Formal Training?

[LAS321]

I was just curious as to how many of you have had formal photography training or if you just experiment with your cameras sort of trial and error? I love to take photos but mine can't compare to most of the pictures displayed on this board. I was wondering if taking some photography classes is helpful or is it better to just get out there and shoot....

 

[jann1033]

i took a photo class in high school, many decades ago long before the advent of digital but after pinhole cameras were the rage
i think it can't hurt as far as learning the basics ie shutter speed dof, but you still need to practice to develop your own style. today you probably can get close to the same info online but you don't have the one to one feedback you would with a class. sometimes i would like to take some classes or join a photo group locally but they always meet on nights i can't go.

 

[Gdad]

i took a photo class in high school, many decades ago long before the advent of digital but after pinhole cameras were the rage

You too Janet? Yep that pretty much sums up my 'formal training' as well.

 

[ssanders79]

I've had no formal training and sometimes it shows. I have tried to read as many photography books and in the beginning I would find an image online and take a look at the exif data to help learn the technical side of the image.

I have a D40 (which does not have an auto focus motor built in) and bought a few old pieces of glass that were all manual. This forced me to learn how to shoot in full manual mode. At first it was annoying, then it became fun. It really helped me learn the basics of photography in respect to proper exposure.

Now I shoot mostly on manual mode with an ocasional exception I will use shutter or exposure priority.

So to fully answer your question, it is mostly trial and error. However, I feel I am at a spot where a formal class would take me to the next level.

 

[handicap18]

i took a photo class in high school, many decades ago long before the advent of digital but after pinhole cameras were the rage

You too Janet? Yep that pretty much sums up my 'formal training' as well.

I fall into this statement as well. Though after high school I pretty much forgot everything I learned and for years used my film SLR in Auto mode and only had 2 zoom lenses. Never used a prime lens after high school until I bought the 50mm f/1.8 3 years ago.

I pretty much relearned everything over the last 3+ years after switching to a dSLR. Got all that "training" by hanging out here and reading a few books.

 

[kaffinito]

I haven't taken any photography classes, but I'm planning to take a class or two in the fall. I do have a degree in Fine Arts, which probably helps me a little bit, but there is a big difference between sculpture and printmaking and photography.

I don't see where taking a few classes, even at the Continuing Education level would hurt me!

 

[Chikabowa]

I have no formal training - I am completely self taught. When I was just starting out it was mostly just trial and error, reading both books and online, video tutorials (both online and DVD), corresponding and meeting with people more advanced than I, shadowing other photographers, and practice practice practice and more practice. When I was just learning the basics I would easily shoot 200-1000 frames a day in practice. Mostly of just trash, but the the trash-pictures taught me something.

Since then though, I've taken a lot of workshops, seminars and gone to conference, but those aren't geared towards learning to shoot (it's already assumed you know how) but exploring more advanced concepts or opening up more creatively. Also a lot of business knowledge.

I mentor a small group of women and the biggest first step I suggest is to shoot 100% manual exposure. I feel like it's easiest to start understand concepts and how things all work together to create an exposure when you are playing with all the factors involved. It's the most frustrating place to start, but I think the "Ah-Ha" moment comes at a better rate. Then, once they understand the concepts, I suggest that they can start playing with the semi-auto modes to figure out which one works for them best. I shoot 100% manual exposure now because it's so comfortable to me and it is just natural.

But in the long run, I think a photography class is dependent on how much time you are willing to dedicate to the hobby. Any information you get in a class is definitely up on the internet for free if you are willing to take the time to find it, learn it and practice it. Some people do better in a classroom setting where they have assignments for them to learn at a certain pace.

Just remember (and this sometimes get lost in the shuffle) that it is a journey not a destination. You'll never wake up one morning and say "Ah, I'm the best photographer in the world." because it should NEVER be that way. You should enjoy your journey of self discovery - because that is what makes those great shots so rewarding - when all your knowledge and skill come together. And it's often a bumpy road and a lot of the time frustrating, but that is what makes it fun!

 

[LAS321]

Thanks for your replies. I used to use a Pentax SLR (no automatic settings at all) until digital cameras came on the scene. I had a Canon S3 which died on me last year. I played around with that and loved the idea that I could shoot to my heart's content and chose only those shots I liked and erase the rest. I feel that I never fully mastered that camera, but did take some good shots with it. Since then I have been using just a small Olympus 1010 and am hoping to buy a Canon SX 10 soon. While not the greatest camera, it fits into my low budget!
I guess I shoot by "feel" and don't really understand what I am technically doing. Some of the shots posted on this board are truly breathtaking. That's what made me start wondering if many of you were trained professionals or hobbyists. It's encouraging to know that many of you are not professionally trained...it gives me hope. I think the more knowledge you have the better, so maybe a class would help me understand what I am doing and how to achieve better results.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I am a proud graduate of the Acme, er, I mean Dis, Photo Board School of Photography (and I've read tons on my own and learned by trial and error).

 

[Golf4food]

Thanks for your replies. I used to use a Pentax SLR (no automatic settings at all) until digital cameras came on the scene. I had a Canon S3 which died on me last year. I played around with that and loved the idea that I could shoot to my heart's content and chose only those shots I liked and erase the rest. I feel that I never fully mastered that camera, but did take some good shots with it. Since then I have been using just a small Olympus 1010 and am hoping to buy a Canon SX 10 soon. While not the greatest camera, it fits into my low budget!
I guess I shoot by "feel" and don't really understand what I am technically doing. Some of the shots posted on this board are truly breathtaking. That's what made me start wondering if many of you were trained professionals or hobbyists. It's encouraging to know that many of you are not professionally trained...it gives me hope. I think the more knowledge you have the better, so maybe a class would help me understand what I am doing and how to achieve better results.

