Photography Mentorship Programs

Photography Mentorship Programs

While I’ve been doing photography for more than two decades now, I’ve found that the area where I get the most satisfaction and fulfillment is teaching other photographers.  There is just something special about witnessing that moment when a concept finally makes sense and new possibilities open up.  This model of instruction allows me to take the person into consideration, not just the photographer.  Who we are on a personal level will always dictate how our photography will look.  This means that to truly help somebody achieve their creative vision with a camera, I have to know how they really see the world.  These programs allow enough time to foster an open relationship which will lead to a creative environment for personal growth.

If you don’t feel like you are quite ready for this mentorship program and are just looking to get started in photography, scroll to the bottom of this page for some helpful tips that will get you on track for learning the intricacies of the craft.  There should never be a barrier for learning and there are so many ways to learn photography.  I’m here to help you through all of them as best I can.

 

There are three different mentorship programs available

Image Critiques:  This is based on a by-the-image rate.
Private lessons:  Either in person, or by virtual online session at an hourly rate.
Advanced Mentorship Program:  This will span several days to months of intensive mentorship depending on your schedule and needs.  It is fully customizable.

 

Image Critiques

This is a program for those who are wanting to understand more about the images that they are already creating.  Critiquing is a valuable tool in the development of any photographer, and if done correctly will identify what works in an image as well as what doesn’t work.  The critique doesn’t stop there though as identifying areas of improvement offers little help without actually suggesting techniques that could be used to improve on that image.  My critiques generally last about an hour if done online and can be rather lengthy in email.  In either case, be prepared to share with me what you were trying to convey with the image, and what your vision was when you started the process of the photograph.

My goal with this program is to help teach you to be your own critic so that you can identify what works and what doesn’t with your photography which will result in a much stronger portfolio.  This is not an opportunity to hunt for empty compliments or baseless negativity.  A proper critique will make you feel more confident because it will identify your uniqueness as a photographer above all else.

In this program, I also offer a portfolio review where I will look at your entire body of work.  These should be your strongest examples, and we will look at continuity through the photographs to evaluate your own personal style.  The goal here is to fully understand what your portfolio says about you as a photographer, and the image that you are presenting through that portfolio.

 

Rates:

Individual image critiques: $25

2-4 images: $20 each

4-6 images: $15 each

Portfolio Review: $75

 

 

Photography Mentorship: Hourly Private Lessons

This is the program for you if:

• You need to work on a particular skill before a big trip, so you are sure to get great photos.
• You need to be able to take better photographs for you job.
• You need some post processing help in a one-on-one setting so you can work at your own pace while receiving direct feedback on your images and process.
• You just want some help figuring out the different ways of using the camera to the best benefit for your style of shooting.

My schedule is very flexible so we can do these sessions when you have the time.  They can be in the field, online, at my studio in Purlear, NC, or at your home/office.  The choice will be made based on what goals you are wanting to achieve, and how they can best be reached.

 

Rates

Online or In-studio:

Private by the hour: $75/hour (no minimum)
Private full day package: $500
Two people $100/hour (no minimum)
Two people full day package: $650
Additional people $50/hour

On location within 50 miles of Purlear, NC:

Private by the hour: $100/hour (two hour minimum)
Semi-Private, two to three people $130/hour (two hour minimum)

On location beyond 50 miles of Purlear, NC:

Contact me for pricing at [email protected]

 

 

Advanced Mentorship Program (best value)

This program is for those who are wanting to advance their craft during a multi-part program that lasts days or weeks.  This is a holistic approach to learning photography and can be beneficial at many different stages of your personal journey.  We will look at your photography from concept, to execution, to final product.  There will be portions of this program which are virtual, as well as on location, and possibly in the studio.  There will be a free consultation by phone, or in person to determine what is needed and we will discuss the options at that time.  We will work together to help develop your own style, improve your post processing skills, and create the ability to self-assess your own work through a series of image critiques.

This is a very intensive program which is meant to offer you insights into my techniques while keeping the focus on developing your own techniques which will make you a stronger and more confident photographer.  Expect to dedicate 15-25 hours with me in the field, processing images, and continual critiques through the process.  Of course, these hours will be flexible to meet your needs and can be as spread out as you would like.

 

What is included in the Advanced Mentorship:

• A free meet and greet consultation before signing up.  This ensures that we are a good fit and to get a chance to see my studio space.
• Around 15-25 hours of one-on-one “structured” time with me as we work towards your individual goals.
• We can do this aggressively over a short time frame, or we can spread it out over the course of months if you prefer.
  • The basic window for this will be no more than six months unless discussed during the consultation.
• A flexible schedule to work with you on your time.
• “Unstructured” email, telephone, and in-person support through the designated time-frame.
• Free workshop admission to those that might help your specific course of study during the mentorship timeframe.
• Ongoing portfolio review and support.

 

Total Cost: $1800 (can be broken up into two payments)

 

To learn more about these programs, or to make an appointment, give me a call at 336-681-0220, or email me at [email protected].  Please include your full name, a phone number, email I can reach you at, and what you want to achieve through your mentorship program.

 

What are my clients saying?

“Keep in mind that the info that my brain bucket receives as a download from you fills up pretty fast, which isn’t a bad thing.  I’m appreciative of the slew of handouts that I have printed on heavier paper and bound them into a booklet for easy reference and less chance of losing, which amounts to the gift that keeps giving in your absence, so that I can have a reference guide, thanks to your abundant technical knowledge.”

