Program guide
A picture perfect online program
Our goal is to create a comfortable, nurturing, and exciting atmosphere for our students through online sessions and photo challenges that spark their curiosity.
Canon Online programming is largely self-paced, however, there are a few things we’d like to share to make the experience for you as smooth as possible. Please read the following items carefully and keep this guide as a reference.
Zoom Session Login Details
Students will meet weekly for approximately 60 minutes.
After registration, you should have received an email with the specific Zoom login details. Please use that link to login to the Zoom session at the time you’ve registered for.
Zoom is a free and easy to use platform that lets people connect through a desktop or mobile app. It is recommended that you have the Zoom app downloaded on your computer, tablet, or mobile device in advance of the start of class. If you don’t already have an account, click here to sign-up for free.
Students should login to their Zoom session at least 5 minutes prior to the start of their session and wait for their Instructor to start the session. Make sure you have a good internet connection and are situated in a room that’s not too noisy. Zoom is a reliable and stable platform, however there are times when technical issues may occur for instructors and/or students leading to a delayed start or possibly suspension of a scheduled session. Not to worry, in the rare event that a technical issue occurs, we will email each student a link to a recorded Zoom session that contains the content for that day and photo challenge information. If you do not receive an email within 2 hours of your session start time, please contact us. Instructors will also spend a few minutes in the subsequent session to ensure students are all up to speed on the content.
What to expect from each session
We’ve outlined all course programming in an easy-to-follow page that can be used as a reference for class for your chosen session:
Part 1: Photo Foundations Program 5-part Program
Part 2: Beyond the Basics Program 5-part Program
Part 3: Introduction to Video & YouTube 5-part Program
Submitting Photo Assignments
Students will submit their photo challenge images via Kajabi, which is a free and easy to use online learning platform.
An email will be sent out to set-up the free account prior to the session start and during the first session, more information will be provided on how to upload the photo challenges. After the photo challenge assignment is completed by the student, they will upload their photos into their personal Kajabi Account via their computer or mobile app. This is a crucial part of the course and allows for instructors to discuss individual student’s photos in the Zoom session. We ask that photos are submitted 2-6 hours before the start of the next Zoom session.
At the end of the course, a collage of student photos will be shared on the Photo Gallery and possibly Canon Canada’s Instagram and/or Facebook accounts. Photos will not be tagged to ensure student privacy. If you wish to not have your photo shared, please email us directly to opt-out and no images from you will be shared on Canon social media.
Cameras & Other Gear Requirements
Students are required to have a functional digital camera (e.g. DSLR or Mirrorless) from any brand to participate in this program.
Although smartphones are great for snapshots, this program is about learning the craft of photography and modern digital cameras are powerful tools that far exceed what’s possible on a smartphone.
We know that many households are on a budget and may not have a digital camera. So on top of offering Canon’s Online Classes at an affordable price, we’re offering $75 off DSLR and mirrorless cameras for students to enjoy for years to come. Click here to see your options.
Other gear considerations for Class:
- Ensure you have at least one memory card for your camera (SD or CF). Anything 8GB or above will do.
- Ensure you have a functional and charged camera battery
- Ensure you have a method to transfer images from your camera to a computer or device. This can be in the form of an SD card slot on your PC, or an external reader. You can also transfer images from certain cameras with a USB cord. In some cases you can transfer images to a device via WiFi using your camera manufacturer free mobile app.
- A strap is always handy to protect the camera
- A camera bag or backpack is useful if you choose to venture to a local park.
Helpful Tools
No additional or expensive software is required for participation in this course. Students can use free and readily available apps to enhance their photos and learning as needed.
Photo editing can take place in any app they are comfortable using on their computer or mobile device. We recommend Lightroom Mobile as an option for mobile photo editing. This app is a little more advanced but provides a good learning pathway for future growth. Click here to download the free version of the Lightroom app for mobile devices.
Canon has also developed an app to help photographers and camera users learn their gear and improve techniques for better photography. We recommend downloading this free app and use it as a learning tool before, during, and after the program. Click here to download the free Canon Coach app.
Code of Conduct
Canon Online is meant to be a fun, inspiring and inclusive experience. We ask that all students bring an open mind, supportive attitude, and general kindness.
Students can choose to have their video turned off or on in the Zoom session as they see fit. We ask that if students have their video turned on that they are fully engaged and listening and not performing any other activities (e.g. checking their phones or playing video games).
We also ask that students stay for the entire Zoom session. If they need to leave, they should provide a reason to their instructor in the private Zoom chat in each session.
Any conduct that is perceived as distracting or obscene will result in a student being warned of dismissal from their session or possibly for the duration of course. If improper behaviour persists, dismissal from the program will occur.
Communication & Privacy
Our first and foremost priority is to ensure students feel comfortable participating in an online program. We have developed a few simple guidelines:
All communication is meant to take place within the confines of the Zoom session where instructors and students may interact, ask questions, and receive guidance on their photo challenges. Students are encouraged to ask any questions of the instructor during a 15 minute Q&A period following the 1 hour camp delivery.
Additionally, students can communicate with their instructor via email. No other digital or telecommunication is permitted (i.e. text, social media, phone etc.) All Zoom sessions will be recorded to ensure there is a record of each session in the event a conduct review is required. These recorded sessions will not be viewed publicly for any promotional or commercial application. They may be used in the future for internal and private instructor training.
Safety
Course programming has been built to maximize the safety of students. From the Zoom sessions to the photo challenges, everything in the program can be scaled to the individual.
Zoom sessions can take place in the comfort of a student’s home. Photo challenges can be done inside the house, in a backyard, or at a local park. If a student does not feel comfortable with any part of the programming for personal safety reasons, the programming can be modified. Just let the instructor know via Zoom session or email.
We ask that students use good judgement if they choose to go outside while obeying all laws and community standards.
No part of this program requires interaction with the public in order to ensure that social distancing can be maintained during the Covid-19 pandemic. Students can choose to interact with family members or others to complete photo challenges (e.g. portraits) while staying within Covid-19 protocols.
More Questions?
Click here to view the Frequently Asked Questions section of the Canon Online website if you have questions about anything not covered here.
And if you’re curious about something that isn’t outlined here, please contact us directly via email.
Looking forward to a picture perfect program!