Photograph the Souls of San Francisco

I highly recommend Garry and this tour. It was the highlight of the week I spent in San Francisco. Garry know the City and he knows photography. I'm a better photographer after the tour and I have some great photos!

Garry tailored this tour for me based on our conversation prior to setting out. I got much more from the experience than I would have imagined. I gained a new comfort using my prime lens and a better understanding of trying to develop my own photography philosophy. Everything about the experience was awesome, the weather, the personal touch, and the genuine interest Garry has for his clients. I would recommend this tour to anyone who is trying to get out of your comfort zone as a photographer. Garry truly brought me out of mine. After the lesson, I was able to approach three individuals to take their picture. Garry not only teaches you about photography fundamentals, he also teaches you how to make connections with your subjects. As the tour ended, we went to a bookstore and I was able to purchase his book "Souls of San Francisco," a real treat for me. This will be a constant reminder for me on how to not only get out of your comfort zone, but connect with others as well. I HIGHLY recommend this tour to anyone who wants to step out of their comfort zone and strive to be a better photographer.

awww I wont it too

My afternoon with Garry was definitely the highlight of my week in San Francisco. If you're going to do one thing while visiting here - or if you're a native of the city - give Garry a shout. This is truly a non-filtered exposure to some of the most fascinating neighborhoods of this amazing city. Forget the tour buses, the stock guides, the self-guided brochures - they're nothing compared to this. With Garry, you'll have the opportunity to walk around streets and alleyways, you'll have various artistic and historic aspects pointed out to you, you'll drop in to odd junctures - all of which that you would never have known even existed as they're all "local" and genuine, not meant as a tourist attraction. I equally appreciated Garry's depth of knowledge of photography. Carrying around my SLR, I had a personal expert on-hand to guide me in taking better shots, and as a result, a more educated approach to using the full potential of my camera. Above all, what I enjoyed the most was that this was a really raw face-to-face opportunity to interact with some interesting individuals and characters in the city: we paused and chatted with many acquaintances he bumped into on the street, we interacted with complete strangers, we tasted some of San Francisco's culinary treats, and we made a habit of listening to the change in audible tones from one block to the other (to note the dramatic shift in cultural dominance of the neighborhood). One of the individuals we ran into referred to Garry as the "unofficial Mayor of the city" - I easily saw why as Garry was the perfect ambassador to show me around and expose me to the true "Souls of San Francisco." My only disappointment was that time flew by too quickly; but fortunately, the memory of this experience will last forever.

I have lived in San Francisco for a number of years, but this tour made me realize that you should never stop exploring your own city; there is always a new venue you didn't know, or a corner you never realized existed, or an unexpected local character who will put a smile on your face. Garry is an amazing photographer and he is especially talented at taking portraits. I learned on this tour that knowing how to use your camera is just half the job. What is critical, and often underestimated, is knowing how to connect with people and make them feel comfortable enough to get that picture that will reveal their soul to the camera. I can't think of a better name for this experience than "Photographing the Souls of San Francisco". I recommend anybody to take this tour, not just people visiting the city, but also people born and raised here. And don't forget to bring your cameras!