Photography courses
Discussion
I'm hoping to buy a new DSLR camera this week, it will be my first one, I'm mainly looking at taking photos of landscapes and scenery, probably cars at shows, I like the sunset/sunrise style photos.
I have no experience with cameras at all other than the snap your kids at the football on the iPhone type thing. So is it worth going on one of these courses that jessops and the like offer, or can anyone point me in another direction. Websites/forums etc. To learn how to actually use it properly.
I have no experience with cameras at all other than the snap your kids at the football on the iPhone type thing. So is it worth going on one of these courses that jessops and the like offer, or can anyone point me in another direction. Websites/forums etc. To learn how to actually use it properly.
Many sources of help, as above YouTube is your friend with suitable search titles.
If you want to fast track the ideas a little in one package my approach was to invest in the Karl Taylor DVDs, I found them a massive help.
I believe his courses are streamed now of course.
But it's also a journey rather than a destination, trial and error, get out in the field and try different things and settings. Good luck.
If you want to fast track the ideas a little in one package my approach was to invest in the Karl Taylor DVDs, I found them a massive help.
I believe his courses are streamed now of course.
But it's also a journey rather than a destination, trial and error, get out in the field and try different things and settings. Good luck.
It depends on how you like to learn. If you are happy to watch videos and read websites then there are many many free or very cheao resources available on the internet.
If you want a more interactive experience with the opportunity to talk to other students and the teacher then check out you local college. Many of them run evening courses which can be good value.
If you want a more interactive experience with the opportunity to talk to other students and the teacher then check out you local college. Many of them run evening courses which can be good value.
there are loads on Youtube that could teach you. the two that come straight to mind is Jared Polin (froknowsphoto) and Mike Browne. the latter being older and british. highly reccomend checking mike's stuff out.
https://www.youtube.com/user/photoexposed/videos
https://www.youtube.com/user/photoexposed/videos
I went on a photography course, mainly as a colleague/friend wanted to go on one but was a little shy.
Like any course I suppose there was much that I found extremely useful and some that I already knew. There was some that I thought I already knew but I found out I didn't.
For me it was useful. We were set tasks. For me, with online there's little pressure to comply. We were taken to various locations, situations and set-ups that I would not have done without the course. I photographed flamenco dancers, a life model, those painting a life model, a model making course and some outdoorsy things. We were also given problems, such as photographing something without the proper equipment. That was fun and useful.
The course was made up of one, and occasionally two, instructors and 10 students to begin with but two dropped out. There were lots of Q&A from the class and the way the course was set up meant that there were few answers. We were told to try it but it would be set up so that we got lots from it.
This was in the days of FP4 and such but there was a local developing/printing shop that gave lower rates. All done within the week. Not necessary now I suppose.
I got lots out of it. I'd used cameras for many years and was surprised at what I didn't know. Also there was lots or new subjects to me.
Worth the money? The course was well planned, variable to the specific course's needs and the programme was open to change. It wasn't cheap, about half as much again as a local authority course, but it was worth it to me and my colleague. Although I'm fairly literate, I get more from having to press the shutter than just reading about it.
Some depth of knowledge helped me but others there were new to photography as a hobby and they thoroughly enjoyed it.
Like any course I suppose there was much that I found extremely useful and some that I already knew. There was some that I thought I already knew but I found out I didn't.
For me it was useful. We were set tasks. For me, with online there's little pressure to comply. We were taken to various locations, situations and set-ups that I would not have done without the course. I photographed flamenco dancers, a life model, those painting a life model, a model making course and some outdoorsy things. We were also given problems, such as photographing something without the proper equipment. That was fun and useful.
The course was made up of one, and occasionally two, instructors and 10 students to begin with but two dropped out. There were lots of Q&A from the class and the way the course was set up meant that there were few answers. We were told to try it but it would be set up so that we got lots from it.
This was in the days of FP4 and such but there was a local developing/printing shop that gave lower rates. All done within the week. Not necessary now I suppose.
I got lots out of it. I'd used cameras for many years and was surprised at what I didn't know. Also there was lots or new subjects to me.
Worth the money? The course was well planned, variable to the specific course's needs and the programme was open to change. It wasn't cheap, about half as much again as a local authority course, but it was worth it to me and my colleague. Although I'm fairly literate, I get more from having to press the shutter than just reading about it.
Some depth of knowledge helped me but others there were new to photography as a hobby and they thoroughly enjoyed it.
Derek Smith said:
I went on a photography course, mainly as a colleague/friend wanted to go on one but was a little shy.
Like any course I suppose there was much that I found extremely useful and some that I already knew. There was some that I thought I already knew but I found out I didn't.
For me it was useful. We were set tasks. For me, with online there's little pressure to comply. We were taken to various locations, situations and set-ups that I would not have done without the course. I photographed flamenco dancers, a life model, those painting a life model, a model making course and some outdoorsy things. We were also given problems, such as photographing something without the proper equipment. That was fun and useful.
The course was made up of one, and occasionally two, instructors and 10 students to begin with but two dropped out. There were lots of Q&A from the class and the way the course was set up meant that there were few answers. We were told to try it but it would be set up so that we got lots from it.
This was in the days of FP4 and such but there was a local developing/printing shop that gave lower rates. All done within the week. Not necessary now I suppose.
I got lots out of it. I'd used cameras for many years and was surprised at what I didn't know. Also there was lots or new subjects to me.
