Apple Offering 30-Minute One-on-One Phone Lessons on Editing Images With Photos App

[MacRumors]

Apple recently started offering customers one-on-one phone-based tutorial sessions with a "Photos expert," allowing them to receive training on using the image editing tools built into the Photos app.

According to a new support document, Apple users in the United States can sign up for a 30 minute session with an Apple Support Advisor that's an expert in "using Photos to transform pictures from good to amazing."

It's not clear how useful these sessions will be for customers as they seem to be conducted over the phone with no visual aid included.

You'll have 30 minutes one-on-one with a Photos expert who'll describe how to edit pictures from your own collection. They'll tailor the session to your skill level and show you how to get the results you want.

The support document instructs customers to update their Macs and iOS devices to the latest versions and call using speakerphone or headphones for hands-free access to editing tools while talking to an advisor.

Apple says that customers will learn about all of the editing tools that Photos offers, from Auto Enhance to detailed color and light adjustments. The lesson will also cover editing Live Photos and images taken in Portrait mode along with tools like cropping, filters, and more.

While phone-based Photos app tutorials appear to be a new offering, Apple has long offered online lessons for new device purchasers.

The Personal Setup feature, for example, lets new device owners get help from Apple in store or online, with Apple support staff helping users find apps, personalize their devices, and discover key features.

On the iPhone, for example, Personal Setup covers details like transferring contacts, setting up email accounts, and using Find My iPhone, plus it includes "handy camera tips" and App Store suggestions.

Apple also hosts many "Today at Apple" training sessions in its online stores on topics like editing videos, getting started with coding, shooting photos on iPhone, photo walks that focus on photography tips, and more.

Apple's new online Photos session appears to be something of an online extension of Today at Apple and the Personal Setup process, with Apple perhaps planning to extend these online tutorials to other topics in the future.

Article Link: Apple Offering 30-Minute One-on-One Phone Lessons on Editing Images With Photos App

 

[MacMau5]

Apple is creating more jobs

 

[Pangalactic]

Apple says that customers will learn about all of the editing tools that Photos offers, from Auto Enhance to detailed color

- And now, sir, please press the auto to enhance button
- Done
- Congratulations, you have just mastered auto enhancing! That will be $99.99 for this lesson. Next, we will cover how to automatically adjust exposure using the "automatically adjust exposure" button

 

[danpass]

The Photos app from the iOS 6 era was the best

 

[jbc25]

It's over the phone????

 

[RoobyRoobyRoo]

This is pretty neat and I'm glad they're doing this, but I have a few big questions: 1) Is it free? 2) Will the Apple employee be able to see the photo(s)? And if not, how effective will this training be?

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

The Photos app from the iOS 6 era was the best

RIP in pepperonis.

 

[TVreporter]

Easiest lesson for photography: get closer to your subject - if not, crop the photo!

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

When I got my Apple Watch last fall, they offered me a one-on-one training over the phone. It did also consist of a visual component through an online portal of some kind where I could see the Apple rep's watch. Worked pretty well. It sort of sounds like this would be similar?

 

[kanki1985]

Gimmicks.. just offer youtube videos on this or show what are the best videos to learn photos and get done with it. Have those Geniuses reduce turn around time for other support requests!

 

[adamjackson]

If apple is looking at the user's screen remotely, editing in photos app w/ photo stream may get personal really fast.

 

[pat500000]

Customer: “ hello..i’m calling about the photo app tutorial.”

Apple guy:”hi. Yes. I will help you. We start by...” ( phone disconnected)

 

[macduke]

I learned by dragging around sliders until I learned what did what. From there it's pretty easy to adjust things until the photo looks better.

The difficult part is taking the photo and where most people should be spending 90% of their time learning to improve. It's far more important to learn how light works before trying to edit a photo. Garbage in, garbage out. Though I'm still amazed at how far you can push a modern RAW. But even the best camera can't save a photo with splotchy light all over someone's face, and exposing properly the first time will make editing MUCH easier.

Most people could also improve their photos massively if they got closer to their subject and zoomed with their feet. Move around a lot when you take photos and try different perspectives and you'll learn a lot faster. Get down on the ground. Climb up somewhere high. Walk around your subject and watch how the various forms created by lines of contrast and curvature interact with elements in the background to create visual movement and interest. Always pay attention to the background when shooting and notice how that changes the photo. Lastly, the single most important thing that most people can do to improve: stop centering your subject in every single photo. Look up the rule of thirds and the golden ratio.

