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Here’s a whole host of frequently asked

Questions

If you still need help after checking the list below, hit the yellow “Get Help” tab on the right to request further assistance.

 

What is your question about?

Click one of the options below to skip to that section of the FAQs

Looking for your Online Courses?

From the 25th November 2022, all online courses are located on our dedicated course hub. If you’ve learnt with us before that date, you’ll already have a login. If you’re a new student (hi!), you’ll have an email from us about a password reset, so please check your junk folder. You can visit the course hub now to log in and jump into your online course:

Your Account

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How do I make an account?

Account creation happens at checkout, so as you are purchasing course access, books or other training, you will be prompted to create a username and password. Please keep these safe! You cannot create an account on this website without being a student of That Photography Spot in some way, shape or form.

I can't log in, what should I do?

First, head to the login form and see if you can log in. If you can’t see a form, you’re already logged in!

Next, if you can see a form but your username and password are not being accepted, try to do a password reset using the link provided. It will send you an email with a link to follow to set a new password.

Finally, if neither of the above options have worked, but you’re absolutely certain you have an account (see the question immediately before this one), please send an email with any helpful information you can think of to [email protected].

Where can I find past orders, payments and memberships?

The top section of your account page is the main memberships, subscriptions, orders and credit section. On the left you can toggle through the different sub-sections of your account on the website and view past purchases, manage billing information and more.

How can I change my billing information?

Within your account page, you should see a list of sub-options on the left. You just need to go to Payment Methods and amend or add new information there.

Please note, no financial or sensitive information is stored on this website – all billing and financial information is securely stored with our payment processor.

How can I change my password?

If you are logged in, head to your account and select Account Details from the sub-menu on the left. Here you’ll have boxes to change your password.

If you are not logged in, head to Your Account (the page) and under the login form is a “forgotten password?” link. Click on that and follow the instructions.

Online courses:

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How do I access my purchased course content?

All our online courses are over on the Course Hub. This is a separate website to this one. By default, you should have received an email to head over there and either login or reset your password – please check your inbox for this and also your junk folder.

Please note that only purchased courses with completed payments will be processed to the Course Hub. It is an automated process that happens instantly when the order completes on this website. If you are confident that your order has gone through successfully, please head straight to courses.thattogspot.com to login. If you have never used our course hub before, you may need to reset your password.

I can't log in to the Course Hub. Help!

Don’t panic!

Over on the course hub, you’ll get an active account for one of two reasons:

  • You had purchased a course or membership before 21st November 2022 OR
  • You purchased a course after 25th November 2022

In both of these cases, your username is your email address connected to your actual account on this website (the main one, not courses.). The login form will tell you if your email address is not recognized.

Your password will be unset the first time you access the Courses hub. Just do a password reset to get inside.

My course is not visible in the Courses Hub

There are two reasons why a course would not show up:

  1. If you have just purchased a course, the automated middle step from this site to the Course hub may be in progress. Please wait until you receive the email containing access steps. It should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete. If you’ve been waiting longer than this, please contact us via [email protected].
  2. If you had access, but it has now disappeared, that will be because your course access has expired. Please see the next question down in the list here
How long do I get access for and can I extend this?

Access to the lessons is set at a specific length by default. Jess is a firm believer in this learning model and as there is scientific research displaying a correlation between learning deadlines and retention/mastery. We would recommend taking your time to work through the lessons and practise each topic before moving on but also to schedule in learning time for your diary to ensure you remain committed to working through your purchased content.

If at the end of the default access length you feel that you need more time, just send us an email and we’ll sort that as soon as possible. There is no charge for extending. Extensions are for 3 months only and can only be applied once, but you can get lifetime access connected to an MTog membership if you need additional time.

If you are an MTog already, you can request to have course access extended at any time, for any reason (you don’t need to tell us). Simply send an email to [email protected] to get the process moving. We’ll action it as fast as possible!

How is the content delivered? Can I download the videos?

The lessons are delivered as videos that are viewable on any device. All video content is in Ultra HD 4k format, hosted securely away from the course hub website for page speed reasons. The average file size of a lesson on this website is around 5GB and therefore downloading video content is not an option.

Some lessons have supporting downloads which are marked clearly with a large button, as well as a brief description of what you are downloading. These downloads are as small as we can possibly make them, but where multiple RAW files are being transferred, the size may put pressure on your internet connection. Please be patient, they will transfer!

Can I access the lessons in any order?

The first time you work through most courses, you will need to follow the order provided. This is because the content was created to be delivered in that order, and future lessons will refer to things in previous lessons.

After you have completed a lesson once, you can go back to it at any time, in any order.

How are the courses different to your YouTube videos?

YouTube is a platform governed by an algorithm, and as such, videos there are planned, constructed, edited and delivered in a specific way. Each video is short, fragmented and covers a teeny topic as quickly as possible with as little information as possible to get the topic explained.

