What is casarsaGURU?
CasarsaGURU is a complete online photography experience service for all photographers who would like to approach commercial projects. You will be able to learn photography skills from basic to advanced professional executions and start earning money while attending the program of your choice. You can pick from 7 products with growing skills requirements and a chance to get a free access to the next level. We created a basic and advanced course, an e-learning experience divided in two semesters and an agency for professional photographers. Take a tour and review our product introduction, and pick the one that fits you best. We're looking forward to having you among our photographers.
Who is the tutor of CasarsaGuru ?
So far, that's me, Valentin Casarsa. I have been working as a professional photographer since 1997. As I became more active on stock photography in 2005, I came up with idea to create a platform where all the experience and know-how I have gained can be shared among the community of creative and motivated artists.
There are as many opportunities as you can see.
My goal is to offer a helping hand to those artists who want to learn and be successful in the field of commercial photography. I'm a photographer who has always pushed forward and has never given in to mediocrity.
I started as a photo-assistant, moving forward to a self-employed photographer and the head of a photo department in an advertising agency where I discovered the stock photo market in 2000. I joined iStockphoto in 2005 and found myself extremely at ease in this business model. My connection to iStockphoto/Gettyimages developed further — I became a photo inspector, art director on worldwide events, and inspector trainer. At the same time I continued to work as an exclusive contributor.
I have been acquiring experience and observing the market changes since 2005, and I disagree with the claims that the market is already saturated. I see the way to still offer an appealing content to the constantly changing market. The demand is still there and is changing faster than the way it gets created and offered.
There are as many opportunities as you can see and I see many.
CasarsaGuru is a US company based in New York whose intent is to provide a worldwide learning experience through dedicated courses and extended semesters. The idea started to form in 2015 and has already reached the proof of concept as several photographers have already enrolled the educational program. With a constantly growing team of collaborators and attendees, CasarsaGuru's intent is to bring the project on a larger scale by promoting its services worldwide using the web-based e-learning applications and communication channels. Photography is the first field of creative content creation which will be followed by digital video, illustrations, and audio courses. For everyone who wants to make the most of their passion and is looking forward to making a living out of it, the CasarsaGuru is offering the right tools to connect the artist's passion with the demanding market needs and professional service requests. The services we offer are available for artists ranging from beginners with only basic skills up to professionals who can benefit from the most recent trends and market needs requests and our exclusive channels of distribution and promotion.
For further information you can contact us by mail:
or
CASARSAGURU LLC
1 Radisson Plaza, Ste #800
New Rochelle, NY 10801, USA
What are the 7 products I can pick from ?
We created a complete photography experience for photographers who have just started out as photographers as well as for those who are experienced and already work as professionals. We have 3 categories of products to pick from, namely courses, e-learning and agency. Each category consists of several levels depending on the skills required:
Courses (entry level)
Basic course
Advanced course
E-learning (advanced)
1st semester
2nd semester
Agency (Pro)
Guru Team
Guru Agent
StoryStock
Courses
Courses are meant to be a learning guided experience only. But if you decide to give it a try with the executed images from the projects and our editors pick your selected works, you'll get 50% of the royalties your images will produce.
E-learning
All the images selected by the editors will be put on sale on Istockphoto and Gettyimages.
In the 1st semester you'll get 50% of the royalties your images will create. The post-processing, keywording and uploading services will be offered and managed by the casarsaguru.
In the 2nd semester you'll get 50% of the royalties your images will create and continue receiving 50% of the royalties from the images you generated in the 1st semester.
Agency
Guru Team
For all the selected and uploaded images you'll create for the stock photo market you'll get 50% of the royalties and will continue receiving the same share as far as you'll be a team member. If you finished ste semester 1 and 2 you'll keep earning 50% share of royalties.
For all the images you'll create for paid jobs a new contract will be signed each time and the income will be defined from case to case.
Guru Agent
You'll get 60% of the royalties your images will create. You'll have a chance to review the most recent creative briefs and market needs. The higher share will be offered in case you will manage the post-processing and keywording. In case you want to leave the content preparation to us, we will still pay you 50% of the share.
