Integrated Course — Newborn, Kids & Maternity (Full Time)

The Whole Picture (and How We Got Here)

We open with a shoot. You photograph anything in the room, no guidance. Then we break down why some frames work and most don’t. That’s when history makes sense — you’ll understand why the evolution from film to DSLR to mirrorless to AI matters, because you’ve already felt the gap.

5 photos in 10 minutes on Day 1, sealed and reviewed on the final day to show the growth arc
How photography evolved and why the fundamentals are still the cheat code.

Types of photography: portrait, street, product, kids, fashion, content — figure out what excites you

Cameras & Gear — Know What’s in Your Hands
Micro four thirds, 35mm, medium & large format, TLR, rangefinders, DSLR, mirrorless — what each does and why pros still reach for specific formats

“Auto mode is not a flex” — we’ll show you exactly what you’re giving up by not understanding your gear

The Art of Seeing (the Skill Nobody Teaches)
Before settings, before gear — you need to learn to see.

Shoot first: you’ll photograph a subject and we’ll review what you noticed and what you missed

Seeing the subject, seeing the light, reading a scene before raising the camera

This is where your eye gets trained, not just your hands.

Exposure Quadrangle (YBPA’s signature framework)

This is the session that changes everything. You’ll shoot deliberately wrong first — too bright, too dark, blurry, frozen — so you feel what each setting does before we explain it.

ISO, shutter speed, aperture, available light — how they talk to each other

Practical drills: intentional motion blur, frozen action, shallow depth of field, deep focus, Real-world exercises, not just diagrams
Creative use of exposure
Soft shots are the #1 reason good moments get ruined. We fix that here.

Front/back-button focus, tracking fast subjects, split focus, focus points and clusters
Live indoor drills — you’ll walk out of this class not missing shots anymore

Most people let the camera guess. You’ll learn to be faster than the camera.

In-camera and external metering, every metering mode explained with real use cases.

Practical indoor and outdoor metering class — you shoot, we review, you adjust

Week 5 — Depth of Field + White Balance (Story in Every Frame)

Bokeh is not a filter. It’s a decision.

What DoF actually is and how to use it to direct the viewer’s eye.

Bokeh types, factors affecting DoF, lens choices
Practical class: portraits, objects, street — how DoF changes the entire narrative.

Your colors are telling a story. Are they telling the right one?

How to set white balance intentionally for warm, cool, or neutral moods.

Why this matters for content, reels, and print — practical class included.

Week 6 — Light Masterclass (Bend It to Your Vision)

Light is the most important thing in photography. We spend a full week here.

Indoor and outdoor lighting: sunlight, artificial, studio lights, speedlights, flash.

How to read light direction, quality, and color temperature in any environment.

You’ll place a subject in the same spot with three different light setups and shoot all three — the difference will be obvious.

By the end of this week, “the light was bad” will no longer be an excuse in your vocabulary.
Composition rules — rule of 3 rd, leading lines, symmetry, negative space etc and when breaking them is the right call.

Before/after comparisons: the same scene, one framing “cheap,” one “cinematic” — you’ll see it instantly

Instructor’s Take: “Gear doesn’t make great photos. Trained instinct does. You are here to develop the instinct.”

Every photograph is a photograph of light. The person, the place, the moment — these are the excuse. Light is always the subject.

Natural Light — Sunlight & Its Qualities
Hard light, soft light, golden hour, blue hour, overcast, dappled — reading and using each intentionally.

Artificial Light — Indoor & Mixed Sources
Tungsten, fluorescent, LED, neon, mixed colour temperature environments — turning chaos into control.

SIGNATURE CHALLENGE: Golden Hour Sprint — 30-minute outdoor shoot timed to the right light window. Shoot, review, discuss immediately while the light is still in your visual memory.

Glass theory
“The lens you choose is a creative decision, not a technical one. By the end of this module, you’ll feel the difference.”

No theory dumps. Every session ends with you shooting.
Lens Types & Creative Applications
Ultra-wide, wide, standard, short tele, portrait, telephoto, macro, tilt-shift — what each does to perspective, compression, and story.

