Formal Training?

[Steve5D]

***NOTE TO MODS: My intent here is absolutely to NOT re-hash what led to the recent shut down of another thread. That thread did, however, raise a question.***
​

In a recently shut-down thread regarding "taste", it was suggested that we have an "obligation" to "educate" clients.

To the subject of "education", I began to wonder about formal training in photography. Do you have it? Where did you get it? How has it proven to be a benefit to you?

Personally, if Joe Albert's Beginning and Advanced Photography classes at Hauppauge High count as "formal education", then I suppose I have to say I have it. Aside from that, though, I am pretty much self-taught. Given that those two classes constitute less than one calendar year of my 51 year life, I cannot claim to being "formally trained".

As an aside, an old high school friend who actually flunked out of Joe Albert's classes all those years ago is now the team photographer for the New York Jets. I always get a kick out of that...

 

[pixmedic]

what are you counting as formal?
like, college education?
my wife worked under a wedding/portrait photographer for years (they had a studio as well), and she worked for a while in another portrait studio before we moved and she started doing her own work.

its not really "formal" education i suppose as far as getting a degree or something like that...it might still count as formal training though, depending on how you want to define it.

me however...I have learned what little I know from my wife and youtube.


EDIT: I formally acknowledge Steve5D's "note to mods" as meaning his intent (and desire) to keep this thread civil and drama free. So long as this thread stays as such, it can (and will) be left open for discussion.

 

[ronlane]

What no choice of bacon? No formal photography training here either. But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express a few times

 

[runnah]

I have a heavy art back ground and a degree in it. I took a bunch of photography classes. But as afar as actually "formal photography" training...maybe?

But I feel like the technical aspects of photography are secondary to things like composition and finding the right subjects. Composition is key through out all art forms.

 

[pixmedic]

I have a heavy art back ground and a degree in it. I took a bunch of photography classes. But as afar as actually "formal photography" training...maybe?

But I feel like the technical aspects of photography are secondary to things like composition and finding the right subjects. Composition is key through out all art forms.

since you mentioned composition...
Amolitor wrote a great little book (little meaning short-ish) on composition. its inexpensive, and a very good read. Im not really much of an "artistic" guy so I found it very educational. its called Intermediate Photography (its an e-book)

 

[KenC]

I picked the second option because I took a bunch of photography classes a while back, all the required ones for an associate's degree, although I didn't bother to try to get transfer credit and actually get the degree. I had been self-taught for a while before I took them and have been since, so I learned more on my own than in the courses, but that should be the case whatever one studies.

 

[Designer]

Unfortunately, none of the choices apply to me.

1. I am not now nor have I ever been a professional photographer.

2. I have had a formal education in the visual arts, including but not limited to photography. IMO many aspects of the visual arts easily transfer across disciplines.

3. Whenever I comment on a photograph, I generally will not talk about the technical aspects, limiting my comments to general things like composition and light.

Please place my vote where you think it fits best.

 

[runnah]

I have a heavy art back ground and a degree in it. I took a bunch of photography classes. But as afar as actually "formal photography" training...maybe?

But I feel like the technical aspects of photography are secondary to things like composition and finding the right subjects. Composition is key through out all art forms.

since you mentioned composition...
Amolitor wrote a great little book (little meaning short-ish) on composition. its inexpensive, and a very good read. Im not really much of an "artistic" guy so I found it very educational. its called Intermediate Photography (its an e-book)

I taught him everything he knows.

 

[Steve5D]

what are you counting as formal?
like, college education?

"Formal" as in "I went to photography school"...

 

[Steve5D]

Unfortunately, none of the choices apply to me.

1. I am not now nor have I ever been a professional photographer.

2. I have had a formal education in the visual arts, including but not limited to photography. IMO many aspects of the visual arts easily transfer across disciplines.

3. Whenever I comment on a photograph, I generally will not talk about the technical aspects, limiting my comments to general things like composition and light.

Please place my vote where you think it fits best.

My guess would be you're closest to option #2...

 

[Designer]

O.K., I voted. Thanks.

 

[pixmedic]

what are you counting as formal?
like, college education?

"Formal" as in "I went to photography school"...

ah..gotcha. so, not counting formal "training", like an internship.

we don't qualify then.

 

[imagemaker46]

I never had a "formal" school training but learned from my Dad, who is regarded as Canada's Dean of photojournalism. I learned from his experience. I suppose just on the job training for me.

 

[amolitor]

I have a heavy art back ground and a degree in it. I took a bunch of photography classes. But as afar as actually "formal photography" training...maybe?

But I feel like the technical aspects of photography are secondary to things like composition and finding the right subjects. Composition is key through out all art forms.

since you mentioned composition...
Amolitor wrote a great little book (little meaning short-ish) on composition. its inexpensive, and a very good read. Im not really much of an "artistic" guy so I found it very educational. its called Intermediate Photography (its an e-book)

I taught him everything he knows.

I wasn't gonna say anything, but I guess now everyone knows why I'm so dumb.

 

[tirediron]

I've never taken a full on college/university course, but I've taken a lot of seminars and such; maybe a month, six weeks worth if they were all combined. Not really formal training per se, but all very valuable BECAUSE they were taken to help/answer a specific issue, such as lighting, posing, business, etc.