The New York Institute of Photography provides its lessons through glossy A4 sized booklets containing the lessons; audio tapes that discuss the content of the booklets; and video tapes that look closer at particular topics covered by the lessons. The course is made up of 6 units, providing over 30 lessons. Each lesson includes a self-check quiz to assist you in checking your progress. At the completion of each unit the student is asked to submit some photographs demonstrating the techniques covered in the lessons and a comprehension test for your tutor to mark.

The first unit includes:

In addition, since this is the first unit you also receive a welcome booklet, a freelance price guide (this provides advice on how much to charge for your photographs. It was nice to see that this booklet had been written with the local UK market in mind), and a short booklet entitled '101 Ways to Make Money From Photography'. Also included was a free 35mm film. It's worth bearing in mind that the exact specifics of these extras may change over time and be different in other parts of the world, so don't sue me if you don't get a free film :-)

Lesson 1: Eye of the Photographer

The NYIP course starts with a discussion on developing the eye of the photographer; that is the ability to see a good picture before pressing the shutter release. The booklet for this lesson contains approximately two dozen colour and black and white photographs which are examined to establish why they are beautiful photographs.

This lesson introduces three basic guidelines for taking good photographs, none of which are concerned with technical ability or the equipment used to take a photograph. Good photographs:

1. have a clear subject or theme
2. focus attention on the subject
3. simplify by excluding anything that distracts from the subject

Lesson 2: Camera and Lens

This lesson provides a very brief explanation of how a camera works. It then describes different types of cameras and lenses that are available (as an aside, the NYIP course can be completed using any type of camera (including digital), although the NYIP recommends using a camera on which the student can control aperture, shutter speed and focusing). The descriptions of different lenses includes explanations of how the type of lens used by a photographer can change the appearance of the photograph being taken.

This lesson is useful for those new to photography, but for most people with an interest in photography it will be quickly skimmed over in favour of later lessons.

Lesson 3: How to Use Your Camera

This lesson discusses aperture and shutter speed settings, and how they are used to produce the image that the photographer has envisioned. 

It covers depth of field and how an understanding of this can be used to selectively focus on a particular part of a photograph or keep everything in focus through an understanding of hyperfocal focusing.

Shutter speeds are discussed to show how they can be used to freeze moving objects or to capture movement by allowing slow shutter speeds to blur moving objects.

Lesson 3 stresses the need to ensure that photographs are sharp (unless the photographer is being creative and actually wants a blurred image :-)). It teaches that this can be achieved by ensuring that the camera is properly focused and that camera shake is avoided. Camera shake can be avoided by two simple precautions: using a shutter speed that is fast enough to prevent any movement of the camera being captured on film, and using a tripod whenever possible to minimise any movement of the camera.

Photo Assignment

Unit One finishes with a comprehension test on Lessons Two and Three which the students submits to their tutor along with a photo assignment.

The photo assignment for Unit One requires the student to submit three photographs for assessment. These are returned by the tutor with feedback recorded on an audio tape.

Photograph#1: a photo that captures a person or object in motion to create a sense of speed through one of three techniques covered by the unit: a slow shutter speed to blur movement while keeping the background sharp; panning the camera to keep the moving object in sharp focus while blurring the background; or a high shutter speed to freeze action at its highest point of intensity.

Photograph#2: a photograph using selective focus to make the subject stand out. The subject has to fill most of the frame while leaving some of the background visible (but out of focus).

Photograph#3: an outdoor view that creates a feeling of distance through the use of maximum depth of field.