About Darlene Hildebrandt and Digital Photo Mentor

Wanna know if you’re in the right place?

If you can relate to any of these things you just might be, so stick around!

Maybe you’ve tried to become a better photographer, but . . .

If you can relate, this site is for you!

I feel your pain, and I’m here to help!

Through regular articles written by me, and selectively chosen guest authors, you’ll get step-by-step information on the challenges you’re most interested in overcoming.

Topics including the ones below, are just some of the things you can read about here. The list is constantly expanding as a new article is added weekly.

Join the discussion

These seem to be the most popular articles at the moment. Have a look through them and then join the discussion using the Disqus interface below each of the articles. You can register and log in with Facebook, Google or Twitter if you like, so it’s really easy to participate.

• 3 Tips For Spectacular Sunset Photos
• 5 Mistakes Beginners Make Using a Wide-Angle Lens and How to Avoid Them
• Avoid These 9 Beginner Photography Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Images
• Correct Your Images in Under 2 Minutes Using Lightroom 5
• 6 Street Photography Tips
• Tips for Low Light Photography
• 25 Iconic Photographers
• Panning: How To Add a Sense of Motion to Your Images

How is this site different from others like it?

Photography is magic to me, it always has been. I love sharing it and seeing others like you feel the magic too! – Darlene

But first and foremost I LOVE seeing the light bulbs go off, and I live vicariously through your eyes as you achieve your photography goals. I love the win/win it creates as you get to express the creativity that perhaps you didn’t even know you had—and I get to experience photography anew, through the passion and wide-eyed wonder of someone new to the art.

Just writing this makes me all giddy inside!

Who am I?

And where do I get off telling you how to take better photos?

I am the face behind Digital Photo Mentor. I have been a professional photographer for over 35 years. As such, I have photographed everything from soup to hay—literally—including doing food photography; weddings; family portraits; and corporate events and products.

After a forced change of direction (a.k.a. divorce), I left my photography studio behind and moved on to other aspects of photography—including sales, fine art, and travel. I’ve finally landed on teaching and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve written for and have been published on websites and in newspapers around the world, and I was also the Managing Editor of Digital Photography School for 5 years, one of the most popular photography sites on the internet.

Teacher:

I taught several workshop-style classes in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada including:

Photo tour leader:

Our tours are currently on hold indefinitely but I am leading some tours for Photo Tours and Expeditions.

Workshops:

I also do workshops for photographers of all skill levels in Alberta and British Columbia Canada and may add an Eastern Canadian workshop that would be situated to suit Canadian and North Eastern US students.

Managing Editor of Digital Photography School:

After writing for Digital Photography School for nearly 2 years, I was the Managing Editor of that site from November 2013 until September 2018 (5 years).

I have been featured on these sites or businesses

I was a regular co-host of the TWiP (This Week in Photo) podcast. Episode I have participated in include #298, #300, #302,  #338, #346, #378, #382, and #391

Other sites I’ve been featured on:

• An interview on Smart Talk Success
• PhoGro – grow your photography – 3 Important Elements of Composition No One’s Talking About
• Nature and wildlife photographer Martin Baily interviews Darlene about quality of light on his podcast
• Bryan at Sprouting Photographer talks with me on his photography podcast about why I think every photographer should adopt an amateur mindset.
• The Two Hosers and I talk about portrait lighting on their photography podcast
• I wrote “How to Find Good Light for Portraits Even at Midday” for DIY Photography website.
• I contributed a video from my new Portrait Fundamentals course to PhotographyBB’s photography magazine “Clarity: Photography Beyond the Camera” Volume 5

My personal vision

My vision is to help you be a little more creative, expand your horizons, and maybe even push your boundaries a little. I strive to provide a safe place to learn about photography and yourself as well as a chance to try new things and meet new people along the way.

Cheers,