StoryStock
We will pay 50% of the royalties to the authors. This share can be split between a photographer and a writer. In case you play both roles, you get all the 50% share.
Have questions?
How do I get paid ?
You'll be asked to submit a Paypal account which will be used to pay your share on a monthly basis as soon as the amount exceeds $100.
What if I enroll and do not finish the training or semester ?
The semesters, courses and Agency collaboration is not time-limited, so do not worry. You can stop whenever you want or continue after pausing.
Can I enroll at any time ?
We'll have the enrolments scheduled monthly so you can postpone your decision and take it when your time schedule allows you to.
How do I submit the images I will produce during the enrolment ?
You'll be asked to submit your images via a file transfer sharing service offered by Dropbox. Ideally, you can submit unedited RAW files, but non-compressed JPG will be accepted, too. Please refer to the specifics of each service you're interested in, and review the guidelines.
What will happen to the images I submit ?
Once we receive the selected high resolution images, we'll provide for everything else including the post-processing, key-wording and uploading.
Do I need to prepare my images in some way in order to be approved ?
No. The unedited RAW version of the selected images is the most appropriate format for submission.
Is there a minimum or maximum of images I can submit ?
It can vary depending on the course you will apply to. Please see the reference and guidelines for the enrolment you're looking for, but there is no maximum limit.
Do I need a special equipment in order to be approved ?
It can vary depending on the course you will apply to. Please see the reference and guidelines for the enrolment you are looking for.
Will I be able to check my sales and images that will be uploaded on istock and Gettyimages ?
We'll provide you with all the statistics inside your profile page once you get enroled, and you will be able to see live the images of all our photographers on our exclusive channels on Istock and Gettyimages account portfolios.
Courses
What are the courses and what they consists of ?
The aim of our courses is to explain the basics of photography. We are not entering into the explanation of how your camera works, for that you can consult operational manual to understand the technical part of your camera functionality. We're rather focusing of what really triggers the photographic aesthetic appeal. We offer you two courses that are quite unique and different.
The basic course is meant for photographers who are trying to understand what makes some images more appealing than others. This course is not neccessarily for the beginners only. Making the image unique, interesting as well as conceptually and visually valid is something even the professional photographers are constantly trying to achieve.
The advanced course is similar to the basic course with a difference that we're assuming you already know the basics and we will be focusing on commercial photography approach in detail. There are several specificities when it comes to commercial photography that every professional photographer should know. We're offering this know-how based on experience, market needs and trends that are in vogue at the present day.
Both courses consist of the following: an introduction script that explains in detail the subjects we'll be covering, online conversations with a tutor, 7 projects to execute under the creative direction of the tutor, and a chance to win a free admission to the next level as well as a chance to start earning from the images you created during the execution of the course projects.
E-learning
What is the e-learning and how are the semesters structured?
Our e-learning method is designed to offer a successful approach to the commercial photography. With this method you will have a chance to earn money by selling the same images you create during the project execution through our exclusive distribution channels on Istock and Gettyimages. There are two semesters and each of them lasts for 24 weeks (6 months).
The 1st semester will guide you through the execution of most needed commercial content and we will focus on the correct execution and the understanding of trends and creativity inside the photographic production. Your images will be uploaded on Istockphoto and will be licensed as RF content. The revenue that your images will create will be paid off to you with a share of 50%.
The 2nd semester will take you a step forward in terms of quality production. We'll be focusing mostly on unique and creative approach with the highest quality execution possible. Your images will be uploaded on Gettyimages and will be licensesd as RF/RM content. The revenue that your images will create will be paid off to you with a share of 50%.
Both semesters will offer you projects to execute under the creative direction of a tutor and in a form of a written creative brief. You'll learn to create a shoot planner for each project and you'll have a chance to attend group seminars, personal one-on-one coaching, video tutorials and a lot more. We'll teach you how to increase your know-how, dedication and success. To the best photographers we'll offer a chance to win a free admission to the next semester or send a personal invitation to join the GuruTeam photographer's Agency.
Agency
What is the Agency and what the membership consists of?
The Agency is the beginning of a new adventure which will provide several services that are going to expand in time. As for now the entire Agency structure is under construction and will be revealed to you shortly.