–Bob after a workshop

“…you, my friend, seem to be a bottomless pit of photography knowledge and I don’t know how you can recollect it all like you do.  Truth be told, I got more than I expected out of this outing.”

–Bill after a workshop

“Greg Kiser has an incredible gift for photography and bringing that gift to life and teaching others.  I had been looking for some one-on-one instruction to increase my skill and Greg did an amazing job.  The best thing about Greg is that he takes a keen interest in understanding the top things that you want to learn during your lesson, whether it is gear or techniques–he knows it all!  He also makes lessons fun.  He is so incredibly passionate about photography that I caught the bug even more than I had before.  He is incredibly detailed and thoughtful in how he plans his lessons with you, and you feel that every moment of your lesson was crafted especially for you in mind, which it was.  My lesson with Greg will not be my last.  He is friendly, skilled and makes the learning process the best one could hope for.  Thank you, Greg!”

–Sandra via Facebook

“It was a lot more helpful than YouTube University.  You explained things in a way that was easy to understand for an old-timer like me.”

–Richard after a class on exposure

“Greg first caught my eye with his beautiful social media photos of decaying cars and buildings in Western NC.  Later on, his easy writing style in his blogs captivated me.

About a year ago, I had the good fortune to be among the few who tried his virtual meetings to observe while he waived his Lightroom magic on one of his already stunning photos.  After watching him effortlessly turn his photo to “wow” — I knew I wanted to learn more.

 

I practiced some (not all) of what was in the first lesson for about 6 months.  Then I learned he was offering mentorship!  I thought about that opportunity for while, and tried to enroll in local classes (all were booked).  For my birthday, I enrolled with him for advanced mentoring.

 

I am thrilled.  After only about 11 hours of a combination of zoom and phone calls (I don’t think that includes the composition workshop he allowed me to attend), I am really seeing massive improvement in my composition, my choice of lens and other gear, and my work flow.

 

I am not the only one who noticed!  A dear friend who only recently retired as a wedding and event photographer, recently reacted to a photo I posted on social media (one that Greg coached me through) with this text:  ‘Your photography has taken an entirely different level.’

 

I highly recommend Greg as a mentor for photographers.”

–Jan via email

“Greg, your workshop was a turning point in my photography journey.  I learned so much from you and still remember most of your techniques.  To this day, I will critique my own work based on your experience.”

–Marc via Facebook comment

Read a blog account of a different full day session here.

 

What if I am just getting started in photography and I’m not ready for a mentorship program?

Never fear, and don’t feel like you are alone.  Every great photographer picked up their first camera at some point and had no idea what they were doing.  To really get the best bang for your buck out of these mentorship programs, you really should have a basic understanding of the functioning of the camera from a point and shoot standpoint.  With that being said, I want to offer some free advice to get you started on your journey.  Assuming that you are starting from ground zero and have never thought about photography as a skill or art, this is kind of the route that I would suggest that you take.  This is the time to do lots of searches on YouTube, and to read lots of books (I have a reading list at the bottom of my gear page).  If you have a photographer friend, hit them up for some questions as well.

1.)  Learn how the camera sees.  This sounds easy enough, but there is much more to it.  Go around and take photographs of things that interest you and try to convey that interest through the picture.  Pay attention to how the light looks across the scene to the camera, and how the contrast plays into the scene.  Try to see where your eyes go within the frame and how the photograph makes you feel.  Look at the relationship between objects as you move closer while zooming out, and further as you are zooming in.  This will get you familiar with the use of the different focal lengths that you can use and how they affect an image.  Don’t do anything special here.  This is the time to shoot in full auto mode because you are just learning visual elements at this stage.  Have fun with it.

2.)  Play around with composing your images.  Now that you have seen how a camera sees, use that to your advantage to create an image with depth, and one that tells a story.  Pick out just the characters that you want in the scene and eliminate or minimize those elements that are distracting to the purpose of your photograph.  Ask these two questions often: “What do I like?”, and “What do I dislike?” about the scene.  This is still not the time to complicate things by over thinking the image.  Stay in auto mode and just work on element placement.  It takes some time, and you probably won’t be making any spectacular photos just yet, but this is a necessary part of the learning process.  Remember, we are just learning how you and the camera relate to each other so we can concentrate on that natural relationship through the mentoring process.

3.)  You have now started to figure out how you will be expressing yourself as a photographer.  This is when gear really comes into play.  The previous two steps can be done on a cell phone or simple point and shoot camera.  Now that you understand a bit more about how you view the world, you can look into what gear will best suits you.  I am happy to help answer questions in this regard to give you things to look for in your choices.  Simply put, the camera body doesn’t really matter, just get one that fits your hand and one that you feel most comfortable with the controls.  For the lenses, refer back to the practice images that you have shot.  Were they mostly wide angle, or do you like to zoom in on a subject?  That will tell you what type of lens to get to start with.  This is where it will benefit you to spend the money and get the best that you can afford.  The lenses will stay with you for much longer than the camera body.

4.)  Now that you know how you like to shoot, and you have your camera, now it is time to understand the exposure triangle and how it relates to the photograph.  It is time to get out of the auto mode and take control of your images.  This is where a mentorship can really come into play.  This is where you find your own voice in photography and figure out the best ways of presenting your vision to others through the images captured in your camera.  At this point, you will get a lot more benefit out of any of the above mentorship programs.  You will know what questions to ask, and you will have some photographs to show where we can then build a plan of action to improve on your body of work.