paulNicklen
National Geographic, conservationist, wildlife and art photographer, Paul Nicklen has released his first and only Masterclass to help you to achieve greatness with your nature photography pursuits. You’ll learn every technique, tip and trick Paul has used in a career spanning over 20 years.
Paul will teach you how to create evocative and powerful images that can help change the world for the better. You will learn Paul’s cornerstone techniques such as his 20-60-20 rule, photo sketching, composition, goal setting and essential checklists to apply to your own work and increase your confidence.
With subtitles in English – Español – Français – Deutsch – Italiano – 日本語 🇯🇵
From USD $199This price is indicated in USD and will be converted to your local currency at checkout. – USD $499This price is indicated in USD and will be converted to your local currency at checkout.
Up to 50+ episodes- Live Q&As
- Suitable for all levels
From 
Up to 50+ episodes
Live Q&As
Suitable for all levelsLearn the key secrets to become a successful nature & wildlife photographer with Paul Nicklen
50 episodes available NOW!
New episodes will automatically be added to your purchase.
If you have ever wanted to excel in photography, but are not sure where to start, then this course is for you. We have created this masterclass to help you to develop your style and make your images stand out.
- Learn how to create and tell conservation stories that help affect change in our world
- Live Encounters: Discover Paul’s process in photographing and respecting animals in the wild
- The mental and psychological approach to become a succesful photographer
- Your backyard and beyond, discover Paul’s tips on where to find photography projects
- Essential photographic exercises to spur on your creativity
- Paul reveals the stories behind his most iconic images
- Suitable for all levels
- Learn at your own pace
- Lifetime access
- Watch on any device
- Money back guarantee
Suitable for all levels
Learn at your own pace
Lifetime access
Watch on any deviceChoose from the 3 options below.
Platinum Access
Masterclass
USD $499This price is indicated in USD and will be converted to your local currency at checkout.
- The 50 episodes of the MasterclassThe Masterclass includes 50 incredible episodes with subtitles available in 6 languages.
- Unlimited accessThere is no time limit to the access of the course. You can take as long as it takes to complete. Watch as many times as you like and whenever you like.
- Access Paul's private Facebook groupGet access to our exclusive community though our Facebook Private Group. This group will allow you to collaborate, network, ask questions and find answers to photographic questions. Get discounts and amazing prizes.
- Bonus & behind the scenes episodesGet exclusive and instructive bonus episodes.
- Attend a private 'Ask Me Anything' live webinar with Paul NicklenYour chance to ask your questions directly to Paul ‘live’.
- Recording of the”Ask Me Anything“Recording of the live ‘Ask Me Anything’ session with Paul.“
- Join an exclusive photo competition judged by Paul to win a one to one video call with himFirst prize: an hour video call with Paul to get advice and discuss your own photography – Second Prize: A free Masters of Photography masterclass of your choice – Third Prize: A Masters of Photography Discovery course of your choice .
- A download of Paul's Photographing Wild e-bookA 122-page eBook with 16 lessons for making compelling photographs by Paul Nicklen to download . The perfect companion to his Masterclass.
Money back guarantee
Gold Access
Masterclass
USD $249This price is indicated in USD and will be converted to your local currency at checkout.
- The 50 episodes of the MasterclassThe Masterclass includes 50 incredible episodes in a staggered release. The first 35 are available now. The next 15 episodes will automatically be added to your purchase in early 2023.
- Unlimited accessThere is no time limit to the access of the course. You can take as long as it takes to complete.
- Access to private Facebook groupGet access to our exclusive community though our Facebook Private Group. This group will allow you to collaborate, network, ask questions and find answers to photographic questions. Get discounts and amazing prizes.
- Bonus & behind the scenes episodesGet instructive bonus episodes. These will be added to your student dashboard automatically as they are released.
- Recording of the”Ask Me AnythingRecording of the live “Ask Me Anything” session with Paul Nicklen.“
Money back guarantee
Masterclass
USD $199This price is indicated in USD and will be converted to your local currency at checkout.
- The 50 episodes of the MasterclassThe Masterclass includes 50 incredible episodes in a staggered release. The first 35 are available now. The next 15 episodes will automatically be added to your purchase in early 2023.
- Unlimited accessThere is no time limit to the access of the course. You can take as long as it takes to complete.
- Access to private Facebook groupGet access to our exclusive community though our Facebook Private Group. This group will allow you to collaborate, network, ask questions and find answers to photographic questions. Get discounts and amazing prizes.