Reading the scene: how to pick the right glass before you even lift your camera

Focal Length & Perspective Distortion

How different focal lengths physically change the relationship between subject and environment in a frame.
Focal length psychology — what each length does to your subject’s face, space & story

Lens filters: ND, polarizer, graduated, diffusion, creative glass

Special lenses that no one talks about — and when they change everything

Vintage Lenses & The Character Aesthetic

Why they hold a special value : Bokeh character, flare, softness — and how to work with manual vintage lenses.

How to Choose the Right Lens for the Desired Effect
A decision framework — not a rule, but a thought process that produces intentional creative choices.

SIGNATURE CHALLENGE: The One Lens Challenge — the ENTIRE practical session is shot on a single focal length (50mm equivalent). Forces creative problem-solving over gear dependency.
Side-by-side comparative shoot: same subject, 5 different lenses

On-Camera · Off-Camera · Sync · Triggers · Diffusers

Hands-On
Studio

Flash Systems

On-camera flash — why it’s not the enemy, and how pros actually use it .When it helps, when it ruins, and how to use it without looking like a beginner.

Off-camera flash: From Flat to Dramatic in 3 Seconds
The single technique that transforms portrait quality overnight. Trigger systems, basic placement, and creative angles.

Sync speed decoded — High Speed Sync, FP mode, what kills your image

Front curtain vs. Rear curtain sync — the creative difference, not just theory.

Flash modes: TTL, Manual, Stroboscopic — when and why?

Control & Shaping
Triggers & wireless systems — what actually works on a shoot
Diffusers, bounce cards, gels — modifying light before it hits your subject
Speedlights & Flashguns — Modes, Diffusers & Creative Control
TTL vs Manual, Fresnel vs bare, bare vs diffused — complete practical overview.

Practical: Full off-camera portrait session in class
Mixing flash with ambient — the skill most photographers never nail

Real talk: Flash is just another light source. This module kills the fear and builds control.

Studio Lights · Modifiers · Strobes · Light Sculpting
Light Systems

Studio artificial light — reading, placing, shaping from scratch

Strobes vs. continuous vs. battery-powered lights — how to choose for the job

Modifiers deep dive— Shaping Light with Intention
Softboxes, octabanks, beauty dishes, grids, snoots, reflectors, flags — what each does and when to reach for it.

Light Sculpting: using shadow as much as light— Live Demo

Instructor demonstrates a full lighting setup from scratch. Students observe, then replicate immediately.

One light to ten — building complexity without losing control

Light ratios & contrast — the invisible skill of every great portrait

Advanced Techniques

Mixing continuous and artificial lights

Light painting: long exposure meets studio creativity
Set Building & Colour Theory

How background colour, texture, and set elements interact with skin tones, wardrobe, and light.

Practical Session
 Mood Board to Set — students build a real set from a Pinterest/Instagram reference. Direct mapping of digital inspiration to physical execution.

Build and shoot three different full studio setups
You’re in a real studio from day one — not watching someone else work.

Advertising-level setups: what big-budget shoots actually look like

Portrait · Fashion · Fine Art · Posing · Styling

Hands-On
Studio

People & Posing

Directing people, not just posing them — the difference that makes subjects trust you

Male · Female · Couple · Family — a different playbook for each

Body language, angles, and the micro-adjustments that transform a frame

Lighting – Butterfly lighting, Rembrandt lighting ,side lighting, short lighting, broad lighting, rim lighting, backlighting,Loop lighting.

Fashion photography: editorial thinking on any budget
Artistic & fine art portraits — when you’re making art, not just good photos

Set, Style & Color -Concept-to-execution for artistic portraiture. Mood, narrative, and visual poetry in a controlled environment.

Styling & makeup — knowing enough to art-direct confidently

Set building from zero: how to build a scene on any budget

Color theory in practice — building a palette before you shoot

Correction techniques: Posing and lighting for hilighting the best features of people and hiding the rest.

Practical:
Concept-to-execution for artistic portraiture. Mood, narrative, and visual poetry in a controlled environment.
Live shoots with models — real direction, real pressure, real results

Post-production separates good photos from great ones.

But editing without intention is just decoration. This week teaches you to make deliberate choices — and to know when to stop.

RAW Conversion — Why You Should Never Shoot JPEG
Understanding the RAW file, what data it holds, and how to extract the maximum from a single exposure.

