Mentor Sessions 2024

(Indianapolis and Surrounding)

Are you ready to take your photography to the next level?  You’ve come to the right place!

My name is Jan Van Velse and I graduated from Purdue University in 2002 where I majored in Photography. In college, I was introduced to Photoshop, developed my own film, printed in a dark room, and worked with various studio lighting.  I have been a photographer for over 20 years. Whether it’s in my studio or on location I have professionally photographed just about every subject- weddings, events, newborns, families, seniors and most recently I have been working with the commercial food industry. I have used Canon, Nikon and Sony along with various studio lighting and accessories.

I have a deep passion and understanding for photography and I would love to share my knowledge. I am fun, energetic, and full of laughs. I want you to succeed and find your niche so ask me anything, I am an open book. There is nothing better or more freeing than being your own boss. Let’s make it happen! 

My mentoring sessions are tailored to meet your specific needs, whether you are a beginner or well into your journey and looking to fine-tune your business. Wherever you are, I will design a session that is tailored to meet your current goals. I currently offer two types of mentor sessions:

 

Shooting Session- 2 hours $700

Knowing your camera and lighting is crucial to having a successful photography business. We will take a deep dive into understanding the correct settings in all lighting situations to perfect the craft you love. We will spend one hour on location (inside or outside) going over gear, settings, and light. In the second hour, we will be working with a model/family and we will do an actual shoot together.  

  • Creating an incredible client experience (including a sample guide I send to clients)
  • Proper camera settings and gear
  • Manipulating natural light
  • Understanding light and how and when to shoot indoors and outside
  • How to run a photo session ~ photo session workflows 
  • Posing and working with children 
  • Location scouting ~ how to choose and find locations 
  • Posing prompts for all ages and subjects
  • I will provide a cheat sheet for your camera bag of settings, lighting tips, and posing prompts!
  • Anything else you would love to unpack!

Editing and Business Session- 2 hours $550

Take your editing skills to the next level. So often I see photographers that have a great eye, yet do not finish the work with a solid editing process. This is where you make your photos shine! I have been using Photoshop/Lightroom for over twenty-six years and can quickly teach you the tricks to having a perfectly finished photo. We will also talk about the business side of photography such as web presence, backing up photos, and accounting.

  • Session workflow from Lightroom to Photoshop
  • Detailed editing in Photoshop
  • Batch editing, Actions, and Presets
  • Delivering to clients
  • A portfolio review of your Instagram and website
  • Marketing your business
  • Pricing for profit & sustainability
  • Printing and products
  • Accounting, backing up
  • If you previously did a shooting session with me, we will edit that session together.  

** You will receive a 10% discount when booking multiple mentor sessions

How the Mentoring Process Works

1 – First: Head to the contact form and let me know a little about yourself and what kind of mentoring you’re looking for. For instance what subjects do you prefer and what are your current goals?  

I’ll get back to you with a questionnaire and we’ll create a plan for our mentoring session assuming I’m the right fit for you. I’ll send over my calendar so we can lock in a date/s for your session A 10% deposit will be due to secure your date. Your remaining mentoring fee is due the day before your session. 

2 – Mentoring Session: For a shooting session we will head to one of the many locations I frequent. You can choose an urban or natural setting in the Indy area and discuss securing a model(s) for the session.  

3 – After the session: I will send you a follow-up email with an overview of our session.