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Monday 9am - 4pm Tuesday 9am - 4pm Wednesday 9am - 4pm Thursday 9am - 4pm Friday 9am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 5pm Sunday 10am - 5pm

The Photo Coach

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Photography, Made Simple. Confused by your camera? I'll help you understand it, build your confidence and take better photos, without making your brain hurt 🤯.

The Photo Coach helps you understand your camera, take better photos and build confidence, without the jargon or information overload that can make photography feel complicated. Whether you've just bought a camera or you've owned one for years but still find yourself guessing what settings to use, you'll find clear, practical photography lessons designed to make things make sense. With over 20 years of professional photography experience and more than 15 years teaching, Sarah breaks photography down into simple, manageable steps, so you can learn at your own pace and actually enjoy using your camera. Better Photos, Made Simple.

11/10/2026

This week I added something new to my Camera Kickstart course.

And it's free.

Kickstart is my mini course designed to help people get started with their cameras without making their heads explode with too much techy stuff. Because who wants that, right?

This new toolkit is a et of downloads that can be saved to your phone or printed out and popped into your camera bag for reference on the go.

And it's free. Did I mention that already? 🤣

If you are a Kickstart student, you'll find this in your course right now. If you're not a Kickstart student yet, you can sign up via the link in my bio. It's just £17.

DM me if you have any questions.

Sarah

10/10/2026

I launched my Get Camera Confident online course 10 years ago. I am quite sure that some sort of huge party should be in order. 🎉🤔

The course has been updated, improved and enhanced over the years but, a decade on - it's so nice to be still helping people learn how to use their cameras without making their heads spin!

09/10/2026

It's time for the Weekend Photo Project! 🍂

This week's theme is A Walk You Love.

Your challenge is simple: take your camera or phone on a walk you enjoy and see if you can photograph three things that make you love that walk.

It could be a favourite view, an interesting tree, your dog, a funny little detail you've walked past a hundred times, or simply something that makes you stop and look.

Here's my tip: don't just photograph the obvious view. Look around you. Look up. Look down. Notice the little things.

Sometimes the photographs that mean the most are the ones that capture why you love a place, rather than just what it looks like.

So grab your camera, head out for a wander and see what catches your eye. 📷

Share your favourite shot in the comments below — I'd love to see it.

Same time next week, new theme. Who's in?

06/10/2026

Ever take a photo in black and white and wonder why it doesn't have quite the impact you expected?

Black and white photography can look beautifully simple, but there are a few things to think about if you want your photos to really work without colour.

This week's Tuesday Tip shares 7 simple things you can try to take better black and white photos, from choosing the right subject to thinking about light, contrast and composition.

You can read the full tip here:
https://www.thephotocoach.co.uk/post/how-to-take-better-black-and-white-photos-7-simple-tips

And remember, if you're learning photography, you'll find lots more free, beginner-friendly tips over on the blog too.

03/10/2026

There's a very good reason I created a mini photography course.

I've been teaching photography for many years, and I already had an established full course that takes beginners from the basics through to shooting in manual mode (it's called Get Camera Confident).

And it works brilliantly.

But I kept seeing something else.

If you've just bought a camera and you're still wondering which end to point at the subject, a full photography course can feel like a LOT some times.

Even when it's explained simply.

And when you're already feeling overwhelmed by your camera, the thought of learning everything from aperture to manual mode can be enough to make you put the camera back in its bag.

So I created The Camera Kickstart.

Not because beginners don't need to learn photography.

Quite the opposite.

I wanted to create somewhere to start that felt manageable.

A short course.

The important basics.

Simple explanations.

Practical things you can actually use.

Something you can work through in an afternoon and finish thinking:

“Right. I understand my camera a bit better now.”

Because sometimes you don't need to learn everything.

You just need to know where to start.

And it seems I wasn't the only person who thought that.

Hundreds of people have already taken The Camera Kickstart, and I'm really chuffed to see how many people have gone from feeling completely confused by their camera to actually enjoying using it.

If you've got a camera sitting in a bag because you don't quite know where to start, you can check it out through the link in my bio. 📷

02/10/2026

It's October and probably my favourite time of year to photograph! Hooray!!! Here are some images I captured last year in the Forest of Dean. 🍂 🍁 🍂

The theme in the Friendly Camera Club is autumn this month and I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with.

What's your favourite thing about this season?

30/09/2026

Why do I love photography?

It's not just because I like taking photographs.

It's what happens when I'm doing it.

I get completely absorbed.

I'm thinking about the light.
Where I need to stand.
What's happening in the background.
Whether I need to change my settings.
And waiting for the right moment.

For a while, everything else disappears.

I get the same feeling when I'm climbing.

I'm not particularly good at climbing, by the way. 😂

My technique could generously be described as clinging to a wall and hoping for the best.

But when I'm halfway up a rock, I'm not thinking about emails, shopping lists or what I should be doing tomorrow.

I'm thinking about where to put my hands and feet and how I'm going to get to the next bit.

Everything else disappears.

And I think that's one of the reasons photography is such a great hobby.

It's not just about the photographs you come home with.

It's about what happens while you're taking them.

There's something lovely about having something that completely absorbs you for a while.

Something that makes you stop thinking about everything else.

It doesn't have to be photography.

It might be climbing.
Walking.
Gardening.
Cooking.
Painting.
Playing music.

Everyone needs something that makes the rest of the world disappear for a while.

What's yours?

28/09/2026

Emma had a new camera which was pretty much just out of the box. She found all of the settings a bit baffling, was disappointed with her pictures. She need ed a bit of Photo Coaching!

After 2 hours, a couple of cups of tea and lots of chatter later she was shooting in manual mode and loving it.

Note to self: Chickens are quite hard to photograph. They are faster than you think! 🐓🤣

27/09/2026

I always encourage my students to pick up their cameras. Little and often is such a good idea.

I’ve taken it a bit further and come up with the idea of taking your camera on a date. ❤️📷

No agenda. No pressure. Just you, your camera, and seeing what happens.

A bit of dedicated you time to wander, look, notice things and create.

Today, I took my camera on a date to Portmeirion. I was inspired by sharp colours, interesting shapes and peeking at things through holes! 😂

No fancy editing. No pressure to make anything perfect. Just experimenting, playing around and seeing what you like.

Because sometimes the best way to get better with your camera is simply to spend some time together. 📷

26/09/2026

When I started teaching photography back in 2008, my vision was simple:

To help people learn how to use their cameras without making their brains hurt. No techie stuff. No fuss. No intimidating jargon.

Just helping real people who want to take nice pictures with their nice cameras.

Nearly 20 years later, this is still exactly what I aim to do.

And when someone tells me it’s helped, well… that means a lot.

Address

Bridgend
CF313BT

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 4pm
Tuesday	9am - 4pm
Wednesday	9am - 4pm
Thursday	9am - 4pm
Friday	9am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm
Sunday	10am - 5pm

Telephone

+447852255766

Website

https://www.thephotocoach.co.uk/start-here

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