I went through Fotofly academy in 2017. I have always loved photography and knew it was a hobby I enjoyed, but I wasn't sure if I could make it a career. I finally decided that I wanted to try and found FotoFly Academy. I loved everything about it. The teachers were fun and knowledgeable, the hands on nature of the class really helped me understand the concepts and truly understand photography and my camera. I loved getting experience in all kinds of portrait photography and getting a feel for what I loved. The quality of the education was top notch, and I loved that I could refer back to my reading materials after I graduated when I needed to brush up on something. I have now been a professional photographer for almost 7 years, getting a start with so much knowledge and confidence under my belt really helped move my business forward. I have since earned my Certified Professional Photographer and Master Photographer degrees from Professional Photographers of America, as well as been published in several magazines and have won awards for my photography in competitions. I owe it all to my solid start from FotoFly Academy!
Diane Owen
dianeowenphotography.com
Jani Rogers
honeyrogersphotography.com
Fotofly Academy was my very first introduction to photography. I had never even touched a full frame dslr before. Fotofly academy gave me the basic fundamentals, knowledge and community to start a photography business. The in person every day classes was what I really needed to thrive and apply the concepts learned. I don’t think any other mentorship or online education would have been as successful if I hadn’t had a great intro dive into all that photography is. I learned about gear, tools, software, posing, lighting, expression and client interaction among many other subjects. The most valuable thing I took from this apart from the education was the friendships and connections I made in the industry. I’m glad this was my first photography education because I was able to develop good building blocks, skills and habits to grow from there. Throughout the years I have been able to reach back out for advice and mentorship.
Jennifer Gardner
inrglo.com
I had the opportunity to attend FotoFly Academy! I had no idea what I was getting myself into, I just knew I wanted to learn how to take better photos of my kids. Four months later, I realized I could do it as a business and earn some extra money.
Little did I know, one month after finishing Fotofly Academy, my boyfriend and I broke up and I now needed a full-time source of income to support my kids and I. I was so grateful I had gone through the Academy, and was certified because I had something to fall back on.
I started researching different types of photography, and I decided I was going to do school photography. I had the neighbor kids and my nieces and nephews come over to my home, and I took free headshots of them, in agreement that I could use them on my new school flyer. The next day I started walking! I went from one school to the next, until I booked my first job.
After I booked my first job, I went out to my car and thought, oh crap, now I need to figure out how to become a preschool photographer. I have been trained to take photos, I understood lighting, I had spent hours practicing and learning techniques, but running a school was a whole different ballgame.
I needed a system on how to manage all these kids. So, I started googling how to run a school photography business. I learned everything I could, and grew my business to several schools that first year. I made many mistakes, and also had a lot of success.
A year later, I decided to pivot and started doing Corporate Photography, as well. That was awesome. I loved working with CEOs and being immersed in the corporate world, and I also loved working with little kids at the schools, so I did both.
6 years later we won Best of SLC in Portrait and Corporate Photography. It was pretty cool!
When I started photography, it was just something I wanted to learn, and quickly it turned into the source of income for my family, and now we are well known in the corporate world, and one of the best in SLC.
Thanks to Eric Adams and FotoFly for giving me the opportunity to go through Fotofly Academy to make me able to grow a successful and lucrative business. Thank you to Eric Adams and FotoFly Academy for giving me the opportunity to learn valuable skills, which in turn, has helped me grow a successful and lucrative business.
Stacey Peterson
mobiephoto.com
I attended Fotofly Academy in 2014. I didn't know anything about photography or how to use a DSLR. Not only were the classes with Eric really fun and entertaining, I learned how to use my camera and all about lighting and posing, and editing. Just a few months later I was able to open my own photography business, which I am still running today.
The FotoFly Academy is a program set up for those who want to build a business as a professional photographer. The classes were incredibly small which allowed for a lot of one-on-one mentoring. Each week we would be taught different photography techniques and then the school would provide models during the rest of the school days for us to practice the techniques. The Academy was more than just bookwork and lectures. It was a hands-on, intense learning that built my skills and profile at the same time!
