Testimonials – Training Clients

An invaluable experience and what an incredible person to train with. Jay, thank you to you and Naz, the lessons I learnt are really going to help me go to that next level I have been searching for in my photography career. Your passion for this business and technical expertise are second to none! Thanks and “I’ll be back!” :)

Hi Jay, I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for the 1-1 training course that I attended for 5 days.

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, especially for someone whose knowledge of photography was new and self taught. I needed a good push in the right direction and the information you provided was invaluable.

I’m so glad I made the decision to be taught by you as it was exactly what I needed. A course completely tailored to my needs with both written and practical reinforcement. You made sure I wouldn’t forget, even in those moments when it seemed there was just too much to take in. I never felt confused or unable to ask questions due to your approach to teaching.

Your passion and drive definitely inspired me to take my photography to the next level and pursue it as a profession.

I cannot thank you enough.

Thank you Jay for the one-to-one training in photography over the course of 5 days.

Despite pursuing photography as an on and off hobby for ten years, I felt lost and wanted a teacher that would take me back to the very basics by filling those ‘gaps’ in my knowledge of which there were many. I felt you did just that, by understanding my needs, with your style of delivery. You explained everything clearly and were very patient. Also, both you and Shuhenaz created a friendly atmosphere, were very easy going and flexible which made the learning process a whole lot easier.

It was also a relief to be taught by someone who clearly has a genuine passion for passing on knowledge and puts their heart into teaching. This is just a new beginning for me but I feel as though I have come away with a vast amount of knowledge that will help me build a strong foundation and help me in my new journey in pursuing photography on serious level.

Ok where should I begin??? This guy has no limits to reaching out and helping others, and who better than it to come from an outstanding individual with experience, business knowledge and ethics! Not to mention soooo much god damn talent in his work.

Its rare to find such an honest teacher, with a pure goal to change things with alot of sense in it.

I am so glad I invested in you, out of the many many many photographers who claim that they will help you, but really they just give you a little for alot. Jay you give a hell of alot for very very little and that is rare to find in any industry!!

To sum up you’re a GAME CHANGER!!!!

Hi Jay, I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for the 1 to 1 training course that I attended for 5 days.

You fully understood my teaching requirements and delivered a tailored training course which you kept fun, simple, engaging and easy to understand. You made sure I understood everything and tested my knowledge along the way, especially when I’m a person that learns visually and kinesthetically.

You are not just a teacher but a coach who made sure I got the most out of the 5 days and showed me how easy it is to grasp photography even though there is so much to learn. I left really inspired and to break into the market in the near future.

Thank you for everything… see you guys soon for a meal to catch up on everything and hey… i might have some more light bulb moments… ‘sick’ ;)

Just wanted to say, thank you for the 1 to 1 training course. It was indeed a knowledgeable learning session which you had provided.

The small things made all the difference. A bespoke learning experience tailored to my requirement made it much more rewarding and kept me switched on the entire time. Your laid back yet simple professional approach, helped ensure I learnt each step by step fully. It’s always encouraging to be able to ask simple questions and be given a detailed answer at the same time.

All I can say to others is that, if they haven’t tried your training program then they haven’t experienced learning in its most relaxed yet simple way. Keep up the great work.

Jay & Shuhenaz HQ!

The last three days have been an intense workout for my brain. I initially thought one day would be enough to cover what I wanted to develop, but I had no idea how in-depth each subject really is – it’s been such an eye opener! The thing I really liked is how you dissected each and every component down to the very core so I could get the best and complete understanding, nothing was sugar coated or avoided. My questions were answered openly, honestly and straight to the point.

The great thing is that this course was completely tailored to my requirements. So before I had my first day, I had a consultation to talk about what I wanted to enhance in my business. This alone shows that you really care and want to help, others may give you 5 minutes on the phone or will just ask you to send a quick email with a few bullet points asking what you want covered, but it takes a lot more than that to understand ones situation. You have helped me gain a lot of confidence and this is just what I really needed.

I’ve never written so many notes in three days! It’s been a lot to take in, but I now have a lot of material that I can now implement to improve my business.

Without a doubt, it’s one of the best investments I have made, and I already know i’m going to come back for 2 more days.

Jay and Shuhenaz.. You have been a great host whilst I undertook the 5 day training course. I knew there was an element that I was struggling with in my photography and you helped me perfect the skill. To be honest once we started going through the course content and delved deep into each of those topics I was quite overwhelmed with the content.

Jay structured the course quite well starting with the basics of photography and ensuring that this knowledge was well engrained before moving onto the advanced content. You may all have enrolled on some sort of online course for photography and not achieved what you were expecting out of the course. This is because these online courses omit the bare essential of photography – Lighting.

Jay will ensure that you have mastered each component of the course content so that you achieve the objectives of the course. Obviously the onus is on the student to take away the knowledge and experiment each of the components of the course until you are confident of shooting without referring to the notes. Frankly speaking there is a lot of information to absorb..

