A Review of MatadorU by a student, Ingrid McQuivey
How I Found MatadorU. I have been a photographer for approximately ten years. My first camera was a full-frame Nikon D200. My husband gave it to me for Christmas. I used it to document my three boy’s fleeting childhood. Motherhood has been a large part of my life and the close connection with my sons has been the foundation of my photography. It allowed me to develop of style of photography that encompasses candid, unscripted moments. Over the last couple of years, I have tried different types of photography and found storytelling to be my niche. And in 2014, I began researching travel photography. I had always loved travel and dreamed of being a travel photographer, however, I was concerned about my age. I am in my midforties and felt I may be too old to pursue travel photography. However, despite my fear, I googled travel photography courses. The travel media school, MatadorU, appeared and I found they were under the umbrella of Matador Network. (Matador Network is the largest travel magazine online.) I had seen Matador Network’s website before and I have to admit, my initial impression was not in favor of the all the list articles (I am prone to narrative writing.) and some of Matador’s titles. However, as a current student, I now understand listicles (list articles), written by locals, are part of Matador Network’s award-winning brand. I also found the site to be fun, engaging, educational and easy to read in a moment’s notice - a must in online culture. Personally, I do not have a lot of time during the day and Matador Network’s listicle format was easy to digest in a ten minute break. I could read articles at work during lunch, or sitting in a doctor’s office, or in the car waiting to pick up school children. MatadorU allows everyone to view a small portion of their travel media coursework for free. I took advantage of this by reading over a small portion of the Fundamentals of Travel Photography. I could tell it was a strong educational platform. The lesson structure was comprehensive and I learned from it. I found students were given up to a year to receive free instruction from instructors on their coursework. I also discovered MatadorU offers a student forum and a marketplace with current travel leads. There is a strong emphasis on networking and that appealed to me. Next, I turned to the internet. I wanted to read reviews by past or current students. The reviews were positive and complimentary, with the exception of one, and I decided to sign up for the Fundamentals of Travel Photography course. It has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. The network, friendships and instruction have been invaluable. In the following pages, I have written honest reviews on some of the travel media courses offered at MatadorU. I have also included work I produced as a student.
Photo taken in my Fundamentals of Travel Photography course. This was my first attempt at photographing a waterfall.
Photography My first course was the Fundamentals of Travel Photography. It is six lessons, subdivided into several smaller lessons within. Each lesson builds on the next. I am a photographer by trade and have had almost a decade of experience, but started with the fundamentals course as I was selftaught and needed to fill gaps in my instruction. I had rarely used a tripod and did not know how to photograph landscape, or night scenes. I did not know how to write proper captions for my photographs and even though I was comfortable shooting in manual mode, I had not learned how to focus and refocus, a simple skill. I was taught all these skills in the course. My photography instructors, Kate and Michael, were my first introduction to the type of education I would be receiving at MatadorU. They were successful travel photographers with first-hand experience in the field. During one lesson, I had not taken a technically-correct photograph of a subject in dim light. In a positive, yet corrective manner, Michael asked me to try again. At Matador U, we are taught that honesty and respect is essential and the instructors follow a similar ideal in their critiques. I corrected my lesson, resubmitted and with praise I was given the approval to move along.
There are voluntary deadlines in completing assignments. Editors work on deadlines, and as students it is suggested we follow a similar time schedule. Yet, if I could not meet a deadline due to unexpected life circumstances, there was never pressure. At times, I wished I had the option to print lessons. I can access the course material anywhere through a cell phone, but I like to taking notes and highlighting when I am learning. As I progressed, I was asked to find a photography niche. Finding a niche was diďŹƒcult for me. I was unsure whether my style of photography, candid and unscripted, would fit in travel photography. Toward the end of the fundamentals course, Kate recognized my passion for capturing the human elements of everyday life. She suggested I focus on that niche. It was a defining moment for me in my career as a travel photographer. Kate had validated my style of photography and I knew I could use it in the field. It strengthened my resolve to succeed.
