Teaching

Teaching Photographic Tutorials and Creative Editing Tutorials

As a recent mature graduate, I love to learn. I also love to teach. Photography and imaging is everywhere. Many of us have an artistic eye and enjoy photography. Many of us want to become more proficient in using our cameras and in using the available software to edit and enhance our photography. Indeed, one of my main motivations for completing my Masters degree was to learn from expert tutors how to take better photographs of wildlife and landscapes, and this I hope I have begun to achieve. Please take a look at my main pages and at my social media profiles for some examples. I have sold images to individuals, for commercial use and for stock photography.

During my time working in a horticultural role, and my time learning at university, I have realised that I enjoy teaching and helping other people to become more confident and more proficient at what they do. They say that one of the best ways to learn a subject is to teach it, and they also say that if you can’t explain a subject clearly and succinctly then you don’t really understand it yourself! I like to think I have a good understanding of the subject and can help others to explore their cameras and their artistic vision in using photographic techniques to achieve a better level of photography.

Learn with me:

I teach all levels of photography including absolute beginners using either a digital SLR or film camera. Most lessons are practical and involve being outside in a suitable and safe environment, either within a town (cityscapes and learning the basics) or within a natural and public space (parks, estates, etc.) where we can explore more advanced photographic techniques as well as taking you through the basics of how a camera works.

Styles and techniques:

I can teach macro photographic techniques, wildlife photography including helping you to find suitable locations to capture images of wildlife, and I also teach landscape photographic techniques. From each session you should achieve a number of appropriate images of the subject and demonstrate an understanding of the theory, camera settings and techniques used to achieve your results.

Editing tutorials:

Upon achieving great photographic results from your lessons, you might wish to delve further into the realms of editing your images to achieve or enhance your artistic vision. Alternatively, you may simply wish to have some personalised expert tutorials in using Photoshop and/or Lightroom using your own images. I teach one-to-one sessions to help you proficiently navigate your way around Adobe’s suite of creative editing products, including Lightroom, Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, and Premiere Pro. My one-to-one sessions can take place either in your home or in mine, or in a suitable public space, whichever you are most comfortable with.

Please contact me here to ask about rates and how to arrange a tutorial, or leave a reply at the bottom of this page and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

About me:

I have completed a BSc. in Zoology with Film, and a MSc. in Biological Photography and Imaging at the University of Nottingham with Distinction grade. Previous to this I was a Royal Horticultural Society trained Horticulturist with a professional working knowledge of both cultivated and wild plants. This means I have an advanced level of knowledge of animals and plants down to genus and species level, including the ecology and behavioural aspects of wild animal and plant species.

I have owned various cameras including film cameras for some years and had practiced and improved, on and off, albeit with some frustration at the pace of my learning. One of my ambitions was to fully understand the theories and principles of photography and the workings of a camera, as well as achieving much more satisfying and technically proficient photography. My main interests were and still are wildlife and landscape photography.

As a part of my Masters degree I have taught basic photographic techniques to undergraduates studying biological photography. I have undertaken analogue film assignments including processing film. I have produced a short wildlife documentary, a promotional film for a product, a complete magazine including all articles, photography, graphics and layout using Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, a finished book on a biological research subject including photography, graphics, layout and design and producing final physical copies. I received a Distinction for my masters.