Worth the money? The course was well planned, variable to the specific course's needs and the programme was open to change. It wasn't cheap, about half as much again as a local authority course, but it was worth it to me and my colleague. Although I'm fairly literate, I get more from having to press the shutter than just reading about it.
Some depth of knowledge helped me but others there were new to photography as a hobby and they thoroughly enjoyed it.
I'd agree with the above, whilst there is a wealth of learning material out there online, I found that I really enjoyed a local adult education course on Photography, didn't necessarily learn all that much that I didn't already know, but having assignments and a show and tell every week was really helpful to give me an impetus for getting out and taking photos, plus it made me do things I hadn't tried before, as there'd be a week on portrait, or use of external light sources etc. Bringing the photos in and critiquing them as a group was helpful to see where I could improve.Like any course I suppose there was much that I found extremely useful and some that I already knew. There was some that I thought I already knew but I found out I didn't.
For me it was useful. We were set tasks. For me, with online there's little pressure to comply. We were taken to various locations, situations and set-ups that I would not have done without the course. I photographed flamenco dancers, a life model, those painting a life model, a model making course and some outdoorsy things. We were also given problems, such as photographing something without the proper equipment. That was fun and useful.
The course was made up of one, and occasionally two, instructors and 10 students to begin with but two dropped out. There were lots of Q&A from the class and the way the course was set up meant that there were few answers. We were told to try it but it would be set up so that we got lots from it.
This was in the days of FP4 and such but there was a local developing/printing shop that gave lower rates. All done within the week. Not necessary now I suppose.
I got lots out of it. I'd used cameras for many years and was surprised at what I didn't know. Also there was lots or new subjects to me.
Worth the money? The course was well planned, variable to the specific course's needs and the programme was open to change. It wasn't cheap, about half as much again as a local authority course, but it was worth it to me and my colleague. Although I'm fairly literate, I get more from having to press the shutter than just reading about it.
Some depth of knowledge helped me but others there were new to photography as a hobby and they thoroughly enjoyed it.
Here's a few Youtube channels that I have found very useful:
https://www.youtube.com/user/WeeklyImogen
https://www.youtube.com/user/thatnikonguy/
https://www.youtube.com/user/VistaClues
Might also be worthwhile taking a look at the photos being uploaded onto Flickr which might provide you with further inspiration:
https://www.flickr.com/explore
You can also do a search in the upper menu bar for not only users but also lens and camera types to see what can be achieved.
https://www.youtube.com/user/WeeklyImogen
https://www.youtube.com/user/thatnikonguy/
https://www.youtube.com/user/VistaClues
Might also be worthwhile taking a look at the photos being uploaded onto Flickr which might provide you with further inspiration:
https://www.flickr.com/explore
You can also do a search in the upper menu bar for not only users but also lens and camera types to see what can be achieved.
Really depends on how you learn.
Theres heaps of info on the mechanics online, and on youtube etc
I find (some) people seem to do better with hands on training ( which is what I offer here in nz www.heroworkshops.com ), gets a lot of knowledge across in a concise and practical manner.
Theres heaps of info on the mechanics online, and on youtube etc
I find (some) people seem to do better with hands on training ( which is what I offer here in nz www.heroworkshops.com ), gets a lot of knowledge across in a concise and practical manner.
I went on a photography course at my local college, it was very cheap at something like £50 for 5x 2hour weekly lessons. At that price I thought there wasn't much to lose. I had owned my DSLR for a year already and much of what was covered technically (the camera modes, aperture triangle) I already knew from books/youtube.
What I wouldn't underestimate is how much I enjoyed working in a group and the push weekly lessons gave me. No longer would the camera sit in a cupboard for couple for weeks I was taking photos all the time ;-)
I also tried a couple of things I simply wouldn't have done as a beginner, most notably portrait studio photography with a full lightbox setup, which otherwise I wouldn't have access to. Surprisingly I enjoyed it after initially feeling a bit awkward and it generally not being my thing.
What I wouldn't underestimate is how much I enjoyed working in a group and the push weekly lessons gave me. No longer would the camera sit in a cupboard for couple for weeks I was taking photos all the time ;-)
I also tried a couple of things I simply wouldn't have done as a beginner, most notably portrait studio photography with a full lightbox setup, which otherwise I wouldn't have access to. Surprisingly I enjoyed it after initially feeling a bit awkward and it generally not being my thing.
RobDickinson said:
I find (some) people seem to do better with hands on training ( which is what I offer here in nz www.heroworkshops.com ), gets a lot of knowledge across in a concise and practical manner.
I run some workshops for a local camera shop, as well as some of my own. The response is very good, with many people learning a lot about their cameras and themselves, the ability of participants to ask questions at any stage, I feel helps them enormously. We also cover framing, composition and experimentation with different camera viewpoints, etc which is a lot easier to develop (and teach) in a practical environment. I've had some people come on multiple courses, where they are improving their knowledge and skills each time.But as Rob says, there is a wealth of information on the internet, and as others have said there are also college courses, they all have their place and merits.
Edited by DavidY on Wednesday 17th May 16:37
For learning your camera, you can't beat Youtube. Once you've figured out what does what it's a great idea to do a real life workshop. Pick a subject you like and go for it. You'll not only learn a lot, you'll get some great photos all under the watchful eye of someone that really knows his or her stuff who will assist you as much or as little as you like.
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