Pretty Focused Course Review

I signed up for this Pretty Focused Food Photography course in May 2020, this is not a paid review.

I thought some people might want to hear a true personal opinion on the pretty focus course before your decide if this course, is right for you to purchase.

The course, was first launced in 2018. Below is Lauren, she started just 3 years ago, without even knowing how to use a camera, and she’s now a positive force and one of coaches in the facebook group, that will provide you feedback. She keeps me focus in this course!

Who is this course for?

• Those interested in photography. You don’t need to be a professional. Some start with a new digital camera, with no experience.
• Must like cooking, or creating crafts.
• Blogger, or a virtual assistant to help be a creator of content for those online, and for printed resources, likes magazines, and books. A photographer that can help create content for bloggers through food or craft photography.

How is the course taught?

The course is self paced, with online videos with life time access. Takes about 8 hours to watch. There is a 30 day money back guarantee

What is included?

Pretty Focused Course

Facebook Group

4 Full Length Sessions

100 Highly Searched Recipes

Portfolio Review

Expense Tracker

Sales Post Templates

Session Checklist

Will I make my money back?

I’m just building into my portfolio now, but I have become friends with some past students, and hear all their success stories. Such as “My first few jobs completely cover the cost of the course.”. “I take on the work I want, I have a waiting list.”

Pretty Focused is made up of 6 modules, 63 total lessons. It’ll take approximately 8 total hours to watch.

I would recommend, not rushing through it, as practice takes time, and by going slower, you build up your skills. I rushed through it, and I have had to go back to listen and understand better.

Courses to Choose from:

The Pretty Focused Course had 3 tiers. It is priced in US dollars.

Tiered 1 is for Photography Only This tier, is ideally good for a blogger who wants to improve their own photography, and not hire a photographer.

This tier has 4 modules:

1. Camera Basics.
2. Styling and Composition
3. Photographing Recipes
4. Lightroom (with a bonus, a preset to help make the colours pop!)

Tiered 2 is Photography +Business This is more for the photographer, that may already be working with bloggers, but wants to get a better handle on what they should be charging.

Has the first 4 modules above and two more-

1. Camera Basics.
2. Styling and Composition
3. Photographing Recipes
4. Lightroom (includes bonus preset)
5. Working with Clients
6. Setting up Business

Bonus: Four Session Walk Throughs
Bonus: Sales Post Guide 
Bonus: Expense Tracker 

Tiered 3 is Photography +Business+Coaching+Buyer’s Club

You get all 6 modules, plus all these Bonuses, and they are all worth it!!

1. Camera Basics.
2. Styling and Composition
3. Photographing Recipes
4. Lightroom (includes bonus preset)
5. Working with Clients
6. Setting up Business

Bonus 1: Six Months Free Coaching
Bonus 2: Portfolio Review
Bonus 3: Four Session Walk Throughs
Bonus 4: Sales Post Guide 
Bonus 5: Expense Tracker 
Bonus 6: Updated Content 
Bonus 7: Preset
Bonus 8:  100 Highly Searched Recipes 
Bonus 9: Buyer’s Club (eligible only upon graduation)

https://course.prettyfocused.com/courses/pretty-focused-tier-1?affcode=136552_mpobljkj

What else is amazing, is that they continue to add modules in to the course, as if something isn’t clear, or they feel its really important to discuss, they add to it! It’s a living course, that has a heartfelt community of support.

My WHY in taking this course?

I chose tiered 3 as a professional photographer, as I wanted to know more about the business side and wanted the potential to pass a portfolio to get into the buyers club.

I do a lot of product photography for a blogger friend, she recommended how great the quality of the photos was from the graduates in the buyers group (not that I was bad)…but that the community of graduates were well known for their quality of work, than other virtual assistant groups. The connections of the those wanting to buy content knew where to go to get better photos without less quality, and were willing to pay top $. One of her associates, even got paid to make her own meals, as she was creating paid content.

