So what does a broken chainsaw have to do with being a wedding photographer on the lovely NSW South Coast. Here in the wilds of Upper Brogo the size of your chainsaw and your skill with it, is a matter of pride. Well I had a big one…100cc and about a 30 inch bar and I thought I knew how to use it, grunt, grunt!

Well my beast of a saw died and the cost of repair was not worth while. So I swallowed my pride and called in Charlie to cut some firewood for me. Charlie is a second generation wood cutter. We first met when I photographed his daughters wedding and as he works out in the bush near me, we would often chat on the road when I was walking Ripley.

So Charlie turns up in his old Toyota ute and dirty work clothes with quite a small chainsaw. Hmppph, what is he going to do with that little thing, I mean we have some big logs to cut up! With no fuss Charlie started work and I soon realised how little I knew about how to use a chainsaw, properly….before too long we had seven huge ute loads of the best timber you can get, enough for maybe even two winters.

Because of Charlie’s skill and experience, he is four times faster than me, with half the effort, using a chainsaw half the size of mine, because he knows exactly what he is doing, hmmmmmm.

So many people think that a great big pro type camera instantly turns them into a skilled photographer. It does not…sorry!

Now using a camera carelessly rarely results in the loss of a limb. But in a one off situation such as a wedding, it can do a lot of irreparable damage in the hands of a person who over rates or embellishes their skill and experience level!

I love teaching! To be able to share my knowledge is such a privilege.

My introductory workshops start with the very basics, then build from there. Photography is best learnt one step at a time and progressing only when everyone in the group is ready to move on.

There is a good mix of theory, practical exercises/demonstrations and “home work”, that not only helps to apply your new knowledge, but teaches you how to use your camera.

Oh and you will have some fun too

Stage 1 SLR Photography: 2 full days $350 per person
* Aperture
* Shutter speed
* ISO
* Exposure
* White balance
* Using your cameras different modes
* Focus
* Lenses
* Composition
* Basic digital post production
* Digital file management and storage

Stage 2 SLR Photography: full day $200 per person
* Using Natural & Available light
* Flash basics
* Printing Options
* Portraiture; Theory & Practicle

Requirements
* A film or preferably digital SLR camera (I have 3 that I can loan) that allows manual control over Aperture/Shutter Speed/ISO
* Camera & flash’s manual
* Tripod (I have 1 I can loan)
* Note paper
* Lap top is good but not essential

Compact Camera Workshop: full day $200 per person
* How to get the most out of your compact camera
* How to see light better
* Better composition
* Making sense of all those buttons and dials!
* Digital file management and storage

Tailored Workshops: POA

How?

* Start getting a group together, minimum of 6 & maximum of 10. Classes can be organised when & where suits group. If you can’t get 6 people together let me know as I have a list of people waiting or you can pay a higher price per person. Best days for me are Sundays or weekdays depending on the time of year. Saturdays can be possible May-September.