BRAND NEW CLASS

BRAND NEW CLASS 

class by ALICE CHAPMAN

Get Real

Learn how to photograph families just as they are and make compelling documentary images that capture the art of real life. 

Get Real teaches you how to apply the principles of photojournalism to family photography, and how to build your skillset to feel confident in creating extraordinary art amongst ordinary chaos - no matter what that looks like!

This intensive online course is a deep dive into all things family documentary photography for artists ready to find beauty in the everyday and capture real life moments as they happen.

I'm interested
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COURSE LENGTH

3 weeks

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class start date

5th Oct 2026

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INVESTMENT

$300 / $350

Independent / Guided

A woman watering a young boy's torso with a watering can outdoors, with a brick wall and shrub in the background, in black and white.
A yellow graphic 
alice chapman

This is a course for the curious. Have you ever asked yourself: how can I get beyond natural, and get real? 

Family life is perfectly imperfect. It can be hard, funny, challenging, unpredictable, boring, joyful, full of love and a hundred other emotions and moods. With documentary family photography, we attempt to find the beauty in the everyday, the extraordinary in the ordinary, and the art amongst the chaos.

There’s no pretending that everyone woke up in a good mood, got dressed in harmonious colours and spent their day in a flower field all the while facing the same direction. Instead this course will teach you how to see that nothing is better than real life.

You’ll learn how to apply the principles of the documentary approach to family photography, and how to build your skillset to meet its challenges. You’ll learn how to shoot in different and uncontrolled lighting conditions, how to use composition to tell real life stories in your photographs, how to tune into different real life moments that make impactful and meaningful documentary photographs, and how to edit your images to preserve their authenticity.

Two young girls playing outdoors on a grassy lawn with a tall green hedge in the background. One girl is bending down, playing with a small toy bus. The other girl is standing near a tipped-over white chair, looking away from the camera. 
alice chapman
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    • Getting ready: understanding the ethos of documentary photography and how it can be applied to your own family photography approach

    • Getting real: understanding the challenges and the “dos and don’ts” of the genre and how to build your skillset to meet them

    • Real light: how to shoot in different and uncontrolled lighting conditions

    • Real composition: how to use composition to tell real life stories in your photographs

    • Real moment: how to tune into different real life moments that make impactful and meaningful documentary photographs

    • Keeping it real: how to edit your images to preserve the authenticity of your imagery

    • Getting it all together: understanding the mindset of a documentary family photographer and learning how to technically, artfully and intentionally document real family life

  • This three-week interactive class will include:

    • Written lessons, summary videos, and regular exercises and discussion prompts

    • Daily instructor interaction in the classroom to answer questions and support your learning

    • Weekly Q&A Zoom calls - these will be recorded for students who can’t attend

    • Main assignment with individualized, screen-recorded feedback for guided participants

  • This class is suitable for all technical experience levels, from relative beginners to pros who’ve never tried the documentary approach before.  

    • A camera that you’re comfortable with using

    • I recommend shooting with a 35mm lens but please use whatever you have at this stage.

    • Access to a family or a person to photograph for your assignment. 

    • A learning mindset, curiosity about the documentary approach, and a commitment to trusting the process. 

  • Interactive classes are held online and registration opens seasonally.

    Guided students can participate fully in class, by asking questions, submitting assignments, and getting personalized feedback from your teacher.

    Independent students have full access to class content and can participate in class discussions —they just don’t get teacher critique and feedback on images or assignments.

“Great photographs should be meaningful, artful and bursting with character. They should capture not just what a moment looks like, but what it feels like in real life. And making them should be fun.”

ALICE CHAPMAN
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MEET THE TEACHER

Alice

A black and white close-up photo of a woman with shoulder-length hair, wearing glasses and smiling, seated indoors.

Chapman

Hi, I’m Alice Chapman, a documentary photographer and mentor, based in Cambridge in the UK. I love photos that have meaning rooted in real life. 


I’ve been a family photographer since 2011. I still remember the moment I realised documentary family photography was an established genre. All of a sudden, everything started to make sense.

I’m passionate about enabling families and children to be themselves in their family photos so I can champion their individuality.

I love working with families who want something real; who trust me to document their everyday and see what’s unique about them. I love quirks and character.

I’ve been listed five times as the top UK family documentary photographer, won many awards, featured in exhibitions and books, have spoken at photography conferences and judged photography competitions. I’m one of the Co-Founders of Made for Documentary (now closed), and I’m very excited to join the Illuminate family. 

