MJCollins Photography presents
BEGINNING PHOTOGRAPHY
Learn to See — Fall Edition 🍂
You don't need a better camera.
You need to learn how to see.
“Why doesn't my photo look like what I saw?”
That's where I come in.
This isn't a day of sitting in a classroom memorizing camera settings. We're going outside. We're finding the light. We're playing with composition. We're making photographs.
And yes, we'll learn some camera settings along the way.
But the real goal?
Learning to SEE!
🍂 LET'S MAKE PHOTOGRAPHS.
Fall gives us one giant, gorgeous photography playground. We'll use the colors, textures and changing light of the season to practice creating photographs that feel intentional—not accidental.
📸 Find and use beautiful natural light
🍁 Create interesting compositions
✨ Use foreground and background to create depth
🍂 Create intentional blur and bokeh
💨 Freeze movement, or intentionally show it
👀 Change your perspective to make an ordinary subject interesting
📷 Understand the basics of aperture, shutter speed and ISO
🎯 Take your camera off Auto and actually understand what you're telling it to do
Most importantly, you'll learn how to
make a photograph, rather than simply take a picture.
WHAT DOES “LEARN TO SEE” MEAN?
Once you learn to see light, you can't unsee it.
You'll start noticing the way sunlight hits a tree. The shadows across someone's face. A colorful background that would make gorgeous bokeh. A leading line you've walked past a hundred times. A tiny moment that suddenly looks like a photograph.
Your camera is simply the tool.
Your eye is the creative part.
IS THIS CLASS FOR YOU?
📸 You own a camera but mostly use Auto.
📸 You bought a nice camera and aren't sure what half the buttons do.
📸 You love taking pictures of your kids, family, pets or everyday life.
📸 You love nature and want to capture what you actually see.
📸 You want to understand photography without getting buried in technical jargon.
📸 You want a creative day spent outside making photographs.
📸 You're ready to stop hoping you get a good picture and start understanding why you got it.
You don't need previous photography experience.
Just bring your camera, your curiosity and a willingness to play!
WHAT OUR DAY LOOKS LIKE
9:00 AM LET'S LEARN TO SEE
We'll start with the fundamentals of light and composition and talk about what makes a photograph feel intentional.
LIGHT + COMPOSITION
We'll head outside and start looking for the good stuff. You'll practice finding light, changing your perspective, working with backgrounds and creating interesting compositions.
CREATE
Now we start making photographs. We'll play with depth, foreground blur, bokeh, movement and the gorgeous colors of fall.
LUNCH + CAMERA CHAT
We'll take a break, eat, visit and have plenty of time for questions.
YOUR CAMERA, EXPLAINED
Once you've learned what you want your photograph to look like, we'll talk about the camera settings that help you get there: aperture, shutter speed, ISO and exposure.
PRACTICE. PLAY. CREATE.
Then we're back outside putting it all together. Because the only way to really learn photography is to photograph.
WHAT YOU'LL TAKE HOME
Your learning doesn't end when you leave the studio.
📖 A beginner photography reference guide
📋 Quick-reference camera cheat sheets
📸 Photography challenges to keep practicing
👥 Access to my private photography Facebook group
💬 A place to ask questions, share your photographs and keep those new skills from getting rusty.
I don't want you leaving class thinking,
“That was fun.”
I want you leaving thinking:
“Holy Moly. I SEE IT NOW.”
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR
I'm Melissa Collins, professional photographer and owner of MJCollins Photography.
I've spent years learning not only how to use a camera, but how to see the light, composition, emotion and little moments that turn an ordinary scene into something worth photographing.
And I LOVE teaching it.
Honestly, one of my favorite things in the world is watching someone's face when something finally clicks.
“OH! I GET IT!”
That little lightbulb moment? That's my dopamine hit. 😂
```BEGINNING PHOTOGRAPHY
Learn to See - Fall Edition 🍂
$150 per person
📅 DATE: October 4, 2026
⏰ TIME: 9:00 AM–3:30 PM
📍 LOCATION: MJCollins Photography Studio
6368 Elm Street · North Branch, MN
Limited to 8 students.
SAVE MY SPOT ```WHAT TO BRING
📷 Your digital camera with a removable/interchangeable lens
🔋 A fully charged battery
💾 A memory card with room to shoot
📖 Your camera manual, if you have it
👟 Comfortable shoes
🍂 Clothing appropriate for being outside
And most importantly…
Come ready to play.
```FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do I need a fancy camera?
Nope. You need a camera that allows you to control settings such as aperture and shutter speed. If you're unsure whether your camera is suitable, just ask me!
Do I need to know anything about photography?
Absolutely not. That's what I'm here for.
Will we be outside?
Yes! A good portion of our hands-on practice will happen outside, so dress appropriately for the weather.
Is this a class about editing?
Editing isn't the focus of this class. We're concentrating on creating a strong photograph in camera and learning to use light, composition and camera settings intentionally.
What if I still have questions after class?
That's exactly why you'll have access to our private Facebook group. Ask questions, share your photographs and keep practicing with the group.
What if I don't have a camera yet?
Contact me before registering. I'll help you determine what you need.
READY TO SEE PHOTOGRAPHY DIFFERENTLY?
You don't need to become a professional photographer. You don't need the most expensive camera. You don't need to know all the technical stuff.
You just need to be curious.
Let's go make some photographs. 🍂📸
I'M READY — REGISTER NOW ```