Photo taken during an interview with musician, Jon Davidson, for my writing homework. (Photography is not mandatory in the writing course.)
Writing I signed up for the Fundamentals of Travel Writing after I had finished my travel photography course. I had received a brief suggestion from an instructor to think about signing and after a few weeks of deliberation, I made the decision to try travel writing. As a writing student, I had a dierent skill set than I did as a photography student. I had some past instruction in writing, however, it had been a long time and I needed a lot more. The writing course was set up similar to the photography course, with each lesson built upon the last. As a beginning travel writer, the curriculum was easy to comprehend and I could move along with little confusion. If I did have confusion, in any MatadorU travel course, I would email one of my instructors and they responded in a timely manner. My first writing lesson was reviewed and I was asked to make edits by my instructor, Mary. She was quick and informative and I completed the lesson at a steady pace. My second and third lessons were somewhat diďŹƒcult as a rare technical glitch did not allow my homework
revisions to show up in my instructors’ queue. My initial homework submissions were received, but my final homework revisions were lost. When the dilemma was revealed to the program director at MatadorU, within the hour the technical issue was corrected. I was contacted by my writing instructors the same day and my homework revisions were approved. I was impressed with the expedient manner my issue was resolved. Thinking back, I believe it was my fault the revisions were not received. I did not allow enough time for my corrections to be saved before moving on. I am now on lesson four in the travel writing course. For this lesson, my homework assignment has given me the privilege of interviewing a traveling musician who lives in Portland, Oregon. Before, I would have never created such an opportunity on my own. MatadorU encourages growth.
Quick Overview of MatadorU
•Courses on average are six to eight lessons, this includes homework • Instructors are successful, current writers, photographers and filmmakers. • Market leads (press trips, writing opportunities, etc.) through Matador Network are available to students and they are encouraged to apply • The online education platform is accessible anywhere, including cell phones • MatadorU students have the opportunity to work with Matador Network for publication of work • Students have one year to complete course material and receive free instruction from instructors • Course material is available for life, including additions to previous course material
• Student forum for support, questions, and sharing • Instructors are honest, fair, corrective and supportive in lesson work • Coursework takes time, as does becoming an expert in travel media • If a student chooses, he can publicize his lesson work for other students to read and learn from • Global community of travel writers, photographers, and filmmakers • Check out a small portion of the curriculum for free • Networking is invaluable in travel media and it is found at MatadorU
A Special Thank You
There are people in life who champion you. Carlo Alcos, the Program Director of MatadorU and Managing Editor at Matador Network, has been one of those individuals for me. As a student, I have been published twice through Matador Network because of Carlo. (Students at MatadorU have the opportunity to be published through Matador Network.) With my first publication, 11 Ways To Capture The Beauty Of Everyday Life With Your Camera, Carlo contacted me through email and challenged me to craft a photo essay. I had not reached my final course lessons in travel photography, where I am taught the process of writing photo essays, yet, he still believed in my ability to accomplish it. He patiently instructed me through email for many days. When I had finished the essay, he made slight edits and it was published at a later date. Three days after publication, he contacted me and told me the story was doing well. The story had reached over ten thousand likes on Facebook. On my second story, Carlo asked me to write about the Pacific Northwest. It was a long listicle, full of detail and links to businesses or recreation sites. Again, he edited and asked me to make revisions and I was published my second time at Matador Network. Carlo challenged me to step out of my comfort zone and craft my first two publications. He was the push I needed. I recently told him through email, he has been the “perfect amount of tough reality mixed with sincere encouragement.” As students we need validation and encouragement to succeed. The instructors, program director and other students at Matador U have given me that support. In regards to quality of instruction, the instructors are well-qualified and have given knowledgable corrections and guidance. I have no hesitation in recommending MatadorU’s travel media school.
MATADOR U REVIEW - INGRID MCQUIVEY