I’ve had a corporate life before photography, with a lot of management and mentoring experience. I love helping people get from A to B. I especially love seeing other photographers thrive in the documentary genre. I love it, and I hope you will too!

See Alice's instagram
Visit Alice's website 
Any questions?

Email your teacher directly here and they will get back to you.

Alumni Student?

We’d love to have you back! Email your teacher here and they will send you a link.

What other students had to say

I had such a wonderful time completing Alice’s Get Real course! There has been so much fab info. In just 3 weeks, I really feel like it’s brought me along further and pushed me out of my boundaries and comfort zone. Alice has the most amazing eye for detail and I’ve learnt so much from hearing her thoughts and critiques on images. She has a wonderful passion for photography and it’s absolutely contagious!
I’m sad that it’s come to an end!

TIA

Alice is a generous and kind mentor who gives thoughtful, thorough critique that is essential for learning and improving as photographers. Her feedback is always clear, honest, and supportive, and she explains everything with the intention of helping us take better photographs next time. You can really feel her deep commitment to documentary photography and its ethos, and she shares her knowledge openly and without hesitation. All questions are allowed, and she actively encourages us to ask them, creating a space where learning happens in the most effective way—in a space built on trust and where it is clear that mistakes are necessary in order to progress. I believe she is the best mentor a person serious about photography can have.

IVA
A geometric shape

“I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this class! So wonderfully put together by Alice, the modules take you step-by-step through what is documentary family photography, technical and creative tools to understand and to practice, then putting everything together and shooting. Alice is a gifted photographer and mentor. Her feedback, insights and love of teaching, together with the way she has structured this course made it a fantastic and exciting three weeks for me. Highly recommend for anyone who has a love for, or is curious about, this genre.

LISA
Check out reviews from Alice's class Get Real
A gold geometric shape
A gold geometric shape

