FAQs

Most of my images are available to be licensed - for a fee - for use by other individuals, companies, or organizations.

Certain images are not available for licensing. This includes images created for media assignments where the client holds the copyright, as well as any photos that show clearly identifiable people.

Do you work for free? Probably not, and neither do I.

I strongly believe that my work has value. If you are interested enough to inquire about it, then so do you and you should be willing to compensate me for its use.

Exposure has little value in the real world. Why? Because most people who see an image in a brochure, poster, calendar, or elsewhere don't bother to look up the name of the artist to contact them for further information. Exposure is only worthwhile when someone follows through by contacting the artist and actually buying one of their works of art. That rarely, if ever, happens. I might consider it if I could take your exposure and spend it at the grocery store or gas station, or use it to pay my bills, but I can't. Businesses don't accept exposure for payment, only cash, and the same goes for me.

Not necessarily. I've had students take lessons prior to purchasing a camera. However, part of the lessons is teaching you to find and adjust the settings on your camera so that you can apply the techniques and theory you've learned. That's hard to do without a camera.

I don't. There are so many makes and models available, each at different price points and with different features and options. It's difficult to recommend any one model in particular.

My suggestion is for students to visit their local camera store, like Ivan's Camera here in Moncton or Henry's Camera in Halifax. The sales staff can show you the different models, explain their features, and hopefully find one that's best suited to your budget and needs.

That's a tough question to answer.

Mirrorless is the wave of the future, and the big brands (Canon and Nikon) are moving aggressively into the market. In doing so, they are quickly dropping their DSLR lines of cameras and accessories, which are becoming harder and harder to find new. Other brands, like Sony and Fuji, switched to mirrorless some time ago.

If you want to keep on top of the new technology, and ensure that you will be able to purchase lenses and other accessories in the future, than mirrorless may be best. Unfortunately, at the moment, there are limited offerings from some manufacturers, and many of them are quite pricey. It will take a while for the companies to build their product lines and fully cover both the consumer and professional markets.

DSLRs are still a good choice of camera. The problem is that some manufacturers have stopped making not only the cameras but also lenses and other accessories. While it's still possible to find some of them new, most of the products are quickly becoming unavailable as existing stocks run out. However, if you have access to a DSLR and accessories, there's no reason why you can't stick with it for the time being. And, as more people make the move to mirrorless, a lot of DSLR lenses and accessories will find their way into the used market. Finally, there are adapters available that allow you to use DSLR lenses on the newer mirrorless cameras, so you can continue to use your existing lenses even if you switch to mirrorless down the road.

Every photographer should have a cleaning kit. Your kit should include: A blower; a LensPen; dedicated lens cleaner; and dedicated lens tissues. The blowers and LensPens (LensPen is a brand name - there are other companies that make a similar product) are usually stocked by most stores that sell cameras. Lens cleaner and lens tissues are specifically made for cleaning camera lenses - you can't substitute Windex and Kleenex! Look for the cleaner and tissues at your local camera store. These products can be purchased individually or in kits.

It's always good to have extra memory cards and a spare battery.

You should also have a camera bag, not just to carry your gear but also to store it. A camera bag will keep your gear free from dust when you're not using it.

Other types of accessories will depend on the types of photography you do, and not all accessories are suitable for every photographer. Common items include: lens filters (protective and polarisers); monopods and tripods; and on-camera flashes and studio strobes, to name just a few. What you need will be dictated by what you like to do. For some accessories, you can start cheap and buy better quality products as your photography improves. For others, you should do your homework and try to buy the best you can afford right from the start, as things like monopods and tripods can serve you for years so you want something that will both last and do what you need for years to come.

There's a ton of stuff available online, and a lot of it is free. Some Google searches will turn up a lot, and feel free to browse through as much as you can. However, If you have a Canon or Nikon camera (and even if you don't), I highly recommend visiting their websites. They both have learning sections that explain everything from the basics of photography to more advanced techniques, while also providing helpful information on their cameras, lenses, and accessories. Keep in mind that the fundamentals of photography, and many techniques, are the same regardless of the brand of camera you use - you can learn about depth-of-field or subject posing just as easily from a Canon website as a Nikon one.

If you're looking for a book, my favourite is Understanding Photography by Bryan Peterson. He covers the basics very well and in a way that's easy for beginners to follow and understand. He also provides a lot of helpful tips and tricks for intermediate photographers. The book isn't required for my photography lessons but I do recommend it to all my students.

I prefer to teach the basics, which is the foundation for all types of photography. I can offer advice on certain genres of photography, including: sports, landscape, and wildlife.

I do not teach: portrait photography, wedding photography, flash photography, or studio lighting. I do not believe in teaching subjects in which I have little to no experience or expertise.

I can offer basic lessons in Adobe Photoshop, which is my preferred image editor. I have a working knowledge of Adobe Lightroom Classic and Affinity Photo. I do not teach advanced techniques.

No.

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