Veteran photographer Chris Attrell is bringing his beginner photography class to Airdrie on Aug. 1 – using his more than 25 years in the industry to help others understand their cameras and capture the perfect shot.
“You’ll be off auto-mode in just over three hours,” according to Attrell’s website.
This weekend’s session in the city is being held at the Days Inn and Suites from 1 to 4 p.m. Registration is open, and four spots are still available for those interested in becoming a sharp shooter over the long weekend.
He said his classes are based on everything he wished he knew when he bought his first digital camera back in 2003. Having learned to take photos in the film era, Attrell said that his perspective on digital photography is unique.
He has been running his classes across western Canada for over four years now – what started as a hobby all those years ago has turned into his full-time job.
“When I moved to Saskatchewan, I started getting really good at night photography and specialty things,” Attrell said. “So, people had asked if I could teach them, so I did one class. And then the next town wanted a class, and another town wanted a class.”
Despite visiting several towns and cities in the area, Attrell said people are still interested in registering when he makes a stop. He even offers repeat classes in locations to ensure that everyone who wants to learn photography has the chance to do so.
“The demand is still there – people just want to learn in three hours. So now I do them all over western Canada and I get to see new places and shoot new things,” he said.
The photographer teaches various skills in his seminars, including basic portraits, night photography for auroras and fireworks, effective compositions, slow shutter speeds, action shots and more.
He says his favourite part about educating new photographers is seeing the pictures they take following his instruction.
“I love seeing people being able to go out there and get what they were hoping to get after taking my class,” Attrell said.
The class is open to anyone with a digital camera, but Attrell says a good portion of his students are those who purchased a camera and are unsure how to use it to get great results.
“You invest a lot of money into buying that camera and then people just go right onto auto, which pretty much eliminates all the value you just paid for it,” he said.
A sprawling schedule is ahead for Attrell in the next few weeks, as nearly every day of the week has him in a new place with new pupils. He said he plans to return to Airdrie in September to accommodate those who were interested in attending the upcoming event but were unable to due to the holiday weekend.
To take a look at Attrell’s work, read reviews from previous attendees, and take a peek at the schedule of upcoming classes, visit anywhere.ca