Next Interactive Class Registration opens 26th August

EXPLORE
A person engaging in a playful interaction with two dogs indoors near glass doors, with the person and dogs in motion.
Group of children and adults playing a colorful card game at a wooden table in a cozy home.
Children and adults exploring a sunflower field during daytime, with some children running and others walking, surrounded by tall sunflowers and greenery.
A young boy sitting on a wooden dock near tall grass or reeds, looking towards the camera.
A woman sits on a couch with two children on a pile of cushions as they climb or jump, and a young child with arms raised lies on the floor nearby, inside a room with a large window.
Child reaching up towards decorative ducks on a slanted green and white wall shelf in a cozy, decorated room.
Two young girls playing on a lawn in front of a tall hedge. One girl with red hair is bending over a toy bus, while the other girl with blonde hair is in the background near a fallen white chair.
Two children, a girl and a boy, walking along a winding dirt trail in a lush, green hillside with wildflowers and a bench in the distance.
A yellow and black children's bicycle with a pink basket on a marked basketball court, with a child and another person walking nearby.
An elderly man and woman sit on a park bench, sharing a laugh while enjoying ice cream. The man holds a chocolate popsicle, and the woman has a cup of ice cream. They are surrounded by green foliage, and there is a cane resting against the bench and
Group of children playing outdoors on the grass, some smiling and engaging in what appears to be an active game.
A young girl with long hair, wearing a light blue dress with bunny prints and black rain boots, stands in front of a small soccer goal on a grassy yard. She is looking down, with a soccer ball in motion near her. Another ball is visible behind the go
A family enjoying a moment in their dining room. A man is holding a young girl, and a woman is holding a smaller child and pet dog. The room has yellow curtains and a white cabinet with glass doors.
Five people playing a virtual reality game in a living room, with some sitting on couches and others standing, holding controllers, and wearing VR headsets.
A young girl with blonde hair and blue eyes is lying upside down on a dark teal couch, wearing pink sunglasses, a pink jacket, and looking at the camera. The couch has patterned pillows and is near a dark background.
Child in a yellow hoodie climbing into the mouth of a large, realistic-looking dinosaur statue at a museum or exhibit.
Man teaching children to bake or cook in a kitchen, with one girl yawning and another girl holding a spoon with batter.
Two young children hugging outdoors, one with curly hair and the other with frizzy hair, in black and white.
A young girl with blonde hair wearing a turquoise shirt and pink pants riding a tilt-a-whirl amusement park ride, holding onto a black handle with a blurred background indicating motion.
A woman lying in bed, wrapped in white blankets, in a bedroom with pink curtains, a beige headboard, and a nightstand with a lamp and framed picture.
A young child in a stroller looking up at the camera, surrounded by adults and another child with a stroller, on an outdoor pavement with fallen leaves.
Person in a shark costume playing with a young girl in a red dress outside on a sidewalk with green bushes in the background.
Family of four, including two small children, helping each other on a log in a park surrounded by trees.
Silhouettes of various animals, including whales, dolphins, crocodiles, and insects, are displayed on a colorful mosaic background at the Museum of Zoology. A woman and a child are observing the display.
A woman with long dark hair and two young children, a girl and a boy, near a window with curtains. The girl is standing on the windowsill, leaning forward as if to kiss the woman, while the boy is sitting close to her, both children leaning toward he
Child's legs and feet with pink and polka dot socks, wearing pink and white shoes, resting on a weathered wooden garden bench, with large green leafy plants and pink lily flowers in the background.
A girl appears to be shouting at a boy, who looks upset or surprised, on a patio outside a house.
Two children playing with LEGO boats on the carpeted floor of a room, one sitting on a chair and the other lying down in a light blue dress, with a plastic horse toy nearby.
Group of children and adults celebrating a 10th birthday outdoors with a chocolate cake featuring a lit candle and the number 10 candle holder, many smiling and cheering.
Young boy wearing a superhero costume with a red jacket featuring tractors, a blue swim cap, and aqua goggles, also wearing a brown and yellow animal-themed knit hat with large eyes and ears.
A person leaning forward with extended arms, seemingly playing with or helping a small child who is crawling on the grass outdoors during daytime.
A man in a red t-shirt and jeans playing croquet on a grassy field, with a hand holding a red croquet mallet in the foreground and a church steeple visible in the background.
Child sitting in a high chair reaching out with food on the tray in a backyard dining area with a glass table, various plates of partially eaten food and bowls of berries, surrounded by outdoor chairs, with a garden and a brick wall in the background
A young man with braces joyfully laughing while playing with soap bubbles outside a brick building.
A young girl with blonde hair holding a paper coffee cup, standing on a paved brick sidewalk, surrounded by two adults also holding coffee cups, with a wooden fence and a building in the background.
A man wearing glasses with ladybug stickers on his face is sitting with a child touching his chin and arm, in an indoor setting.
A girl with curly hair and freckles sitting inside a tent, hugging two cats, one orange and one with darker fur, looking directly at the camera.
A man sitting on a bed with striped pillows while a child in a maroon sweater and jeans stretches backwards on the wooden floor, holding onto the man's foot.
A young boy with dark hair, wearing a yellow long-sleeve shirt and plaid pajama pants, brushing his teeth at a bathroom sink, smiling and looking up.
A young girl riding on her father's shoulders, pulling his bandana over his eyes during an outdoor activity in the backyard in the evening.
A woman standing and talking with a woman sitting on the beach, surrounded by seagulls, with others walking along the shoreline in the background on a sunny day at the beach.
A family in a garden engaged in water gun fight, with a woman crouching and a girl holding a water gun, surrounded by greenery.
Two women comfort a crying baby, one woman holding the child's face and the other leaning in with concern, in an indoor setting.