Photography is not about just picking the camera and shooting what you see through the lens. Jay will show you the techniques in achieving the desired image that you are after. And if you don’t get it right.. he will ensure you work on it until you have perfected it. Remember, this is a one to one course so all the focus and attention is on you. Attending a 1 or 3 day course is not enough to master all the elements of photography. If you really are passionate about photography and want to perfect your skills, then enrol on the 5 day course.

Thanks once again to Shuhenaz for being a great model during the test shoots and ensuring i get my hot lemon and honey drinks whilst i had a sore throat.

Jay & Shuhenaz,

After yesterday’s day of 1 to 1 photography business class, I’ve now had the chance to reflect (recover) and once again wish to say a massive thank you both for your time, effort and candid advice in helping me thoroughly dissect my business and work towards achieving greater success in the future, and for giving me that much needed encouragement – not to mention making me “see the light” (pun intended) when it comes to preparing an effective pricing and financial structure to achieve my goals.

Your openness and willingness to share such information and provide critical and specific advice is something unique and special within our industry – that level of depth can’t be found in any group workshop in my opinion which makes picking your brain so much more worthwhile! :)

I’m overwhelmed by the amount of information and tips you have given to me and shall take my time absorbing it all and hope to implement ideas in the coming months.

I appreciate the level of thought and planning that you put into our class, your friendly but frank nature is what didn’t want to make me leave but the fact you were willing to keep my company further is a testament in itself that you make an excellent mentor.

No doubt, I’l be coming back to you for more in the near future (and next time I will seriously bring an overnight bag!!)

Just wanted to say a massive thank you to you, Jay and Shuhenaz for really being great mentors for the 5 day course I booked with you…

It’s been an eye opener to photography and I’m so glad I booked the 5 day course as the 1 day course wouldn’t have been enough at all, just so much to learn!

Not only did I learn and get to practise with my camera, you two have made it so much fun and interesting to learn… just perfect :)

Also, got the opportunity to come out on a wedding shoot with you both, which I really appreciated and put what I learnt in to practise straight away and get to review the pictures the next day… couldn’t of had asked for anything more.

I’m definitely going to be booking the ‘business course’ with you very shortly, so I hope to see you guys soon :)

p.s. Hope your still enjoying the mishti and I must say the new phrase “Galactic difference” is very catchy :P Thank you again!

Jay and Shuhenaz, Kajal and I would like to say a big thank you for your SEO help making us see how doing things in certain ways can help us. We gained a lot more knowledge than before the one-to-one session. Any one looking to get more help on the SEO from Jay I can say simply it’s worth the time and money. Once again many thanks Guys.

Hi Jay – A year down the line after my last 1-2-1 practical photography session with you, I’m still recovering from the knowledge intake of the business workshop yesterday.

Really appreciate the ‘eye opener’ of how to calculate my pricing structure that has been frustrating me for quite a while. Amazing that I have known the number of fixed and direct costs of a wedding photographer but the mechanism of pricing correctly and fairly was surely something I needed confidence, clarity and a jolt! Salary was totally missing from my calculations, its obvious if I was working for a company I wouldn’t be working for free or would I?? Hmm…

But really on a serious note, definitely the most important information I have taken away. You will definitely be seeing my implementation of the “re-branding” and marketing knowledge I gained, especially now that my business structure is changing. Perfect timing!

I really found it sooooooo useful reviewing my personal portfolio with you! Sometimes you need someone experienced to tell you what you are doing wrong and where you can improve (simplezz – meerkat face)..I got that too…wohoo!!

Shuhenaz – can’t go without saying thanks for keeping the banter going!

Jay, once again thanks for keeping the door open to learning opportunities in the future and what you have educated me with so far!

Jay, Shuhenaz….Just before I fly out to Istanbul (whooooooop), I just want to sincerely thank you both for helping me follow my dreams. Last September I purchased my camera and with EXTREMELY little knowledge and much scepticism, I applied for a position as an associate photographer.

5 Months later, as well as working alongside yourselves, I am starting to build up my business as a wedding photographer and LOVING every moment of it.

The teaching and support you both have provided me with is invaluable…and the reason why it holds so much value is because of the genuine knowledge and respect you both have for photography and the industry.

Jay your method of teaching is testament to your understanding of people and the FAB relationships you have with your clients. You recognised my character, and personal strengths and weaknesses and ensured you set me projects that challenged me. And even when I didn’t do well…after the initial honesty, aka bollocking :p, you didn’t let me just fail or flop. You believed in my ability and helped me, reviewed extra work I was doing elsewhere and gave me HONEST yet sound advice.

