REDred Photo School & Studio

Neil is outstanding, it’s been several years since I’ve taken a class but I can say that he’s a great instructor. I do have plans to participate in more workshops but I just haven’t had the time. He’s very patient and clear with his advice/​instructions. You can tell that he has great experience and easily breaks down the fundamentals.
At the time of taking his class, I had already been shooting for more than 5 years and wanted to learn more about studio lighting and working with models. I had several take aways and I look forward to taking the next class.

Neil’s basic DSLR class series is anything but basic, I feel like I know leaps and bounds more than I did. The classes are small and casual and Neil really makes sure you learn what you need to know. Take this course if you really want to know how to be a photographer!

I met with Neil at his studio to discuss my desire to streamline the photography process for my online clothing shop, and his advice and guidance has changed my business in leaps and bounds.
I am essentially self taught in photography, so there is a lot to learn, and the process can be intimidating. Not with Neil. He is professional, patient, intelligent and so easy to interact with. I signed up for a block of private lessons, and I am so happy I did. The information he gave was exactly what I needed for my particular business, and with his help I was able to build an affordable home studio that I can operate easily, and troubleshoot lighting problems I otherwise would have just dealt with in Photoshop. My efficiency has increased, and the look of my photos are clear, true to color, and are now fun to do instead or feeling like a grind. I am so happy and thankful.
I would highly recommend Neil and REDred Photo School and Studio to anyone at any level. He has a wealth of knowledge paired with a natural ability to teach, and I believe any photography student can achieve their goals with his assistance.
Thank you!

I attended Neil’s 5-​week, 10-​class studio lighting course and will certainly be back for more.
I had previous lighting experience, owning and using location strobes, flashguns, triggers, etc. but had never had any formal training in studio photography or the related tools or methods involved. I signed up for this course to learn the basics of lighting, and Neil delivered in every way.
The class is a very reasonable size and instructor (Neil) is fun and laid back. It moves at a reasonable pace, so there’s no concern for skipping or missing important steps. Neil is incredibly well-​studied in his craft of studio and on-​location lighting and is clearly a subject-​matter expert on all-​things related to flash photography (among other things).
In the classes and lighting labs, Neil teaches you how the light and tools fundamentally work — not just how to use them. He teaches almost completely in a manual mode or method while referencing the more automated tools. His approach to lighting and teaching is very systematic, teaching us how to break down the vision for a photograph, step-​by-​step to achieve near-​perfect results in-​camera, with little or no post-​production required. And, of course, there are accidents and discoveries along the way, which keeps things fun and interesting.
Expect to use the tools and make decisions extensively in the lighting labs. It’s nice to have the class time ahead of these labs, too, which resulted in tons of notes I took that are very valuable to me and my practice ahead.
In summary, I’d say this class is for the person who wants to establish a strong foundation of flash photography, to give them the confidence and skills they need to further explore the interest in their own. For me personally, this class has filled a lot of gaps in my knowledge, confirmed what I’m doing well already, and gives me a clear path for what I want to do next in terms of selecting the right equipment and exploring the possibilities of flash photography with a sense of confidence and excitement.
A few tips for those attending: Bring a notepad and pen to every class and lab. Bring food and water. If you’re thinking of buying flash equipment, you should wait until you take this class. Lastly, sign up now — classes fill up fast.

Excellent excellent excellent classes. Neil is engaging, friendly, and his dog Brian is cute too. The DSLR Digital Basics is an excellent course. Highly recommended– come here to learn photography.

Portraiture photography was my dream for a long time, but it’s a very intimidating thing. Lots of complicated gear that you don’t even know what it’s for or how to mount it, let alone make it all work together. Neil took us through the technical part — first understanding how light works, and working with a single light and modifiers, then more complex setups and assignments: fashion shot, corporate headshot, sports shot, intimate shot, rim light shot etc, so a lot of variety. We had a lot of fun, and I learned tons. This is one of those things you can’t learn by just reading books, you need to get your hands on, and figuring out studio equipment, light metering techniques etc etc can be cumbersome on your own, if you don’t have someone to guide you. Overall, what I liked most, was the focus on understanding light, not just giving us ready-​to-​use recipes. This way, when you’re done with the classes, you’re ready to experiment on your own. I actually have my own mini studio right now, and having a blast playing with it. Will definitely come back here though for more light labs, as some of the assignments are really interesting and difficult to reconstruct on your own. Thanks Neil!

We took the DSLR Crash-​Course and was very impressed with Neil’s passion for the art of photography. We learned a lot of concepts and gained more skills and confidence by the end of the workshop. He even stayed an extra hour after class to advise us on getting the right equipment for our needs. Highly recommend this school if you’re interested in learning more about photography in a relaxed, friendly environment.

Whether you plan to take the classes for fun or in your journey to becoming a professional, I would definitely recommend REDred Photo School.
I am a very beginner and I am not looking to become a professional. My goal for the class is to be able to catch the life around me in a way that keeps the feeling of the moment. While I have only taken 4 classes so far I am sure that Neil is going to help me reach to my goal.
Right from the start Neil was engaging, asking questions about my level of knowledge and what I wanted from the class.
The classes are small, engaging and interactive. Neil makes sure you understand and will always take the time to explain further.
Others in my class are looking to become professionals, and I feel that Neil does a very good job of uncovering your individual needs and tailoring the class to meet everyone’s needs.
I have signed up for Photography Fundamentals, Digital Camera DSLR Crash-​Course and The Art of Photography.
Overall I feel that Neil teaches classes because he truly enjoys teaching and photography and his overall enthusiasm makes learning easy and fun.

