About The Modern Photography Academy

The Modern Photography Academy is a transformational online school and community for a new generation of photographers. We know that trying to break through in this industry is overwhelming. Traditional photography school is outdated and expensive, there are no relevant resources online and photographers will never give away their secrets.

The Modern Photography Academy is the solution. With over 1500 graduates worldwide, we've distilled The Academy into potent lessons, clear strategies, industry secrets and real life examples to elevate your technical photography skills, build a profitable business and create opportunities that make you feel alive.

The personal and professional benefits of pursuing a career in photography are endless. It's about more than just getting paid to photograph. It's about the wave of excitement that washes over you when you get an email from a brand you love. It's the feeling of stability you get when you receive a payment from a client that was more than you made all month at your old job. It's about traveling to magical places and working with inspiring people.

The Modern Photography Academy will reawaken your inspiration and stir you into action. It will help you get over your fear and clear away confusion. The process is not always easy, but the rewards of completing the program will repay you for a lifetime. 

About The Creator

The Modern Photography Academy was created in 2016 by me, Carly Dame, a photographer from a small town in Canada who is now based in Paris, France. This is something I couldn't have imagined a few years ago. 

After high school, I spent 6 years in university to become an accountant — something I had little interest in but I thought would guarantee me a successful life. I was a lead accountant for a technology start-up and it was my dream job on paper, but I felt completely burnt out and was barely making enough money to support myself in the city. I was living on autopilot. I had spent most of my life on the "safe path". I had lost my creativity, my passion and my spirit. I felt there had to be more to life. Photography was my escape on the weekends but I never thought it could be a career.

One day I woke up and knew that if I didn't make a big change in my life now, I'd be working an office job for the next 40 years. So, I quit my job to fully pursue photography. I had no connections in the industry, no expensive equipment, and no reason to believe I could do this. I didn't know a single person who was a professional photographer, but I was determined to make it work. I felt my life depended on it. 

It took hard work, a decision to truly believe in myself, and thinking way outside the box, but soon I started earning more in one day as a photographer than I earned all month as an accountant. I turned my passion into a 6 figure business just with my little film camera and I was having more fun that I had ever had in my life. I felt like I was finding myself again.Then I began helping other photographers do the same.

I remember standing on the shores of Italy after having just finished a shoot for one of my favorite brands. I couldn't even afford to buy their clothes only a few years before, and now I was working for them with models who had been on my mood boards for years. That feeling was surreal. With hard work and a few key decisions, life can dramatically change in a short amount of time.

This is why I've poured my entire heart and soul into creating The Modern Photography Academy. It doesn't matter where you grew up, how much money you have, or what kind of camera you can afford. None of that has anything to do with your ability to become a successful photographer. The Academy has helped new photographers book their first paid photoshoot, and has helped established photographers unlock the next level of print campaigns and magazine covers.

I've met many photographers who graduated from top photography schools but who were still unprepared to enter the industry and support themselves financially from their photography. Traditional photography school is outdated and can cost $50,000 or more. These talented photographers were forced to take uninspiring jobs to make ends meet and their talent went to waste.

Maybe you don't know anyone in the photography industry. Maybe no one in your family has pursued a creative path and they're skeptical of your dreams. 

The Modern Photography Academy is the solution to this — real world advice and practical strategies at an affordable price. The information you need to know to make big shifts in the next few weeks, not years. There is no better time to get started than right now.

You are not alone on this path anymore. We're doing this together.