Workshops & Private Mentoring

Personalized one-on-one photography mentoring, offered both online and in the field within the Phoenix, Arizona metro area. These sessions are designed for photographers who want focused, intentional guidance tailored to their experience level, goals, and the type of work they want to pursue.

Each in-the-field mentoring session begins with a 30-minute pre-session video consultation. We review your current images, clarify objectives, and identify specific areas for growth so our time in the field is deliberate and focused from the start.

In-The-Field Instruction

In-the-field mentoring is built around real conditions, real behavior, and real decision-making. Sessions take place in changing light and uncontrolled environments, where we focus on reading behavior, anticipating moments, and making thoughtful visual decisions as situations unfold.

The emphasis is on patience and observation rather than staged setups — learning how to position yourself, work with natural light, and respond calmly and deliberately to what the field gives you.

Topics may include:

• Camera setup and practical exposure control

• Composition in dynamic, uncontrolled environments

• Working with natural light and changing conditions

• Reading behavior and anticipating moments

• Field positioning and approach

Online Instruction

Online mentoring sessions are highly focused and strategic, making them ideal for photographers who want clarity, refinement, and a stronger editing workflow without travel.

Topics may include:

• Lightroom and Photoshop workflow

• Image selection and refinement

• Exposure and tonal control in post-processing

• File organization and long-term workflow management

• Preparing images for print or web presentation

Session Format

• One-on-one instruction

• Online or in-the-field (Phoenix metro area)

• Pre-session consultation included

• Instruction tailored to your specific goals

• Sessions are designed to build practical, repeatable skills rather than one-off fixes

Why Train with Christopher Forslund?

My instruction is shaped by decades of time in the field, working with natural light, real behavior, and uncontrolled conditions. I don’t teach from presets or formulas, I teach students how to observe, think, and respond in real time.

Whether we’re working in the field or online, the focus is always on building practical, repeatable skills: understanding light, reading behavior, making thoughtful visual decisions, and developing an efficient editing workflow that supports your creative intent.

I work one-on-one so each session stays personal, focused, and directly relevant to your goals. The pace is calm, the instruction is practical, and the emphasis is on helping you grow with confidence in your own process.

The goal is not to copy my work, but to help you develop confidence and consistency in your own process.

Experience Professional Wildlife Photography Equipment

One of the benefits of working with me in the field is the opportunity to experience professional wildlife photography equipment that you may not otherwise have access to.

For select one-on-one field sessions, I can provide a Canon EOS R5 paired with professional telephoto lenses, including the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS USM and EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM. You don't need to be a Canon photographer to take advantage of this opportunity.

Beyond simply trying the equipment, we'll look at how these lenses affect the way you approach wildlife photography. We'll work through handling and balance, subject acquisition, framing, background control, and the practical considerations of photographing birds and wildlife at longer focal lengths.

The goal isn't to convince you to change camera systems or purchase expensive equipment. It's to give you firsthand experience with the tools, understand what they offer, and see how the techniques we discuss translate into real-world field photography.

Equipment access is supervised, subject to availability and field conditions, and offered as part of the instructional experience rather than as an equipment rental.

Scheduling

Use the scheduling calendar below to view availability and book a session.

Learning Resources

The Birds and Backroads Training Library is available as a standalone resource or included with any workshop.

This structured library covers the core principles we build on in the field:

• Field readiness and preparation
• Defining your use case before you shoot
• Working with light intentionally
• Low angle discipline for shorebirds and wildlife
• Background and foreground control
• Editing with purpose

Lifetime Access: $99

If you attend any Birds and Backroads workshop, access is included.

The goal is simple — clarity in the field and intentional growth over time.

Access the Training Library