We enjoyed seeing the 6 or so different areas of Ketchikan but were disappointed at the photography guidance, which was little more than 2 cell phone tricks (lowering the sunlight on the iPhone and using selfie mode upside down to capture totem poles) and a bit about composing a shot. Several people in our group had expensive DSLR cameras with limited experience with them and Capt Rob stated he didn’t keep up with individual cameras and didn’t offer any guidance at all. He did, however show us where his PT office was and was eager to share political views and his opinions about Covid and vaccines. I felt this tour was grossly misrepresented
Réponse de l'hôte
Sep 2021
I own Ketchikan Photo Safari: Disney, RCCL, Holland America, Princess, Trip advisor & "other" sites state clearly what we promise... "Individual startup instruction? NO, we can, but "We are not in the business of giving one person 3 hours of individual instruction while ignoring 8 others. We teach: F-stop, ISO & Shutter-Speed, composition, lighting, etc. We visit 7 to 8 sites & teach tips on: "depth of field, exposure-triangle, pano, macro, etc...+culture, history, industry, ecology, wildlife, art....WOW! this is a great tour even without a camera ;) We always conduct our tours over a set route of 7 or 8 different locations with each location offering unique photo opportunities AND teaching opportunities. Although a majority of our photography instruction is equally applicable to BOTH cell phones, point’n'shoots and DSLR cameras, some of our instruction is specific to DSLR users.
Photo techniques taught for BOTH DSLR & cell phone & point’n’shoots include: composition, subject identity, subject proximity, subject balance, exposure, cropping, angle of approach, light compensation, macro photography...& more.
Photo techniques specific to DSLR (and some point’n’shoots) include: depth of field, F-stop settings, aperture, ISO settings, exposure triangle, shutter speeds…
I’ll post a few comments from recent tour guests (comments from TripAdvisor):
Barry- "Capt. Rob Holston is a really good photographer and even though I've been shooting avidly for over 20 years and have been to photography school, he had some excellent tips I found really useful. Excellent tour if you are going to Ketchikan If you are interested in learning something about the place and photography, just do it. You won't be sorry."
KK- "I chose this excursion for my photo hobbyist husband, but I ended up enjoying it as much as he did. Every spot Rob took us held superb photo opportunities. This is not a camera class as much as it is a photo op class with instruction on how to make your photos better, along with interesting stories about Ketchikan. We loved it.
John- "Great way to see more of Ketchikan through the lens of a local photographer. Captain Rob took our group around many sights, some out of the way, and used his photography experience to help frame and focus views. The three hours went by quickly as we shuttled from location to location. We did not feel rushed, but always were on the move. Plenty of time at each stop to grab some great shots.”
I always leave some time for questions (max group size is 9)…….. So IF you have specific questions re your DSLR camera, please ask. I hope this response is helpful to you and we look forward to serving you in the future.