FAQ’s

• Safety #1. We ensure to treat your child’s safety as the most important priority when running our camps. Take a look at the question below on how we address safety at our camps.
• Our staff ranks your child’s experience very high on the priority list. They ensure to create a fun and interactive atmosphere for building relationships within the group. We ensure that all teens are having the time of their life! We do this by dedicating a significant portion of our day to leadership / team building activities and assignments. These are valuable skills in all aspects of life.
• We dont just lecture! We do our best to introduce them to the field of photography (photographers biography, discussing different types of photography)
• Knowledgeable instructors that are willing to help!
• We keep in touch and keep you involved in photography even after your camp is done. We organize many different events for our students throughout the year, including; socials, competitions and exhibits. We also have a facebook group where we post daily photo tips – CLICK HERE to check it out. We do all of this with the purpose of keeping you involved!!

We take safety very seriously at GTA Photography. You can be sure that your child is in good hands. Here are just some of the measures we have taken to ensure the safety of your child:

• All of our instructors and counsellors are trained in First Aid and CPR and are able to treat minor injuries on site. Parents will be immediately notified in case of injury or illness.
• Our class sizes are limited to a maximum of 15 students and are supervised by a minimum of 2 camp counselors / instructors. This maintains a high instructor to student ratio and ensures the best supervision of your child.
• We have a strict pick up / drop off policy; whereby, you provide us with the proper information on who is allowed to pick up your child and we ensure that they are released only to that individual.
• It is school policy that we conduct background and criminal checks on all staff members.
• All of our instructors and counsellors undergo thorough training in risk management and emergency procedures. All of our instructors and counsellors have cell phones and can be reached at any time.

We limit all sessions to a maximum of 15 students. Based on our experience, we have found that students are able to grasp the concepts better in small class sizes. This allows you to ask questions as we go and get personal attention.

Teen camps are open to 12 – 17 year olds. Although the age range is quite large, our experience in running the camps tells us that this group works. We typically get a nice mix of all ages within the groups. As all the students are coming from the same background and typically none have had prior photography experience, it works great. In addition, we always do our best to ensure all students are included in the group activities and that we create a team atmosphere, no matter what their age. If you have any questions regarding the age group, please feel free to contact us at the studio: 416-546-9089

Registration is open until the Friday before the session begins. Please note however, that in prior years all of our camps sold out and some as early as a couple months in advance. In order to guarantee enrollment, we recommend registering as soon as you know your schedule and at least a couple months in advance. Summer camp enrolment was really high starting near the end of winter / early spring last year. Avoid the rush – register early!

We have done our best to make the registration as simple as possible.

1) Review the schedule and select the session of your choice.

2) Click on the REGISTRATION link and just follow the prompts. An automatic email confirmation will be sent to you, confirming receipt of your payment.
We will contact you approximately 1 to 2 weeks prior to the start of your session with all the details you will need for the camp.

Unfortunately, we DO NOT allow transfers to other camps. All our sessions have a maximum amount of students that we cap at 15 in order to keep a fun and interactive environment. As a result, we do not exceed this amount and transfers are not allowed. Any time missed due to lateness or absence of the students will not be refunded.

Most of our registration is done ONLINE or BY PHONE using MC or VISA. We do however, except CASH / CHEQUES in person at the Toronto* location.
*Please phone ahead to make an appointment if paying by cash/cheque, as we may be in session or out on assignment.

Cheques can also be mailed to our studio. If registering by mail, please ensure to include a note with the following information (Students Name, Age, Desired Session and Location and Email address where we can send a confirmation)

Please make the cheque payable to: GTA Photography Classes Inc.

47 Colborne St #306, Toronto ON M5E 1P8

We do not allow transfers to other sessions. If you have a problem with one of your sessions, please contact us at 416-546-9089 prior to the session so we can resolve the issue. If we are not notified in a timely manner, make-up sessions will not be allowed and funds will not be refunded. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they are able to attend all sessions and notify us in a timely manner if there is a problem.

Teen Camp I does not require any prior training in the field of photography.
Teen Camp II does require Teen Camp I or equivalent* as a pre-requisite.

*Please note equivalent courses as pre-requisites must be approved by the staff at GTA Photography before registration in the program. Please contact us at the school by email: info@gtaphotographyclasses.com or telephone (416)-546-9089

All of our camps require a camera that will allow you to shoot in manual mode. Usually indicated by a large capital (“M”). Digital SLR or any point and shoot camera that allows you to shoot in manual mode is suitable for the course. If you need help on what is a DSLR – please visit the following link: CAMERA HELP

We are knowledgeable with all the brands out there . Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, … the list goes on. Whatever your brand of camera, we can work with you to show you the settings.

All of our camps require a camera that will allow you to shoot in manual mode. Usually indicated by a large capital (“M”). Digital SLR or any point and shoot camera that allows you to shoot in manual mode is suitable for the course. If you need help on what is a DSLR – please visit the following link: CAMERA HELP

Yes – film cameras are suitable for the camps, as we cover the core principles that apply to both digital and film photography. Please note, there may be activities during the camp that require immediate review of images, in which case the film would not be ideal. However, it is only a small portion of our program and we will work with the student to ensure they get the full experience.

Yes – we have LOANER CAMERAS AVAILABLE; For those that are interested in taking the class, but have not yet purchased a camera, you can consider borrowing our loaner camera. Please note however, these cameras are limited and must be reserved prior to registering for the course. Loaner cameras are available for an additional 10% of the course price. ($49.50 for TEEN CAMPS)
We also have put together a small guide to help those purchasing their very first DSLR. Take a look at the following link for our recommendations for your first DSLR purchase: CAMERA HELP

Nothing! As long as you have a camera that shoots in manual mode – you have all you need for the camp!

Due to various food allergies and dietary restrictions, we do not provide lunch at our camps. We like to leave it up to the teens to either bring their own lunch or bring money to buy.
But no matter what they choose, we always eat lunch together as a group.

All of our camps begin at 9 am. Students should be dropped off 10 minutes prior to their start time.
All of our camps end at 3 pm. Students should be picked up by 3:10pm at the latest.

A typical day at the summer camp consists of the following:

9 – 10 am : Ice breakers / team building exercises
10 – 12 pm : Lecture / Workshop
12 – 1 pm : Lunch
1 – 3 pm : Field trip and shooting assignment

We make sure to get all the campers out on a field trip daily. We visit various sites around our studio near St. Lawrence Market. All sites are within walking distance.
Different sites may include; Parks, Waterfront, Distillery District, St. Lawrence area, Churches, Nathan Phillips Square, etc.

We stay clear of locations that are extremely busy, as it makes it difficult to monitor the campers. We strike the perfect balance of visiting unique and interesting places, while ensuring the safety of our campers. At all times, we have 2 staff members supervising the group.
Students are given detailed instructions to follow while on field trips. (staying together as a group, no talking / distractions while crossing streets, etc).