I was taught how to handle a camera and the settings, how to interact with people and gain their trust, how to capture genuine emotion, and how to use certain programs to edit the pictures. I was also taught the business side of being a professional photographer -- taxes, obtaining a license, advertising, etc.
We were taught everything from how how to pose a day old newborn to handling a full wedding load. It was incredible to be able to meet so many people through the program. There was one particular mom I took newborn pictures for that sent the most touching email response back. "I can't thank you enough for the AMAZING pictures. Seriously - I'm crying they're so beautiful. They just made my day." She sent this while I was pretty early in the program and it fueled so much of my love for what I was learning. I knew I was making the right choice in pursuing a career in photography.
I graduated November with my official photography certification. Since then I have gained my business license and have continued to chase my dream! I try to continue learning in any way I can. I watch photoshop tutorials to learn new techniques, practice shooting with my friends and family, and attending photography workshops.
You can trust when you book with me that you truly will be getting a professional photographer - thanks to FotoFly Academy and a lot of hard work.
Bri McIntosh
reelimagery.com
Lanaya Beckham
lanayajune.com
Fotofly Academy really jumpstarted my photography career. The curriculum was very well thought out and covered everything from camera basics, posing, lighting, editing, working with clients, and everything in-between. The instructors were fun, knowledgeable, and truly dedicated to making sure we left our time with them feeling confident in starting our own photography businesses. Being able to have hands on experience working with a variety of clients from newborns, kids, families, and couples/weddings really gave me an opportunity to figure out what I was most excited about, and where I saw myself succeeding in photography in the future. I walked away from the program feeling confident in my abilities to create beautiful work, and start my own wedding photography business that has blessed my life ten-fold. Looking back, I’m grateful I didn’t try to do it all on my own, and that I found this program to help me skip though the trial and error phase so many do-it-yourself photographers have to go through when wanting to get into photography.
As a busy mom with a bunch of crazy kids, I didn't have time to scour the internet for the best YouTube videos to teach me the tricks of the photography trade. Fotofly Academy was the perfect hands-on, in-person, all-inclusive course I was looking for. From basic camera settings, to soliciting genuine emotion, to posing and work-flow skills, I learned it all. And I learned it all with an instructor by my side, willing to answer all of my silly, naive questions. I owe a lot to the academy. Not only did it give me the tools needed to make my photography-business dream come true, it gave me the tools needed to take beautiful pictures of my crazy crew. Both of which I will cherish forever.
Natalie Clemens
neverland.photography
I’ve always loved photography. The FotoFly Academy gave me the technical expertise, compositional understanding, and editing abilities to transform that passion into a profession. From hands-on learning with skilled photographers to assignments meant to challenge, FotoFly exponentially elevated my confidence with a camera, editing software, and clients in a short period of time. Beyond a source of income, those skills have allowed me to gracefully capture many cherished moments in my own life that would have been lost to memory otherwise. The FotoFly Academy was one of the best things I’ve done for myself!
Rachel Sabin
Tom Hollow
hollow.co.nz
Eric Adams is a master educator. By combining artful communication skills, years of real-industry experience and a depth of technique, Eric is able to deliver an education system and learning experience with style and grace.
As a past padawan, and now full-time photographer with an array of photo & video businesses operating across international markets (Australia, Pacific Islands, New Zealand), I can attest to the brilliant learning opportunities, guidance and patience offered by Eric Adams to myself and his students. As I reflect, key points of learning & experience are as follows:
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A repertoire of abilities used to communicate with people of all ages (3-6month babies & toddlers all the way up to grandma)
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Confidence to enter a photo session with anyone and everyone and walk away knowing we've captured a collection of images the client will stoke on for years to come
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A kind approach to people and an ability to leave them feeling great about themselves, even in front of a camera
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An in depth understanding of your camera, lenses and equipment
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Ability to work with available light, be that direct sunlight, indoors or flash studio lighting
Thank you Eric (and Marci) for your dedication to people, your willingness to share your wisdom and experience and kind nature.