Where can I get photography lessons in London?

[stompboxx]

My g/f bought me a DSLR camera (Canon EOS 500D) as a birthday gift, and I've always wanted to get 'good' at photography....does anyone know anywhere good in London that offers lessons to get me started and up to speed?

Many thanks

[stigmundfreud]

travel to swindon and I'll sort you

[Magog]

My friend was doing evening classes somewhere up near archway i think... think it was this course;

http://london.floodlight.co.uk/london/course-detai...

Seems pretty pricey to me but i think he thought it was worth it.

[Olivero]

Magog said:

My friend was doing evening classes somewhere up near archway i think... think it was this course;

http://london.floodlight.co.uk/london/course-detai...

Seems pretty pricey to me but i think he thought it was worth it.

Not pricey, actually very cheap. £450 for 10 lesions is a great deal. I have seen courses that are £450 for a day.
There is no better way of taking better photos than being taught.

[Simpo Two]

Olivero said:

Not pricey, actually very cheap. £450 for 10 lesions is a great deal.

Masochistic if you ask me.

[stompboxx]

Magog said:

My friend was doing evening classes somewhere up near archway i think... think it was this course;

http://london.floodlight.co.uk/london/course-detai...

Seems pretty pricey to me but i think he thought it was worth it.

Thanks for that... I too think that's pretty cheap...problem is getting to Camden for 6pm every Wednesday, a weekend course would be better for me.

[furtive]

This guy is based near Canary Wharf and does tuition:

http://www.parklifephotography.co.uk

£150 for half a day both in his studio and around the Wharf area.

[hollypop]

For comparison, I'm doing a basic digital photography course at the moment which is held at a local college. Cost is £190 for 10 weeks.

[DHA]

furtive said:

This guy is based near Canary Wharf and does tuition:

http://www.parklifephotography.co.uk

£150 for half a day both in his studio and around the Wharf area.

Any comments about him and his tuition?

[furtive]

DHA said:

furtive said:

This guy is based near Canary Wharf and does tuition:

http://www.parklifephotography.co.uk

£150 for half a day both in his studio and around the Wharf area.

Any comments about him and his tuition?

Absolutely no idea what he is like. I just bumped into him in the local park where he was taking some photos of a couple and their baby so I had a quick chat with him when he had finished. Seemed like a decent enough chap though and said he was flexible with his rate for locals. I got the impression that it's quite a fledgeling business

[DHA]

Cheers

[ROADRUNNER3]

If its a Nikon SLR you have, I highly recommend the one and two-day courses they run from their Richmond headquarters.

[DHA]

Have looked at the courses they run, seem quite good but I worry that the camera specific courses will only cater for the basic operation of the camera itself rather than specific photography techniques. I am looking into doing some of their specialised courses though.

[plg101]

I hear these are good:

http://www.theflashcentre.com/looking-to-learn-c28...

Edited by plg101 on Thursday 22 October 13:46

[clk55pete]

I'm in the same position and doing this at present http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/course/...

and it's been very good so far.

[GetCarter]

God I hate courses.

[baz7175]

GetCarter said:

God I hate courses.

Ditto - digital cameras make the courses a little less needed as you can just fill the card, delete it, do it again etc - if you are trying to take better pics pick up a decent photography book or check out pics online and then try to recreate the image so as to understand the fundamentals of what you're doing (and changing to get different looks to the end image).

Bottom line is that often the mainstream courses teach you how to shoot a specific subject in a specific way, how boring is that - shall we all wear grey today, oh yes, how exciting - part of the fun with photography is taking the images in your OWN specific way, in such adding your own signature to a subject photographed by many people...

[NewNameNeeded]

stompboxx said:

My g/f bought me a DSLR camera (Canon EOS 500D) as a birthday gift, and I've always wanted to get 'good' at photography....does anyone know anywhere good in London that offers lessons to get me started and up to speed?

Many thanks

Alternatively just get out and practice! If you're not a raving mentalist (or even if you are) and you fancy going out with a group of nerdy photographers and learning from one another then there are plenty of folk doing the same in London. I am out usually every weekend combining a walk, photos and alcohol. And I've met with a few groups doing the same.

[cirks]

The only thing I would counter in the "just go and fill a card" argument is that on a good course, you do get to stop, think and analyse your shots more than you might on your own. Also, with a pro, they will provide useful insights into how your shots may (subjectively) be improved, and assist you if you're not too sure in composition, lighting etc.

I know that when I did a course, it was really the time to concentrate and the helpfulness of the pros which I appreciated the most. My favourite shots were not ones they were involved BUT they did make me think more about what I was doing beforehand which led me to taking the better shots later in the day.

To the OP, I would say that if you find a course which does appear to cover the things you want to get out of it, then go ahead and do it. The experimentaion should be practicing the things you've learnt BUT with your own style added in.