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Instructor Spotlight: Jake Borchenko

5 years ago
gtapcnew
Instructor Spotlight, Kids & Teens

At the heart of our camps for kids and teens are passionate and knowledgeable instructors who share their love of photography with our campers each year. We caught up with Jake Borchenko, our Teen Camp 1 instructor in Toronto with expertise in both photography and cinematography. His portfolio showcases his passion for travel, documentary, and street photography, and prominently features the people he meets around the world. Jake is a Broadcasting and Film graduate of Centennial College, and an active volunteer and mentor with Skatelife Canada.

He shared with us what sparked his passion for photography and travel, his favourite gear, advice for amateur photographers, and much more!

Visit Jake’s Website!
Jake on Instagram
Jake Borchenko GTA Photography Camps Instructor
When and how did you fall in love with photography?

I grew up with photography. My dad is a photographer so I’ve been surrounded by it all my life. In high school I was fortunate to travel to India and China where my love for photography really began. For me, it was a great way to have a creative outlet and practice a foreign language (in attempts to ask people if I could take their photo). It was also a great way for me to document my travelling. It developed into a passion when I got back, and I’ve been shooting ever since.

How would you define your photography style?

My photography style is heavily focused on documentary and street photography. I love meeting people and engaging with the world. For me, photography in these natural settings is the most fun but can also be the most challenging. I’m travelling a lot for my work as a filmmaker so photography is great way to tell stories while overseas.

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What was your most memorable photoshoot or photograph?

Two years ago I travelled to India to shoot a documentary about an Indian martial art. When I was driving to the hotel, I caught such an amazing moment. We landed at the airport in Kolkata and quickly hopped into an iconic yellow taxi. I had the window open and was taking photos while enjoying the beauty of India when we pulled up beside a truck at a red light. Out my window, a beautiful man in a big dump truck looked down then reached out to shake my hand and said, while smiling, “Welcome to India!”. I quickly shot a photo and said thank you, then we drove our separate ways. The kindness and beauty of people is truly amazing and I’m so glad I was able to capture it through a photograph.

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Which piece of gear (lens, tripod etc.) is your favourite?

My favourite piece of gear is a lens for a couple reasons. Having the right lens can do wonders for a shot in creating the right look. The drama achievable from having a wide or tight lens is awesome. It’s really cliché, but investing in good lenses is always a great idea. I’ve owned lenses ranging from 8mm all the way up to 250mm so it’s great to experiment with as many lenses as possible.

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What’s your next photography purchase?

Recently I’ve been shooting lots of film therefore my next photography purchases will likely be some more film! On my most recent trip to Nepal, where I’ve been working on a feature documentary, I brought an old Canon AE-1 film SLR. Literally EVERY single morning in Nepal I would go for a long walk with that camera. I’ve also been exploring Toronto every week while shooting some 35mm and medium format film.

What advice would you give to amateur photographers?

Get out and shoot. Shoot the streets, shoot your friends, shoot what’s in your house…shoot, shoot, shoot! You learn so much by just doing it. Along, with shooting lots, check out photographers with styles you like and get familiar with the work. If I’m not shooting I’m always finding cool photography books to read, or I’ll be on Instagram discovering someone new. Also, learning manual mode is the best way to open up new ways to be creative. You can also shoot film when you learn manual mode which I cannot recommend highly enough!

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What do you love about teaching Teen Camp 1?

What I love most about teaching Teen Camp 1 is seeing how much the students’ photos transform over the course of week. Every day we learn something new that adds to what campers can do with their cameras. The improvement by the end of the week is always so awesome, and what’s great is that it happens every week with every camper.

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Just so we can find out a bit more about the person behind the lens, could you tell us…

Who is your favourite photographer past or present?  My favourite photographer of all time is Steve McCurry. He’s a photojournalist who’s famous for shooting really striking portraits and landscapes from all around the world. Most famously and controversially he had the cover of Nat Geo with his “Afghan Girl” portrait. I really can’t get enough of his work. It’s also really hard to pick just one photographer so some others (in no particular order) that I love are: Nan Goldin, Christopher Doyle, Alec Soth, Elinor Carucci, Martin Parr, Stephen Shore, Vivian Maier, Rita Leistner, Joshua Jensen-Nagle, WeeGee and Ed Burtynsky. Just to name a few!

What makes Nepal so special to you?  Nepal is seriously an underdog country. It’s right in between India and China which are two major countries. They’ve had such a unique history with such tragedies in recent times but the people are so friendly, resilient, community based, and extremely kind! It’s a beautiful place and I’m so fortunate to be able to travel and work there. If you ever get the chance to visit or are thinking of a place to go, I really can’t recommend it enough.

