DPC | Digital Photography Courses

Good day, my name is Danie Bester and I am the founder and editor of Digital Photography Courses. I would like to welcome you to DPC,  which is all about improving your photography skills. It is our mission to help you use and understand your digital camera and apply it creatively. This website offers a pletora of information and online resources, as well as providing information about our practical courses and workshops.

I developed the “Basic Photography Course” after realising  just how hungry people are to learn about taking photos and improve their techniques. Due to the success of this course and demand for more advanced topics, we designed a wide range of practical courses and workshops. Our courses are hands-on, good value for money and very personal. For this reason we will continue to input into your photography through exclusive access to our photo critic website. You may also subscribe to this site for free advice and articles.

Meet the team…

Our team consist of seven people and between the diverse lot of us we bring a lot to the table. We really have only one thing in common; and that is our passion for photography. Here’s a short bio of the  seven of us:

Danie – Founder & Editor of DPC, Professional Photographer

I  am the founder of Digital Photogaphy Courses and Photo Critic. I am proud, yet humbled  by how far we have come and what we have acheived in such a short time. The road has not always been easy but through a leap of faith and grace we have grown a family business to a successful training institute.

As far as my own photography style goes, I love to create dramatic and low-key images, yet am quite versatile in various genres; especially portraiture and landscapes. I nowadays focus on fine art  travel and scenic photography.

You may visit my website at www.daniebester.co.za

Deon – Full time Photography Lecturer & Professional Photographer

I started out more than 20 years ago as a police photographer and forensics field worker, and from there went on to become a professional photographer. Through the years I’ve been involved in various fields, including manufacturing studio flashes. My passion for photography led me to shoot diverse genres, including over a thousand weddings.

I currently teach photography on a full time basis at a tertiary institution and also find the time to teach DPC students and conducting photo critiques on the Photo Critic website.

Jenna – Admin, Make-Up Artist

I am responsible for the  day to day administration side of DPC and apart from that also do the make-up for our models and clients. I have many years of experience in professional make-up and have worked for various beauty houses. As we do many creative and fun portrait shoots with our students it gives me the freedom to really create eye-catching make-up effects on our models.

Mia-Daniel Bester- Photoshop & Lightroom Expert, Pro-Photographer

I have been working for DPC for the last 2 years as a photo retoucher and photographer. I started photography at a very young age, courtesy of my father.

I did my first wedding at age 16 and still do weddings on a regular basis. I follow a photojournalistic approach to my work and love to capture the fleeting moments that so often pass us by unnoticed and with these moments create an image with drama and intrigue. I am also an avid street photographer and my dream is to become a full time photo journalist working on location assignments .

Trompie Van der Berg – Strobist & Equipment Expert,  Photographer

I am the newest member of the DPC team and my field of expertise is small flashes or as it is called in the industry, strobist teqniques. I am  somewhat of an equipment and technology junky and am always on top of the latest kit out there. My shooting style is dark and moody accompanied by dramatic artificial lighting. I love to create natural looking light where none is present and using my small flashes as creative tools.

John Onderstall – Photography Teacher – Spacialist and Macro Photographer

I am totally addicted to photography and seriously passionate about sharing, learning, reading, discussing and doing all things photographic. I studied Film and Video at Pretoria Technikon in 1999. My first digital camera was the Canon 350D the “Rebel” and the first version of Photoshop I got my hands on was Photoshop 5.5. That’s some 8 generations ago!  My love for uplifting photography in South Africa and trying to surround myself with like-minded individuals have led me to lecture on the subject, which I have now been doing for the last 4 years at a tertiary institution. I am very interested in the field of workflow and any form of specialist work intrigues me.

Melanie Janse – Children Photography

I represent the ‘softer’ side of the DPC team. I like high-key images which has the “aaahhhh” factor and specialize in children and wedding photography. I have a knack for working with children and believe that kids should be kids, even in front of the camera. You may check out my portfolio site at www.melaniejanse.co.za