2026 Workshops and Private Training
in and around Calgary

Updated February 8, 2026

Past workshop participants and students.

I primarily offer photography workshops from May 1 until the end of October. I offer training in Photoshop, Macrophotography and Photomicrgraphy all year round. My training is not aimed at beginners, but folks that are interested in taking their photography to a higher level and have some familiarity with their cameras or might be interested in seeing parts of Alberta.

A Case for learning Photography

     Photography doesn't require special abilities and can be enjoyed by persons of almost any age. Many of us have a desire to do something creative in our lives, be it music, writing, painting, photography or other activity. Photography provides the benefit that it preserves your history, family, friends, places we visited and special moments in our lives. As an amateur the only person you need to satisfy is yourself. Photography can also be an important tool in some jobs and careers. Cell phone cameras have the ability to share images instantly and smart phone cameras continue to improve rapidly. I use Nikon and Canon professional digital cameras with lenses from 8 to 600 mm. I own an I phone 16 camera but it does not offer the ability to produce large high quality images and it has limited have controls. I don't offer training geared to smart phones. That said, the most important element in photography is not the camera, it's the photographer.

"For most of us, knowledge of our world comes largely through sight, yet we look about with such unseeing eyes that we are partially blind."
Rachel Carson (1907-1964) biologist, writer, conservationist, author of Silent Spring 

Peyto Lake Jasper National Park, AB - snowfall in July

My teaching and Photography Experience

I have worked with 35 mm, medium format, and 4×5 inch large format film cameras, but now use digital single lens reflex cameras (DSLRs). I primarily use Nikon and Canon cameras, along with a range of lenses from 8 mm to 600 mm. I have more than five decades of photography experience, including journalism, portrait, sports, landscape, macro, and photomicrography. I taught web design, programming and multimedia at SAIT for 25 years.

I have taught photography for three decades at several colleges—including SAIT, Red Deer College. I maintained a full darkroom where I processed and printed both black and white and colour. My photography has been published in hundreds of magazines, including National Geographic, Canadian Geographic, Photo Life, and many others. My work has earned international recognition, receiving awards from the Banff Centre for Arts, Nikon, National Geographic, Zeiss, Canadian Geographic, and more. I have also explored emerging technologies such as virtual-reality imaging, time-lapse photography, and spherical imaging and drone photography (see the VR gallery on this site).

Swift fox - 1st Place Winner Wildlife in the Banff International Photo contest.

Rates

Brief sessions I charge $75 an hour with 2 hours mininimum. In my one day workshop I provide transportation in my vehicle are from my home in Calgary, NW. These full day workshop cost $599 per day and range from 8-10 hrs. This includes transportation for up to 3 people in my 4 door Jeep. I generally don't pickup or drop off participants, though I will pickup participants from Dalhousie train station, hotels across from the football stadium on Crowchild and participants within 3 km of my home.

Workshops in the field

Workshops:

Half day 4 hours $299 includes transportation costs and any park fees

Full day 8-10 hours $599 includes transportation costs and any park fees (max of 3 people), that can share the cost.

Hourly min 2 hrs at $75/hour

Distances from Calgary over 300 Km may incurr additional transportation costs.

Beggining photographers My training seessions are not geared toward new photographers with no previous photography experience or those that just purchased a new camera. There are plenty of other learning options available that are cheaper. My workshops are aimed at improving existing photographers skills. There are some locations with a high probability to see certain wildlife, but I can't guarantee them. Some subjects like wildflowers and snowy owls have distinct seasons they may appear. The Calgary zoo is a good place to learn photography and practice, there are locations like Frank lake that are good for birding and some of city parks have plenty birds and deer. Other animals are present in our mountain parks and we have lots of beauiful landsapes in Alberta.

Gift Certificates

If you currently have a gift certificate please contact me to arrange a date and time you would like to go out please give me 1-2 weeks notice. Gift certificates do not expire and can be transferred to someone else if the person they were purchased for can not come (no refunds).

For gift certificates - I need to know the name of the person purchasing the certificate and who the person the certificate is for - purchaser and photographers names will be on the certificate. I will send a PDF along with instructions on how to contact me and how to choose a workshop or a private training session. Previous certificates purchased are accepted for any current workshops without any additional fees.

Liability Waiver

All participants on field trips are required to sign a waiver indicating they realize there are some risks in outdoor activities that can not be avoided (e.g. ticks, mosquitoes, wildlife, trees falling, ice patches, wild animals and passing cars) - my waiver is similar to the one used by the University of Calgary on their field trips: Download Waiver waiver PDF. Participants aged 13-17 can come along if they accompany a parent 0r caregiver. If you have questions you can call me at 403-247-2457 in Calgary.

 

Photography Workshops & Training

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