For example, there is a Composition video on the YouTube channel, there is also a composition section in one of the courses. Couldn’t you just watch the YouTube video instead? You could for sure, but the YouTube video is around 7.5 minutes long (removing the intro and outro) and quick fires points on the basics of composition. The Composition section of the course is 43 minutes and 53 seconds long, deep dives into advanced compositional techniques with examples and walkthroughs.

There will be familiarity with the YouTube content (if you have watched most of the channel!), but those are starting points, the foundations, that the courses build on. The content is not the same.

So, if you’ve seen your work change and improve from the channel, the step-by-step masterclasses of add all the missing chunks really bring everything together.

Do I have to sign up within a specific time frame?

No. You can enrol for courses at any time, though any discount codes are likely to be time-restricted. The deadline for the code, if you have one, will be where you found the code (for example, in an email).

The Book:

Why does The Book exist?
I live in <country>, can I still have a copy of The Book?

Yes of course – we can ship to any country in the world, including Antarctica! So if you are living with the Polar Bears, we can get a Book out to you in less than 10 days.

There may be customs duties, taxes and fees on your item, please check the question further down in this section for information on that.

How long will it take to get to me? What is the delivery information?

We hand-pack and ship orders for physical items usually on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. You will receive a “completion” email when your shipping label is printed. This is done immediately before we ship the parcels out. Then, the shipping times will commence:

Untracked Shipping:

Untracked shipping is handled through Royal Mail, using either UK First Class or International Standard delivery methods which pass parcels to your countries national shipping company.

  • UK first class post takes 1-3 working days in most cases.
  • International Standard takes 2-7 working days dependant on your location.

Please note that the times above are estimates and your parcel may be delayed at customs.

If you’ve not received your items after these timeframes, please contact your local postal office to check if they have a customs-held item that has a UK Return Address on it weighing around 690 grams (books). That’ll be us if they do!

Tracked Shipping:

Tracked shipping is handled through DPD, using either DPD Classic or DPD Air-Classic for delivery methods which operate on a fully tracked basis from us to you, including a 1 hour delivery window.

  • Tracked shipping time estimates are shown when at checkout based on your location.
I don't live in the UK, will I have to pay any fees for the items?

Maybe. Let us explain:

Because the UK is back to being its own little island (because of Brexit), there are new rules for shipping items in and out of the region. As the main shipping provider, we use Royal Mail. Royal Mail gets the parcels into your country and hands them over to your countries postal service. At this point, sometimes things get flagged at customs.

For all international parcels, we create a customs form, customs label and an electronic customs information submission – that all happens before the parcel leaves Jess’ house. When the parcel is at customs in your country, they scan the customs information and identify the value of the item inside, along with what the item actually is.

In your country, you will have a set of rules which dictate whether a parcel will have additional fees placed on it. These fees are usually split into 3 camps: Customs duty, sales tax/VAT and handling fees.

The vast majority of our shipments fall below the Duty requirements and therefore you shouldn’t need to pay any duty fees. Some countries may charge you sales tax depending on your countries import rules and item rates, and some may add a handling fee to that situation.

We have looked into DDP – Delivered Duty Paid, where we can pay for any of the above options before the parcel leaves us, making it a lot easier for you. This is our preferred plan. However, sadly, we do not export enough parcels to qualify for a DDP service, and therefore we must ship using the DDU model (delivered duty unpaid).

So if you get a card, a note or some form of communication that says you need to collect a parcel and you have to pay a fee, that’s probably your item from us, and we’re sorry that we weren’t able to remove this inconvenience from you today.

Seriously, Jess is very annoyed at this whole situation – we are working to find a plan B.

Online One-to-Ones:

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I don't speak English, can I still have an online one-to-one?

Unfortunately, Jess is not fluent in any other language, therefore a relatively good grasp of English is required to participate in online one-to-one tuition.

Do I need to have a fast computer?

After completing over 70 online one-to-ones in 2020, it became clear that a slow computer or internet connection really impacts learning in editing one-to-ones. Although Jess can and will still teach if you have a slow device or internet connection, the volume of material we can cover in one hour is lower. If your internet is good but your computer is slow, Jess can always demonstrate techniques on her iMac.

Do I need Photoshop?

It helps, but it isn’t essential. Make sure you’re super clear on what you want to cover before the session and give Jess a heads-up on the software you have available. Jess has completed successful online one-to-one sessions using a variety of alternative software with very few issues.

I need to reschedule, what do I do?

If you’re not going to be able to make a booked one to one, please email Jess as soon as possible, replying to the booking confirmation if possible, to ensure she is aware. Jess will then liaise with you to organise a plan B.

I live near Jess, can I still have a business one-to-one?

Yes, of course!

I live in <country>, can I still have a one to one?

Yes, of course!

Jess has taught students all over the world from Australia to Alaska and all sorts of places in-between. If you’re ready to learn, Jess is ready to teach.

In-Person One to Ones:

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Is accommodation available or provided?

