Photography Coaching

STARTING OUT
It can be bewildering trying to use a camera for the first time out of AutoMode. There are a lot of settings to understand, and getting a photo taken can feel like a big challenge.
Then there is the jargon - technical phrases that can leave you feeling totally dazed and confused. What is an f-stop, what is depth of field and why is it important?
It’s no wonder many people give up and leave their camera in auto mode for the rest of it’s days. However, it doesn’t need to be this way.

What if I said that coaching may be the way for you to finally free yourself from Auto Mode and get creative with your photography?

I KNOW YOUR PAIN
I remember excitedly opening up my brand new DSLR camera, fitting the lens and switching it to Manual Mode. I took my first photo…..and hmmm….it was totally black. I spun one of the dials, the next image was a burned out white, and the third was blurred. This wasn’t going to be easy…..but after much research, practice, and a lot of trial and error, the penny finally dropped….and honestly, it’s not as difficult as you may think.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?
There are a few fundamentals which every photographer must understand; exposure, metering, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focussing and a few others, but once you do, then the wonderful creative world of photography is yours…
The words, phrases and terms may seem complicated or overly technical, but the concepts themselves are simple. The knack is being able to break down the jargon because the concepts themselves aren’t nearly as complicated as you may believe.



PHOTOGRAPHY COACHING - WHAT IS IT?
If you’re new to photography, or indeed have experience but want to advance yourself, then I’m sure you will have seen the huge amount of courses and workshops and instructional material available to you. The standard, content and cost will vary, so it can be quite a task to sift through the offerings and find what you actually need and suits you and your preferred method of learning.

My intention is to be more of a coach rather than a tutor. Instead of a number of courses with set syllabuses, I will be offering coaching around subjects which I have gained a lot of experience over the past fourteen years practicing photography.
There will be a mixture of theory and practical sessions where you set the subject and the extent of what you need to know.
After all, doing photography is the only way you can learn it.

It could be that you want to understand how to use the non-auto modes on your cameras, we can work through a number of sessions talking through and practising the basics to get you shooting creatively.

It doesn’t have to be a series of sessions, maybe just one to tackle specifics.
You may be fine with the basics, but you struggle with composing an image. We can get outside and work on honing that skill.
If it’s natural light photography, then I’m sure I can help.

Some of the topics I can help with are:

Introduction to Photography Basics
Saying goodbye to Auto modes to photograph more creatively by understanding the following areas:
- Exposure
- Metering and Metering Modes
- Aperture and Depth of Field
- Shutter Speed and capturing movement
- ISO
- Camera Modes from Auto to Manual and all those in between.

Introduction to Landscape Photography
- Gear, including lenses, tripods, filters and how to use them
- Camera settings
- Using light and composition - tips and tricks to make your images sing
- Capturing movement - Long exposure photography


If you love being outdoors then Landscape Photography could be for you.

Introduction to Natural Light Portraits
- Gear, including lens types and when to use them.
- Camera settings
- Using different lighting conditions
- Composition.
- Working with your subject.



Whether it's a variety of subjects or just photographing your own family, natural light portrait photography is one of the simplest genres to start.

WHO IS THIS FOR?
My coaching is aimed at beginners and those with limited photographic experience who want to get off Auto Mode and onto more creative areas of photography. Anyone owning a DSLR or Mirrorless camera with changeable lenses can benefit from these sessions.

To register your interest, please message me via the contact page. I can then back to you directly with details when they are available.