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photographers read my newsletter
1,500+
photographers registered on my site
173
certified Masters in 24 countries
5.0
on 93 Google reviews
PORTFOLIO
Sharp at full speed.
Every photograph here was taken with the dog running, jumping or catching. The same moments I teach you to read before they happen.
WHO IS TEACHING
I’m Claudio Piccoli.
I photograph dogs in action, and I teach photographers all over the world to do it.
I’m Nikon Ambassador for Italy. My photographs have been published by Forbes, The Guardian and Corriere della Sera, and I teach online, in workshops in Europe and the United States, and one to one.
READING THE MOMENT
One frame. Six decisions, one story.
The cold. Early morning, cold water. The color of the sea carries the temperature, so you feel the morning before you read a word.
The instant. The mouth is a hand’s width from the frisbee. The autofocus has to hold the dog’s eye through the whole jump, because a fraction of a second later the photograph is gone.
The sky. The brightest part of the frame, and it keeps every shade of pink and blue. Not one highlight is burnt out.
The coat. Exposing well is not only about not burning the sky. A dark dog against a bright sky, and every hair still has texture: light and shadow both survive in one exposure.
The wind. It blows against the jump. Her hair and the waves stream back while the dog flies forward, and her gaze carries the motion.
The water. Light on moving water usually turns white and flat. Here every reflection keeps its shape, its depth and its color.
None of this happened by luck. Every detail in the frame was decided before the dog left the ground.
This is what I teach: to see the photograph before it happens.
WHERE DO YOU START
Four ways to learn. Start from the sentence that sounds like you.
01 ONLINE COURSES
“My dogs in motion are never really sharp.”
Recorded lessons, at your own pace, yours for life. Settings, autofocus, light and the moment, from the first shot to the edit.
02 WORKSHOPS
“I want to see how you work, in the field.”
Shooting days with real dogs and a small group, in Europe and the United States. The 2027 dates are announced at the end of November.
03 MENTORING
“I want clients who pay for my work.”
One to one, on your photographs and your business. Three levels, on application.
04 COMMUNITY
“I don’t want to grow on my own.”
A weekly live meeting on Zoom with photographers from many countries, a monthly challenge and reviews of your photographs.
WHAT THEY WROTE
5.0 on 93 Google reviews.
ONLINE COURSE
“At first I struggled quite a bit to get sharp photos of dogs in motion while changing the settings. […] The results are on a completely different level, and the improvement is very noticeable.”
Lucie Nermuťová, Google review
WORKSHOP
“Both workshops were well organized with a variety of dogs to photograph. All the photographers involved were helpful and supportive. I highly recommend Claudio’s workshops.”
Wendy Evans, Google review
MENTORING
“Thanks to Claudio’s mentorship, I have made huge strides in just a few months regarding my shooting skills, photo post-processing, and the presentation of my work.”
Yulia, Google review
COMMUNITY
“His clear explanations and understanding of all the struggles photographers face, make it easy to learn and increase your skills. […] Be sure to join the community too. We all help each other improve our photos.”
Lynn Ballard, Google review
DOG PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERS
173 Masters in 24 countries.
The title comes with my online course: finish the lessons, pass the final exam. A client can then look up your name and number in the public register before hiring.
An exam you cannot fake. You submit the raw frame next to the edited one.
A number clients can check. Permanent and public, not a subscription.
A place on the Masters map. Clients in your country find you there.
A mark you can use everywhere. Your website, your quotes, social media, print.
The path, with my support. From the first lesson to the final exam.
THE ONLINE COURSE
Dog Photography Outdoor.
The complete method I use on every action shoot, from the first camera setting to the finished photograph.
12 shooting lessons. Exposure, autofocus, low light, reading the dog before it moves.
12 editing lessons. Lightroom and Photoshop from zero, up to my complete workflow.
Business and social. For when you want to get paid for your photographs.
The Master Certificate. A final exam, and your place on the Masters Map.
From €59 a month, lifetime access.
Not sure yet? One full lesson of this course is free.
QUESTIONS
Before you start.
Didn’t find your answer? Write to me and you’ll get an answer.
I’m a beginner. Is this for me?
Yes, if you know your camera. If you can change aperture, shutter speed and ISO without looking for them, you’re ready. From there the course takes you step by step to the moving dog, at your own pace.
I’ve never used Lightroom or Photoshop.
That’s fine. The 12 editing lessons start from zero, even if you have never opened Lightroom or Photoshop, and build up step by step to very advanced techniques.
My dogs in motion are never sharp. Where does that come from?
Almost always from a combination of shutter speed, autofocus settings and where you put the focus point. It is the first thing the course solves, because without it nothing else matters.
What equipment do I need?
A camera with continuous autofocus and burst mode, and a lens of at least 200mm.
How do you get the 3D, wow look in your photographs?
In editing. I start in Lightroom and finish in Photoshop, and the course gives you my complete workflow, the one behind that depth. The course page has all the details.
I already shoot well. Is it advanced enough for me?
Yes. The editing goes all the way to my complete workflow, with Photoshop techniques that many experienced photographers have never used. Once you learn them, you keep using them.
Can this become paid work?
That’s what the business and social part of the course is for. The Master Certificate gives clients a name they can verify, and the mentoring works one to one on how you present and sell your photography.
How long do I keep the course?
For life. The lessons stay in your account, with no expiry date.
Which languages?
English and Italian, two separate courses, each recorded in its own language.
