Student Comments and Testimonials
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Go directly to these testimonials: Cultural Photo Tours The Palouse Domestic Workshops Lightroom Mastery Photoshop Collage
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DOMESTIC WORKSHOP TESTIMONIALS:
"I've just returned from a fabulous Palouse workshop with David, and would highly recommend his workshops to any passionate photographer. His attention to detail always got us to the best spots on time, and he guided us how to get amazing shots.
I particularly liked the variety of places we visited. I returned home with many favorite photographs. And finally, we all really had a
fun time!” — Tim R, WA
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"This was my third Palouse workshop and so far the best. Dave was super organized, respectful, helpful, and easy to learn from. He checked each person’s settings as we waited for that unforgettable owl-filled sunrise.” Patty M, Eureka CA
“Amazing Palouse workshop Dave. I’d taken other Palouse workshops but we saw so much more this time and I saw improvement in my shots with your resourcefulness and guidance. The farm visit with John was so interesting and alone worth the trip!” — Deb and Carl D, MT
“Dave provided many opportunities to make our time in the Palouse rewarding and fun. He helped me all weekend to make photos I am proud to share.” Jeff C, Bothell, WA
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“DJ’s workshop was the best I’ve done in the Palouse. His friends in the area were generous with their time, and we learned a ton about light, seeing, and being ready for anything.” Ellen O, Wells, ME
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“Well done Mr. Julian! Thanks again for another great workshop. I just sold two of my truck prints in B&W, so thank you for that idea and encouragement. See you in ’22.” Karen R, Kent, WA
“Dave is a very attentive and careful group leader. He is well-organized and very willing to help individuals with particular requests. I highly recommend his Spring “Explore the Palouse” and Summer “Harvest Time in the Palouse” tours!” Susan A, WA
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“Thank you for all you provided in the Palouse. Well researched and fun, and we have SO many photos to edit! :-)” — Dana & Jens P, OR
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"... Dave's workshop along the Oregon coast was just what my husband needed to re-launch his passion for photography after retirement. He learned so much and I loved seeing his joy. We enjoyed every moment of our four days, including the meals and travel stories we shared. I am not a photo nut like him, so Dave took me aside to show you how I can make stunning photos on my iPhone. Guess what? I have now caught the photo bug! Dean is researching a small real camera for me, and we plan to join Dave in the Palouse next Spring." — Karen M, MT
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"We just returned from Dave's workshop in Oregon and loved the beauty and the moody weather along the coast. David did a great job planning the trip. Though we lost cell service at times, he kept us informed and together using printed maps and contingencies. He thinks of everything, and even fixed my camera strap! We hope to do this again, and because we love Asia, we will be joining his Vietnam trip next year." — Jill M, MT
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CUBA:
“With extensive traveling in Cuba and Rolodex full of contacts plus an excellent photographic career and eye, Dave has put together an incredible trip that explores not only the better-known highlights but also dives deep into hidden gems of people Havana. By the end of the journey, I felt that I had an understanding of a good chunk of the city, approaching local knowledge, and had been exposed to more experiences, both photographic and cultural, than I had thought possible. Through relationships with local individuals and establishments developed over his many trips there, Dave has a plan A, B, and C for every situation and interest, and a demeanor that is easy to follow and a delight to travel with. I will go on another trip with Dave at the helm!” —Dan G, Chicago
”Hola DJ! We’re finally back from Cuba and are elated over the entire experience. Your leadership, knowledge, and amazing friends gave us endless opportunities and thousands of new images to delve into. I’ve been all over the globe and this was one of the most fruitful workshops I’ve done. I’d return with you when you go East to Oriente. Let me know!” — Charles K, MA
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“Thank you, David, for an inspiring workshop in Cuba. I’ve been telling my photo friends that it was the best travel workshop I’ve been on in terms of its emphasis on culture, variety, and creativity. I can't believe how much I learned and can actually use.” – Jennifer R., CAN
VIETNAM:
“An adventure of discovery every day. Dave’s style of leadership, attention to detail, and patient instruction allow travelers to experience the culture on a macro level while improving one’s photographic skills.” — (anonymous from survey)
“I appreciate how Dave organizes destination workshops because of his keen interest in understanding people and his sensitivity to cultures.