Money back guarantee
Lesson plan
The Masterclass
Lesson Plan: 50 lessons over 3 hours. More lessons to come.
1 Introduction
Meet your Master: Paul Nicklen explains to you the outline of the course and the different learning steps he’ll guide you through including live encounter sessions, photography exercises and drills.
2 Early Beginnings
Paul teaches you how to use your early life influences to shape your photography and storytelling. His early life in a remote and icy town in northern Canada formed a deep and irrevocable connection with nature that would later go on to inspire and enable his photography.
3 The 20-60-20 Philosophy
Know the rules and also when to break them. Paul explains his '20-60-20' philosophy of when to play it safe and when to get experimental in order to push your photography to the highest level and beyond and grow as an artist.
4 Encounter: Black Bear
See Paul in action as he photographs a black bear in British Columbia. Learn Paul’s process in photographing and respecting animals in the wild. This includes positioning, his camera settings, equipment and lens checklist and lenses, how to build towards capturing the ultimate moment.
5 Goal Setting - A Roadmap to Solutions
Overcome your problems, don't let them overcome you! Paul outlines his strategies to setting goals and finding solutions to your problems to help you overcome any roadblocks to achieving your dreams in photography and beyond.
6 Toolkit: Your Essential Mental Checklist
Learn how to ignore the little voices in the back of your head with Paul as he offers his essential checklist of tips for overcoming doubt and the fear of failure in your photography and in wider life.
7 Encounter: Coastal Wolves
One of the most deep and powerful encounter that Paul has ever had. See Paul in action as he photographs elusive coastal wolves in British Columbia. Learn his compositional and focal length techniques to capture the animals' sense of place in wider landscapes as well as more intimate shots.
8 Toolkit: Memorise Functionality
Whatever camera, lenses & accessories you use, the best photographers need to feel like their equipment is an extension of their own body. Learn with Paul the exercises that he uses to memorise the functionalities of your equipment.
9 Get Noticed - Be One Step Ahead
Learn tips and tricks from Paul on how to get noticed and have your work published in major magazines such as National Geographic. Understand from Paul the effort and persistence it took to make one of his first breakthrough storytelling pictures.
10 Left Brain/Right Brain
As a photographer and a marine biologist, Paul is both an artist and a scientist. Let him teach you when to use the analytical side of your brain and when to let the creative side take charge.
11 Composition: Refining your Images
Get Paul’s advice on some suggested compositional techniques to improve your own work. Discover his thoughts on when to use these ideas and when to get even more creative with your approach. Find out how Paul looks for patterns and a sense of place in his pictures.
12 Toolkit: Some Quickfire Tips
Paul offers a range of quick tips & tricks based on his successes and mistakes spanning a lifetime in conservation photography. Discover his thoughts on the creative uses of depth of field, setting up your camera for quick and efficient use, exercises for improving camera stability and much more.
13 Encounter: The Leopard Seal Story
Learn the behind the image story to the most extraordinary encounter Paul has ever had. Journey with Paul to the Antarctic where he has an underwater adventure with one of the most feared and most misunderstood marine predator.
14 Ethics & Curiosity
Paul teaches you to approach your photography with curiosity, humility & a code of ethics in order to create work that can change the world for the better.
15 Farewell for Now
Paul gives some parting words of inspiration & encouragement at the end of the first 15 episodes. Another 35 episodes are coming soon to help you to create captivating & impactful photographs which amaze, inform & inspire. Until the next release goodbye for now!
16 Getting My First Camera
Learn how Paul took his first steps in photographing underwater. He describes his camera set up and the errors made and successes achieved during his early years.
17. Essential Books
Paul recommends a number of books that have guided his photography career. Books to learn to tell stories and to grow as an artist. Books from his photographic heroes about shooting underwater and above water to help you to study composition, lighting techniques and discover your own style. Books about the heroes at the front line of the battle for conservation.
18 Key Creative Influences
Find out exactly which photographers form the group of photographic heroes that have most influenced Paul. He explains exactly why they provide such inspiration and helped shaped his work.
19 Encounter: Coastal Wolves Live
Learn techniques on how to respectfully approach and have encounters with shy animals. In this unique episode, we travel side by side with Paul along the coastline of British Columbia as he photographs the rare and beautiful Coastal Wolves.
20 Keeping the Camera Stable
Big focal length heavy lenses, low light conditions, moving animals: get tips from Paul in best wat to stay stable and sharp when photographing in all these situations. Hand holding or on tripods: learn the best techniques and practices from a master.
