Phase One: Certified Professional Program

by Elyse Leyenberger

This week, I had the privilege of attending Phase One’s Certified Professional Program in New York. Aside from brief Capture One lessons as an undergrad, I’d received no formal training. So, I figured it’d be beneficial to go study with the folks from Phase One and learn from the pros.

At 9 am on Tuesday, I walked into Calumet in Midtown Manhattan. The class was held in one of the auxiliary spaces above the store, and the attendees ranged from working photographers learning about their own Phase One equipment to working digital techs (including Matt Monath, a member of our own crew page. Nice to meet you, Matt!)

I introduced myself to Jon Gilbert, Phase One’s tech support guru.  Jon came to Phase One as a seasoned digital tech, and is the driving force behind the POCP program. He designed the course because he saw the need for a program to better educate working techs when he was one himself. What he designed is a 2-day intensive course, chock full of incredibly valuable information.

The course explored the progression of Phase One digital backs, as well as the quirks and specifications of each of them. We discussed custom settings to optimize the shooting experience for consistency, flow and battery life. We talked in detail about tethering, as well as troubleshooting the causes and solutions of common problems. (CHECK THE CABLE FIRST, YOU GUYS. IT’S USUALLY THE CABLE.)

We got into the most effective means of workflow and how to set up a workstation in the most efficient way possible both for our own organization and for clients. Jon also gave us some tips on how to set up session presets and bring them along for easy set-up, even when shooting on a rental workstation.

Jon and the team at Phase One have done an excellent job in creating this program. A pre-examination is required in order to take the course, followed by a post-examination to receive certification.  This way, the folks at Phase One can ensure that everyone involved is invested in the process and will get as much out of it as possible.

The detailed explanations of the various sensors that Phase One feature in their backs provided clarity to some of the problems I’ve encountered in the past. I’m now equipped with a much clearer understanding of the software, equipment, and workflow required to be a solid digital tech. I also got a handy little Phase One book with a great deal of the information to hold onto for personal reference. I’m very excited to get out into the field and put it all to good use.

Thanks Jon & Phase One! I had a blast!

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