He offers insights through background information while emphasizing the importance of exploring and discovering on our own.” — (anon)
“Dave works very hard to assure everyone has a great experience, culturally as well as photographically. He is insightful, patient, and generous with his expertise; and with the small group size, travel is easy and comfortable and there is time to share ideas and critiques” — (anon)
“Dave is an incredibly gifted photographer and a very patient teacher. Traveling with him was not only an amazing photographic experience but also a chance to witness his generosity of spirit and the way he works with local people. I'll travel with him again for sure.” – Briar D., MT
“David was the best! We were lucky to have him as our tour leader. The entire workshop was organized and well-executed. His communication with us was excellent.” — (anon)
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"I just wanted to say thank YOU for being so positive and keeping us motivated. I was in a very rough spot this past spring quarter, and so again, I just wanted to thank you for being positive and patient with me. Your guidance these past few quarters has shaped me into a better photographer and a better person. I don’t know if you realize, but you have had a major impact on all of us!" — Jake W., WA
“Hey Dave! I’ve never worked so hard and had this much fun while producing images that I’m this happy with. My lightbulb was that I learned to trust my own process and that made all the difference.” — Rachel A., CA
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“Thank you, David. You are a real inspiration to me and one of my favorite photography mentors. You were focused on your students’ growth rather than your own ego. A real role model.” — Briar D., MT
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“Hi Dave, your Art of Travel and Street workshop was the kickstart I needed to gain confidence shooting on the street. I never knew there were methods for this style! I’m now out weekly to build a portfolio of my work. Loved the inspiring presentation of fantastic street shooters too.” — Dan C, PA
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“Dave, you have been an outstanding and inspirational mentor. You listened to my rationale, you were honest in critique, and I gained a universe of knowledge from this course.” — Carla K., WA
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"David is a great speaker and teacher, very good at explaining technology and the creative process in understanding terms. Great photography coaching and encouragement in the field. Thanks Dave! – Pattie S., WA
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“Just wanted to say thank you for the great [Creative Photography With Any Camera] workshop yesterday! I learned a lot, not only more about the technical aspects of my camera but also about anticipation, perspective, and seeking an image with patience. I also was glad to watch and learn more about the Lightroom workflow. It was a great group and I learned from the participants as well.” – Christie A., WA
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“Dave’s an awesome teacher and made things easy to understand. I have a great respect for his knowledge and his ability to communicate it.”
– Jen K, WA
“Thanks again for being a knowledgeable, approachable, and generally awesome instructor! I really appreciate the time you put into our class.
Thanks!” —Jon, WA
“Dave is a Lightroom guru! He is extremely organized, articulate and thorough (and he is patient with your questions). I have looked at many processing workflows, and Dave’s is the best. He makes it simple and backs it up with a helpful and comprehensive PDF. —Ted W, Camden ME
“I thought your workshop was fabulous! Absolutely one of my favorites. It was a pleasure meeting you, and getting to be a part of your influence and guidance as a teacher..” Leslie A., course assistant at Santa Fe Workshops.