Before I Signed Up?

Before I came across this course, I thought, that I could get away with taking my cellphone photos, and adding them into blog posts, or into an instagram feed, and hadn’t thought too much about the process of it all. I do know better, even I get lazy. I’m a professional photographer, I know images can make or break a sale. Very limited spots per course, that sells out within hours, so I acted fast! I had plenty of extra time on my hands with self-isolating from Covid-19.

What does one need to start?

I already had the recommendation of equipment, this is professional equipment, and does come with a higher price tag:

• a digital camera
• 100 mm macro lense (2.8)
• 50 mm lens (1.2)
• Reflector
• Expo Disc
• Backdrop stands/light stand/clamps
• c stand

You don’t need to have experience to start this course, though. You can buy an entry level dslr, and even a 50 mm 1.8 lens (around $100-150), and some dollarstore foamcore, and you would be off to a great start!

I felt I needed more items to buy, as I want to get this going fast!

• Linens
• Kitchenware from second hand stores
• Paint/Wood from a Hardware Store
• Flooring and marble tile from a Warehouse Store
• Backdrop Banners made in a smaller size at Print shop or backdrop store
• Formcore and sharpies

My Beginning of the course

These are still my practice shots. I have to post about 15+ recipes in the Facebook group first from start to finish, and be specific in where I want to be critiqued. Use the hashtag #feedback, to alert the coaches attention. I’m am now working on my portfolio.

Review of the Modules

1. The Art of Styling

I tried to rush through some of the modules, as I felt, I know this! My advice, would be to slow things down.

Read and apply to the comments on all the photos in the Facebook group. The coaches are in there, are uplifting, and want you to succeed. They were once, just like me!

They will give suggestions to make you improve, as it will build your confidence, as you have to work with others to meet their expectations. You can buy premade food to practice on, to save you time in preparation work. I sometimes feel like, “Can I really meet their expectations? I will never get there.”.

Then I remember, that this course first started in 2018, and some of the coaches, like Lauren, didn’t even know how to use a camera. Lauren has a young family of 4 children, now develops and sells exclusive new recipes each month.

She has flexibility in her schedule, and makes a very decent pay cheque, and now she has even added 1:1 coaching calls. If they can do it, so can you!

2. Camera Basics

Too basic for me, with the added emphasis of using natural light, although you will learn quickly, that many do use artifical lighting. I do use artifical lighting, as then I can photograph at night, usually when my motivation hits. They are now offering a Masterclass on Artifical lighting, I feel I don’t need to up my skills on this, but it could be worthwhile, if you are new to it.

3. Taking the Picture

You will be repeating some mantras so you don’t screw up. You learn how to nail focus, and where it should be. You get a great session guide to help guide you through all the steps. I laminated mine and put it in a binder, as it does save me time, and helps me remember all my steps! Lots of great tips in this module, of what you need to look for, even before you take the photo. Photographing a recipe for me, can take 1-2 hrs, with prep work, and all the steps involved. Some of these coaches, have young kids, if they can do it, you can too! Some of them, had no experience or knowledge of how to use a camera, and its amazing how far they have come, in such a short time.

4. Lightroom

I have been using lightroom for years, but in my past, I had a glitch where I couldn’t export photos. I am now, on the cloud as a subscription membership, and I finally got ahead to learn how to export the images! The bonus preset is also introduced in this module, and I love it!

Granted that this is enough and you don’t want to be in business to sell to bloggers, then buy the Tier 1

5. All About Recipes

There is a lot to know about recipes, and what makes one exclusive, over semi exclusive, and how to develop your own. It gives a general overview, but with the recent addition of a copyright laws, it gives a better understanding. They are now offering a masterclass, of how to take this to a higher level. I have also signed up for this masterclass, as I love to experiment with creating new recipes, and hopefully I can start selling them soon.