I received a daily deal voucher for REDred Photo School for my birthday. Predictably, forgot about the voucher until the very last minute and had to quickly book two intro level classes. Thankfully, the owner (Neil) was very understanding and made every attempt to get me into the courses I wanted. While the online reservation system wasn’t set up to handle the daily deal vouchers without a bit of emailing, it was simple enough.
The studio is located in the old immigration services building just south of Chinatown. It is a cool space and the rest of the building is occupied by a variety of other artists & studios. Parking is very limited so public transit is highly recommended considering the proximity of the bus tunnel & light rail.
Last but not least, Neil was a knowledgeable photographer and genuinely enjoyable instructor. He clearly demonstrates a passion and proficiency with photography but is crucially able to make the subject less intimidating for beginners (like me).
5-​stars (no complaints, great experience… will definitely go back once I’ve done more practice on my own!)

My update is not about the content of the courses, but the trouble I’ve had with the registration system and booking classes. I could not register properly online with a Living Social deal, so I had to email the school. That was ok.
My second class was cancelled due to weather. I was told I would be credited in their system for a class. When I went online to see my profile, there was no credited class. When I emailed about registering for a class with my credit, I received no response.
I probably won’t go back, which is too bad. They seem to have potential as a school.

I bought the Living Social Deal in hopes of attending the Intro to Studio Make up class, but was sad to find that the next two sessions were on days I couldn’t make it. I sent an email explaining my situation and quickly received a reply from Nikki, the instructor, offering to accommodate my schedule however she could, even offering to see me privately. On my scheduled day, I arrived early and looked on while another student was taking instruction from Nikki. She does one half of the face and you do the other, step by step, answering any questions you have but giving you enough freedom to try things and learn from your mistakes. The whole class lasted about 2.5 hours and was tailored to fit my level of experience. I was happy to leave with boosted confidence, a sharper skill set and a craving for better brushes and cosmetics. One of the products we used that day was so excellent I had to order it on the spot, returning to the studio a week later to pick it up from Nikki. A great experience over all, in a good location with very personable staff.

I benefitted greatly from Neils ability to clearly communicate his photography knowledge. I look forward to taking more classes and taking better photographs.

I did a lot of film/​outdoor photography before but have always found flash/​lighting puzzling. Neil’s Intro to studio lighting course was fabulous. A brief intro to tradeoffs in various equipments/​setups is followed by actual hands-​on demonstration of the effects of monolights, headlamp, diffuser, reflector and background lighting. It was well-​done and very informative. I am looking forward to other classes to pick up more techniques. (I found out about his studio via Groupon.0

I just took the Intro to Studio Makeup class on Sunday and I feel like I learned real tools to take with me to a shoot or runway show. I was happy that this class was very concise and practical. It was all meat, no filler. It was appropriate for a total beginner, or a makeup fanatic that wants to take it to the next level. I had an aha moment about skin tones, because it was finally explained to me in a way that made sense!!! Learning real-​world sanitation procedures was very helpful. The instructor was warm and funny and kept the class on track, even with such a large scope of subject matter. The class size was small (6 people). I look forward to taking a workshop so that I can get hands-​on experience as well.

I bought a groupon to attend Intro to Photo, unfortunately it wasn’t worth it. To be fair it was just the intro, perhaps the series are better. This felt like an opportunity for him to show off his cameras and then pitch us to sign up for the series. I was hoping to learn something practical that I could take away and apply. Oh well.

This is one outstanding studio and Neil is very knowledgeable. I’ve only used point and shoot camera and want to learn more about photography and using my dSLR. The Intro to Studio lighting class was excellent. A lot of techniques and demonstrations were done and I learned so much. There was good interaction and hands on practice. I’ve already registered for the Intro to Digital Photography class and will look to add more in the future.

Neil is an outstanding instructor as well as extremely talented photographer. I have been to several photo seminars in the past and was blown away by this one: I expected to find 20 – 30 people and a canned speech on how to use studio lighting. What I got was so much better: I was in a group of five students, with Neil building the class around our questions and our experience. I am sure he has basic points that he weaves into the narrative of his discussion but in a true sense this was a discussion not a lecture. Neil’s passion for the subject shines through in his seminar and makes a complicated subject accessible. REDred is an experience, not a school. The price of this class is undervalued in the extreme.

I attended 2 intro classes and had a blast. It was easy to follow along and ask questions. The studio where the classes are held is quaint and parking was easy to find. I will definitely schedule more classes!

My husband and I bought a Canon 60D camera but didn’t know how to use it. We took REDred Photo’s intro to photography class and the 8 week (4 class) series. Neil is very knowledgeable and provides simple explanations. He teaches about the technical and creative aspects of photography and whether you’re a beginner like me or more advanced, classes are friendly and comfortable.