Not on-site, as one-to-ones take place at Jess’s home address. However, there are lots of accommodation and transport options locally to the site, so please just ask for a list of recommended partners and one of the team will ensure you get settled in and sorted out.

Camping or caravaning? No problem, we can organise a pitch on-site for specific exceptions, but most campers will be referred to a local (beautiful) campsite!

I don't drive, can I still have a one-to-one?

Sure! There are great transport links here including a number of train stations on the East Coast main line, the Hull to London line, or the Transpennine line. We can come to pick you up from a close-by station or we can help to organise station transfers for your session.

What are the tuition options?

For in-person one to ones, really anything goes. What do you want to learn? We’ll sort the rest out.

For duration options, please visit the main In-Person One to One page where the various options are detailed with extra information.

Where are the one-to-ones?

The main hub is at HQ – Jess’s home. You will be provided with the full address and detailed directions before your one-to-one date, but if you need a general location right now, we’re near South Cave, East Yorkshire.

I have additional in-person one-to-one questions. What should I do?

Don’t worry, email your questions to [email protected] and we’ll answer them as soon as possible.

YouTube Content:

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I have an idea for a video, where can I share it?

The Request Box exists for this specific moment in time so head over there and pop yours in!

Do you get paid for YouTube videos?

Yes and no. We get paid a small amount for every advert view that happens on YouTube (usually a fraction of a penny per view). This is released each month and, if you were to calculate the time spent creating YouTube content and the payments received back as an hourly rate, you’d be looking at about £1 an hour. So yes, we do get some money, but no, it’s not a wage.

The YouTube content is created and provided for the good of the community and it’s always created with you in mind.

Sometimes we are sent items to review on YouTube, or we may be asked to promote a specific item/event on YouTube without the item itself – if money has changed hands (or we get to keep the item in question), it will be clear in the video and in the description that it was a sponsored video or an affiliate link.

Is Jess like she is on YouTube in real life?

This is a good question. Short answer yes, long answer no.

In reality, you see the final cut of everything on YouTube. What you don’t see is the fluffed up mumbled mess that happens every single time we record, the bloopers, the outtakes, the frustration, the disasters, the trips, slips and falls or the swearing that happens when Dan forgets to press record…

She is as intense and sarcastic in real life as she is on YouTube, but probably a little quieter if you were to see her away from work – Jess is an introvert – a thinker and a problem solver first, a “public figure” second!

I requested a video, but it hasn't been created. Why?

Chances are that it’s planned in for the future, or it already exists. Search for similar terms using the search bar in the main menu to check for the latter.

If it’s not been done and it isn’t planned in for the future, there are a few potential reasons why.

One of these is that lots of people may have requested very similar videos and the content would be very, very long – these are topics earmarked for full online courses rather than YouTube videos. Another reason would be that your request wasn’t possible at the moment (because we’re in a Corona lockdown, because we don’t have that equipment yet, or because we can’t get access to the subject matter).

Another common reason is that the request and subsequent video would simply not “fit” with the content we create. For example, a hair how-to, or a YouTube upload how-to, would (probably, who knows!) be confusing for the community – if it’s not about portrait photography, it probably won’t be created. For now, here, on this channel – maybe somewhere else? One day? Maybe!

The Critique Group:

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How do I access the Critique Group?

You just need to have a Facebook profile and then head to this group here, and request to join. Please read the description, rules and membership questions carefully – they are strictly enforced in the group for the good of the community as a whole.

I've been rejected from the Group. Why?

This was probably because you did not complete all of the membership questions, accept the group rules, or because your Facebook profile seemed “suspicious” to the moderators for some reason.

If you might have missed a membership question, or have no images of pets or cameras on your Facebook profile, please try to amend this and then try again.

If you offer paid tuition to other photographers in a similar way to Jess or That Photography Spot, you will probably be declined membership because of past incidents. This is not personal or targeted, this is a policy that we operate on now. You can still undertake one to one training with Jess and access all of the other free community resources though!

Sponsorships, Partnerships & Similar:

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I'm a photography educator, can we do a collaboration for my community?

Yes of course! Let us know the details of some ideas, timescales and what you’d want from Jess via email to [email protected] and one of the team will reply as soon as possible.

I'm a brand rep, can I send an item to Jess to review?

Sure! Email us at [email protected] and we’ll go from there.

Please note: Jess will only ever be honest with her community. If your product or software doesn’t perform well or as advertised, Jess will discuss this with you and try to resolve any issues but will be honest in any public reviews on features, experiences and support recieved. 

I'm a journalist, can I do an interview?

Sure! Jess is happy to take online, in-person/filmed, written or recorded interview questions. Let us know your preference via email to [email protected] and we’ll sort something out as soon as possible.

I'm a writer, can I do a guest post for your blog?

Unfortunately, we are not taking guest posts currently.

Do you have a media pack?

We sure do, simply email [email protected] for an up-to-date copy!