time for a different kind of schooling—creative schooling! We’ve been absolutely thrilled by the inspiring success stories shared by students of our acclaimed online program, Cool Photo School. Witnessing the transformative journeys of our students, from their initial hesitant clicks to confidently captured masterpieces, is truly rewarding. To celebrate these incredible achievements and offer you a potent dose of inspiration, we’ve compiled a collection of compelling ‘before & after’ examples and heartfelt testimonials from our talented community.
Many of us can relate to the cringe-worthy feeling of looking back at our early photographic attempts – those awkward angles, poor lighting, and missed opportunities to truly convey a story. That’s why we are profoundly grateful to these brave creatives who are willing to openly share their progression, illustrating just how far dedication and the right guidance can take you. Their stories are not just testimonials; they are beacons of encouragement, demonstrating that with the right tools and techniques, anyone can dramatically elevate their visual storytelling skills. Whether you’re a budding blogger, an aspiring entrepreneur, or simply someone passionate about capturing life’s moments beautifully, prepare to be inspired by the power of improved photography.
Transform Your Photography: Success Stories from Cool Photo School
Deborah: Gaining Confidence and Mastering New Techniques
Deborah, the creative mind behind Pure Sweet Joy, shares her profound experience with Cool Photo School. She remarks, “I loved how practical #coolphotoschool was. It gave me the confidence and guidance to try new photography and styling methods. While I still need to practice, #coolphotoschool has changed the way I think about taking and editing my photos and I am so happy with the results!” Deborah’s words resonate with countless students who initially feel overwhelmed by the technicalities of photography. Our program prioritizes actionable, real-world techniques that students can immediately apply, fostering not just skill but also a newfound confidence in their creative abilities. The shift in her approach to both capturing and refining images is a testament to the comprehensive and accessible nature of our curriculum, proving that practical learning paves the way for truly joyful and satisfying results.
Deborah’s blog, Pure Sweet Joy, is a vibrant showcase of her improved skills, where her visuals now perfectly complement her content, drawing readers in with their clarity and aesthetic appeal. You can also explore her captivating work and creative journey on Instagram at @puresweetjoy, where each post reflects the practical knowledge and confidence gained through her dedication to mastering photography.
Abbey: Elevating Brand Visuals and Fueling Growth
Abbey’s journey with Cool Photo School is a powerful example of how improved visuals can directly impact brand growth and engagement. She exclaims, “I LOVED the cool photo school! It really is a thorough (and fun) guide to visuals—from styling, composition, to how to use a DSLR camera, and then editing tips. It gave me all the tools I needed to feel comfortable behind the camera!” As a textile artist and graphic designer, Abbey understood the critical role of strong visuals for her brand, The Daily Disco. She strategically took our class before launching her blog, a decision she hails as “honestly the best money I have ever spent towards my brand!” This highlights the significant return on investment that practical photography education offers, particularly for entrepreneurs and content creators.
Abbey particularly cherished the engaging and approachable teaching style, stating, “It’s so easy and fun to follow. I think that was my favorite part, it felt like I was back in art school just learning from super cool friends.” This peer-like, supportive environment is a hallmark of our teaching philosophy, ensuring complex topics are broken down into digestible, enjoyable lessons. Beyond the technical skills, Abbey credits the course with a massive boost in her confidence to shoot captivating content for her blog. The results speak for themselves: “Since taking the cool photo school two months ago, I have gone from 1,000 followers to 5,000 today. I really credit so much of this to the fun content I have been able to create thanks to the tools I learned in Cool Photo School!!” This exponential growth in her social media following underscores the undeniable connection between high-quality photography and audience engagement. Abbey’s experience vividly demonstrates how mastering visual content can be a game-changer for digital presence and brand expansion.
Discover more of Abbey’s vibrant work and artistic creations on her blog, The Daily Disco, and follow her inspiring visual journey on Instagram at @abbeyeilermann, where her beautifully styled content continues to attract a growing audience.