RAW conversion that doesn’t destroy your file — the 10 decisions that matter

Adobe Lightroom — Colour, Grade & Preset Building
Full Lightroom workflow from import ,develop & export.

Building a consistent preset for a recognisable visual brand.

Photoshop for photographers (not designers)
Color correction at a professional level — curves, HSL, channel mixing

Intelligent cropping: compositional thinking at the editing stage,Composite & Advanced Correction
Retouching without going overboard — the professional approach to Skin retouching, background swapping, compositing between frames, removing unwanted elements, advanced masking.

Camera RAW — Non-Destructive Editing at Source

Camera RAW as the foundation layer. Non-destructive adjustments that protect your original file.

AI Editing — Generative Fill, AI Masking & Prompt-Based Workflows
Using Firefly, Lightroom AI, and third-party tools.

Writing effective prompts for AI-generated content. The limits of what AI can and cannot replace.

Building Your Visual Brand — Consistent Aesthetic for Instagram

Colour palette, contrast style, edit signature — the decisions that make your feed instantly recognisable.

Practical: Develop a full shoot from RAW to client-ready in class

Instructor’s Take: “AI is a tool. You still need the eye. The fastest AI editor in the world cannot decide what the image should feel like. That is your job.”

SIGNATURE CHALLENGE: Before vs After Reverse Challenge — students are shown a final edited image and must reconstruct the editing decisions made to produce it. Sharpens editing instinct dramatically.

Mobile Video · Reels · Event · Cinematography · Editing

Hands-On
VideoAI-Powered

Art of cinematography – Conveying mood through camera movements and lighting

This is the most directly applicable module in the course. Everything you’ve learned about light, composition, and storytelling now moves.

Mobile Videography — Mobile videography that doesn’t look mobile — technique over gear Reels for Products, Food & Beauty

Professional-quality reels from a smartphone.

Composition, movement, sound — the full mobile workflow.

Reel Breakdown — Deconstructing Viral Content
Three high-performing reels pulled apart frame-by-frame. Understand structure, pacing, hooks, and transitions.How to do scroll-stopping in the first 2 seconds

Basics of Filmmaking & Scene Structure
Opening, closing, and narrative arc. How to structure a visual story that holds attention to the last second.
Camera Movement — Panning, Tilt, Zoom & Tracking
When to move the camera, when to stay still, and how each movement changes the viewer’s emotional experience.

Gimbal Mastery
Setup, balancing, modes, and creative movement panning, tilting, tracking, reveal shots. Handheld vs gimbal — choosing the right tool for the moment.

Film Language & Edit
Basics of filmmaking: how cinematographers think (not just shoot)
Structuring a scene — opening, storytelling arc, closing beat
Frame Rates, Video Resolution & Delivery Specs
24fps, 30fps, 60fps, 120fps for slow motion — what each does and what platforms require.

Video Editing — Premiere Pro / Final Cut / AI Editing
Complete edit of real footage. Cuts, transitions, colour grade, audio sync, and export for Instagram, YouTube, and client delivery.

Storytelling Transitions & Movement-Based Edits
Whip pans, match cuts, J-cuts, L-cuts, rack focus transitions — the techniques that define high-quality reel editing.

Shooting montages: the edit starts before you press record
Deconstructing movie scenes and songs

Event Videography & Photography
Balancing stills and video at live events. Workflow, gear management, and real-time creative decision making.

Premiere Pro + Final Cut Pro: practical editing from footage to final cut

AI video editors — what’s ready to use right now

 SIGNATURE CHALLENGE: Reel in a Day — concept, shoot, and publish a finished 30-second reel within a single class session. One of the most memorable days of the course.

Safety

The foundation of every newborn session, this module covers essential safety protocols to ensure the baby is always secure and comfortable. You’ll learn about safe posing limits, spotter techniques, and how to identify and respond to a baby’s cues during a shoot.

Types of Poses

Beanbag Poses | Taco / Side Lying / Lying on Stomach / Chin on Hands / Twins Posing Explore the most iconic and sought-after newborn poses that form the core of any professional session. Each pose is broken down step by step, with guidance on achieving clean lines, natural comfort, and timeless results safely.