21 Brainstorming: Jumpstart your Brain
Informal brainstorms are fun and very productive! Here are some techniques Paul uses when getting people together and shaping communal discussion to find new projects and ideas.
22 Creating the Image: Ice Waterfall
The story behind the image. Paul explains exactly how he created one of his most famous images. A powerful photograph that defines so many of the ecological and conservation issues that face our planet today.
23 Start with Local Projects
Photo stories are all around us. You don’t have to travel huge distances to wild places to create dramatic and important photo stories. Paul makes some suggestions for creating image stories right in your own neighbourhood.
24 Using Camera Traps
Big surprises and more often big disappointments are all part of fun when using camera traps. See and hear how Paul has used them to achieve those jaw dropping images which would be impossible to capture in any other way.
25 What's in the Bag: Lenses & Speciality Lenses
Pauls opens his bag and explains his set up. Find out which camera equipment and lenses he uses for which situations above water. Get advice and tips on best practices for your equipment and shooting.
26 Mental Health - Little Voices
Some important elements of psychology a photographer needs to use. In this episode Paul explains some of his techniques to strengthen belief in yourself and suppress the negative little voices in your head.
27 Building Towards an Iconic Image
Researching and understanding the elements of animal behaviour is critical to producing an iconic image. Find out how the famous image of penguins speeding to the surface to avoid predators was created.
28 Developing your Photography Project
Your backyard and beyond, discover Paul’s tips on where to find your own photography projects. Check out his advice and steps to develop the stories and achieve your visual goals.
29 Free up your Mind
How to think better creatively about your photography. How do we free up our mind from distraction and open it up to produce truly outstanding images? Paul gives us an insight to some of his methods and exercises.
30 Always be Ready
The magic moments will happen in front of you, but are you totally ready and prepared to capture them? Don’t miss these in whatever you are photographing. Discover some simple tips from Paul to help you react quickly and confidently to capture them.
31 Encounter with a 2nd Black Bear
In this encounter with a bear, Paul gives us a unique opportunity to sit beside him on the coast of British Columbia as he explains exactly what black bear action he hopes to capture. We listen and watch the phases of action as Paul works towards creating the ideal image.
32 Breathing in
How to unleash your creativity! Try suggested techniques in this episode to see if you can come up with great ideas as well as reducing stress and pressure.
33 What's in the Bag: my Underwater Set up
A rare insight into what Paul is using underwater. He explains what and how as he assembles his underwater camera and lighting rig.
Find out some best practises and also learn what to avoid as he explains some of his early mistakes.
34 Creating the Image: Orca Ballet
Journey underwater where Orcas and Herring swim together. Paul describes how he captured a beautiful moment in a swirling geometrical dance between the hunters and the hunted.
35 Nature Bathing: Switching off
Another set of tips from Paul on how to use nature to access and release the creative side of your thinking to reinvigorate your photography. The ideas are all there in your mind and here are suggestions on how to create an environment to tap into them.
36 Learning the Craft of Photography
By sharing the learnings and the mistakes that he made during his early experiences as a photographer, Paul offers you a smoother path on the journey to hone your craft. He talks about the experiences of shooting in manual underwater and working with strobes, testing everything, taking notes, experimenting and learning from each batch of new photographs.
37 1st Asssignment for National Geographic
What is it like to work on a National Geographic assignment? Paul walks us through his first big project for the magazine, sharing suggestions on how to manage your first personal project, about the kind of research to put into it, structuring the different shoots and how to work with magazine editors.
38 Overcoming Rejection
Once you begin to create images and put them out into the world, it's natural to feel exposed. Fear of failure and rejection is common among photographers but how do you use it to your advantage? Paul gives his insights and personal practises to help overcome these and strengthen your belief in yourself.
39 How Do I Get a Job at Nat Geo
How do you secure an assignment for National Geographic? This is one of the questions that Paul gets asked the most. He gives his insights and talks about his experience of securing not just one assignment but also regular work from the famous magazine.
40 Creative Use of Depth of Field
When and where does Paul suggest using a shallow or deeper depth of field? It's a creative decision that can enhance the storytelling aspect of your image. Find out more about Paul’s use of creative depth of field to improve your craft.
41 Structuring the Story
How do you begin to create and structure a photographic story? Whether in your local neighbourhood or further afield, Paul offers vital advice on how to start and what to prioritise when structuring your own stories.
42 Black & White or Colour?
Colour or Monochrome is a crucial decision, faced when looking through the lens and especially when reviewing the file in post production. Paul takes us through a selection of his images and explains this decision making process to choose colour or black and white for the optimal results.
