Hello we’re Trevor & Darlene Awalt, and glad you stopped by. If it’s your first time visiting please start with the “Articles page” which is basically a Table of Contents for the Blog Posts focused on learning photography.

If you’re looking for practice or inspiration check out the “Monthly Theme Challenges” which are intended to encourage you to try other genres than you are used to shooting which is a proven technique to help grow your photography.

Looking for detailed information on any of our photography workshop offerings or wanting to book a private in-person session(s) please visit our “Workshops page”.

Interested in listening to some photographer interviews? Take a listen while in the car, on a hike or walk, to our “You Can Learn Photography Podcast” showcasing Photographers from across Canada now on it’s 21st Episode.

Everything on this site is free, and if your looking for additional internet free resources, please take some time to look at the “Links page” which is an extensive list of Free links on the internet to help you advance your photography.

The “Story” behind You Can Learn Photography

I know there are many photography training web sites out there, but there are also many beginner to intermediate photographers who just want to make better images right away. My hope is to share my love for photography and help anyone who visits.

When I (Trevor) started I quickly realized by first learning the basics, it establishes a solid foundation so you can move on to actually creating better images. The intention behind “You Can Learn Photography” is to help you jump start your photography by sharing what I wish I knew when I first started.

Some of us get into Photography because it’s a form of relaxation that gives us internal joy to help us recover from some life changing event, or a hobby we turn to giving us some stress relief. Like getting up early in the morning to capture a sunrise, along the journey we realize what we have been missing while discovering things we had never really took the time to notice before. We then become more appreciative of mother nature feeling excited about the new discoveries we experience with each and every day.

As we look at our pictures we realize that they do not show what we saw or felt and just hope as we take more and more pictures that magically they will eventually get better. Yes it does take practice but we soon discover we need to learn many things to get there. So we start seeking out information through searching online, watching YouTube, reading magazines, looking at our camera manual, and realize it’s overwhelming all the time asking ourselves why is it so hard to create good looking images.

Like learning anything; how to play baseball, ride a bike, or drive a car we need to know some things that need to become second nature so we can actually get down to the business of not just taking pictures but creating images.

My suggested formula for making an interesting image requires; proper Exposure, Creative technique, pleasing Composition, interesting Subject(s), a decisive Moment, and skilful use of Light.

To help you get there, I will take you on a journey starting with the camera settings to help you get to a good exposure. This creates a solid foundation for your photography by knowing your camera. We will break down aperture, shutter speed, and ISO so that you can understand not only how to get a proper exposure but also the creative aspects with the setting choices you make. This is like learning the rules of the road before you actually get to drive a car.

We will go on a journey together through many blog articles to come. I will help get you to a point where you are comfortable with your camera, camera settings, situational techniques, and composition guidelines, to where you are not just taking pictures but making better images. I hope you not only enjoy the content here but also find it helpful.