Composing Memories

Take Photos You Love

Have you ever taken photos on holidays or at a family event and not liked any of them?

Were you told as a child that you aren't creative?

Transform your photography skills rediscover your creative side and you can take photos that you, and others, will love!

Picture yourself feeling comfortable every time you take a photo, knowing how to frame it up so that it looks great.

Imagine how good you’ll feel when you are able to capture special moments with family and friends – preserving those precious moments – whether at a celebration at home or when you are on holidays.

Composing Memories will change the way you think about taking photos!

With Composing Memories, you'll discover how to take photos that WOW!

Do you want to take photos that take you back to a time and place that fills your heart with joy?

Do you want others to see what made you want to take the photo in the first place?

Join us for our introductory four-week online program — Composing Memories 1 — to build your skills and develop your confidence to Take Photos you Love.

Starting late January 2017, our online program will open for enrolment. Or maybe you'd like to join us for one of our seasonally-inspired boutique 5- to 7-day in-person retreats in Italy, to come and practice your skills in one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

Each small group retreat will be based in a hand-picked venue, where we'll soak up the local life – including festivals tourists seldom hear about, let alone visit. Throughout the 'off-season' we'll enjoy the quieter streets with room to see the spectacular views, both expansive and up close.

Over the next 18 months, destinations include historic Florence, ancient Lucca, the spectacular val d’Orcia, and the hilltop cities of Arezzo and Cortona in Tuscany. We'll also visit the sun-drenched Ligurian coast, the beautiful lakes of Como and Maggiore in Lombardy, and even wander the mystical streets of Venice and her nearby islands. Check in at GlobalWanderings.ca for more information. Not sure you want to spend a week in one place in Italy ... don't worry, more destinations are being planned for 2017 and beyond.


 

Karuna SukhaComposing Memories student

After spending the last couple of years working and studying, I was looking for a creative, fun hobby. This is when I signed up for the online photography course with Sandy and I have no regrets. Sandy provides you with the tools to start taking great pictures and once you begin practicing she’s there to support and guide you so that your pictures and perspectives change for the better.

The best way to sum up the course is with the conversation I recently had with my boyfriend – he asked, ‘Now that you’re almost done with the course, have you learnt anything?’
My response was, ‘Well, have you seen my recent photos?’
To which he replied, ‘Ok, point taken. You do have some really cool pictures!’

How does Composing Memories online course work?

Each week we'll look at two techniques and how to use them to gain control of your photos.

Then you’ll have a few days to practice the techniques and build your skills and confidence with a special activity for each.

Through the weeks we'll talk about

- how changing your Viewpoint can change the photo

- using Patterns, Textures, Colour and Light

- the Rule of Thirds, and how to use it

- bring the viewer into the photo through Leading Lines

- Foreground and Background - and why they matter

- a really Close Crop or Minimalism

- how to Balance these techniques, and then how to Play!

Once you've completed the activities each week, you’ll post your photos into our secret Facebook group where we can talk together about what you saw, and how it captured your imagination.

The group is about supporting each other – building a community of photographers as we increase our skills and confidence together.

At the end of this course, you’ll feel more confident in taking photos that you and your family will love.

Gillian Worrrall – Designer

I have worked with Sandy from many years and always come away from any encounter with a smile on my face and a brain brimming with new ideas and a desire to explore these ideas further.

Sandy is a thoughtful teacher and her enthusiasm for the project at hand is infectious.

 

We’ll work through the Composing Memories School, where you can watch the videos again, and go over the Activity Worksheets.

We’ll chat in our Facebook Group, to help each other, and encourage great work. It's our private group, to help support one another as we practice taking photos that we love!

No one is alone is this journey. Together we'll practice taking photos you will fall in love with!

Together, we’ll indulge your senses, using each in turn to trigger different skills and remember the techniques of good photos.

Imagine capturing the moment just before it rains – the cooling sweet-smelling summer air, before the storm breaks.

Or the visual impact of fading autumn colours, or bright spring blooms…

Imagine taking photos that you want to step into, if only for a moment, to relive the pleasure of an experience.

Lara-Kym Lever - Speechwriter

I have known Sandy since early 2008, and was a member of her team through 2009. As a manager, I found Sandy to have a keen focus on supporting, encouraging and mentoring her staff to develop their skills.

More broadly, Sandy provided me with reassurance and guidance as I navigated the early stages of my career, and continues to be a supportive force in my life as she has moved from manager to mentor and friend.

 

...at the end of the online course?

In our last week, we’ll talk about bringing all the techniques together, to decide which you’ll use and then how to bend, or even break them. After all, photography is a creative way to see the world – who says your spin is wrong… We’ll just make your spin look great!

Our Facebook group will still be active, and a great way to show off what you have learned and how you are improving. We will be there to cheer you on or offer ideas if you have questions. This is a community of people who want to encourage each other - welcome to the crew! You'll also be invited to join the GlobalWanderings community on Facebook, and in person.

GlobalWanderings Boutique Photography Retreats

Once you've completed the course, we won't just leave you 'hanging'... Maybe you'd like to join us for one of our seasonally-inspired boutique 5- to 7-day in-person retreats in Italy, to come and practice your skills in one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

Each small group retreat will be based in a handpicked venue, where we'll soak up the local life – including festivals tourists seldom hear about, let alone visit. Throughout the ‘off-season’ we will enjoy quieter streets with room to see the spectacular views, both expansive and up close.

