Mentorship
The NGPC Mentorship program is designed to promote the development of all of our members, and to continue to build the depth of experience within our group. This program will allow for more individualized, camera-specific or need-specific requests our members have that are difficult to provide for in a larger workshop setting.
Mentorship is open to all paid members, novice or otherwise, who would like further guidance in a variety of areas from using their camera equipment to understanding photography basics to types of shooting and post-processing.
To use the program, view the list of volunteer mentors below to identify someone who has experience in the areas you are seeking assistance with. You can then reach out to the mentor directly using the information provided and schedule a time to discuss the details of the help you desire. If you email the mentor, please put “Mentor Request” in the subject line. Each mentor-mentee pair can then create their own plan, including goals, duration, meeting frequency, etc.
Please read and respect the list of expectations for both mentors and mentees at the bottom of this page.
Feel free to call upon multiple mentors for help with various topics. Please note however that the mentors are volunteering their time for this service, so sometimes availability may be limited based on personal schedules or other mentorships in progress.
If you have any questions or feedback about the mentorship program, or would like to volunteer your time to help others, please contact us at mentor@ngaphoto.club.
The Mentors
dsnoke@bellsouth.net 678.641.7788
Dick acquired his first camera in Germany during his military service, and has been shooting ever since -- over 55 years now. As his children grew, most of his pictures were of his family, but his daughters would tell you he had a fascination with flowers all along.
With the advent of digital cameras and associated computer software, photography became a more serious hobby, and when he retired, it became a major hobby.
Dick enjoys nature photography most, but he is inclined to shoot whatever presents itself as he travels the world. His intent is both to be creative and to show others the beauty that can be found all around us.
lasaines@outlook.com 517.745.4065
Lisa enjoyed film photography as a teen and won several ribbons at her local county fair of landscapes of the American West from trips her family would take.
Upon moving to Arizona after college, Lisa grew to love the desert southwest and the rivers, mountains and National Parks of the region. Landscapes of the Western U.S. are her favorite subject.
Lisa also has a background in music and other arts and finds the editing of photography a fantastic, creative outlet that she can focus on for way too many hours!
Rick Olson learned the mechanics of photography in the ‘80’s on a 35mm Minolta, but he believes he will still be learning the art of photography for the rest of his life. An experienced amateur, Rick loves to shoot pretty much anything but he’s most fond of wildlife and landscape photography. Rick believes that any camera can capture an excellent image, but it’s best when the artist maximizes control.
Michael’s interest in photography began in 1995 while he was volunteering for the United States Forest Service performing trail maintenance. This was a time when he first dabbled in nature photography which soon evolved into creating landscapes and floral images. Over the years, he has moved from these concentrations to include travel and still life while experimenting with minimalism.
He is currently a member of the Roswell Photographic Society, North Georgia Photography Club and the Georgia Nature Photography Association. His images have been displayed in the Allen Ashton Gallery, the Roswell Visual Arts Center, the Dawsonville Arts Council Gallery and the Quinlan Arts Center with several recognitions by the Atlanta Audubon Society.
His greatest wish is for you to enjoy his images in hopes that it evokes the feeling and emotion of a time and place.
chunting68@gmail.com 563.453.4415
An award-winning professional portrait photographer, Cory’s work has been featured in several publications and various product catalogs over the last 20+ years; however, his real passion has always been nature and wildlife photography. His landscapes have been displayed in various homes, businesses, and art shows across the country.
He prefers a subtle, natural, realistic approach to his editing, enhancing what already exists in the image while remaining true to what he saw and what the conditions were really like.
Cory loves exploring all the natural beauty of the mountains, lakes, rivers, and waterfalls in the area, and loves to travel with his wife, taking in all the wonders our planet has to offer.
JimsPhotographyArt@gmail.com 706.897.4679
Jim has had a lifetime fascination with photography, and enjoys the perspective of looking through the lens, capturing unique images, and freezing memories in time. He considers himself mostly a nature photographer, although he does not limit himself to one category of photography.
Jim also considers photography an art form and tries his best to reveal and express this in the images that he captures.
spoupard@gmail.com 478.538.9992
Scott’s interest in photography began nearly 45 years ago when he got his first camera. He studied photography at North Georgia Technical College and worked professionally for 6 years, where he photographed everything from portraits and weddings to sports events. Although Scott returned to school and studied for a career in the IT field, he never lost his love for photography. His photography has been on magazine covers and, most recently, was published in Macon Magazine. He enjoys shooting scenics, landscapes, and nighttime photography.