Types of Wraps

From stretch wraps to woven wraps, muslin to cheesecloth, learn how different fabric types behave and which works best for various poses and aesthetics. Understanding your wraps helps you create texture, colour, and mood in your images.

Types of Wrapping

Master a variety of wrapping styles — full wraps, partial wraps, cocoon wraps, and more — to add variety and visual interest to your portfolio. You’ll learn the tension, tuck, and layering techniques that give wraps a polished, professional finish.

Flow Posing

Flow posing is the art of moving seamlessly from one pose to the next with minimal baby disruption, keeping the session efficient and stress-free. This module teaches you how to plan and sequence your poses strategically to maximise your shooting time.

Poses with Costumes

Costumes add a whimsical and personalised touch to newborn sessions — learn how to style and pose babies in hats, outfits, and props without compromising safety or comfort. You’ll understand how to balance the costume with the overall composition for a cohesive final image.

Naked or natural

These highlight the pure, raw beauty of a newborn and are among the most timeless images a photographer can deliver. This module focuses on skin tones, body positioning, and lighting to bring out the best in unclothed newborn photography.

Family Poses

Newborn sessions are not just about the baby — incorporating parents and siblings creates emotional, story-driven portraits that families treasure forever. Learn how to pose, direct, and connect with the entire family to capture authentic moments of love and connection.

Macro Poses

Macro photography captures the tiny, fleeting details of a newborn — curled fingers, delicate eyelashes, tiny toes — that parents cherish most. This module covers the right lens choices, focusing techniques, and lighting setups to nail these intimate close-up shots.

Themes

Themes bring a creative narrative to your newborn sessions, from fairytale and floral to rustic, boho, and seasonal concepts. This module helps you develop theme concepts, coordinate colours, props, and backdrops to deliver a cohesive and visually stunning gallery.

Twins

Photographing twins comes with its own unique set of challenges and creative opportunities. You’ll learn specialised posing techniques, timing strategies, and safety considerations to create beautiful, balanced images of two babies together.

Set Building for Uniqueness

A well-built set is what separates a memorable newborn image from a generic one. This module teaches you how to design and style unique sets using layers, textures, props, and backdrops that reflect your creative brand and stand out in a competitive market.

Handling

Baby During Sessions Knowing how to soothe, settle, and handle a newborn with confidence is a skill every photographer must develop. You’ll learn calming techniques, feeding breaks, temperature management, and how to work with both sleepy and unsettled babies.

Costumes

A well-curated costume collection can elevate your sessions and attract a wider client base. This module covers sourcing, styling, and maintaining costumes, as well as how to match them with themes and poses for maximum visual impact.

Lighting

Lighting is one of the most powerful tools in newborn photography, shaping mood, texture, and depth in every image. Learn the differences between natural light and studio lighting setups, and how to manipulate light to flatter the baby and create your signature style.

Genres

Newborn photography spans several distinct styles — fine art, lifestyle, documentary, and studio — each with its own aesthetic and client base. Understanding the different genres helps you define your niche, market your work effectively, and deliver what your clients truly want.
Current Trends in Newborn Photography – India & International. Stay ahead of the curve by understanding what’s trending in the newborn photography industry both locally and globally. From colour palettes and prop styles to editing aesthetics and social media presentation, this module keeps your work fresh, relevant, and in demand.

Compositions

Strong composition is what gives a newborn image its visual power and professional polish. Learn the rules of framing, negative space, rule of thirds, and layering — and when to break those rules — to create images that are both artistic and emotionally compelling.

Reels Content

In today’s social media-driven market, behind-the-scenes Reels are one of the most powerful tools to attract new clients and grow your brand. This module teaches you how to plan, shoot, and edit engaging Reels content from your newborn sessions that perform well and showcase your expertise.

Editing & Post Production

A Robust editing workflow is what takes your images from great to gallery-worthy. This module covers colour grading, skin retouching, background cleanup, and developing a consistent editing style that becomes your visual signature

AI Editing

Discover how Artificial Intelligence tools are revolutionising the editing workflow for newborn photographers, saving hours of post-processing time. Learn how to use AI-powered software for skin retouching, background cleanup, colour grading, and more while maintaining a natural, authentic look.