Over the next couple of years, destinations include historic Florence, ancient Lucca, the spectacular val d’Orcia, and the hilltop cities of Arezzo and Cortona in Tuscany. We'll also visit the sun-drenched Ligurian coast, the beautiful lakes of Como and Maggiore in Lombardy, and even wander the mystical streets of Venice and her nearby islands. Check in at GlobalWanderings.ca for more information. Not sure you want to spend a week in one place in Italy ... don't worry, more destinations are being planned for 2017 and beyond. In spring 2018, we'll visit two wonderful places on an 8-night tour to the Danish island of Bornholm, and to the Swedish region of Smäland. Both are home to wonderful artisans – from creative artists to culinary artists...

The aim of the retreats is to tempt all of your senses and give you the chance to capture it all in photographs!

Course Curriculum


  Foreground, Background, Not Everything in Between
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  Catching the Eye
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  Because its all about the Space
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  Balancing and Bending
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Your Instructor


Sandy Swanton
Sandy Swanton

Sandy Swanton is a freelance travel writer/photographer and blogger. Since training in Visual Communications, specializing in Graphic Design in Sydney, Sandy has spent more than 25 years developing a strong portfolio career in visual and written communications in eastern Australia and western Canada, working successfully across the private, non-profit and government sectors.

Twenty years ago Sandy established and taught a diploma program in Graphic Design at a private design school in Canada, garnering the support of other local designers, keen to see the industry grow. Sandy has also taught English online to business people all around the world – from beginner to executive coaching.

After the design school, Sandy moved into non-profit and government communications, winning international awards for her part in successful teams delivering top results in Canada and Australia.

Now living in Italy and pursuing her triple passions of travel, finding the unusual perspective to photograph, and painting pictures with words. Sandy is also working as a consultant with several local destinations to tell their stories, and consulting with other retreat organizers to help them organize the best retreats in Italy.

Stepping out of the corporate world into the next chapters of her life, her first blog of her first years in Italy, GlobalWanderings.ca is now home to her new photocomposition program of online training, Composing Memories, and international boutique retreats. Join Sandy and learn how to Take Photos You Love!


Frequently Asked Questions


How does the pricing work?
The cost of the ONLINE COURSE is in US dollars. The cost for the RETREATS in Italy is in Euros. The retreat in Australia and the retreat to Scandinavia are in Australian dollars.
Do I have to attend one of the Retreats to keep learning once the course is finished?
Not at all – but you are welcome to sign up for one of the Retreats if you'd like to keep practicing. As part of the online course, you'll have access to the Composing Memories Challenge private group – our community of support. As we work through the tools and techniques you'll take photos that you really like – and build a showcase of each one. Some techniques will be easy – some will take a little practice. Through the course discussions and afterwards in our challenge, you'll be able to keep practicing and getting feedback on how you are doing. Good photo composition is something that takes practice, and we'll support you through your journey.
How long is the online course? How much time do I need to commit to it?
Composing Memories online course will run for four weeks! Each week we'll discuss two different tools and techniques to build your skills, then you'll have a few days to practice and build your confidence with specific activities. When you enrol, you'll get access to our secret Facebook group to post your pictures, and we'll work together looking at your strengths and discussing how to improve your skills and expertise for each technique.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
Do I need a fancy camera to do this course?
Not at all - this course is about the photo you take, not the technical information for any particular camera. From smart phone to DSLR, composition is treated in similar ways.
What if I am struggling with the material, or unhappy with the online course?
We would never want you to struggle or to be unhappy with the online course! If you aren't sure after the weekly lessons, please contact us to ask questions and make sure you understand the activities. As with many creative skills, each of these techniques takes a little practice, and patience. We ask that you attend at least two weeks of sessions and try the activities. If you are still unsatisfied after that, please contact us within the 30 days and we will give you a full refund. However, if you attend Weeks 3 and 4, and have not contacted us to discuss how we can help you improve, we will take it that you are progressing and practicing, and will not provide any refund.
Do I have to do the online course to join you at one of the Retreats in Italy?
Not at all! The online course will help you learn the skills and play with core design principles to be able to take better photos. If you want to join me on one of the boutique retreats and practice your skills, and how to bend the rules, it would be great to see you here in Italy. You can find more information about each Retreat at GlobalWanderings.ca, or here on Composing Memories.

This Online Course IS right for you if:

– you love taking photos

– you want to take photos that you, your family and friends will treasure

– you've felt disheartened in the past with the photos you've taken

– you've struggled with how to take better photos

– you're discouraged, maybe even afraid, your school art teachers may have been right about you "not being creative"

– you want to build your skills and confidence in a supportive and encouraging environment

– you want to Take Photos You Love, starting now!


This Online Course is NOT right for you if:

– you are hoping this course is a "magic pill" to solve all your problems

– you are not willing to join in our conversations to understand the skills we'll talk about, or do the homework to practice the techniques

– you are scared to try something new

If you want to join a growing community of support and learn new skills, join us for our next course. Sign up today!

Okay, I'm IN! I want to learn how to Take Photos I Love!