But aside the knowledge gained and the progression I have been able to make…I have gained an elder brother and sister in you and Shuhenaz. You have helped me both in my personal and professional life and have made me understand things about myself I never knew or failed to recognise. We have such a laugh when we are all together and if it wasnt for your advice and guidance I wouldn’t be in the fortunate position I am now. The last five months have been blood, sweat and tears…but Thank you both for helping carry me through them!!! Much love and prayers. Soniya xxx

Initially starting photography as a hobby, I was too busy ‘Happy Snapping’. I never really had a clue how the camera worked. All I did was clicked and smiled at the end result. But I needed to gain more knowledge. After viewing some of Jay’s work, I instantly gravitated towards his style. I knew straight away that he is an individual who knew what he was doing.

We then started a one to one training session and I was blown away. Not only was it very calm environment. His teaching method was very relaxing thus making it easier to absorb the basics of photography. He taught me not to over complicate and start simple, from experimentation to elaborate ideas. He has always emphasised on ‘look for the light’ & ‘get it right in camera’. I never knew how to, so he showed me.

There were no gimmicks, just a very talented person who is very, humble and honest. He also went into the core fundamental details of photography, from learning how to expose and what each mechanism in camera does to execute the photograph and how to find your style through the viewfinder. I felt this was admirable. I feel he offers training courses to educate people and not to gain income unlike some we see on Groupon.

His passion flourishes when he speaks about the art form and he is extremely enthusiastic, which inspires you. Because of him, I have become a better photographer, a better artist and a better person.

He is an excellent teacher and would highly recommend a training course from him.

Thanks Jay for the great training session!! Enjoyed it thoroughly…u guys make a great team and were very professional yet made me feel at ease….especially with the chocolate pudding..Now let me get practising with my Canon ;-)

Thank you for a fantastic training session. Passing on your detailed technical knowledge and creative thinking tips has really helped me to understand the reasons for why certain functions on the camera work as they do, and how to see things from a different perspective.

Further advice on external lighting and night-time photography were also very valuable, and I can’t wait to put some of the tips/advice into practice! I would definitely recommend this training session to others.

Thanks Again!

I’ve been silently following Jay’s work for a while. I learned that Jay offers 1-2-1 training and got in touch. I’ve never attended photography training before because I felt they did not teach what I needed. After a call and very detailed consultation (even in the consultation there is so much you learn) a date was set in stone for the training.

It was an intense session covering the topics that I wanted to learn as well as areas I was weak that I did not even know about. Areas I did know were covered briefly but not ignored.

Jay and Shuhenaz are both very dedicated and continued well above the time specified covering each topic in detail and not trying to wrap up because the time was up. The environment is friendly throughout and lots of energy. Jay and Shuhenaz love doing what they do, it’s not just a job. Once your course is over, Jay is still there for support. I’ve already started to apply what I’ve learned and seeing differently.

Thank you Jay and Shuhenaz!

Hi Jay and Shuhenaz, great 2 day training course. Enjoyed very much. Learned a lot of new stuff, learned a lot of stuff I thought I knew but really I didn’t know!! Very useful indeed.

I’ve always respected Jay as a photographer with both his creativity, consistency and the level of professionalism & sheer passion he projects across in person or online – so naturally was more than willing to take up a rare opportunity for a 1-2-1 business course with him.

In an economic downturn & market flooding with cowboys its difficult for a creative person to make their work seen or voice heard if they aren’t from a business background – enter Jay.

Without revealing the core content this isn’t just business basics but extensive info on a strategy proven successful in perhaps the most competitive city in the UK – simple!

A course individually tailored to review your strengths & weaknesses, make an assertive plan of change based on your target market while identifying your unique selling points is much more valuable than a non-specific or generally repetitive courses you may see offered elsewhere.

He ALMOST threw in an impromptu glamour shoot too when he took his top off.. though this turned out to be him just changing shirts, it seems Mr Hoque prefers to keep behind the lens instead!

Where from here now?? In the words of, erm, Buzz Lightyear: to infinity & beyond!

Hi!! Just wanted to say thank you both for having me today, you are both such wonderful people. Jay you’re a wicked teacher!! The lesson today was very thorough and detailed! I’m just gonna have to practice practice and practice!!!!

If anyone wants to learn about photography I suggest you go to Jay. Again a brilliant teacher who makes you feel comfortable and explains well and is just great company! I hope I wasn’t a difficult student! lol!

And thank you Naz for the lovely food :)

If I have any questions I’ll contact you. It was lovely meeting you both for the first time and thank you again for the valuable lesson today!

Hey Jay, Just to say thank you for yesterday, it was really interesting, educational and great.

You are a brilliant tutor, and i am very privileged to have had the opportunity to chat with you about the exciting world of photography. I feel that you have opened by eyes to not only the subject itself but everything that’s involved.

I feel that you have been very encouraging, which has really helped my confidence. I will be sure to take your advice and hopefully adapt it so that i can use it in my own way. I hope that others will be able to be just as inspired from your work as i am.

Thankyou again, hope to speak soon. Fezzy