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What’s your favourite Movie? Any film by Wong Kar-Wai pre 2004 is amazing. He is a director from Hong Kong who create these awesome contained love stories that are super gritty and filled with hopeless characters. They are visually so rough, but gorgeous. The energy and grime of Hong Kong in the 90s always translates so well on screen. I literally can’t watch these enough. On a pure fun level, The Blues Brothers is just such a blast. So many legendary musicians make appearances and the ridiculous plot is so enjoyable. How many films have a dance scene with Aretha Franklin in them and a 200+ car police chase in the same film? It totally kicks butt.

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What would you do if you won the lottery? If I won the lottery I’d maybe break even, because I usually just buy scratch lottery cards for about $4, and then if I win, I only ever get the $4 prize!

What’s your favourite hobby outside of photography? Besides photography, I spend a lot of my time skateboarding, filmmaking, listening to music, and playing JRPGs. Skateboarding is so complementary to filmmaking and photography, because I can do those things while skating. It’s also how I grew into being a creator because I was shooting so much skateboarding as kid.

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Learn More About The Camp Jake Instructs: Teen Camp 1

If you are a new to our camps this is the place to start! Teen Camp 1 is where we teach the foundations of photography and campers master manual mode. (Teens: ages 13 – 17)

Discover Teen Camp 1
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GTA Photography Classes
GTA Photography Classes
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Based on 71 reviews
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Katherine Seatree
Katherine Seatree
23:10 24 Feb 20
I recently did the Photo 101 class with Lauren and it exceeded my expectations! Lauren was a great teacher - very knowledgeable and clearly passionate about photography which definitely helped boost my own enthusiasm. The class also benefited from being small, think it was just 6 of us and the content felt appropriate for a beginner. I now have a good understanding of things like aperture, shutter speed, ISO, composition etc. What I really loved was that there were practical exercises and steps explained that made it so much easier to understand and master what we learnt. My photos have already massively improved, and I can now say I feel confident shooting in manual mode! I would definitely recommend this course.
Samantha Peck
Samantha Peck
18:23 10 Feb 20
I took Photo 101, knowing very little about manual photography and left knowing the basics- and more! I'm feeling much more confident in my skills and interested in pursuing more classes. The small class size, knowledgeable instructor and hands-on learning all helped me get more familiar with my camera. I highly recommend taking classes at GTA Photography!
Fazeela Jahangir
Fazeela Jahangir
08:50 28 Jan 20
I was very keen to end up at the right place to brush up my photography because I wanted to learn from the best. GTA Photography exceeded my expectations at that. The location is conveniently located one stop from Kings Station with lots of places to eat and practice photography around. The best part I would say are undoubtedly the instructors who are some of the top in their various fields of photography. They were very patient with students asking questions as and when they wanted, which meant by the time we got to the end of the class and QnA session all queries had already been dealt with and everyone was happy with the instruction. We got lots of opportunities to practice as well. I am so happy I found this place to connect with other photographers- I have taken 3 courses already and am planning to take 3 more. I think that speaks for itself!
Melany Tiago
Melany Tiago
04:54 20 Jan 20
I spent my time at GTA photography Classes as a Co-op Student and really enjoyed my time here! Great kind hearted Staff & 5 star classes!
Anna Medvedev
Anna Medvedev
19:24 10 Jan 20
If you want to learn photography, this is the school you should go to. Knowledgeable instructors, interactive classes and very practical instruction.
Yve Benz
Yve Benz
17:42 10 Jan 20
Best photography school in the GTA and beyond. Amazing management, nice and professional staff, great camps and adult classes. Can highly recommend it!!!
Mark Buck
Mark Buck
15:09 14 Dec 19
As a photography and digital arts teacher with both the TDSB and YRDSB I highly recommend GTA Photography (Toronto). They teach us (students and adults) how to capture the special memorial moments of our lives.Dorothy Lange once remarked:"Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still."-
Josh Kim
Josh Kim
19:07 12 Dec 19
I spent time as both a counsellor at GTA over the summer as well as a co-op student during the school year. Super friendly staff that love teaching and helping people. Sitting in on different workshops and camp sessions, their instructors are always available to help and seeing how they teach, I'm not surprised when I see the other glowing reviews here. Would highly recommend both their camps and adult classes for anyone with an interest in photography!
Pam Robertson
Pam Robertson
00:58 10 Dec 19
The kid camps are amazing! They had very informative instructors, interactive teaching, and a so many fun field trips in a great location! The staff were very friendly and you could tell that they loved what they do and were so great with the kids!
shepherd Huang
shepherd Huang
17:05 09 Dec 19
Very knowledgeable instructors, interactive teaching and fun field trips. Lauren is so patient and I have a great time.
Candice Pollack
Candice Pollack
15:56 15 Oct 19
Our organization rented this space for a two day meeting. The team at GTA Photography was incredibly helpful and the space was clean, well-kept, and made for a great workshop space.
stephanie grace
stephanie grace