Two young children in a kitchen, one with brown hair and wearing a yellow sweatshirt, appearing upset, and the other with blond hair, wearing a red and blue jacket, reaching up towards an adult holding a yellow jacket. The kitchen countertop in the b
A young boy with light hair and a playful expression stands outdoors beneath tree branches, wearing a Marvel t-shirt.
A young girl and an elderly woman are sharing an affectionate moment, noses touching and smiling while looking at each other.
A woman is taking a picture of a young girl with her eyes closed, in a dimly lit room.
A young girl with shoulder-length hair, wearing a patterned sleeveless top and shorts, holding a large stick over her shoulder in an outdoor grassy area with trees.
Two young children, a girl and a boy, playing in a parking lot with a woman watching nearby. The girl is tossing an object into the air while the boy tries to catch it. The woman is holding a coffee cup and smiling.
A young boy with wet brown hair and freckles being hugged by an adult wearing a leopard print shirt.
Child opening a cereal box at a table with cereal bowls and additional cereal boxes on the table.
Three children playing in a backyard with a trampoline. One girl is on the trampoline, one girl is bouncing, and a boy is standing on the grass thrown a yellow ball. Toys are scattered on the grass, and there are green trees in the background.
Close-up of a woman's shoulder, hair, and hand gently resting on her arm, with a blurred background.
A young child with red hair and a rainbow rainbow shirt sitting at a dining table, looking upset, as an adult woman, possibly his mother, feeds him vegetables from a green tray. The setting is a kitchen with various items on the table and in the back
A woman pouring water on a young boy's back outdoors, both smiling, in black and white.
A person with a shirt and dark pants sitting on a bed drinking from a mug, next to a child with a blanket over their head lying on the bed, with stuffed ladybugs nearby, in a bedroom with bedside tables and lamps.
A woman sits on a couch with two young children, reading a colorful book together while smiling and engaging with them.
A woman and a young girl sitting on a window seat indoors, with rain on the window behind them, sharing a joyful moment and looking at each other.
A woman serving breakfast to children at a table in a kitchen, with three children smiling and laughing. The table has mugs, bowls, and a pitcher, and the kitchen has a red stand mixer and other appliances.
A child sitting on a tree swing reading a book in a well-maintained garden with various bushes, trees, and a brick house in the background.
Person with dark hair, wearing a mustard yellow long sleeve shirt, holding a lock of hair.
A woman and a young child sharing a joyful moment, with the woman lifting the child in the air, in a dimly lit room.
An older person administering acupuncture to a young girl on her neck and shoulder area.
A young child in striped clothing is being helped into a portable changing station by two adults.
A black and white photo of a couple kissing, with a child in front of them. The scene takes place outdoors, with fallen leaves on the ground.
A man getting sprayed with water while playing a water gun fight with two children in a backyard during daytime.
A group of children and adults exploring and climbing a large fallen tree and climbing a tree outdoors in a park or natural setting.
A man with glasses and a beard holding a young girl with blonde curly hair who is pointing her finger at his nose, standing in an art gallery with framed pictures on the wall.
A young girl with curly hair biting her own hair, holding it with one hand, outdoors on a sunny day.
A woman kneeling on a basketball court, holding a young girl in her arms, laughing. A man in white sneakers bent over, smiling at the girl. There are shoes and a backpack on the ground nearby.
A man and woman holding hands outdoors in black and white.
A girl doing a cartwheel on a grassy field in an orchard with trees and dense foliage in the background.
A woman kneeling on a bed holding a toothbrush towards a young girl jumping on the bed, with wooden blinds in the background.
A woman leaning over a young child sitting in a high chair, with another small child lying on the floor nearby. The table has snacks, cups, and pens.
Child lying on the floor with arms and legs outstretched in a child’s bedroom, surrounded by toys, books, and artwork on the wall.
A woman and a girl are sitting on a trampoline holding hands while the girl leans back. Two children are nearby, one standing and one smiling at the camera.
Two children, a girl with blonde hair in a striped shirt and a boy in a patterned sweater, are playing with colorful capsules or candies indoors near a table with a glass top and toys.
A woman lying on the floor in a playroom, lifting a young girl by the hands while a young boy on her back smiles and clasps his hands around the woman's waist.
A man helping a young girl put on a dress while two women and a toddler are watching in a room with teal walls.
A man and two children, a boy and a girl, sharing a joyful cuddle on a bed, smiling and hugging each other in a moment of happiness.

What other students had to say

Alice was wonderful, I'd do another course with her in a heartbeat!

KATT

Alice is a generous and kind mentor who gives thoughtful, thorough critique that is essential for learning and improving as photographers. Her feedback is always clear, honest, and supportive, and she explains everything with the intention of helping us take better photographs next time. You can really feel her deep commitment to documentary photography and its ethos, and she shares her knowledge openly and without hesitation. All questions are allowed, and she actively encourages us to ask them, creating a space where learning happens in the most effective way—in a space built on trust and where it is clear that mistakes are necessary in order to progress. I believe she is the best mentor a person serious about photography can have.

IVA
A geometric shape

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this class! So wonderfully put together by Alice, the modules take you step-by-step through what is documentary family photography, technical and creative tools to understand and to practice, then putting everything together and shooting.  Alice is a gifted photographer and mentor. Her feedback, insights and love of teaching, together with  the way she has structured this course made it a fantastic and exciting three weeks for me. Highly recommend for anyone who has a love for, or is curious about, this genre.

LISA
A gold geometric shape
A gold geometric shape

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