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Meet The Visual Education Team
Karl Taylor
Co-founder and CEO
Karl has been a professional photographer for more than 25 years. Commissioned by leading global brands for his precise attention to detail and exquisite control of light, Karl is also known as an instructor who explains complex subjects clearly and effectively. His unique expertise and commitment to education has led him to work for Hasselblad Camera Company, Broncolor Lighting and Adobe, as well as to appearances on the BBC and elsewhere.
When he’s not taking world-class photos or producing new classes, Karl likes to be underwater. Specifically, he loves wreck and technical diving, and is never happier than when he’s deep below the surface in his diving gear, documenting a newly discovered shipwreck.
If he can’t be underwater, Karl’s also happy fishing and boating with his family. If there should happen to be a cold beer to hand, so much the better.
Check out Karl’s portfolio at karltaylor.com.
Email Karl:
While there are plenty of self-proclaimed “photography experts” online, the majority aren’t able to produce even average images without extensive retouching — and you definitely won’t see them shooting live and sharing their results in real time.
Karl Taylor is the exception. He is respected by amateurs and pros across the industry for his ability to clearly and concisely communicate both the artistic and technical aspects of photography. Karl breaks down complex subjects with a logical and entertaining approach that has attracted a worldwide following.
Tim Gaudion
Co-founder and Creative Director
Tim is an experienced illustrator and web developer who’s worked with a range of international clients, including The Body Shop and Hewlett Packard. At Visual Education, Tim oversees our brand and website, and wields the video camera on many of our shoots. He’s also quite handy, which is why he builds most of our props and sets.
Tim is a skilled artist who makes beautiful paintings and has even illustrated book covers. A keen skater, surfer and snowboarder, he loves to be by or in the water, fishing or riding waves with his son. He’s also active in the community, helping to run the local surf club and skate park.
Every summer, Tim takes part in the historic Rocquaine Regatta, a very serious competitive event in which crews of worse-for-wear amateur sailors race against each other in homemade boats. It's the taking part that counts!
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Jon Bairds
Co-founder and Marketing Director
An experienced designer and programmer, Jon has worked on websites and marketing materials for a host of different clients. Jon heads up our marketing strategy and goes deep on the analytics so the rest of us don’t have to. He’s also involved in the design, build and maintenance of our platform. When there’s an exciting shoot happening on location overseas, Jon magically transforms into an eager camera operator.
Jon studied graphic design and loves yoga, swimming, and his dog. But most of all he loves surfing. Is he a better surfer than Tim? We couldn’t possibly say. Jon lives in Cornwall with his family but pays us regular visits. Come and see us again soon, Jon!
Email Jon:
Hélène Cavignac-Taylor
Financial Controller
Hélène takes care of our finances, HR and general company administration. She was born and raised in France, earned a master’s degree at the Sorbonne, and has more than decade of experience working in financial services. She and Karl have been married since 2008 and have two marvellous, noisy children.
Passionate about fitness, Hélène loves running and yoga, as well as travel and ballet. We’ve heard Karl describe her as a keen reader who’s “far more intelligent than me”, but we wouldn’t dream of weighing in on the matter.
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Benjamin Thoume
Head of Video Production
Ben T has a degree in media production and is passionate about filmmaking and video editing. His Premiere Pro skills are truly off the charts, which is why he does such an incredible job putting together all our videos. Ben also produces our live shows, operating a multitude of video cameras, mics and recording devices all at the same time. What can we say? The man’s got talents.
Ben is an avid Chelsea FC supporter, which we try not to hold against him, and an outstanding guitarist. He has a couple of personal YouTube channels that are well worth a look. Overall, Ben loves movies, but what he really loves is beer (see photo). Cheers, Ben!
Email Ben:
Emma Harris
Marketing Executive
Emma rolls out all of our marketing and keeps us looking good on the socials. She assists on shoots, relays members’ questions to Karl during live shows, and generally keeps everything running smoothly, thank goodness. Emma also organises our in-person workshops, so if you have any questions about those, drop her a line!
Naturally creative, Emma lives in a parallel dimension in which days contain more than 24 hours. This enables her to work full time AND do more extra-curricular activities than we can even keep track of. These include helping to run a Brownie pack, leading groups of youngsters on Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, and serving on the board of a local charity.
As if that wasn’t enough, she also makes and sells extremely cool earrings. How does she fit it all in? How can the rest of us access this dimension? If we find out, we’ll let you know.
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Ben Hinshaw
Copywriter
Ben H writes all our copy and content. He’s worked as a writer and editor in the UK and the US, mostly in tech (New Relic, Citrix) and academic research (Center for Poverty and Inequality Research). He was a lecturer in creative writing at the University of California, Davis for a while there too.
Ben used to be a musician but these days is the proud owner of two young daughters who scream ‘TOO LOUD!’ whenever he reaches for his guitar. When not child-wrangling, Ben loves to swim, and hopes to one day rekindle his teenage passion for surfing. His main thing, though, is his writing, which you can investigate here. He reads more novels than is healthy and published one of his own in 2022.
Email Ben:
Amber Guillemet
Studio Assistant
Customer support, customer success – whatever you prefer to call it, Amber is on the case. She helps current, past and future members however she can, fielding enquiries from around the globe via live chat, email, and even on the phone. She also assists Karl during photoshoots and live workshops, and helps create our digital visuals. In other words, she’s busy!
When she’s not here at the studio, Amber enjoys sea swims and cliff walks. She also likes horse riding and helping to care for the horses at her local stables. And of course, Amber loves photography!
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