Consulting and Mentor Program with Stephen Johnson

I teach because I believe I can make a difference for people.
It is a deep ethic, with three decades of photography and teaching experience, combined with some great feedback from my students.

One on One Photographic Help

Our Consulting and Mentoring Program is an exciting formalization of work we have been doing with photographers for years. It has been one of the core interactions that has proved extremely valuable to students.

We are offering prepaid packages of hours where individuals can book mutually agreeable times at our studio, in the field or online virtually to work one on one with Steve. Bigger discounts come with more time prepaid.

Savings Rates (limited slots available)

  • 10 hours @ $1800

  • 4 hours @ $800

  • 2 hours @ $450

Work with Steve side by side, in person or virtually, from anywhere in the world, just as you would if you were with him in Tuscany, the Galapagos or the Antarctic. Virtual connections mean no hassle of an airport pat down, lost luggage, a canceled flight or the expense of a plane ticket.

Stephen Johnson Photography is adding this Mentorship program to his consulting business to enable individual photographers worldwide to consult directly with Stephen on their technical and aesthetic photographic questions. In person visits or field trips remain the best way of working. Virtual connections are also working extremely well and is run using Zoom for virtual mentoring..

Recent online interactions with students have included individual critiques of the student's work, concepts including exposure, histograms and depth of field, printing workflow connectivity and profiling, consultation on photographic projects and input on publishing your work. Ongoing work with Steve over time can provide a unique opportunity for feedback and growth.

Potential students can email Steve to determine how he might help. Naturally, this initial interaction is free. Once you and Steve determine that he can be of help, you can contact our studio to set up emailed image submissions or submitted questions to enable working virtually with Stephen directly online, prepaying for the estimated time needed.

The number of clients and regularity of this service is limited. Virtual appointments must consider reasonable times for our California location. Image submission and the nature of the needed consultation can be arranged up front, before payment or booking. Prepaying allow us to offer these reduced rates.

What you need:

  • Time to come spend time with Steve one on one or a Zoom chat.

  • Email to briefly discuss with Steve how he might help

  • Arrangements for a time and date

  • A desire to work with Steve on your photography

  • Use within one year of purchase

Give the Gift of a One on One Learning Experience
With Stephen Johnson Photography Gift Certificates!

Contact: info@sjphoto.com or call 650 355-7507.

Print Viewing

Virtual Mentoring Intro.

“Every artist or photographer needs a mentor and Stephen Johnson is truly that. He has integrity in his work and that translates into his mentorship program. He helps every photographer ask the most of their photographs, just as though they were working in the darkroom, and then empowers them with the knowledge and practice of how to obtain the best results from Photoshop. With all the work you have done to create your photographs, Stephen will teach you how to print them to the level they were meant to be displayed. I am grateful to have found Stephen’s mentorship program and highly recommend him.”
— Hanna. August 2021.
On-location workshop.
“I highly recommend Stephen Johnson’s virtual consulting service. I have taken a number of workshops from Stephen and also attended a couple of photography trips with him. His photography knowledge and expertise are excellent. I really admire his printing skills and have seen that he has an amazing eye for detail.

There are times when it is difficult for me to get to Stephen’s studio because of my schedule. I have found using Skype to communicate with him a perfect way to utilize his skills. Recently on Skype, Stephen helped me set up paper profiles for my new Epson printer. I am thrilled that Stephen has added this option to his growing list of services.”
— Marsha Guggenheim, San Francisco

Tutorials

Many Tutorials, Technical discussions and Essays are linked from the Techniques Button on our Home page.

Photography Workshops

Interested in learning more? Perhaps one of our digital photography classes would be of help? We take the imparting of information and the empowerment of our students quite seriously. The digital age has considerably enhanced our ability to teach, and we believe your ability to capture what you see. This program is designed to help you benefit from both of these advances. We hope you can join us on a workshop.

Next Workshops:

Featured
Twentieth Anniversary Open House
Dec 21
Twentieth Anniversary Open House

Come join me to celebrate the holidays and the Twentieth Anniversary of my studio at the Pacifica Center for the Arts!

In mid-2004 we started building out three classrooms and big hallway on the old Sanchez Elementary School into what I envisioned as a first class gallery, digital classroom and working studio. By the time we had our Grand Opening that December, the transformation was complete and we have been running classes, lectures, exhibitions and creating decades of new work ever sense. Hundreds of students and thousands of visitors later, we are celebrating those 20 years this December.

Image Editing Two Day Intensive
Jan 11
Image Editing Two Day Intensive

This is a great chance to explore digital photographic editing with Steve in his custom built digital lab. Full lab access and your own work station with hands-on help and demonstrations of his use of editing tools with restraint and finesse will benefit all of your digital photography work. This class is designed with the time to really understand the processes, and to work through difficult images.

Death Valley in Winter Field Photography Class
Jan 28
Death Valley in Winter Field Photography Class

January 7 is the deadline to register for this class.

Since 1979 I have led winter photography workshops to Death Valley. I keep returning to this desert because there is a magic here, a quiet and vast expanse of sensual and strange earthworks, remarkable in color, resting under the soft winter light of January.

We will spend our first half day preparing for our outings. Topics covered will be optimal digital camera use in a variety of formats, file size and printing considerations. We will open files, review success, constantly going back in the field putting into practice lessons learned.

Yosemite Valley in Winter Field Photography Class
Feb 1
Yosemite Valley in Winter Field Photography Class

Winter in Yosemite Valley is a transformed world. Trees are wet and dark, the oaks are bare. The cliffs are blanketed with snow. Weather moves through in waves of clouds and mist. Ponds and river edges are frozen. There is usually snow on the valley floor. Visitors are dramatically fewer in number. Our three days together will likely be cold, but we will no doubt be warmed by the special beauty that winter brings to this grand valley. Although we will carpool to various locations, I hope our basic mode of transportation through the valley will be our feet. There is really no other way to come to know a place. 

Mono Lake and the Eastern Sierra Field Photography Class
Oct 16
Mono Lake and the Eastern Sierra Field Photography Class

Join us for four days exploring photography in the stark and beautiful scenery of this legendary lake, unlike any other landscape in the world. Its alkaline water, desert vistas, volcanoes and unusual tufa towers make it a remarkable place. The workshop will be taught by the pioneer in digital landscape photography, Stephen Johnson. Also the organizer of the "At Mono Lake" exhibition from which selections are currently on display at the National Forest Visitor's Center. Steve has been teaching at Mono Lake for more than 40 years.