43 Developing Your Photographic Style
How do you develop a personal style? Is having a strong personal style an asset or a liability? Paul takes us through the process of developing your own look and feel in photography, showing you how to recognise the positive steps and the pitfalls along the way.
44 Creative Use of Shutterspeed
Shutter speed can be used creatively to generate movement in your work or used to spectacular effect to freeze the moment. Paul gives us his advice and ideas on how to use shutter speed creatively and shares examples from his own work.
45 Encounter: Logging Devastation
As we journey with Paul along the coast of British Columbia, we witness first hand the destruction of habitat and environment generated by the logging industry. Paul gives us critical learnings in how to approach the telling of a conservation story that can resonate globally.
46 Creative Use of Rear Synch Flash
Flash and blur used in conjunction can create powerful images, freezing a moment on top of an image. At which moment in the shutter opening do you prefer the flash to go off? Paul is a master of the rear sync flash technique and he explains how to use it.
47 Encounter: A Raft of Otters
Another wildlife encounter off the coast of British Columbia. How do you approach timid Sea Otters to get great images and importantly without disturbing and stressing them? Paul shows how he uses his 600mm in a rocking boat to create stunning portraits of these beautiful animals.
48 Paul's Editing Process
Back at his desk, Paul shows us how he reviews hundreds of files and makes edit decisions. Paul shows us his preferred methodology to select the ultimate images from a whole shoot.
49 The Business of Photography
Paul explains the different strands he has developed in his own photography business to generate an income. Discover how the photography business has evolved over time and how you need to diversify. Paul touches on stock photography, magazine assignments, selling art prints and speaking engagements.
50 Using Social Media
Paul has the largest social media following of any photographer in the world. Discover how he has done it and how you can use his advice to build your following too. Learn the art of what, when and how to post from the master.
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Meet your Master of Photography
paulNicklen
ONLINE PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS
For the first and only time in his illustrious career. conservationist, wildlife and art photographer Paul Nicklen shares all he has learned in a career spanning over 20 years. An assignment photographer for National Geographic magazine and Sony Artisan of Imagery, Paul will teach you how to create sensitive, evocative and impactful images that can help change the world for the better. Get access to this unique Masterclass and learn the photography techniques, ethos and psychology that has garnered Paul over 30 of the highest awards given to any photographer in his field. Prestigious accolades include BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year and the World Press Photo Award for Photojournalism.
50 lessons over 6 hours
Learn to take pictures like these with Paul’s Masterclass!
Give the perfect gift!
Inspire the photographer in your life with the perfect photography gift! Purchase gift cards for any of our Paul Nicklen packages and the recipient will recieve all the added benefits.
You will instantly get an email voucher with your personalised message to send to your loved one or to print off and give to them in person, making it the perfect last-minute gift.
Paul in the News
Join a course and get these extra benefits
Behind the scenes with Chris Ryan
Founder and filmmaker, Chris Ryan, explains how Masters of Photography came into existence. He discusses his desire to find out how the great masters create their own images and to create a platform for anyone to have the experience of learning side by side with a Master of Photography.
Your questions answered
What is Masters of Photography?
Masters of Photography is an education platform and a resource for photographers. Our courses (the masterclasses and discovery classes) are for anyone who wants to learn from some of the most highly regarded and influential photographers in the world in order to elevate their own photography. If you want to learn why not learn from the best? The Masters themselves study the works of the greats.
How much experience do I need to take this class? What camera gear do I need?
The classes have been designed to be suitable for all levels of experience. Whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced professional, learning from a Master is sure to help you to improve your photography.
All you need is a camera, whether that be a DSLR or a smartphone.
What's included in my class?
The classes provide you with lifetime access to the ethos and photographic philosophies of true master photographers. You will learn how they approach their work, the techniques they use and their tips for elevating your own photography.
When you join a class, you will be able discuss the lessons with your fellow students. You will also be able to upload your images to the Photostream and receive feedback from the Masters of Photography community.
After you finish your class, you will receive a digital Certificate of Completion.
Do you have a refund policy?
Yes. If for any reason you are unhappy with your class or feel that you can’t commit to it, simply drop us an email within 30 days and we will refund 100% of your purchase.
How do I take part in the classes?
The classes are delivered online, allowing you to learn from anywhere with an internet connection. You’ll get all the benefits of a workshop experience from the comfort of your own home.
Life gets busy sometimes and it’s hard to fit everything in. That’s why our classes are self-paced allowing you to drop in for lessons whenever it suits you.