Good question. Most people who take a workshop already have a grasp of photography basics.

You should understand what aperture and shutter speeds are and also understand the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO in making an exposure and you should know how to change these settings on your camera.

You should understand the term “stop” as it pertains to photography.

If you’re unsure how aperture and depth of field relate to each other, don’t worry. I can help you sort that out.

You should be generally familiar with your camera controls. Like how to place your camera in the Manual exposure mode or how to change metering patterns. You should know how to view the histogram on the back of your camera and how to change the white balance. If your camera has a mirror lock-up function or self-timer you should know how these work. You should know how to format your memory card. All this can be found in your camera’s manual.

Traveling companions are more than welcome to nearly all of my workshops at no extra cost. Some tours are limited in the total number of people I’m allowed to bring or because of rental vehicle space limitations. In those cases, traveling companions would have to pay the full fee.

Traveling companions are welcome to accompany us on all field shoots. There may be space limitations or extra costs involve where I’ve needed to contract with guides for special tours (native guided tours in Monument Valley for example).

For international trips where I’m partnering with a guide service or travel company (Iceland or Patagonia, for instance), I’m charged on a per person basis. I therefore cannot provide any discounts for non-photographing travel companions.

Workshops are specifically designed as a learning environment. We’ll have regular classroom/critiques sessions that can cover anything from composition to exposure to close up and landscape techniques to processing.

During workshops, I don’t shoot as much as on tour. I may have a camera out but this is often for demos  or to make some grab shots to show students possibilities. Toward the end of a workshop, if participants seem to be comfortable with what they’re doing, I may do more shooting of my own. But I’m always available to answer questions or to help. A workshop is not about me padding my portfolio. That being said, I’ve gotten some really nice images during workshops. And I always share what I find and will help you capture the same thing.

And a pro tip: if I’m looking through my camera and making goofy noises of excitement, it’s probably a good idea to come over to see what is causing me to make such goofy noises. And if you like the spot that I’ve found, it’s yours!

A tour, on the other hand, is mainly about getting you to the right place at the right time. We may or may not have time or facilities for critiques and classroom. If we can, then that’s just a bonus.

I’ll generally be actively photographing during a tour but that doesn’t mean I’m not available. To me, the same rules as in workshops applies: if you have questions or need help, that’s what I’m there for and my photos don’t come before that.

You need to be able to get yourself to our host hotel. During workshops and tours I always encourage carpooling. So once you arrive, matching those wishing to ride with someone willing to drive has never proven to be a problem. I cannot, however, guarantee that.

I can also facilitate communication between participants for the purpose of ride or room sharing.

Note that on certain tours (like Yellowknife, Iceland, etc.), all transportation is provided after you’ve arrive. This will be noted on the tour/workshop page.