Best way to learn?

<p>I am wondering what the best way to learn photography is. I have books from the library I just started to read, but I think that learning by books might not be the best. I want interaction with someone or people to learn. I have a college about half an hour from my house that is a photography college. The classes are $650 a piece for 1 quarter. They offer classes on a lot of things for photography and editing and such. I could also pay someone like $40-50 an hour to get private tutoring. Would it be better to go to a school or get private training? If I wanted to I could take lots of classes, but I'm not sure how much a tutor could really teach. Well, how would I know? I don't want to assume anything, so please tell me what you advise, how you were learned the material & if you recommend it. Thanks so much! </p>

<p>P.s. I have no knowledge of SLR (D-SLR) now, nor do I have knowledge of Photoshop. I have both though. I want to learn a lot about them both.</p>

<p>You might want to get a guidebook for your DSLR from B&H or Amazon.com, then explore.</p>

<p>You've found the right bunch of people here on Photo.net.</p>

<blockquote>

<p><strong>"I am wondering what the best way to learn photography is"</strong><br /><strong></strong></p>

</blockquote>

<p>Everybody’s BEST learning technique will be different, but will fall into a general category.<br />Two main categories are:<br />Having the task explained and then doing it.<br />Alternatively:<br />Attempting the task and then having explained, what needs improving or correcting.<br />Most people require both.</p>

<p>Also, people differ as to what TYPE of delivery of the explaining is best for them.<br />Some people like reading – either pictures or words or both it some like being shown it “hands on”<br />Some people prefer being instructed.<br />Some people like to know the “why it happens” but other just want to get to the “how to get this to happen”.<br />And there are other methods.</p>

<p>As to what is best for YOU. That’s easy to answer. Just think back to School – Primary School is best, because at Primary School we tend to have fewer Teachers but each Teacher instructs across a broad range of Subjects.</p>

<p>Then bring to mind the BEST teacher you had. And once you have that picture replay through HOW they taught you: because the TEACHING STYLE your Favourite Teacher used; will be the best fit to your LEARNING STYLE.</p>

<p>So what to do with that information?</p>

<p>Sure, do a Course if you want to; read six Books if you want to; get a Tutor if you want to; join a Camera Club if you want to; offer to sweep the floor and take out the trash at a Commercial Photography Studio, if you want to – but whatever you do - ensure the PEOPLE how are advising you, instructing you, or critiquing your work fit the STYLE of that favourite teacher.</p>

<p>So more important than the message, is the person delivering it.</p>

<p>WW</p>

<p>What is important would be for you to decide what you wish to do with photographic knowledge. If money is an object then you should buy yourself a cheap DSLR (perhaps second hand) and read the manual at least three times. You need to go out and shoot as much as you can. You need to look at photographs here and work out a genre that interests you. From that point onwards, just ask questions and read the guides.<br>

If amateur proficiency is all you are after I don't think there is any need to spend money on a course. There are plenty of materials available online that could be found within easy searching.</p>

<p>If there is a community college in your area, you may inquire about a non-credit basic/intermediate photography course, at minimal cost.</p>

<p>Meet new people, laugh, share ideas and concepts. Much more fun than a book. (And you are required to shoot and share.)</p>

<p> </p>

Figure out what everything on your camera does.

 

Take photos.

 

You don't need a class to get good although it may help explain the basics to you. There is wealth of info all for free on

the net. Research everything from depth of field to how a telephoto lens works and how different focal lengths affect

perspective. Digitial is cheaper MUCH cheaper than learning with film but not as much fun nor rewarding IMHO. I prefer the weight and heft of an older film camera. Cheap consumer DSLRs are light and lots of plastic so I would suggest handling one prior to buying it. Most don't have a depth of field scale on the lens.

 

If darkroom is what you're after you may be better off taking a class.

