Photography Testimonials
I consider Oliver’s group classes (Portrait, Low light and Flash) as well as 10+ private lessons to be the best investment into my personal development. First of all I admire his artistic work and feel lucky to have an opportunity to learn from him, and not only in technical front. Reviews of famous photo artists of all times, philosophy of photography illustrated with timeless pictures, discussions and reviews of my own work are so very inspirational, that I am continuing my lessons. Those few hours submerged in the expression of black and white images keep me going and surviving the routine of daily business, seriously….
Laima Tikuisiene Portraiture Workshop, Flash and Light Workshop, Individual courses
Joining Olivers sessions was the best decision for developing my skills as a photographer. While I have seen many self-proclaimed photographers offering courses on photography here, Oliver is an experienced professional photographer, in fact one of the best I know covering a broad spectrum from portraits and reports to artistic street photography. During the classes I experienced Oliver having great skills in teaching and encouraging people to find their personal best approach to photography. Beside that, he is also fun to be with. If you want to start or develop your photographic skills, join one of his photo walks or individual classes, instead of buying yet another camera.
Jan-Henrik Tiedemann Advanced Course 2016
I have found my courses (flash, portrait and individual) with Oliver fascinating and incredibly enlightening. Not only is he an engaging teacher with a lot of knowledge on photography but he also challenges the idea of what a good picture is. I have found he not only teaches photography alone but also helps you to discover what kind of photographer you are. I can say I am a better and more focused photographer thanks to his lessons.
Morris Colenbrander Night & Flash, Portrait Workshops and Individual Course 2016.
Having been an amateur photographer for a long time, I had taken many albums of amateur photographs. Now an Alumnus of Oliver’s courses I am taking photographs I am genuinely proud to show and really enjoying my photography more than I ever had. The structure of the classroom and the practical courses works well, thanks to Oliver’s, enthusiasm, sense of humor and honest but constructive feedback. While the expanse technical knowledge Oliver shares inspires confidence, his emphasis is always on the creative, using collections famous and more obscure photographers to demonstrate. The themed assignments are fun but challenging to experiment beyond the comfort zone. Having roamed obscure parts of Geneva in a variety of weather conditions, no situation phases me now.
David Welsh Intro., Night & Flash Portrait Workshops & Intermediate Evening Class 2015-2016.
Absolutely loved it! Assuming my basic knowledge of the subject, this workshop has provided me with enormous boost. It gave me the understanding of many different light aspects. Provided me with training on how to use a variety of handy equipment, such as cobra flashes, backlights, diffuser, etc… I was impressed by the amount of knowledge one can carry out from a class in a day. In many ways thanks to Oliver’s style. Easy to communicate with, yet highly professional he manages to create a relaxing working environment in a group. Good theoretical part followed with tons of useful advises during the practice. Also to mention – I highly appreciate the “follow up” session and Oliver’s ability to provide feedback. Criticism to the point and in a way that you want to go out there, reflect, shoot more, experiment more… Truly inspirational experience for me.
Igor Kazakov Portrait Workshop May 22 2016 and Advanced Evening Course summer August 2016
I wanted to develop my skills beyond the typical portrait and landscape photography, so I decided to give Oliver's lessons a try. I liked them so much that I repeated not one, but three times, taking a total of three group courses and one set of one-to-one lessons. Oliver takes you one step further and guides you through photography understood as an art, while helping you hone your technical skills. What I most liked about his teaching style is that he pushes you to explore and try out new things in photography that you might not have thought of before. His feedback is, above all, meaningful--very honest and very encouraging at the same time
Antia Collazo Ageitos Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Evening Courses and individual course summer 2016
I joined the Beginner's photography course offered by Mr. Oliver O'Hanlon. It was an intensive day workshop with three hour technical session explaining fundamentals of photography, lighting and efficient technical control of a DSLR followed with 6 hours of intense hands-on experience at multiple outdoor locations with varied natural lighting. My feedback
• Mr. O'Hanlon is an expert on the science and arts of photography
• Mr. O'Hanlon has the ability to explain complex technical or artistic items in simple terms with examples from eminent photographers. He not only generates enthusiasm on photography technically, but also challenges us to embark on the arts of photography
• His technical knowledge is paramount where he personally tuned and adjusted all our cameras with rational explanation
• Selection of the outdoor locations must have been carefully planned as we covered a large spectrum of lighting. He showed us simple rules which we could use to manage the varied lighting situations.
• He explained with hands-on demonstration do's and dont's on street photography and portrait.
• Beauty of the course was that it was very well designed and not prescriptive allowing each of us artistic freedom
As a result of this workshop, which was a birthday gift to me from my wife, I have taken a fascination to photography and have already enrolled for the intermediate course. I am eagerly looking forward to the next course.Sukrit Bhattacharya Beginner Workshop and Intermediate Evening Class, 2016.
I had the pleasure of participating in Oliver´s photography course for beginners. The course gave me great knowledge and tools that I can easily apply whenever using my camera. The course was fun and very useful at the same time; Oliver´s approach in teaching photography is motivating since he takes you through important theory through practical examples and entertaining videos. He uses "learning by doing" methodology rather than just lecturing about technical facts. He has an enormous amount of experience in different photography styles and he is very passionate about anything that has to do with photography. Having said that, he gave me very professional feedback on my photos and helped me to understand what was good and what might need improvement. It was very inspiring to learn to understand how basic technical elements like light, framing or shutter speed have such a big impact on a photograph. After the course I started to use my camera much more and it is rewarding to see that I am often happy with the photos I take nowadays!
