Tours

I took my first workshop with Neil in 2016 when I decided it was finally time to learn how to use the DSLR that had been sitting in the closet for 5 years. I had been following Neil on social media for a few months and loved the style and look of his photos. When I signed up for his 2-day Beginner Workshop, I had no idea what to expect. Our weekend was spent learning theory and doing as much camera work as possible while zipping around rural Alberta to some of Neil’s favourite locations. Something I didn’t realize when looking at Neil’s photos is the amount of thought and planning that goes into each shot. It isn’t always a case of right place, right time. He puts the same effort into planning his workshops and this gives you a fantastic experience every time. Since then, I have done two other workshops – landscapes and an after-hours workshop at the New Central Library in downtown Calgary.

One of my favourite things about Neil and his workshops is his enthusiasm and positive attitude. He is happy to share his experiences and his knowledge while passing on his passion for rural Alberta and the city of Calgary. I hadn’t lived in Calgary very long when I took my first workshop with Neil. Afterwards, I had a new appreciation for the beauty of Calgary and the surrounding area and the amazing things there are to see, and photograph. In the two years since I took my first workshop, my love of photography has grown, my skill has improved and I am enjoying the journey so much!

I have taken many of Neil’s workshops and each one has been a fantastic experience. It all began a little over two years ago when I took his beginner workshop. I walked into the class with a DSLR camera that I was only slightly acquainted with and walked out with a good handle on shooting in full manual mode. Mostly, that first workshop taught me to see the world in a totally different way. Now, I see beauty in places I never noticed before and am forever grateful for that gift of seeing with a photographer’s eye.

Neil has tremendous passion for photography and his enthusiasm, talent and innate ability to teach are what have brought me back for many more workshops. His classes are fun, informative and are valuable for all levels of photographers.

In that first workshop with Neil, I got my first taste of taking photos of the northern lights that led me to take his winter workshop in the Yukon. I also participated in his Cypress Hills workshop – more northern lights and a whole bunch of other great things like sunrises and storm chasing. These destination workshops have been incredible experiences right down to the last detail. We learned that Neil is a great cook in addition to his photography and teaching talents. Another one of my learnings is that sleep is optional. On the Cypress Hills workshop, we were taking photos at all hours of the night and day. Within 24 hours, we felt we’d been there for 4 days based on the number of naps we’d been sent back to our rooms for. I will never forget the epic sunrise and northern light show we got on that trip which were worth every moment of missed shut eye!

I have also attended a number of Neil’s local workshops and events as well as a CP holiday train chase. Every time, I learn something new, and I’ve met many great friends along the way. I’m very fortunate and excited to be attending his first African Safari trip. I can’t wait!

I should start by saying you’ll get what you came for. In the basic beginner course you’ll learn to take your camera off some namby-pamby auto or semi-auto setting, and operate in Manual mode like it’s meant to be. That’s what happened to me. I learned about the relationship between ISO, exposure, and aperture, and I’ve never looked back. In the other courses you’ll get what you need, whether that’s fireworks, the holiday train, the northern lights, whatever.

But you’ll get so much more. So much fun, for a start. You’ll make friends, and you’ll see the world differently, guaranteed. You’ll think differently about the whole process of taking and editing photographs. You’ll enjoy it a lot more, and there will be people to enjoy it with.

The important part of these courses is actually putting the material into practice on your camera. It’s not just a lecture, or a slide show, or a set of notes, though of course there’s some of that. You’ll get lots of time to play and figure out how changing the settings will change the image you’ll get, and that’s just in the classroom and nearby environment. You’re working with your camera, not a loaner, so anything you set up will still be there.