Includes – Two Days Newborn Photography Workshop with Doll and Newborn Baby This immersive two-day hands-on workshop gives you the rare opportunity to practise techniques on both a doll and a real newborn baby, bridging theory and real-world application. You’ll leave with the confidence, safety knowledge, and creative skills needed to start or elevate your newborn photography journey.

Safety

Maternity sessions require a thoughtful approach to ensure the comfort and well-being of the mother at all times. This module covers safe posing practices, physical support techniques, and how to adapt the session to different stages of pregnancy.

Types of Poses

From standing silhouettes to seated and lying-down poses, learn a wide variety of flattering maternity poses that beautifully celebrate the pregnant form. You’ll understand how to direct and adjust poses based on the mother’s comfort, body type, and trimester.

Types of Costumes

The right outfit can transform a maternity session — from flowy gowns and wrap dresses to fitted silhouettes and fabric draping. This module helps you understand which costume styles complement different body shapes, themes, and shooting environments.

Flow Posing

Flow posing allows you to transition smoothly between poses, keeping the session relaxed, natural, and time-efficient. You’ll learn how to guide your client through a sequence of looks without breaking the creative momentum of the shoot.

Family Poses

Incorporating partners, children, and family members adds warmth and emotion to a maternity session. Learn how to pose and direct the entire family to create genuine, heartfelt images that tell the story of this special chapter in their lives.

Set Building

A thoughtfully designed set creates a stunning visual backdrop that elevates the entire maternity gallery. This module covers how to layer textures, props, florals, and backdrops to build unique, personalised sets that reflect your creative identity.

Handling

Learn how to make your client feel at ease from the moment they walk in — from managing nerves and discomfort to guiding movement and expression naturally. A photographer who handles their client with warmth and confidence creates space for truly authentic, beautiful images.

Costumes

Building and curating a strong costume wardrobe is one of the best investments a maternity photographer can make. You’ll learn how to source, style, and organise gowns, wraps, and accessories that cater to a variety of themes, skin tones, and client preferences.

Themes

From ethereal and boho to royal, dark moody, and floral fantasy — themes give maternity sessions a distinct creative direction. This module teaches you how to conceptualise a theme and align every element including props, colours, and costumes to bring it to life cohesively.

Lighting

Lighting in maternity photography shapes the mood, highlights the belly, and brings a luminous quality to the skin. Learn how to work with natural window light, outdoor golden hour light, and studio lighting setups to create images that are soft, dramatic, or anywhere in between.

Genres

Maternity photography spans fine art, lifestyle, boudoir, and outdoor editorial styles — each appealing to a different type of client. Understanding the distinct genres helps you carve out your niche and communicate your style clearly to attract your ideal clientele.

Compositions

Strong compositions are what give a maternity image its visual impact and artistic depth. This module explores framing, symmetry, negative space, leading lines, and layering techniques that draw the viewer’s eye to the beauty of the expecting mother.

Make Up

The right makeup enhances the mother’s natural glow and ensures she looks and feels her absolute best on camera. Learn how to guide clients on pre-session makeup prep, and understand how different makeup styles interact with various lighting conditions and editing styles.

Editing & Post Production

A polished editing workflow is what takes your images from great to gallery-worthy. This module covers colour grading, skin retouching, background cleanup, and developing a consistent editing style that becomes your visual signature.

AI Editing

AI-powered editing tools are transforming the way photographers handle post-production, cutting down hours of manual work. Learn how to use the latest AI tools for skin smoothing, outfit corrections, background enhancements, and colour consistency while keeping your images looking natural and true to life.
Includes – Two Days Maternity Photography Workshop with Model This hands-on two-day workshop gives you the opportunity to put every concept into practice with a live model in a fully guided, real-world shooting environment. You’ll walk away with a stronger portfolio, a confident workflow, and the creative and technical skills to deliver exceptional maternity sessions.

Safety 

Working with children demands a proactive approach to safety, ensuring the shooting environment is free from hazards and age-appropriate at all times. This module covers child-safe prop usage, studio safety protocols, and how to create a secure, comfortable space where kids can move and play freely.

