David Caleb is a teacher and photographer who is passionate about helping others learn how to capture dynamic images. He strongly believes in the power of images to tell compelling stories.
Dave has worked with photographers of all ages. He has helped people to develop skills for their own photography toolkit. He loves supporting others, enabling them quickly and easily, to find their inner creative photographer.
Dave has written a number of ebooks to help people learn to be better photographers. Stories Through the Lens is a free ebook that can help you quickly learn to use your iPhone or iPad to capture beautiful images. For those looking for an in depth tool to help them learn all about capturing amazing images with a more advanced camera, check out The Photographer’s Toolkit. It is filled with photos and videos and is the resource to have when learning about photography. There is something for everyone, with clear and concise workshops and extension activities.
3 things you didn’t know about Dave
He had his first camera for almost a year but wasn’t able to take a photo.
Dave’s first camera was a second hand Nikon 801s film camera and he had it for almost a year before he could afford a lens to go on the camera. In that time, he read and researched everything he could about photography. When he finally got his first lens and was able to start capturing images, his love for photography skyrocketed. He learned how to develop black and white film and prints in a darkroom and he still uses the darkroom over 25 years after he first stepped into one.
Dave photographed his own wedding. Sort of.
10 days before their wedding, Kelly and Dave got dressed up, had a bouquet made and went around town and captured photos in some of their favourite places. He set the camera up on a tripod with his best man standing in his place in the photos. Then Dave and his best man switched places and his best man captured the photos. On his actual wedding day, he hired a photographer to capture the day. However, their favourite wedding photos were the ones captured 10 days before.
He said no to digital.
Dave was not an early adopter of digital cameras because he he didn’t feel the quality was good enough. However, he was jealous that friends with digital cameras could see their images right away and he had to wait to get his film developed. He got a film scanner and digitized his negatives (which made 120mb files). Fast forward to today and he has embraced digital photography. He loves it as a teaching tool because students can see the results right away, get feedback and learn quickly.
Stuff That I Love
Here are some things that I use and love and highly recommend. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. So if you click on the link and purchase something, you are helping support me and all that I am doing with photography on The Photography Toolkit.
Audible
It might come as a surprise that someone who loves the visual medium also loves audible. I am a HUGE fan of audio books and Audible is one of the few subscription services that I rely on. Many times it is a professional book related to education or learning but it also may just be an inspirational book or a book I want to read but just don’t have the time. The great thing about audio books is that I can listen to them wherever I am – on the bus, while grocery shopping, or just out for a walk.
Some of my favourite books are Dream Teams by Shane Snow, The Power of Moments by Chip and Dan Heath, Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, and Quit Like a Millionaire by Kristy Shen and Bryce Leung. I don’t buy the books individually. I have a subscription and get a credit each month. There are also times when there are special on some titles where you can get 2 books for 1 credit. I love taking advantage of those.
I have an Audible Premium Plus account. I get one credit a month and it costs me $14.95 per month. The great thing about the Premium Plus account is that when I cancel, I get to keep the audio books. You can either pay for a whole year (and get a discount) or pay monthly. The other option is the Audible Plus account which is $7.95 a month and I don’t get to keep the books when I cancel. I like being able to keep the books so I like the premium plus account.
Physical Books
I also love physical books and I have a few recommendations.
Learning to See Creatively by Bryan Petersen has been such a huge influence on me as a photographer. It has actually gone through a number of printings and I actually own a copy of each version. The first version was such an inspiration because he would show two photos side by side and show how he found a beautiful image somewhere by making a small adjustment.
Quit Like a Millionaire by Kristy Shen and Bryce Leung. Yes, I own this book as an audio book and as a physical book – that is how fantastic and influential this book is. This is my favourite book about saving money. This is the book I give to teenagers who are starting to make money and also just leaving school. It is the perfect gift for young people because if they follow what the author’s say, they will be able to retire early and really enjoy their lives.