6. Getting Down to Business

I love business principles, and this is a must to understand the market, and the potential of where you can go with this food and craft product photography.

Assuming you want to be in business, and want a constant flow of clients. You must have a desire to focus on food, or craft content, I would recommend the tiered 3 Pretty Focused Course especially, with the added Bonuses!

Facebook Groups

As a part of joining the group, you are added into the pretty focused facebook group. This is valuable, as you are expected to put in a lot of practice a minimum of 15 recipes, posting the process of photographing recipes or of crafts to be critiqued. They are there to support you through this process! Look at the older posts, and photos and you will develop a better understanding.

It will not be the same for everyone, some may have done 18 recipes before starting their portfolio, others 30. Just don’t be afraid to post, the longer you wait, the longer you delay. They are a friendly group, and give great advice, as how to improve before your start a portfolio, and even when you start, they will help you pick the best of the best, and help you see it too!

I don’t feel like I can critique others photos, but the more that I have practice, I’m catching on. After you post enough in the facebook group, you can then work on your portfolio. The portifolio doesn’t get shared within the group, but from what I have seen, its amazing what they create! When a student passes their portfolio, it will be posted in the facebook group, so you can get inspired!

Once you pass the portifolio, you are then put into the Pretty Focused Buyers Club, where there is a plenty of willing buyers, that will pay for your skill level. In the facebook group, we discuss real life. I like hearing how honest they are in the facebook group, and when Lauren recently shared her numbers, and how many projects she takes on.

You really decide how much you can take on, how much work is out there, and how busy you want to be. I’ve taken a months off of practising, as I needed time to organize my house, get new kitchen applicances, and other stuff.

At least once a month, in the Facebook group is a Q&A, where its hosted on Arizona time, (that has its own time zone, and always confusing for someone).

Each Q&A has different topics, sometimes its an open discussion, zoom call, others a discussion from coaches, and how they first started, or even photography skills and how to solve problems, such as white balance.

Added Videos

Its quite nice, to see 4 recipe videos from start to finish, so one can replay , the process of how you go through. The same principles apply to craft makers, it would be nice to have an added video of a craft.

Why Wait, run, as spots are limited!

Each course that runs, has a max limit of enrollments, and is only open for a span of less than a week, it sells out in hours!! This could be a perfect flexible job, for you to work from home, and around your family schedules. I love working for myself!

I also love shooting food or product. I could even have my food paid for, and that’s an added bonus! I invite friends to bring over ingredients of a favourite recipe, so I can practice. Saves them time, keeps me practicing, and not having to eat it all or give it away.

I have already applied some of my skills that I have learned from this course in a VA (virtual assistant) group, and had my first two customers. I would wait and go through the entire course, and then into the buyers group is well known amongst the blogger industry, and they know a graduate student is worth the price!

I can’t wait to finish up my portfolio, to truly show what I am capable off. I’m up to the challenge, and the new opportunities it can bring! Come join me in the Pretty Focused Course and I will cheer you on in the facebook group!

We can be in this together, I will cheer you on! You can buy the tier 1 and upgrade later on, and there are also payment plans for tier 2 and tier 3.

As a word of caution, if you want to eventually sell your own recipes, outside of the buyers club, they also offer a masterclass on how to do this well. This is an advance class, of how to sell your recipes, and set up a shopify store, but you have to be already enrolled, or upgraded to the tier 3, not tiered 1. You can do upgrade at a later date, but it may be worth considering to enroll in the full course, before there are any price increases.

Oh and by the way…..There is also a 30 day guarantee, if you decide its not right for you. I have taken another food photography class online about 10 years ago, but this one really doesn’t leave you after you go through the lessons, they are there.

Some in the Facebook group, come back after a long break, and say, they wished they weren’t so worry about posting, they delayed because of their own fears, which turned into wasted time. Any type of a job, will require work and dedication.

I do love photographing food, as each time, I can create a new scene, it makes it new and refreshing.