Shutter Bug Academy was created for two reasons. First, I want to pass on my knowledge and love of photography to the next generation of photographers. Secondly, I use this as teaching material for both online photography and Photoshop classes. I teach both online and in-person. Online students will use this as their main form of instruction, while in-person students will use these video tutorials as supplemental material.

I began adding YouTube videos about 8 years ago. My previous channel was John Whitehead Images, but clients searching for my photography webpage often got confused when they were accidentally directed there. I also wanted to start a new channel to share the knowledge I’ve gained over the years. We’ll see how it does. Feel free to share any of my videos on social media or use them with your students.

I am a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and worked as a photojournalist for 20 years, back when photojournalism was still thriving. Since 2013, I’ve been a commercial photographer, and since 2014, I’ve taught photography, Photoshop, photojournalism, and other related courses. I strive to maintain an honest channel, avoiding clickbait and catchy titles, though this approach may impact my performance in the YouTube algorithm. I plan to add downloadable PDFs for personal use on my website, though it may take some time as I do this in my free time. In the future, I also intend to offer a set of free Adobe Photoshop actions. Stay tuned!”