The mail is delivered to my rural roadside mailbox twice a week. I anticipate the usual bills, my wife’s gardening catalogues, perhaps a newspaper, but most of the mail goes into the recycle bin.

I also receive calendars this time of year, with each page advertising some kind of outfit accompanied by some generic scenic photographs.

I like pictorial calendars, but one must be able to live with the picture for a whole month and most of those not very memorable, free calendars don’t have pictures I want to look at for 30 days so they too also end up in with the recycling.

I could go to the local big box store and choose a calendar, but unless the monthly pictures are spectacular, why would any photographer choose them instead of using their own.

Do I write about this topic every year?

Yes, I do, if only to remind photographers that this is a good and fun project in which to partake.

My wife and I make our own calendars. We take turns each month; I wandered up Martin Mountain for a snow covered horizontal that graces our January calendar, and Linda now has to find an image for February.

Last year I printed an 8x10 photograph, then an 8x10 calendar for the month, and glued them on a 10x20 matt board.

This year I will use 11x17 photographic paper, and print the photo on the top section and the monthly calendar on the bottom. That saves costs and additional work of gluing pictures on matt board. I go to www.pdfpad.com/calendars to obtain the monthly calendar.

Making your own monthly calendar is a fun way of adding and changing art in your home. I often think one could even give a monthly calendar to friends and relatives.

Recently I have been getting lots of requests to put on photography courses.

Many classes go over material previously covered, leaving learners waiting for new and specific information.

With that in mind I have broken the sessions into three different classes. The first will be for those new to the DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera, the second is for photographers that want to learn more about using flash and off camera lighting, and the third is a class on portraiture and posing.

Learning to use the Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera –

This will be a photography session for those new to, or are struggling with effectively using, their DSLR. The one-day session will not only cover the basics and get photographers using DSLR cameras as more than programmed point and shoots, it will also deal with exposure, depth-of-field and composition.

Basic lighting –

This is actually more than just the basics and is for those that have, or are planning to purchase, additional lighting equipment like hot shoe mountable flash or studio lighting. Learners will first deal with understanding how to use the hot-shoe flash indoor and outdoors, and then advance to an introduction of studio type lighting.

Portraiture –

For those interested in learning the techniques of making good portraits. This one-day workshop is for photographers wanting to take their photographs of people beyond those that are harshly lit, or hurriedly grabbed snap shots, that make up the majority of amateur portraits. Learners will not only discuss posing, but will include exposure, lighting and equipment.

I tentatively have chosen March 7 for Learning to Use the DSLR, March 14 for Basic Lighting, and March 21 for Portraiture. For those interested either call me at 250-371-3069 or email me at fotoplace@uniserve.com

These are my thoughts to help you make pictures everyone will enjoy. Contact me with questions.

John Enman owns and operates Enman’s Camera at 423 Tranquille Road in Kamloops. He offers professional wedding photography, photographic instruction and sells an interesting selection of used photographic equipment and Check out www.enmanscamera.com