I'm hiring a personal photography coach...

[robb01]

Hopefully this will be a good investment in to developing my photographic skills. He has been a professional photographer for 21 years and his work is just incredible.

 

[Geaux]

You do know that a lot of photographers out there will share info with you and let you tag along for free ...

 

[Stradawhovious]

^^^^^ yeah that.....

and have you seen this> http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/beyond-basics/125099-official-mentors-bio-list.html ??

Might be worth a look before you start tossing a bunch of money around on services you might otherwise get cheap as free.........

Just sayin'

 

[Robin Usagani]

I dont have 21 years of experience but I just gave 2 hour training for a member here a couple weeks ago. He bought me lunch :lmao:

 

[Bram]

This is possibly the worst thing you could do.
A: Too much money.
B: you'll adapt to his style not your own.

 

[RauschPhotography]

Good luck with that. To be completely honest, you'd probably be best just contacting some local photographers and seeing if you can tag along on a shoot or even work your way into an internship at a nearby studio. You'll learn a lot and be given some great opportunities, minus the price tag.

 

[Big Mike]

A: Too much money.

He didn't say how much it would cost him, so saying 'too much' doesn't fly.

B: you'll adapt to his style not your own.

You could say the same of everyone who has ever taken a photography class.

 

[Bram]

A: Too much money.

He didn't say how much it would cost him, so saying 'too much' doesn't fly.

B: you'll adapt to his style not your own.

You could say the same of everyone who has ever taken a photography class.

Fair enough, paying even 5 bucks is too much. I personally think that if you tag along with a pro you will adapt too much to their style. Yeah it can be good, but what I mean is that if you take class and do some research you learn to put all the things you pick up together into your own style.

 

[Tbini87]

Hopefully this will be a good investment in to developing my photographic skills. He has been a professional photographer for 21 years and his work is just incredible.

I have had coaching for things other than photography (might need that soon too!), and it has really paid off for me. Getting to work with someone who has been there and done that really helps. Hopefully he is not just a good photog but also good teacher and can explain things in ways you understand. Good luck!

 

[robb01]

I think coaching is an invaulable asset to have. It's a personal teacher that can immediately assist w/ any problem you are having and show you advanced techniques. Tapping thier resource of knowledge is quicker than doing it on your own. I really just want some guidance to get the fundamental controls under control.

 

[pgriz]

I'll disagree with some members here. A good mentor is easily worth money, IF you want to accelerate the learning curve. A good mentor, however, not only knows his or her stuff, but can teach it in a manner that a student can absorb, and can understand. Also a good mentor should be able to see what you're doing and tell you quickly what you need to do differently, and WHY. I've seen some professional photographers give group and one-on-one sessions that were superb in terms of boosting the participants into a new orbit of skill (no, I wasn't the professional). I saw one club member go from being essentially a snapshooter, to a very accomplished photographer in about a year, with four or more workshops with this pro. This lady had the talent, but not the hands-on technical skill, and the mentoring she got allowed her to truly blossom. So... with the right combination of mentor and student, you can get very good results. As for paying money... the pro who did this charged enough to make people pay attention, but she really was doing it out of love of the field - she was charging much less than her usual professional/commercial fee for the same period of time. She told me she used to do these sessions for free, and people would just goof around and essentially waste other people's time. This way, they have a substantial commitment, and they really pay attention.

 

[bluetibby1]

I think it's a good idea! Let us know how it works out! And of course post pictures of the progress! Good luck rob
Blue

 

[mrpink]

Hopefully this will be a good investment in to developing my photographic skills. He has been a professional photographer for 21 years and his work is just incredible.

Not all pros are good teachers...

That being said, taking a class that was basically one on one with a great photographer was one of the best things I have done. Learning to learn is a good thing.

Good luck with it, let us know how it goes.






p!nK

 

[Chamelion 6]

A: Too much money.

He didn't say how much it would cost him, so saying 'too much' doesn't fly.

B: you'll adapt to his style not your own.

You could say the same of everyone who has ever taken a photography class.

I agree... And I'm not sure that copying another more established artist is a bad thing unless you try to pass it off as your own ideas.

That's how musicians learn music, writers learn to write, painters learn to paint. Why should it be different with photography. Your own vision will eventually emerge.

 

[doziergraphic]

You get what you pay for in most cases. Paying a fee usually ensures that you are not being a pain in the butt, and he/she is obligated to give you full attention/instruction.

Nothing at all wrong with paying for instruction. Everytime you purchase a photo magazine and use techniques and tips you are paying for instruction - doesn't mean you are going to be a clone of that photographer.