 

[Ohheyyou]

I have experienced these sessions and they are awesome! They actually will set up a screen sharing session so the “no visuals” is very incorrect. The advisor screenshared and I picked one of my favorite photos to edit with them. It was cool with their arrow darting around and showing me what to try to modify in my photo. Like yes it’s free with a new device that has Apple care

 

[entropys]

If only Apple had some remote viewing and controlling software.....oh, wait!

I expect it is done that way.

Edit: poster above has done the course and it does do that. Article should be clarified.

 

[FloatingBones]

Apple has a variety of Photos classes available through Today at Apple. This course is clearly intended for people who can't get to an Apple store for those classes. I'm guessing they're providing more than an audio phone call for the presentation.

In the past month, I have gone through 4 of the iPad classes with a friend. I was there primarily for support, but I learned new things, too. "Today at Apple" classes are excellent -- especially for people who are shifting from a PC world to mobile devices. Instructors have a certain range of things to show, but they will work to answer any specific questions/issues that students have at the end of the session. If you have folks from the over-50 crowd who are relatively new to iPhone/iPad/macOS, give them a nudge to try out these classes. If you're in the area, go with them!

I wish that MR, iMore, or TidBITS would do a review of the Today at Apple classes.

Apple is second to none with their free education program. I looked to see what Microsoft was offering; the only thing even remotely close was a "How to use LinkedIn" class offered about once a week. Is Google offering anything for Android or Chrome?

 

[mi7chy]

I have experienced these sessions and they are awesome! They actually will set up a screen sharing session so the “no visuals” is very incorrect. The advisor screenshared and I picked one of my favorite photos to edit with them. It was cool with their arrow darting around and showing me what to try to modify in my photo. Like yes it’s free with a new device that has Apple care

Wow, that's creepy they can screen share at will. Much prefer a YouTube tutorial.

 

[bobtem]

Isn’t the whole point of Photos is that it’s easy? Oh, and I thought the iPhone takes perfect pics from the get go anyway?

Too many features defeats ease of use. Like bringing up the camera when texting, now brings up a whole cluster of options to confuse you, whereas it used to simply bring up the “camera” so you snap, send, done.

Simple is getting harder.

 

[neonart]

Whoohoo. Still using Aperture. Hopelessly hoping Photos gets a pro update to match the simplicity and power Aperture had (has).

 

[javisan]

I stopped using photos as I found that it was just eating GBs. If my actual photos took ~60gb just sitting in a folder in an external HD, i found that if I try to use photos, it would eat up at least an additional 15GBs.

 

[cote32mt]

Whoohoo. Still using Aperture. Hopelessly hoping Photos gets a pro update to match the simplicity and power Aperture had (has).

I gave up on Aperture in favor of Affinity Photo, which is awesome on the iPad with the pencil. Sadly, there is no useful file management system, yet.

 

[AngstyKylo]

Are these free? I remember when buying a MacBook Air at the Covent Garden Mac Store the sales person was desperate to sell me a £100 class to learn how to use it...

 

[recoil80]

Are these free? I remember when buying a MacBook Air at the Covent Garden Mac Store the sales person was desperate to sell me a £100 class to learn how to use it...

The support page doesn't mention any cost so I assume is free.
Apple hosts many events in the stores to teach how to use the Mac and some of the apps and they're free. This is one to one but you have to sign up and I guess you can do it only once

 

[Swampthing]

- And now, sir, please press the auto to enhance button

Press the WHO?
The auto enhance?
I don't need my auto enhanced, just my photo.
No this enhances your photo.
How does enhancing my auto enhance my photo.
It only enhances your photo, sir.
Then why do they name it after a car?
etc etc etc

Tech support isn't as easy as you might think it is.

 

[IPadNParadise]

Press the WHO?
The auto enhance?
I don't need my auto enhanced, just my photo.
No this enhances your photo.
How does enhancing my auto enhance my photo.
It only enhances your photo, sir.
Then why do they name it after a car?
etc etc etc

Tech support isn't as easy as you might think it is.

And then “could you just do it for me”. I worked a help desk at my company before I retired.