About
Greetings. I'm Jill, and I loved every minute of teaching photography at a private college for more than 30 years--darkroom, digital, retouching, image composition, and social justice photography. Emerging photographers who want to master camera functions and develop a deep understanding of what makes a quality photograph, along with post-processing and retouching, would be ideal to work with. I hold a BA, MA, and MFA. I recently retired as Professor Emeritus.
Now, as I enter retirement, I have created a business, Picture it Adventures, LLC, to continue coaching those eager to turn a hobby into a solid, marketable skill. My #1 goal is the help my students and mentees know how to move from snapshots to art-quality photographs. My students have won national awards, been shown in galleries all around the country, and many have started very successful photography businesses.
PIA also takes photographers at all levels on photo expeditions. In April 2020 we will be going to Costa Rica for 9 days to photograph the rainforest, rivers, volcanoes, wildlife, and so much more.
You can see a sampling of my travel photos at https://pictureitadventures.com
When a student really makes the switch from taking snapshots to thinking through creating a quality, keepsake photograph, I am overjoyed. Artistic expression is good for the soul, no matter if you're taking dog photos or wedding shots or the best blooms in your garden.
Highlights
Specialties
Interest in additional skills
Student's age
Experience level
Photography type
Photos and videos
Reviews
Ashley H.
Sandra D.
Jazmine B.
Maggie W.
Korin J.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
1. Discover what their goals are.
2. Determine where they are in the process of achieving those goals--starting out, on their way, or in need of some fine-tuning.
3. Find out their learning style. Do they learn best one-on-one, in-person, on-line, with lots of examples, watching tutorials, experimenting on their own then getting feedback, or some other method?
4. Develop a learning plan with students to make sure they are involved in the approach and comfortable with how we'll proceed.
5. Mentor students through the first learning unit.
6. Provide developmental feedback that notes what students are doing well and what areas they might explore more.
7. Elicit feedback on their satisfaction with their work and with my mentoring style.
8. Move forward from there.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Three college degrees and 30+ years professional practices.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
It is entirely dependent on what the students' goals are and how they want to approach their learning.
How did you get started teaching?
When I was in third grade the teacher let me erase the blackboard. I knew from that moment on I wanted to teach.