Exploring Digital Photography and South Florida: Miami & Key West
$995
+ registration fees
IN-PERSON | 72 Hours (equivalent to 6 credits)
DAY 1: 1:00PM – 10:00PM
DAY 2: 9:00AM – 8:00PM
DAY 3: 6:00AM – 10:00PM
DAY 4: 8:00AM – 4:00PM
Offered in collaboration with Hudson County Community College
Photography Instructors: Sara Abbassi & Frederick Criswell
Cultural Instructors/Class Coordinators: Liana Vasseur & Michael Abbassi
SPACE IS VERY LIMITED, SO REGISTER EARLY!!
**We reserve the right to change any of the activities listed below, should any of them be unavailable due to inclement weather.
November 13 – 16, 2025
December 18 – 21, 2025
2026
January 22 – 25, 2026
February 19 – 22, 2026
April 16 – 19, 2026
COURSE DESCRIPTION
In this Photography + Destination Combination course, you’ll learn the fundamentals of digital photography and immediately apply your new knowledge and skills during a hands-on trip to Miami Beach and Key West, Florida.
Designed for anyone who loves to travel, explore new places, and enhance their photography abilities, this course welcomes participants using any digital camera or smartphone. Over the span of four immersive days, you’ll experience the culture, art, history, literature, and marine life of South Florida while developing your eye for exceptional travel photography.
What You’ll Learn
Our professional photography instructor will guide you through essential concepts such as exposure, color balance, and composition. Together, you’ll experiment with macro (close-up) and landscape photography, and explore basic editing and retouching techniques to elevate your images.
Places you will visit:
Downtown Miami
Home to historic architecture, vibrant green spaces, and some of the city’s best museums, Downtown Miami offers far more than its former 9-to-5 reputation. You’ll photograph iconic landmarks such as the Freedom Tower and Bayfront Park, among others.
Wynwood Art District
Capture the bold colors and creativity of the Wynwood Art District, an open-air museum featuring large-scale murals by world-renowned street artists. This district also hosts the famous Art Basel festival each year—making it a must-see for art and photography enthusiasts.
Miami Beach’s Art Deco Historic District
Step back in time as you tour the Art Deco Historic District, known for its pastel-hued buildings, geometric designs, and intricate architectural details. This is the perfect setting to practice capturing vivid colors, symmetry, and historical charm through your lens.
Little Havana
Immerse yourself in the Cuban heart of Miami. In Little Havana, you’ll learn about Cuban influence on local cuisine, music, and culture while photographing key landmarks such as the Walk of Fame, the Bay of Pigs Invasion Memorial, and Domino Park.
Everglades National Park
Venture into the Everglades National Park, a 1.5-million-acre wetlands preserve often described as a “slow-moving river of grass.” You’ll explore a landscape of mangroves, sawgrass marshes, and pine flatwoods, home to hundreds of unique wildlife species—an ideal opportunity for nature and wildlife photography.
Key West
During a full-day excursion to Key West, the southernmost point in the continental United States, you’ll visit historic landmarks such as the Key West Museum of Art & History, Ernest Hemingway House, and Mallory Square. Capture the charm of pastel-colored, conch-style architecture, and learn about the nearby Florida Reef System, the largest coral reef ecosystem in the continental U.S.
You’ll also have free time to explore Key West at your own, and weather-permitting, you’ll have the optional opportunity to snorkel (additional cost: $60-70). Discover the coral reef’s vibrant marine life up close and photograph the natural beauty beneath the crystal-clear waters.
PRICE INCLUDES
– Tuition fees
– 3 x nights of accommodations at Beds N Drinks Hostel in Miami Beach ( sleep in your own bunk bed)
– Local transportation costs to and from all activities
– 1 x Cuban lunch in Little Havana
– Day trip to Key West
– 1/2 day trip to the Everglades
– All activities including entrance fees to parks and museums
PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE
– Airfare to/from Miami, FL
– Transportation to/from airport
– Meals (Except for one Cuban lunch)
– Registration fees (platform and processing fees)
ASSIGNMENTS & COMPLETION CERTIFICATE
In addition to the in-person meetings, this class will include pre-assignments and post-assignments as part of the 72-hour class.
You will be invited to join Google Classroom about a month before class starts, which is the platform we use for the course. Check your spam folder, as invitations to join Google Classroom sometimes end up there. Please make sure you register for the course with a valid email address, since this is where you will receive the invitation and later, your certificate. Your email has to be Google compatible, so it’s best to use gmail, outlook, hotmail or yahoo. If you do not receive a notification to join Google Classroom, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to contact us.
Pre-assignments will be posted on Google Classroom 3 weeks before class starts. Make sure you join Google Classroom early and complete the assignments BEFORE coming to class. It will take you approximately 18 hours to complete
Follow-up assignments will be posted on Google Classroom on the weekend of class, and also consist of 18 hours. You must complete them in order to receive your course completion certificate. Course completion certificates will be emailed to you, a few days after the class has officially ended. You will have 4 weeks to complete the assignments. If you need your certificate earlier, please indicate it during the registration process and upload proof. The earliest you can receive your certificate is ONE WEEK after in-person portion of class has concluded.
ATTENDANCE
Attendance IS MANDATORY all days during the trip in South Florida. If you are late or leave early, your will risk not receiving your certificate. Please note, that this is a long weekend intensive class and the days are long. Bring comfortable shoes, water, snacks, sunglasses, sunscreen and of course your camera/phone. We expect you to come to class rested and ready to participate, learn and have fun!
SCHEDULE
DAY 1: 1:00PM – 10:00PM
DAY 2: 9:00AM – 8:00PM
DAY 3: 6:00AM – 10:00PM
DAY 4: 8:00AM – 4:00PM
** Detailed agenda, schedule and information will be shared on Google Classroom 2 weeks prior to class start date. All registered students will connect via WhatsApp, giving an opportunity to get to know each other before the trip and make plans to share an Uber from the airport.