Courses and learning how to drive D-SLR

[Code Monkey]

Recently bought myself a D-SLR after ages of using a simple point and click and wanting to get better images and more of an understanding on what i am doing.

Been looking at college courses, and was wondering if anyone had any experience of comments on these, had tried for interest and any general thoughts on what is available to learn and how things are taught.

I understand that the same course will differ with different instructors, so more on syllabus and lesson structure if known.

cheers

[Steve Evil]

This is also something i'm considering, but I'm wondering if I might learn just as much from reading up online.

[TonyHetherington]

I wanted exactly the same thing when I bought a DSLR a year ago, and never actually found one. Any "photography" courses you HAD to use a film camera, as part of it was the developing process, and any digital courses only really taught you how to use Photoshop; they didn't really have a how-to-use-a-camera course. I looked in local adult education, that sort of thing, as well as private.

I made a post on it a little while ago, I'll have a look for you...

[TonyHetherington]

Loads of info in these;

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[enderbylass]

I have a Nikon D80 and have found The Magic Lantern Guide of great help. I also now subscribe to Photography Monthly which has taught me alot. As a complete novice I checked out alot of courses advertised in that magazine and have just booked on a 3 day portrait and wedding one. Looking for a career change so that I can afford a sports car !!

[Bungleaio]

I wanted to do something when I got my d70 a few years ago. I went along to the college asked them and signed up for a course.

I turned up the 1st night camera in hand, the teacher said why have you brought that, there's no need for one on this course, we will just be editing photos. I was not happy, the woman catergorically said this was a how to use your camera course when I signed up. I wasn't offered a refund so I thought i might as well get something out of it. It was rubbish we didn't even get to use photoshop, it was a program like it.

The course was so easy i got through all the excercises in no time. I turned up late and went home early almost every week. I didn't even bother turning up for the last couple of lessons, £90 wasted.

[Furyous]

Personally, I think Ive learnt loads from reading all the threads here, checking the exifs where possible and also from reading, over and over and over both Michael Langfords Basic photography and also the owners manual.

That and getting out there and experimenting......

[TonyHetherington]

I think you're right, Furyous. I tried to find courses and put some structure to my learning, but in the end posting photos here and getting constructive feedback I found one of the most useful things, as well as the natural progression that you get when you take photos, edit them, learn more, and just discuss with other photographers.

Recommend Michael LAngford's book too

[EmmaP]

enderbylass said:

Looking for a career change so that I can afford a sports car !!

I still haven't managed a sports car yet Got a rather nice little sports couple though

[EmmaP]

The problem with college courses now is the way that colleges deliver short courses over year long ones that lead on to a proper award like an A level or City and Guilds qualification. It all comes down to money and how the people who design these courses write their module criteria. The problem is that colleges need students to enter their work for assessment. This requires a lot of time and effort on the part of the student and many people do not have the time because of the pressures of work and family. So, it means that City and Guilds courses cease to be cost affective when students pull out of exams at the last minute. It really sucks, but colleges are run like businesses. I loved my time teaching City and Guilds and A level at night school in the good old days. The students were absolutely fantastic and produced work that I'd have been very proud of.

Students want courses that teach them how to take pictures and do digital, but they only offer analogue 'how to take photographs' and digital 'how to edit' courses. I did run a ten week portrait course earlier this year and I gave students the option to shoot digital and/or film. Most wanted to learn to process and print - because it is so much fun - but still shot digital, so got the best of both worlds. Much depends on the tutor.

[CarMac]

I did a couple of short non-exam courses over the last year, at night school. They were really good. I've tried to find something now which will give me a qualification and something to show for doing the course but, GCSE/A cover 35mm and black and white and the digital courses are all imaging!! I've found a C&G course at the college of tech which is specifically for digital photography but this will only run if they can get enough people to enrol on it! Fingers crossed.

Ring a few local colleges and see what they have to offer. Most are open again now.

[Colin RedGriff]

I've just finised the C&G Principles of photography which covered the technical and non-technical parts of picture taking. Most of the people on the course were using digital cameras and we were told not to manipulate the pictures we had to submit. The course content was very much film based

you do have to commit time to the course, the homework and picture taking assignments; but I enojoyed the course and think I learned quite a bit about composition. It's certainly made me take more time over my shots and think about what I'm taking rather than snapping off 20 pictures and hoping to get a good one.

I understand the course syllabus is being revised soon to cater more for the digital aspects.

I'm signing up for a further unit in the autumn.