16:15 16 Sep 19
Great location and clean and light filled rooms for smaller groups. We came here for a management meeting and it was perfect for our needs.
Senthuran Kopalakrishnan
Senthuran Kopalakrishnan
15:14 09 Sep 19
Learned so much in a short period of time. Knowledgeable friendly instructor. Highly recommended for anyone interested in photography.
Sandra Nagy
Sandra Nagy
02:21 25 Aug 19
My 9 year old son had an unbelievable week of camp at GTA photography. He went on amazing field trips, had amazingly passionate counsellors and raves about every day. He also learned a ton and gained tremendous skills and confidence. There were tons of older kids as well, up to 15-16 year olds and they all seemed to love it as much as him. A unique and fun experience. I highly recommend it.
Agnes Roter
Agnes Roter
19:10 06 Jul 19
My daughter absolutely loved this camp. It was her first intro to photography and she quoted techniques and instructions from day one. She also quite enjoyed exploring downtown Toronto with the crew. That was a great part of the program. Highly recommend GTA Photography camp.
Anson Wong
Anson Wong
05:20 27 May 19
I received a nice camera for Christmas but did not know how to use it properly while on vacation. Decided to take an introductory course and it provides me with the tools to understand my camera. Alex is a great instructor. Not only is she very knowledgeable but her class was very well structured. She provided me with the confidence to use my camera and highly recommend this to anyone who finds cameras intimidating.
Culham Anderson-Brodie
Culham Anderson-Brodie
15:41 12 Mar 19
I took the photo 101 course through gta photography and i must say my experience was amazing. My instructor Donovan was extremely knowledgeable and I left with all the skills necessary to properly operate my camera in manual mode. Since taking this course my photography skills have continued to improve and I will MOST DEFINITELY be back for more classes!
Greg Leung
Greg Leung
19:56 11 Feb 19
Very professional, patient instructors. Perfect balance between fun & informative. I've taken Photo 101 & 201 and will definitely be enrolling in future courses! GTA Photography has ignited my passion for photography.
Tricia Anderson
Tricia Anderson
16:37 11 Feb 19
I took a couple of weekend sessions (Photography 101 and 201) to get me going with my new Digital SLR camera. They provided a great foundation to help me progress with my photography. The small class size and enthusiastic instructor made for a great learning environment. Tricia A.
A Woods
A Woods
22:07 17 Dec 18
Took the Portraiture 101 class. The Instructor was very informative and had some really great tips for making my photos better. She clearly is very experienced and has a great eye. It was part function and part art course and I loved that! The school was well designed and felt very warm and inviting. I loved that they took us outdoors to practice in real life conditions. I would definitely recommend this course and am looking forward to taking another!
troy bacchus
troy bacchus
16:00 26 Nov 18
UPDATE: Took the Photo301 lighting class this past weekend with Shayne and it was fantastic. Shayne was an excellent instructor and gave us a good grounding in lighting techniques and tips and tricks that really save a lot of time. I highly recommend this class to anyone looking to advance their skills working with natural, and artificial light.Just finished the photo201 class this past weekend and it was great. The instructor Neil made the class enjoyable while conveying all the necessary information. Material is good, they may want to consider having it printed for note taking. Overall a great class and I have already registered for photo301.
Danial Mirzakhani
Danial Mirzakhani
21:42 17 Jul 17
I haven't ever gon ther..but I think it's so good
Kristen Valente
Kristen Valente
19:00 14 Jun 17
Yesterday I took the Travel Photography workshop and it was awesome! It was such a small class that we really got to fire off questions whenever needed. Neil was a very extremely knowledgeable, engaging and patient teacher. He is clearly passionate about his craft and he did an excellent job of preparing us for future travel endeavours.
Jason Hopkins
Jason Hopkins
19:30 24 May 17
I took the Lightroom class which is a 4 week class every Thursday for 2 hours. The class was taught methodically and left me feeling confident using Lightroom. The teacher was very friendly and kept the learning environment fun and relaxing. I highly recommend gta photography, I've been around the owners and other people who work there. They all really care about their job and the students who come to learn.
Tess Vardy
Tess Vardy
13:10 20 May 17
I took classes last year in the fall and winter, and I learned so much!!!! I really feel like I have gained a lot of skill and confidence with a camera that I will carry with my for the rest of my life. I definitely missed having the classes once they were done because they were just SO much fun and the instructors really know what they're doing. I would recommend to anyone!!!
Jennifer Qu
Jennifer Qu
20:25 19 May 17
GTA Photography Classes is a really amazing camp for kids of all ages. I was 15 when I took teen camp 1 and teen camp 2 in the fall and winter. The instructors are amazing and I learned so much. The classes were really informative plus the instructors did a really good job making everything as clear as possible. I had Laura and Kylie as my instructors. They were amazing and really knew what they were talking about. Each class was accompanied by a field trip every other week. Because the camps location is in the centre of Downtown Toronto, the field trips were pretty cool if I do say so myself. We went to Kensington Market, ROM, Nathan Philip Square, etc. I highly suggest GTA Photography Classes if you're a beginner and even if you have experience and you want to get a little more creative with your work, it's definitely worth the money.
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