Caveat Academy course · Grades 7 to 12

Photography II: light, lenses and the photo series

The second semester of photography, where you stop accepting what the camera suggests: trade stops to freeze a player in a dim gym, read a histogram before the highlights are gone, choose focal length and aperture for the blur you want, move a flash and know how much light you lost, build loop and Rembrandt light from a window, edit honestly, plan a night sky and a photo essay, and print a series. Six modules at your own pace, with a check in every lesson and a certificate at the end.

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$19one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $19

Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Arts & Creativity collection, $69 for 23 items.

6 modules · 18 lessonsabout 12 hours$19

Six modules, eighteen lessons

Each module ends with a practice set that tracks mastery, an explain-it-back prompt, a short written response and a module exam. The final opens when every module is proficient; passing it earns a certificate with a verification code.

  1. Module 1: Exposure, measured

    Compute equivalent exposures in stops, read histograms and meter difficult scenes, and choose RAW, compensation or bracketing for wide-range light.

    • Thinking in stops
    • Metering, histograms and compensation
    • Dynamic range, RAW and bracketing
    about 2.1 h

  2. Module 2: Lenses, depth and motion

    Compute equivalent focal lengths and handheld shutter limits, and control depth of field and motion for a creative goal.

    • Focal length and field of view
    • Depth of field
    • Freezing and showing motion
    about 2.1 h

  3. Module 3: Shaping light

    Analyze natural light by quality, direction and color, apply the inverse square law to flash, and build portrait lighting patterns and ratios.

    • Working with natural light
    • Flash and the inverse square law
    • Portrait lighting patterns
    about 2.1 h

  4. Module 4: The digital darkroom

    Run a RAW workflow, correct white balance with the Kelvin scale, make local adjustments, and evaluate edits against documentary ethics.

    • A RAW workflow and white balance
    • Local adjustments
    • Ethics and honesty in editing
    about 2.1 h

  5. Module 5: Genres in depth

    Plan portrait, street, landscape, night and documentary shoots, including permissions, ND filter math and photo essay sequencing.

    • Portrait and street photography
    • Landscape and night photography
    • Documentary work and the photo essay
    about 2.1 h

  6. Module 6: The series, the print and the critique

    Create a consistent photo series, size prints from pixel dimensions, and give and use structured critique.

    • Developing a series
    • Printing your work
    • Critique, exhibition and portfolio
    about 2.1 h

Try it before you start

This is how every lesson works: step through a worked example at your own pace, then answer a check and get the reason right away. Nothing here is saved; the course keeps your progress.

Module 1 · Thinking in stops

Worked example: trading stops

  1. A meter suggests f/8 at 1/125 second at ISO 100 for a soccer game.

A lesson check from each module

The checks need JavaScript turned on. The course itself works the same way.

What you get

Enrichment · Arts & Creativity$19 · included with the Academy pass and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A finished second semester of photography: you can trade exposure in stops among aperture, shutter and ISO, meter tricky scenes and read a histogram, decide when RAW and bracketing are worth it, choose focal length, aperture and shutter speed for depth and motion, shape natural light and flash with the inverse square law, build classic portrait lighting and ratios, correct white balance on the Kelvin scale, make local edits that stay honest, plan street, landscape, night and documentary shoots with the right permissions, size prints from pixel dimensions, and build and critique a series. Passing the final earns a Caveat certificate of completion.
Who it is for
Students in grades 7 to 12 who have finished a first photography course or know the exposure triangle and want to shoot with intention, students building a portfolio for an art program or contest, and homeschool families who want a complete second art semester. A camera with manual settings is best; a phone with a pro or manual mode works for most activities.
Format
An online self-paced course: 6 modules and 18 lessons with worked examples you reveal step by step, 150 practice and exam items (multiple choice, numeric, fill-in and ordering), an explain-it-back prompt and a rubric-checked short response in every module, module exams with one retake, a 24-question final and a certificate with a verification code. About 12 hours in all; works on a phone or a computer.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the course opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Arts & Creativity collection ($69) and the Enrichment Suite pass ($119), and 1 more bundle. Progress is saved in this browser on this device, and the certificate page lets you download your record.
Where it lives
The Arts & Creativity space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Access, a receipt, a refund or a correction to the course: team@caveatacademic.com.

How it works

  1. Open the course and start Module 1. Each lesson takes about 25 to 35 minutes; two or three a week finishes the course in about a semester.
  2. Answer the checks as you read. Every answer shows the reason, and a miss links you back to the lesson that covers it.
  3. Finish each module with its practice set and exam. Proficient on every module opens the final; 70 percent passes it.
  4. Print or download your certificate and record from the certificate page.

Start the course

Sources and accuracy

The lessons are original writing by Caveat Academic Services. Facts were checked against these free, open references, which are also good places to read further.

  1. National Press Photographers Association, Code of Ethics: nppa.org
  2. OpenStax, College Physics 2e, the chapters on geometric optics and the inverse square law for light: openstax.org
  3. U.S. Copyright Office, Copyright Basics (Circular 1), for who owns a photograph: copyright.gov
  4. National Park Service, Night Skies program, on dark sky viewing and safety: nps.gov
  5. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Online Catalog, for studying documentary photo essays: loc.gov

Photography II is a self-paced course from Caveat Academic Services. It follows the sequence of a typical second photography course but does not replace a school course or a teacher's critique and awards no credit. Example settings and color temperatures are typical values labeled as examples; light and equipment vary. Notes on photographing people describe general practice in the United States and are not legal advice; when in doubt, ask permission. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.