Tori: Conquering Photo Editing and Unleashing Creativity
For many, photo editing can feel like an insurmountable hurdle, a complex maze of tools and techniques. Tori, from Thoughtfully Simple, perfectly encapsulates this common struggle. She shares, “Cool Photo School took the overwhelming out of photo editing for me. If only I knew these tips and tricks six years ago! Ashley and Jared have such a fun and simple way of teaching they made me feel like I could conquer the world (okay, or at least Lightroom).” Her testimonial highlights one of the core aims of Cool Photo School: to demystify the editing process, making it accessible and enjoyable rather than intimidating. We understand that effective editing is not just about correcting flaws, but about enhancing your unique vision and bringing out the best in every shot.
Tori’s enthusiasm for mastering Lightroom, a powerful industry-standard editing software, showcases how our simplified approach enables students to quickly grasp complex concepts. The “fun and simple way of teaching” she mentions is a deliberate effort to break down barriers to learning, ensuring that every student feels empowered to experiment and grow. Her ability to now “conquer Lightroom” means she can polish her images with confidence, saving valuable time and achieving a professional finish that truly elevates her entertaining ideas and blog content. This transformation from feeling overwhelmed to empowered is a common thread among our students, proving that the right guidance can unlock incredible creative potential.
Explore Tori’s beautifully edited images and inspiring entertaining ideas on her blog, Thoughtfully Simple, and follow her captivating visual stories on Instagram at @hostesstori.
Kara: Mastering Manual Mode for Superior Image Quality
We’ve had the pleasure of meeting Kara from A Kailo Chic Life several times at events, and we’re delighted to feature a fellow Texan among our success stories! Kara’s testimonial delves into some of the more technical yet incredibly rewarding aspects of photography. She states, “I feel there was so much helpful info in the videos such as using colorful backgrounds (which I now use quite a bit), fun styling tricks, and how to edit my photos in Lightroom, but the thing I value the most was learning how to use manual on my DSLR. I used to use the portrait setting with the ISO set to auto (sort of a middle ground between manual and Auto), but now I shoot fully in manual and I feel the colors, brightness, and sharpness of my photos are so much better!”
Kara’s journey from relying on automatic or semi-automatic settings to confidently shooting in manual mode is a significant milestone for any photographer. Manual mode provides unparalleled control over your camera’s exposure, allowing you to dictate aperture, shutter speed, and ISO to achieve your precise creative vision. This level of control is crucial for consistent and high-quality results, especially for bloggers and content creators like Kara who need their DIY projects to shine. Her observation that her “colors, brightness, and sharpness” are significantly improved directly stems from this mastery. Learning to use manual mode empowers photographers to overcome common challenges like inconsistent lighting or unflattering exposure, ensuring every shot is vibrant, well-exposed, and razor-sharp. It’s a fundamental skill that truly unlocks the full potential of a DSLR camera, transforming basic images into professional-grade photographs that captivate and inspire.
Explore Kara’s innovative DIY projects and stunning visuals on her blog, A Kailo Chic Life, or follow her creative endeavors and beautifully photographed content on Instagram at @kailochic.
Your Journey to Creative Confidence Starts Here
It’s incredibly rewarding to hear how practical and impactful Cool Photo School is for our students. While we may not have formal teaching credentials, our approach is deeply rooted in real-world experience. We learned photography through hands-on practice, experimentation, and figuring out the most straightforward ways to achieve stunning results. Our curriculum is designed to share these hard-earned insights and actionable techniques in a simple, easy-to-understand manner, ensuring that anyone, regardless of their starting point, can develop robust photography skills.
The consistent feedback about the simplicity and effectiveness of our teaching methods truly affirms our mission. We believe that learning shouldn’t be overly complicated or intimidating. Instead, it should be an exciting journey of discovery, equipping you with the confidence to capture your world beautifully, enhance your brand, or simply revel in a newfound creative passion. The transformations you’ve seen in these testimonials — from overcoming editing fears to mastering manual camera settings and achieving significant audience growth — are within your reach.
If you’re ready to dive headfirst into transforming your photography skills, now is the perfect time to enroll in Cool Photo School. For a limited time, between now and September 15, 2016, we’re offering the class for 25% OFF! Simply use the code “backtoschool” at checkout to unlock your savings and embark on your creative journey.
We absolutely love celebrating the successes of our students. If you have a testimonial or a before-and-after story you’d like to share, please don’t hesitate to shoot us an email. Your journey could be the next source of inspiration for our vibrant community!