“I learned more from you a day than I did from a two-day workshop with an instructor for Adobe in NYC.” — Seth G, WA
“Before this workshop, I was dreading the transition to digital, but now I’m excited! Now I can emerge from my 37 years in the darkroom and explore a new well of ideas and techniques.” — Harper O, AZ
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“Informative, rightly targeted, well-paced, entertaining. I learned a lot!” — L. Kenney, OR
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“…David is awesome and so knowledgeable…” — anon
“…the emphasis on creativity along with very pertinent technical info was really great!” — anon“Insightful and inspiring! I learned a lot from beginning to end” – Koby P, UK
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“I’ve been using Lightroom for more than ten years, and David really helped me unlock some powerful tools that I had not yet discovered. Very informative and well-presented! I couldn’t wait to get home and start using what I learned.” —Adrian R, WA
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“David Julian is one of the most creative and inspiring instructors I've ever worked with. I learn so much from him.” – Bernita M, WA
David is a great teacher. He’s patient and works with the needs of each individual student while inspiring the whole class to go beyond their expectations.” – Geoff L, UK
“David, thank you for a fantastic workshop and all the inspiration.” – Bobbi S, FL
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“I’ve taken workshops from several digital masters, but this workshop was the most informative, organized and also creative. – Anna C, CO
“I'm not a tech learner, but I did it! I really appreciated the time he spent reviewing and working with each of us at our level.” – Dave K, CA
“Dave is a gifted teacher and very inspiring…offering a good balance of technical and creative knowledge.” – Mark M, HI
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“David was helpful and patient, with my elementary as well as tricky questions. I learned Lightroom and benefitted a huge amount from his eye, his knowledge of what was necessary to improve an image, and his encouraging me towards simplicity.” – Karen A, CA
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“…thanks to you for such a wonderful workshop! I had such an inspiring week and I feel like I really learned a lot in the Lightroom class. I can’t wait to dive into my photos” — Jane W, WA“
He had an amazing array of great ideas and was patient and helpful to me… I’d been doing everything the hard way until now… Every day was exciting and fun…” – Susan C, ME
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“I feel re-energized!! I hope to take more workshops with you” – Laurie Z, FL
“Thanks for taking my skills and thinking to a higher level. I’ll be back for more.” — anon“… the most patient instructor I have ever had…” — anon
PHOTOSHOP and COLLAGE WORKSHOPS:​
Your wonderful class (“Creativity and Invention in Photoshop”) was just exactly what I needed because it builds a bridge between the digital and the personal, which can be daunting for the right-brain creative person. Your emphasis on opening up creatively, on being in touch with our personal response to visual (and other sensory) things set the perfect tone for the workshop. I am especially impressed with how accessible you are in general and how willing you are to share what other artists might consider trade secrets.” – Allegra B, WA
“I have taken a number of workshops over the past seven years. David’s class stands out as one the best. David is not only technically skilled and makes the “how to” a major part of his program, but he also delves into the challenges of being creative and how to stay fresh with new ideas.”“The growth that took place within me rekindled my passion for my art” — anon
“David’s guidance was thoroughly helpful. He listened and instructed me with regard to my specific needs.” — anon“I came away with excitement, energized, and eager to try new ways of working with my new skills!” — Mary M, KY
“I really enjoyed the course. David is an excellent teacher, well-informed, an accomplished artist in his own right, and very, very patient…The course with David did nothing less than totally break me through with Photoshop and a whole new kind of art expression.” — Marc B, PA
“He had a very patient and personal way of teaching and helped me produce work I am proud of despite my lack of skills.”– Frank O., IR
“Good inspirational jump start for the year! The workshop was a great vehicle for gleaning some of David’s vast knowledge and experience. Really enjoyed it.” – Dana G, WA
“David, you really have inspired me to return to my creative work. I find inspiration in your work, in how you work, in who you are, and even in the things you collect.” – Sue R, WA​
“Your work is an inspiration… what a great creative kickoff for 2010” – Stan G, WA
“Phenomenal and incredibly inspiring!” – Joelle N, LA
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“Thanks for your encouragement and generosity! My week was totally inspirational” – Paola V, Spain
“I was amazed at how much I learned in so short a time. I know I will return for more Dave!“ — Carol D, MD
“David is an inspiring teacher and motivating facilitator. He has an easygoing style and lots of creative ideas and real-world suggestions that he shares willingly and a great sense of humor…” — anon
“I enjoyed the class and the whole workshop experience very, very much…I was quite nervous about taking the class because my Photoshop skills were so sketchy and secondly, because it was the first time in a while that I was attempting to explore my personal work…but I am jazzed! Thank YOU!” –Stephanie R, PA
“It was a very inspirational and productive workshop! I feel skilled, confident and alive!” — Corey K, NH
“…a fabulous workshop! …what made it great was sharing information, learning new things, David’s easygoing style, everyone there, seeing each other’s work and having a chance to try out new directions.” – Mark T., HI
“It was such a treat to spend the weekend being with everyone and in the world of David Julian. I had a blast.” – Karen K, NM
“Awesome! So creative, with a complete command of Photoshop technology, but used totally intuitively. It’s just how I dreamed that Photoshop could (and even should) be used. Lovely presentation style, too, very humble not geeky and answered all questions patiently.” – A. Berrian, WA
“…I came away very inspired and feeling very supported and capable in my path forward.” — Bonnie Z, MA
“Dave is the first teacher I’ve met who could effectively teach the process of creativity while also demonstrating artistic techniques and creative directions for each student– and make it so fun.” – Sandy F, CA
“I thought I’d never learn how to be creative in Photoshop– until this. Dave listened and explained things with clever analogies and patience until I really ‘got it’. I hope to work with him again!” – Carl W, AZ
“David is passionate, enthusiastic, and supportive. He explained things thoroughly and inspired us to stretch, each in his or her own direction.”
