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Before sending a question, please see the Frequently Asked Questions below. Seriously. Someone has already asked it.

I run this whole business by myself, with just one part-time assistant. With over 100,000 subscribers, you can imagine the amount of email I get every day. So please, help me out, and see the FAQ below before writing.

Phil Steele

Please contact me at the email addresses below. I look forward to hearing from you.

General Inquiries

Customer Service and Support

The 10 most frequently asked questions

Can I view your courses on my iPad, iPhone, or tablet?
Yes! Nearly any device with a full web browser can play the videos. Just login to the site as you would from any computer. (Note: If you have trouble viewing the videos on an Android 4 device, try using the free Chrome browser, which usually works on those devices).

What payment methods do you accept? Do I need a PayPal account?
In most countries, you can pay with either a credit card or with a PayPal account. The transactions (whether credit card or PayPal) are processed through PayPal's commerce service, which is the biggest and most secure international payment service. In the USA and many other countries you do NOT need a PayPal account to purchase. If you would rather simply use a credit card, just choose the option that says, "Pay with Debit or Credit Card" If you don't see that option, try using a different web browser or different device, sometimes (for reasons known only to PayPal) you get different options depending on the device you're viewing on.

I forgot how to access to the Free Tutorials. How can I get back in?
When you originally subscribed to the tutorials, you were emailed a link to the "secret" access page. You can get that link re-sent to you by using the "Re-Send" function on the Login page. Feel free to bookmark the free tutorials for future use.

I purchased a course, but never received the Password
You should have received an automated email within minutes of your purchase, with your login and access details. If you didn't receive it, this almost always means your email service provider decided it was spam and discarded it. (Brilliant, aren't they?) If you are lucky, they put it in your Spam folder. If so, it's very important you mark it "Not Spam." If it's not in the spam folder, that means they discarded it entirely. Don't worry. Just email us and we'll re-send you the information. Are you worrying? Stop that. We'll take care of you. Making you happy is what we live for. Seriously. (To ensure you get our future communications, you may want to add phil at steeletraining dot com to your contact list. Here are instructions on how to do that).

I have lost my course Username and Password, how can I recover it?
You can retrieve your username and password for any course using the "Lost Password" function for THAT COURSE on the Login page. You can also retrieve your access to the free tutorials there. If you have any trouble retrieving your login info, don't worry, just email us, and we'll send it to you.

My Username and Password don't seem to be working
First, double check that you are trying to log in to the RIGHT COURSE (logging into the wrong course is the most common cause of failure). Second, double check that you are using the correct username and password for your course (they are different for each course). Then check your spelling, your capitalization (it's case sensitive), and that your CAPS lock key is not on, then try again. If that fails, you might close your web browser and re-open it to make sure your browser hasn't cached a previous misspelling. You might also try a different web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, IE), to see if your main browser is just in a bad mood. If all else fails, restart your computer, sometimes that gets things "unstuck." If you're still having trouble, send me an email and we'll get you fixed up. But seriously, try these things first. Because every day we get emails from customers saying "my password is not working!" and so far, over five years and tens of thousands of customers, exactly 0% of the time has it been a problem with the system, and 100% of the time it has been solved by the customer trying again, carefully. Do you really want to be that guy?

My video has playback problems (slow, stuck, no controls, etc)
Web video requires a lot of system resources on your computer, so first, you might want to close other programs and perhaps restart your computer for a clean slate. If a video has become stuck or the audio is out of sync: (1) Empty the cache (the Temporary Internet Files) on your web browser to get rid of the stuck or damaged video, otherwise the same damaged copy will keep getting re-played. Here's how.(2) Then close and re-open the web browser so it can fetch a fresh copy of the video next time. You might also want to try a different web browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer). Sometimes one browser won't like the video but another one will. Chrome generally works best. If your video is lacking the playback controls (play, pause, scrollbar, full-screen, etc), then the problem is nearly always Adobe Flash Player being out of date on your computer. You can update it by Googling "update Adobe Flash Player" and downloading and installing the update for your browser. One reason we prefer Chrome is that it has a built-in Flash player that updates automatically, so you almost never encounter video player problems in Chrome.

Can I download the course videos to my computer, or get them on DVD?
Sorry, no. I keep your cost low by providing the videos as streaming files, (just like the free tutorial videos on this site, only better). I update and expand the courses over time, and this way you always have the latest version! You get a private login which allows you lifetime access to any course you purchase, from any device with an Internet connection. You can watch the videos any time you like, as often as you like, forever.

Will you answer my personal questions about my photography gear / my photos / the-meaning-of-life?
I used to answer everything, because I love to help. But the reality is that the business has grown too large for me to answer every question. There are now over 100,000 of you, and still only one of me. I do read everything that comes in, but I can't answer all of it. Instead, I encourage you to visit my resources page. There you'll find all my recommended gear, and books and training resources. And you'll find a list of sites that I use when I'm evaluating camera gear for purchase, and forums where I turn for answers to my questions from other photographers. There are countless other people out there with the same questions you have, all helping each other online. Take advantage of this wealth of web knowledge. It's what I do to answer my own questions.

When will you release more courses?
I'm working like mad on additional courses and hope to release several more this year. If you want to be notified when they are ready, get on the free tutorials mailing list, and I'll keep you up to date.

This is what my customers are saying

Felicia R., Medford, New York

"Your service is impeccable. I love doing business with you!"

Phil, your service is impeccable. I love doing business with you! I will continue to recommend you.

Customer Photo

Samit Desai, Auckland, New Zealand

"You are a credit to the photography industry."

It was a pleasure to have purchased this course! I can confidently say that it was my money well spent. I am a newbie and have learnt quite a lot from your videos. They are quite practical and informative. I wish you would do more of these. You are a credit to the photography industry.

Customer Photo

Geraldine Watson—Membership Chair Toronto Camera Club

"Always crystal clear…like sitting down with a knowledgeable friend"

You always put in all the little bits and pieces, so that I'm never thinking, 'well, did he mean this, or did he mean that?' It's always crystal clear exactly what you meant. It's like sitting down with a knowledgeable friend and getting to ask all the questions that are tormenting you, and getting all the answers. I'm always thinking, 'So THAT'S how it works! THAT'S how to do it!'

Gary Bonard, Chula Vista, CA

"I learn more from your courses than from any other instructors!"

Phil, I must say that your training has been the best! I have learned more from your courses than from any other instructors out there. Thanks and keep up the great training

Customer Photo

Gadi Perlmutter, Israel

"Your courses sure have saved me a lot of money and time!"

Hi Phil , I have taken two of your courses (Photoshop and Portraits) and I just wanna say thanks, they sure have saved me a lot of money and time compared to taking these in colleges where I live! So I really wanna thank you for that.

Bruce Neill, Queensland, Australia

"I cannot recommend your video tutorials highly enough!"

I have watched other online videos and have found most to be very difficult to keep up with, or they make it difficult to see tool selections, or the tutor speaks at a hundred miles an hour. I find you speak clearly, with an easy voice, and your tutorials are methodical and very easy to follow. I cannot believe how much has fallen into place in the short time I've had access to your video lessons. I cannot recommend your video tutorials highly enough

Geo Mathew, Bakersfield, CA

"You are the best photography instructor out there!"

You are the best photography instructor out there! I'm sure there are lots of knowledgeable professionals out there, but you have a way of explaining things that just works for me.