Do you still have that old Pentax SLR and any of the lenses? If so you can use those lenses on a new Pentax DSLR.

 

[Miller1412]

I am a proud graduate of the Acme, er, I mean Dis, Photo Board School of Photography (and I've read tons on my own and learned by trial and error).

Me too! I've learned far more here than anywhere else. Thanks to all my Dis photography gurus...

 

[boBQuincy]

I took two years of fine arts (mostly photography) at a community college years ago. The teachers mostly liked dark, moody, depressing photos of the downtrodden. This didn't help my photography (or my grades) much since I like to take photos of pretty things. The best courses were advertising photography and photojournalism but I don't do much of either of those today.
Where was I going with this? Oh yes, beyond learning how to choose exposure and lenses, which we can get from a book and practice, unless classes specialize in the type of photography we enjoy the classes may not offer much.

I consider it better to read books and go to photography shows, especially ones of subjects you like. Maybe that's why this forum is so good for learning!

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I have been to a few workshops, but I haven't taken any regular classes. I've learned the most from shooting with other photographers. I also learn a lot from reading - books, blogs, etc. My favorite site for learning is The Luminous Landscape.

Of course, all of the reading, listening, and watching is nothing without practice and experimentation. There is no better way to learn than to shoot. Shoot deliberately and slowly, thinking about what you are doing and why. Review your results critically with any eye towards how to improve. In my experience, the more I've learned, the more things I see in my own shots that I want to improve.

 

[jann1033]

I have been to a few workshops, but I haven't taken any regular classes. I've learned the most from shooting with other photographers. I also learn a lot from reading - books, blogs, etc. My favorite site for learning is The Luminous Landscape.

Of course, all of the reading, listening, and watching is nothing without practice and experimentation. There is no better way to learn than to shoot. Shoot deliberately and slowly, thinking about what you are doing and why. Review your results critically with any eye towards how to improve. In my experience, the more I've learned, the more things I see in my own shots that I want to improve.

that is a great site, i love their understanding series and tutorials
the more i learn, the more embarrassing i find my old shots

 

[KarenAylwood]

I've taken two classes at a community college. I had always been interested in photography but was too scared to buy a dSLR- I didn't think I'd put the time in to learning the manual modes, be overwhelmed and just not use it (hey, at least I know myself! ). So I finally had the time, and classes are only $300 for 15 weeks (5 hours/week of class time).

The first class was just PHT101- for beginners mostly. We learned about exposure, manual modes, how to be aware of lighting, composition, etc. Also learned a lot about photoshop which was really helpful- it was so overwhelming on it's own!

The second class was Electronic Darkroom. We did a lot with photoshop in that one, and there were a lot of portfolios to do.

I liked the classes because it forced me to go out and shoot (we had to shoot a minimum of 300 shots for each portfolio). I also learned photoshop. It was also nice to have real criticism from both peers and teachers. And I was exposed to a lot about equipment that I haven't seen much of on here (it's much easier to see a setup or piece of equipment in person than just try to figure out what it is / how to use it online!!).

I think structure was really good for me. Also meeting a lot of other people interested in photography, and seeing work that was done around my same level was great. If you have something in your area that's similar I'd highly recommend it. Of course, it's not necessary at all to make you a good photographer (I'm definitely still a beginner!!).

 

[Experiment_626]

No actual classes for me either, though I have been to Photoshop World six or seven times and have picked up a few things there. I did, however, once date a young lady who took a commercial photography course while we were together. She had to take photos as part of the course, and so I was one of her subjects. I learned some of the basics from her, essentially as she learned them, because she'd explain what she was doing and I liked to ask questions. Later, it made her slightly angry when I got a camera and became enthusiastic about photography -- especially when I got results that she perceived as being as good as or better than hers -- because she said I was "taking [her] thing away from her."



After a couple of years, I was thrown into a newspaper job. The paper was very small, so I doubled as a photographer. Most of the other writers did the same, but I was also "the sports guy," which I really enjoyed. After all that, I continued to read and practice -- not in any systematic way, but just by wanting to achieve certain things and pursuing them. I'd read about technical issues and methods for attaining certain results and not have a clue as to why one would bother until I tried to get certain types of photos -- I couldn't understand the benefits of some things until I actually had reason to apply them. Once I got my D100 back in '01 or '02, I really started to learn because I no longer had to buy film -- I could try anything and it didn't matter if I had 100 bad results -- one good one was good enough to justify the effort. Often even a complete lack of success was okay, because I could learn what did not work, then go out and try something different.

SSB

 

[Suburbanmom]

I have taken one class from the local rec center. It was a 6-week class on portrait lighting. Otherwise, I've learned from friends or books or online. I was suppose to take a class in high school, but that was semester I fell down some stairs and had to miss a month of school. I could make up my other classes from home, but not the photo one.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Don't discount your local photo club as a great place to learn. Our photo club regularly does classes and workshops. Photo outings with the club are also great ways to learn because you can observe and question other shooters.