– Jan H, NM
“I found David to be an excellent teacher, always making time for one-on-one with each of us. There was no question he couldn’t answer. He had a lot of patience and would always give an honest and motivating opinion. It was incredibly inspirational! — Carl B, ID
“David was a very thorough instructor, well-organized, possessed of teaching talent, patient and anticipated when it was necessary to clarify a procedure or lesson. His calm personality enhanced the learning for me.” – Rhonni O, CO
“…It was a super class and I will recommend it highly! You taught me a lot technically, but you especially fostered my own personal creative process and I am sure to be under the influence of Mr. Dave for years to come. Thank you! ” – Emily C, CAN
“David was a great teacher, providing essential inspiration and workflows that emulate alternate processes…I highly recommend taking one of his workshops…”. – Dave D, OR
“David is wonderful! I’ve taken other classes in Photoshop, but this one helped me get Photoshop to fit my mode of thinking. He got me to control the tools, not have the tools control ME. Woo-hoo!” — Dwight K, TN
“David was terrific and I would recommend this workshop to anyone making the transition ( from darkroom ) to digital expression. He calls it “the DimRoom”! But we all had our brains lit up! – Ben H, UT
“David’s class was presented in a totally different way than any of my previous classes. It was the best of both worlds– I learned some new techniques and was also given the inspiration to take my work to a new and different level.”
“I liked the variety… David did informative, useful critiques yet was always supportive” — anon
“…forcing us to dig deeper, to work outside of our existing preconceptions was a challenge and a motivator. It was truly a self-discovery.” -— anon
"My past instructors were very commercially-oriented and taught commonly seen techniques that did not demonstrate much originality or seem artistically useful to me… David is easygoing and revealed his methods of personal and creative thinking and then demonstrated many techniques that made my art more… sophisticated in my opinion… He was very encouraging yet realistic and I hope to work with him again.” — Carson K, WY
INDEPENDENT STUDY & MENTORING:
“I am so lucky to have found you as a mentor guide. You have given me so much renewal and courage as well as new technical chops. I’ve improved on all levels in our first set of sessions so I’m saving up to return for more guidance on my new series and book.” Dustin G, MT
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“I can’t speak highly enough for your patience and the insights you gave during our mentoring sessions. My work has improved and my husband loves my rekindled creative energy.” – Daniella C, OR


“I learned a ton during our independent study! I have begun a photo project that reflects my goals and I am proud to share it.”– Ted M, OH


“Thank you for teaching me how to find the creative voice I have always owned, and for being a source of inspiration.” Purnima B, CA


“Dave, thank YOU for being so positive and keeping me creatively motivated. Your guidance these past few quarters has shaped me into a better photographer and a better person.” – Jake W, WA


“Our 1 on 1 session lit me up! I am renewed with ideas and creativity” – Rebecca C., MA
“David was an inspiration and a great teacher. He awakens the creative self that often can get neglected by duty and deadlines.” – Char E, WA