Travis Rhoads is an international award winning fine art photographer working in a wide range of photographic genres. He has a unique ability to have a conceptual vision of the finished image before the camera is ever turned on. The results are well crafted dramatic black and white images, vibrant and ethereal color long exposures and landscapes that immerse the viewer in the scene.
His artistic background extends back to high school, where he received awards for his fine art drawings and paintings. In college he studied architecture at The Savannah College of Art & Design, where he received a Masters degree. While at Savannah College of Art & Design he also took several photography courses that jumpstarted his passion for photography.
capganez@gmail.com 678.595.7532
Jim is experienced with Canon, Fuji X-T, and Sony A7 series cameras. He has a passion for teaching and tons of patience. Jim was developing and printing from film back in the 80s, but also has a deep technical background and can help you understand all aspects of modern photography.
Sports and youth dance photography are Jim’s specialties, but he can help with several other genres as well.
bobcaspar@aol.com 770.363.2070
Bob has been making images since back in the 1970’s.
He started with his first real camera, a Minolta SRT202. He still has that camera today. He fell in love with photography because it captures a moment in time that will never happen again. For many years, he used photography as part of his profession as he was required to take photos of buildings & contents to record the damages after a disaster, such as a fire, flood or hurricane. He used instamatic cameras, Polaroid cameras and point and shoot cameras to accomplish this and he still enjoyed photography.
About 3 years ago, he retired & decided that capturing the moment was what he wanted to continue to do. he bought my first DSLR in 2017 and he enjoys making images most days.
His images have been displayed in the Gilmer Arts & Heritage Association, The Cherokee County Arts Center, The Murray County Council, The Georgia Marble Festival, The Harris Arts Center in Calhoun, The Downtown Gallery in Cartersville, The Blue Ridge Mountains Art Association and the Booth Western Museum in Cartersville, GA.
Emanuel (Emi) is a self-taught photographer living in NE Metro Atlanta. He loves to travel all over Georgia, the East Coast and his native Europe photographing landscapes and people. Emanuel was the 2020 Photographer of the Year for NGPC, and the 2019 Runner-up. His work has been featured by various tourist bureaus and Fortune 500 companies.
mike@robertson-studio.com 404.895.1628
Michael has always had a passion for photography, having started taking images with his parents' cameras when he was very young. His first job out of high school was doing Wedding Photography, and has loved it ever since. Over 40+ years he have tried most types of photography, but seems to enjoy doing portraits of one type or another the best. With more than 10 years of teaching at UNG, he has worked with most types of cameras and has a very good technical understanding in just about all types of photography.
tracht3103@gmail.com 954.234.4076
Bruce has been shooting for 50 years. He considers himself eclectic in his shooting genre, and can make difficult things into simple explanations. He has a very analytical and adaptive approach to teach on a topic in many different ways to individuals who have different learning styles.
Bruce has taken many steps to learn his passion; He reads books involving photography, and has taken classes in art appreciation. He believes that no matter what genre in photography you seek, you can work together and make it happen.
Expectations
A mentoring relationship is a two-way street, and success is dependent on the efforts of both the mentor and mentee. We’ve set the following guidelines for the program, but above all we ask that you will treat each other as your friend, and respect each other’s time and efforts.
The expectations for each party involved are as follows:
Mentees
- That you have formed and communicated clear and specific objectives
- That you will state your specific questions/needs as clearly as possible. Don’t let a question go unasked
- That you will do your best to listen to and understand the information you’re getting from your Mentor. If you need clarification, don’t be afraid to ask!
- That you understand that direct answers may not always be the most productive way to respond to your questions. Mentors may ask you to do something that may not directly respond to your question, but give it a try and be open-minded
- That you will take notes, and review and use the information learned until it becomes ingrained
Mentors
- That you will require a clear and specific objective from your Mentee
- That you will lead your Mentee to the answer; provide background, fill in the blanks, and have patience so that the answer will be more meaningful to your Mentee
- That you will ensure that your Mentee actually understands and can apply the information you are trying to impart
We hope that the program is successful and rewarding for both the mentor and mentee. Again, if you have any questions or feedback about the mentorship program, or would like to volunteer your time to help others, please contact us at mentor@ngaphoto.club.