photography courses

[Ihasacamera]

I was just curious about what different people have done to learn the craft.

I have been reading a lot of material the past few weeks and feel like I have a basic understanding of exposure. I have also been spending a bit of time pressing the shutter but I was wondering what, if any, online courses people have used to supplement everything else they are doing to become a better photographer.

I found this:

NYIP - Photography Courses | Photography Classes | Learn Photography | NYIP

but have always been kind of disappointed with online courses (in a music lesson context)

The website makes it look good

Anyway, thanks for the input.

 

[linpelk]

Sorry to pirate your thread, but if I can add to this...maybe someone can also suggest any great workshops?? I know they vary according to location, but I know some presenters travel (I was thinking Neil Van Niekerk?? Has anyone gone to one of his lighting workshops?) Just want to know if I should keep my eyes open for anyone in particular to pass through my area. I would also be willing to travel somewhere if there was someone that was a must-see. Thanks and sorry Ihasacamera, hope this is ok. I've been wondering the same thing about online courses.

My group for c & c here on TPF has been super helpful too. Maybe if you can join one of the newly organizing groups here, that could be helpful to you too!

 

[Ihasacamera]

No problem linpelk. We are here, after all, to share information right

 

[Gaerek]

I took a college digital photography course a few years back, and it was worthless. There was no equipment pre-requisites (meaning people in the class had cameras ranging from circa 2000 2.0 MP point and shoots, ranging up to $5000 DSLRs) so there was very little information on proper exposure, or really anything technical. It was mainly a class on basic composition and post editing using PSE (I think it was 4.0 at the time).

I've looked into NYIP and it looks like they are a good outfit for learning the ins and outs of photography. Here's my opinion, however. Those classes are expensive. For the cost of one course, you could by a new lens. For a series of courses, you could probably buy a really nice lens (think, L-series for canon) and a new camera body. Other than that worthless class I took in college, everything I've learned has come from the Internet, or local photographers I've talked to. I'm not the greatest photographer, but I'm a lot better than I was just a few years ago, or even a few months ago.

You will find no new information in those classes that you couldn't find online for free. The only thing that might make those classes worthwhile is the professional critique of your photos. Having a pro look at your photos and tell you what you could or should do better might be worth the price. However, posting images here or other forums for critique can be pretty good also. Though, there is nothing like one on one time with a professional. Something to think about -- a lot of people take courses as kind of a fast track to becoming a better photographer. A course can teach you a lot of technical things that might be confusing. But you won't become a pro by the end of the course. Becoming a better photographer comes from shooting a lot of photos, experimenting, and learning from mistakes. These are things that a course can't really do for you. Learning photography is a process, and not something one can become an expert in after a class, or series of classes, or whatever.

Take my advice with a grain of salt. If you've tried looking online only to be frustrated by what you are seeing, then by all means, go find courses. Some people learn better when they are given assignments and are in a structured environment. Basically, do what you think you need to do to become better at this craft.