Kathleen Felion Photography
About
I think my approach to teaching is how I like to be taught. With humor and never taking myself too seriously. This is photography. It's not brain surgery. It should be fun and it should be enjoyable to both the student and the instructor.
I like to be a guide, and explain what can be done, but let the student see the scene the way they see it and help them understand how to bring that vision to the image
Everything.
People that want to learn, people that have a love or an interest in photography. Seeing someone that has struggled with something finally get that 'ah ha' moment where it makes sense and they get excited.
No reviews (yet)
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
First, what is their main goal - just to understand the camera they purchased, looking to see if they can become a professional at photography, maybe their interested in starting a business, or do they just want to take better photos of their kids or for a relaxing hobby.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
A lifetime of taking photos. Film, digital, editing.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
My typical fee is $15 per hour, or $125 for an entire day. We go on location depending on the type of photography the student is interested in and spend the day in a workshop or just a few hours. It's up to the student and my schedule.
How did you get started teaching?
Totally by accident. I had people ask me to help them learn all the buttons on this new camera they just bought and it just started from there - I started getting referred to other people and here we are.
What types of students have you worked with?
New parents and grandparents that just want to learn the basics so they can take better images of their kids/grandkids. A few students that want to learn it all and become professionals. Mostly just hobbyists that have a lot of questions and need to fill in the gaps of what they didn't get from the manual.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
There isn't any particular event, but when you see the "light go on" so to speak and you know that the student just learned something they didn't know before and they are excited. That's always amazing to watch.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Find the right one is the first piece of advise. Find someone you feel you can have a rapport with.
I personally don't judge students on the camera they have or lack of gear -it's not about that. It's about the love of photography. I'm not going to take someone and tell them they need this or they need that, they just need to have a love of the craft and the patience to practice.
Some instructors are very dry, and very technical. I don't learn well from people like that. I will tell you about the technique because it's important that you understand manipulating and shaping light, looking for the light and how to use it in your camera, but that really isn't everything. You need to SEE a scene and you only get to do that by really taking it all in and not worrying if you have the right lens. Any lens will give you an amazing image if you know what to do.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Understand where you are with your skill level, be real and honest about it, and where you would like to go with it.
I don't spend time teaching anyone about how to upload images to computers and how to manage workflow - that's a separate training and you need to master the technique of capturing before you move on to that.