Types of Poses:

Kids photography is all about capturing genuine energy and personality — from playful candid moments to structured portrait poses. You’ll learn how to guide children of different ages into natural, expressive poses that bring out their unique character without making them feel stiff or uncomfortable.

Types of Costumes :

The right costume can spark a child’s imagination and make sessions instantly more fun and engaging. This module explores a range of costume styles — from everyday outfits and themed characters to seasonal and prop-based looks — and how to style them for maximum visual impact.

Handling and Directing Kids :

During Session One of the most valuable skills in kids photography is knowing how to connect with children and earn their trust quickly. This module teaches you age-specific communication strategies, games, and techniques to keep kids engaged, cooperative, and naturally expressive throughout the session.

Flow Posing :

Flow posing with children means staying flexible and capturing the magic in between the planned shots. Learn how to guide kids through a loose sequence of poses and activities that feel like play, so you never miss a genuine laugh, look, or moment.

Family Portraits:

How to Get the Most of It Family portrait sessions with children can be unpredictable — and that’s exactly where the magic lies. This module covers how to pose, direct, and connect with the whole family to capture warm, authentic images that go beyond the traditional stiff group shot.

Set Building :

A creatively built set transforms a kids session into a mini adventure that children naturally want to explore and interact with. Learn how to design age-appropriate sets using colours, props, textures, and themed elements that create visually striking images and keep kids genuinely engaged.

Handling :

Beyond technical skills, handling children during a session requires patience, energy, and the ability to read and adapt to each child’s mood. This module focuses on how to manage energy levels, deal with shy or over-excited kids, and keep sessions flowing smoothly even when things don’t go to plan.

Costumes :

A well-thought-out costume wardrobe can add tremendous creative value to your kids photography portfolio. You’ll learn how to source, organise, and style costumes for different age groups, themes, and occasions — and how to get kids genuinely excited about wearing them.

Themes :

From whimsical fairytales and superhero adventures to seasonal and lifestyle themes, themed sessions are among the most popular and profitable in kids photography. This module teaches you how to develop compelling theme concepts and bring them to life through cohesive styling, sets, and storytelling.

Lighting :

Great lighting is just as critical in kids photography as in any other genre, but the challenge is achieving it while keeping up with fast-moving little subjects. Learn how to work with natural light, studio strobes, and continuous lighting setups to flatter children’s features and create the right mood for every session.

Genres:

Kids photography spans a wide range of styles — from fine art studio portraits and lifestyle storytelling to outdoor editorial and documentary-style candids. Understanding the different genres helps you identify your creative direction and build a portfolio that attracts your ideal clients.

Compositions :

Strong composition turns a snapshot into a storytelling image. This module explores framing, perspective, eye-level shooting, use of negative space, and layering techniques that help you create visually compelling kids portraits with depth and intention.

Twins :

Photographing twins brings its own unique charm and creative possibilities, along with a unique set of logistical challenges. You’ll learn how to pose, coordinate, and capture the special bond between twins — whether they’re cooperative or on completely different schedules — with patience and creativity.

Editing and Post Production :

A consistent and polished editing style is what ties your portfolio together and defines your brand as a photographer. This module covers skin retouching for children, colour grading, background cleanup, and building an efficient post-production workflow that delivers beautiful, consistent results every time.

AI Editing

AI-powered editing tools are transforming the way photographers handle post-production, cutting down hours of manual work. Learn how to use the latest AI tools for skin smoothing, outfit corrections, background enhancements, and colour consistency while keeping your images looking natural and true to life

Includes – One Day Kids Photography Workshop This immersive one-day hands-on workshop gives you the opportunity to apply everything you’ve learned in a real, dynamic shooting environment with child subjects. You’ll leave with practical experience, greater confidence in directing young clients, and stunning images to add to your growing portfolio.

Current state of the industry and opportunities . What type of businesses are viable in this age. Blue ocean strategy
Business structurally the most valuable week in the course for anyone who wants to earn from photography. The personal YBPA case study — real mistakes, real recovery — is knowledge that cannot be found in any curriculum in India. It must be marketed as a feature, not a footnote.

Portfolio building
Pricing
Client Agreements
Copyright
Sales
Marketing
Branding
Positioning
Best business practices
Hari’s personal case study on the mistakes that nearly sank YBPA and how they recovered