Krister Ahlberg Beginner Course May-June 2016
I have taken pictures most of my life, but consider myself a real amateur. I wanted to improve technical as well as artistic skills. Oliver gave me the chance to do both. He gives good explanations as well as objective comments on the photo homework that he prepares with you in advance. While it might sound banal, he encourages you to think outside the box and not do what every other photographer does; it is not easy but it’s fun. In addition, he got me into B&W, doing street photography which I had never really tackled and using a flash. Courses are well worth it.
Jerry Ungar Individual Course July-August 2015
My beginner’s course benefitted me a great deal, as I was able to understand the very basics of photography, and practice the homework after each lesson. Oliver spared no time in sharing his passion for the art of photography with us. The lessons were both informative and fun. We learnt to photograph portraits, moving images, landscape and street scenes. We were shown videos about the evolution of photography along with some of the greatest photographers of our times and shared our individual feelings and opinions after each video. During each lesson, we discussed each other’s homework and welcomed Oliver’s comments and criticism. I plan to continue Oliver’s courses and will take a series of private lessons before proceeding to the intermediate course in preparation for a historic voyage I will be taking down the Mississippi River later this year.
Raya Meron Introduction Evening Course 2016
There are two things I like most about Oliver's sessions, actually, three: the video clips of photographers from different schools and his knowledgeable explanations at the start of each session; the photo reviews with his feedback (always stirring us up to go beyond the obvious) ...and Oliver's sense of humor and his unassuming way to talk about photography. Photography through Oliver's lessons has become a means of self-expression and engagement with every day life. An observation exercise in which shutter speed or panning, exposure or composition are tools to express your personal view of the world. And one more thing, he has made me discover the power of Black and White.
Laura Chumillas Photo-Walks, Beginner and Intermediate Evening Courses 2015-2016
… I greatly appreciated my time with Oliver as I manage to grasp in a short while the basics … my photography style started to shape and I have learned a lot from the challenging yet pragmatic learning approach and feedback. I enjoyed the photo homework as well as the reviews and commentary from the classics photographers. My horizon expanded and I know what constitutes good, bad and art photography. The experience raised my curiosity and made me do more…. I discovered black and white and got seriously hooked to street photography… overall great learning experience. While I might not be accomplished photographer, I am more confident behind the camera. Thank you, Oliver.
Daniela Argirova Individual Course Spring 2016
Doing courses and photo walks with Oliver helped me in many ways. Firstly, it obliged me to get to know my camera and it's various settings. Secondly, having homework to do on a predefined topic (flash, portrait, movement etc.) encouraged me to think about my photos, and knowing that the group would all be there to review each other's work the following week, concentrated the mind wonderfully! Lastly, I benefited from Oliver's knowledge and experience in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.
Gregory McBride Introduction, Intermediate and Advanced Evening Courses 2015-2016
I have taken photography lessons with Oliver and have also participated in photowalks arranged by him. He has a unique fun-filled style to impart knowledge. Earlier I had been a totally automated point-and-shoot photographer; now I have started to take pictures in Manual mode utilising the potential of the camera to improve my pictures. Taking courses with him have definitely improved my photography skills.
Nash'at Nadeem Beginner Workshop and Photo Walks 2015-2016.
I signed up to this course hoping to get to grips with the technical fundamentals and basic theory of photography, in reality, the course was that and so much more. I found the course's blend of interesting video materials and subsequent discussions to be provocative and engaging, ranging from aesthetic and art historical considerations to social issues surrounding photography. In addition, the significant time and depth spent reviewing our homework each week provided me with the opportunity to develop critical visual skills of my own and others’ work. This, in particular, is a testament to Oliver’s passion and commitment to his students. Each week Oliver’s inimitable (and highly entertaining) teaching style inspired me to go out and develop my own photographic practice. It was an absolute pleasure to participate.
Charlotte Ward Introduction Evening Course 2016
Oliver’s course was incredibly inspiring. Not only he transmits technical knowledge in a fun and engaging way, but also his approach to photography explores different aspects of art in general and personal creative processes. It was a great experience doing Oliver’s workshop, I have now discovered a hobby that I truly love!
Thais Porto Introduction and Intermediate Evening Courses, 2016.
I've participated in several of Oliver's photo walks, as well as a couple of his courses, and I recommend both very highly. Oliver is an excellent teacher, and he has a depth and diversity of experiences as a professional, from corporate photography to weddings and events to reportage, and he's able to draw from all of these experiences when giving you personalized advice. He's always able to explain or show you something that will resonate with what you're trying to achieve as a photographer, whether you're a complete novice or a semi-pro. Oliver's easygoing style, as well as his focus on developing your art, rather than just a set of prescribed technical settings to obtain an image, really makes his instruction top-notch.
Steve Antalics Photo Walks & Workshops 2013-2015
Being completely new to photography, Oliver's class was the perfect way to dive into the craft. Oliver is extremely knowledgeable and experienced yet he manages to make the concepts and technical elements understandable to even the most basic of beginners. Beyond that, the workshops were fun and a great way to explore Geneva! I highly recommend participating.
Kali Taylor Beginner one-day workshop 2015
Looking around you, observing, seeing something and wanting to show it the way you feel it. It's not about snapping a camera but talking to people. That's Oliver's course. And it s a lot of fun too! Oliver’s knowledge, his honest feedbacks and expertise do encourage you to explore the art of photography in every possible way: what’s photography? Camera functions and lens. Motion and blur, composition, light. Fully manual mode. Through the vision of videos of great photographers, discussions, homework and review sessions. Oliver, with professionalism and a sense of humour makes you feel eager to develop your photography. Yes we can! Loved it and i ‘ll sign up to his courses again.
Agnese Spedale Beginner Evening Course 2016
