Photography Classes
Upcoming Photography Class List | Calendar

Since 2005, we have taught hundreds of people how use their DSLR cameras. Reclaim and keep the excitement you had when you first left the store with your new camera. It should not be spoiled by the complexity of the camera and that sleeping pill of a camera manual.

To get you started with your camera, PhotoTrainer currently offers the DSLR Jumpstart photography class in two flavors for beginners and those who seek a comprehensive review of the camera. For PhotoTrainer Jumpstart alumni and intermediate photographers, we also offer DSLR Explore camera classes to give you in-the-field, hands-on experience with your camera. We also offer new Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Elements 9 classes to get you up and running with your emerging photo library.

Please note all our workshops teach the DSLR camera. You need one of these cameras to participate in a class. We only teach point and shoot cameras in private one on one sessions. Please read "Is your camera a DSLR?" to determine if your camera is a Single Lens Reflex camera.

Green Pond
DSLR Jumpstart
Learn how to use your camera the right way in this intense and fast-paced 4-hour class. We show you where to start to make the photos you want. We separate what is important to know and what is not, and we tame your manual along the way, so that it is no longer a cryptic bully, but a wonderful slave.
$150 LEARN MORE		 DSLR Jumpstart Deluxe
Give yourself the day to learn the most important secrets of your DSLR. This photography class is a result of our observations of people’s varied learning styles, and the fact that our Jumpstart course has a large amount of information to impart on camera operation. This is literally an investment in your camera and will last as long as you make photographs.
$225 LEARN MORE		 DSLR Explore
This all day Photo Explore is our version of M manual mode “shoot camp”. Yes, we spend the entire day in M; setting apertures and shutter speeds together for great exposures and certain photographic results.
$315 LEARN MORE
Baylands Explore
Discover the vast natural variety of the Palo Alto Baylands park. If you like Landscapes, Nature, and Waterscapes you will enjoy this workshop. Flora, Fauna, and Fliers abound. Join us for this new Explore class and learn the pro photo capture techniques we use in the great outdoors for stunning color, scene clarity, and excellent prints.
$325 LEARN MORE		 Coastal Explore
This all-day nature photography explore spends half the day at Pescadero State beach, shooting among the rocks and tide pools and the other half, in Memorial park for Redwood forest scenes. Another M mode "shoot camp", setting apertures and shutter speeds together for great exposures and decisive photographic results.
$325 LEARN MORE		 Lighting ExploreChallenge yourself in a fabulous setting. Models, cameras, action! No lights? That’s right, only natural light in a 1920’s style mansion. Learn to see natural light and expose images by using your eye and your camera’s meter. Learn the Photography’s Power Trinity of ISO+Aperture+Shutter in a timeless location. Followed by an afternoon/dusk demo of off camera speedlights for dramatic portrait lighting.
$500 LEARN MORE
iPhoto to Lightroom 3
Are you tired of pussyfooting around in iPhoto? Do you shoot RAW files once or twice a week or more? Do you want to get better organized, have more control of your images, and enjoy your photography? It is time to move to Lightroom. Convert your iPhoto Library into a Lightroom catalog at our PhotoTrainer Lightroom Sunday series.
$215 LEARN MORE		 Lightroom Sunday
Lightroom is the new Darkroom! We love Lightroom 3. It is a breakthrough product for the student of photography. We explain the structure and genius of Lightroom. Organize and finish your shots like the pros, in fact, Lightroom 3 IS what the pros use! Lightroom is designed to help you quickly edit and improve your photographs. We will show you how, on your laptop in small half day Sunday class. Lightroom Sunday is a new idea; Let us know you are interested, we limit the class to four at a time.
$175 LEARN MORE		 Total TrainerSerious Cardio for your Eye to Camera coordination. This class is a two day workshop combining the Jumpstart Deluxe and the Jumpstart Explore. The first day we cover your camera in detail. The second day we go out and we shoot pictures in manual mode all day.
$540 LEARN MORE