Jump into a year-long journey of creative photography and take your photography
to the next level in 2025!
Monthly Themes can include: Abstract, Movement, Impressionistic, Visual Stories, Shadows, Creative Light, Texture
- This 12-month program helps you stay engaged in shooting, editing, and growing as a photographer.
- This program provides a supportive community for beginner to advanced photographers.
On the 1st of each month you will receive a new themed short course. The content includes artists' inspiration, shooting techniques, editing ideas, and so much more. Each short course is created with beginner and advanced topics.
All students can participate in the community group. This space gives you a place to share your images and ideas. Gain feedback and inspiration from the other photographers. The program does use Facebook for the community group portion of the course.
2 Zoom session each month!
- First zoom will be second Sunday of each month at 6pm est. This zoom will answer questions about the lessons - its like an office hour.
The second zoom is the last Sunday of the month at 6pm est to review a selection of images and share the new content for the upcoming month.
Each month you can share an image from the month's assignment. Lori will do a recording each month sharing feedback of images. Some images will be highlighted during the live session.
Creator and Instructor
Lori Lankford is an established nature photographer, digital artist, and instructor. Lori is known for her creative approach to photography - stunning flower portraits, abstract nature scenes, and creative close-ups. Lori has photographed many of the top gardens across the country and had images exhibited in local and national gallery exhibits as well as in printed a variety of publications. Lori loves teaching and sharing her passion for creative nature photography. She leads workshops in the Maryland/Virginia/DC area.
You can learn more about Lori on her website, www.lorilankford.com.
Moderator - 5 year veteran of A Year of Creative Photography
Jill Westeyn has been creating for as long as she can remember. From a young age, Jill had either a musical instrument, pencil, or camera in her hands. Her love and passion to express herself through the arts was a much needed social and emotional outlet. Jill’s talent and discipline led to a professional career performing on oboe and English horn throughout the United States, and portions of Canada and Italy, as both a freelance musician and as a military musician.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jill discovered creative photography and expanded both her shooting and digital editing skills, working with professional photographers in the Washington DC area.
Jill has taken a Year of Creative Photography with Lori every year since its initial inception. “Each year, I am able to take my photography to a new level as a result of this course. It allows me to make time to focus on different aspects of the art, while engaging with photographers from around the country—some of whom have become good friends. And each year, I discover new things about my photography and myself.”
Moderator, 2023 participant A Year of Creative Photography
Lorie Rame is a Minnesota-based artistic photographer with a passion for close-up, still life, fine art and impressionistic photography. She loves using multiple exposures, creative editing, and textures to create compelling images that evoke an emotion, inspire joy and engage you. Her desire to continually grow as an artist has allowed her to learn from talented photographers like Lori Lankford, Charles & Melissa Needle, Sue Bishop, Mike Moats, Kathleen Clemons, Beth Mancuso and Brittany Eliza Kunkel. All have inspired, influenced and helped her style of photography develop through the years. She’s also an alumni of A Year of Creative Photography and had this to say about the course: “AYCP helped me grow as a photographer. I learned so much from Lori and the course challenged me to get out of my comfort zone, make mistakes, take chances, and explore different ways of seeing photography. I was introduced to new techniques and styles of photography, learned Lightroom, and how to be creative with Photoshop. I also loved how our community of students supported and encouraged each other. This course helped to shape the photographer I am today and I’m so very grateful.”
Testimonials
This is just an awesome class for truly every level photographer. if you're still a beginner it will open your eyes and teach you some new skills. If you're at an intermediate level, like I feel that I am, it will totally challenge your creativity and give you the competency to explore new skills and genres. I believe even an expert photographer will see things in a new way during this course. Lori is such an easy to understand instructor; her love for the craft is evident, she is knowledgeable and so approachable when you just don't get it. She fosters a group camaraderie both on the group's FB page and in her zoom meetings. It has changed the way I approach much of my own photography and has given me an appreciation for genres I would have never tried before the course.
Joining Lori for A Year of Creative Photography in 2023 was one of the best decisions I’ve made on my photographic journey. Exploring different facets and methods of making and editing photos really awoke my previously sleeping creative muse. I loved that each monthly topic offered up valuable instruction, varied examples, and the time to explore different techniques without feeling rushed. Lori is a knowledgeable and an actively engaged instructor who generously offers up feedback and suggestions beyond the formal instruction. As a bonus, being a part of the private Facebook group allowed for learning from others in the class as well. It was a great experience all the way around!
Joining this class has been really good for me. I've been encouraged and challenged to go outside of my comfort zone, literally, to capture images that I would never have imagined before. I love the format of this class, with instruction and videos that let you work at your own pace, as well as constructive feedback from Lori as well as the other members.
"This class is a must if you have ever wondered what is possible within digital photography or have wanted to be creatively challenged throughout the year. Lori brings her masterful artistry and inherent joy to each module and presents some of the clearest and most supportive guidance to be found online or in person on each topic. When I signed up for the class, I had a basic knowledge of how to shoot in manual mode and was relatively new to digital editing software. After the first few modules, I felt inspired, rejuvenated, and more in control of my craft. Lori offers each lesson in a supportive yet challenging way and treats each enrollee as an equal. As an introvert, I often find it hard to ask questions or show my work during classes. Lori’s course offered me a safe place to grow. I enjoyed it so much that I’m enrolled in it again to build on what I learned last year, taking my photography to the next level. " Jill W 2021 and 2022 Student
"This class has been good for me because I’ve been challenged to explore in detail different aspects of photography: light, color, shadow, movement, abstract photography, photographing water, and more. Each month has brought a different area to explore with thorough instructions, and Lori’s support has been very helpful. The other student's work has inspired me with different ideas and different viewpoints and to work hard to improve my photography and editing."
"Lori's classes are exceptional in every respect - her enthusiasm was contagious; her preparation always exceeded expectations; class activities and assignments were challenging and motivating, and her feedback was constructive and right on target."
"Learn techniques you’ll only find in college photography courses in this well-taught class while keeping camera and editing skills growing."
$375
$400 total/ $100 each month
Students will have access to the full course until March 1, 2026. Each month's content will be a website link or a downloadable document you can reference for as long as you like.
The program was built for beginner to advanced photographers. You do not have to learn or master all of the content each month. Start where you are and grow throughout the year.
The program is built with several activities/lessons for each month. You can do one lesson or all of them, depending on how much time you have available. Even if you do not get to all lessons you have access to the content and can flag it to come back to at a later date. The entire months course content to review and watch is between 1-2 hours in length.
You will have the material to reference at a later date. Sometimes students cannot participate one month out of the year. That is ok. Often students will use vacation or planned trips to work on the month's assignment. The live sessions are recorded and ready for your to watch once you are ready.
The gear needed is what is already in your bag. You can use any lens, any camera to work through this course. I will share recommended gear for each month, but it is not required.
Live sessions are always recorded! The 1st session is on the second Sunday at 6pm est. The second session is on the last Sunday of the month at 6pm est.