<p>Another way of looking at this: what do you have more of, money or time. Many people will learn faster from a teacher or tutor. But, you can probably learn on your own if you spend more time. In either case though, you need to practice <em>a lot </em>with your camera and with post-processing.</p>

<p>If photography is a hobby, I recommend a camera club. I am fortunate to have an excellent camera club nearby. But, if you want to make it your profession, the few hours a month at the camera club aren't going to get you there fast enough.</p>

<p>Many community colleges across the U.S. offer photography courses using both film (mostly 35mm SLR's these days) or digital cameras; in addition, many offer specialized courses in Photoshop, etc. Getting some beginning instruction will give you a leg up and shorten your learning curve considerably.</p>

<p>Thank you for all the responses. I will have to think about these things before I make a decision. I have looked into community colleges and the two closer ones - one is online, and one focuses mainly on photoshop and less on taking pictures. Plus, they are not much less than the photography college. I will continue reading and study my manual. I am thinking about making it my profession, but not right now. I want to get good at it before I decide that. I am actually an accounting major, so if I decided to go that route, I should be good on the business knowledge part. :) <br>

I'm just a little worried about just going out and shooting before I have a basic knowledge of how things are. I will surely study the basic things during the next week. I'm not sure how much information there is on it though.<br>

Matthew, I will check to see if I have a photography/camera club nearby. Thanks for the idea.</p>

 

<p>Different people learn different ways. Some learn best by reading books. Others like DVD's. Others like classes. My feeling is that you like learning from a human being. If that's so, for the price of a class, you could have 13 private lessons from a tutor ($650/50=13). I'd go for the tutor first for the individual attention, but also because you can gear the instruction to what you want. You can't do that with a course. Just make sure that the tutor and you agree on style and mesh as people.</p>

<p>Well, here's a different twist for you. I would start with the most fundamental aspects first. That doesn't have anything at all to do with fancy cameras, and certainly not Photoshop. The most basic step is to learn how to identify and compose <strong><em>interesting subjects</em></strong>. Without interesting subjects, and the ability to compose them effectively, all the computers and fancy cameras in the world will produce nothing but piles of boring images.</p>

 

<ul>

<li>Subjects and composing</li>

<li>Reading light and making exposure</li>

<li>Using focal length, aperture and shutter speed to interpret the subject with your intentions</li>

</ul>

<p><br />If you practiced those things for a few months with the simplest basic camera that allows for fully manual use, you'd be miles ahead of most beginners, who too often waste time learning camera and software menus, and no time understanding what makes interesting photographs. Go to the "no words" parts of this forum (or others), and look for threads about P&S or <a href="../no-words-forum/00YOiI">pocket cameras</a>, or manual cameras, to see what kind of stunning photographs can be made with simple equipment. A well composed, well exposed intriguing subject and a simple camera, will nearly always blow away mundane subject, poorly composed with a top-end camera plus hours and hours of Photoshop noodling.</p>

<p>Once you are taking interesting photographs with the three basic ingredients working for you, then better cameras and software might improve the result on technical merits like better sharpness, less vignetting of lenses or whatever. But don't jump to the conclusion that just better hardware improves photographs. I know this opinion isn't often popular any more, but by teaching a lot of beginners, I discovered that "fancy cameras" tend to get in the way of people seeing photographic moments or compositions. Instead of reading the light and intuiting the right exposure, they keep looking at camera controls and messages and lose the connection to the light and subject.</p>

<p>Good luck! And yes, I know this is not the mainstream advice any more, but I offer it as an alternative to consider.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>You need to go out and shoot as much as you can. You need to look at photographs here and work out a genre that interests you.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Starvy nailed it. I am not being facetious when I say this: the best way to learn photography is to pick up a camera and start taking pictures. Not courses or classes or tutors or colleges. No photographer should need any of that. Whether or not you want to make a living out of it, the advice stands either way.</p>

<p>I also agree 100% that DSLRs are a beginner's best friend. If you prefer film, then shoot slide film. Negative film won't teach you much.</p>

<p>I'll summarize Starvy's comment to emphasize:</p>

<p>1. Take lots of photos</p>

<p>2. Look at lots of photos</p>

<p>Ashley,<br>

I'm another one that will give a +1 to Starvy's comments and Karim's summation, especially in "taking and looking at lots of photos."<br>

Starvy also indicated to <em>"read the manual at least three times."</em> I'm a firm believer in this! My User Manual's for the Camera(s) and/or equipment I'm using have always been, and remain a valuable asset.<br>

The User's Manual that came with your Camera is the cheapest, the most beneficial, and usually the most common overlooked guide you'll probably find.<br>

Do more than just "casual reading" of the manual. Learn it's "conventions & nomenclature," and study it thoroughly beyond the "Quick Start Guide."<br>

Shoot some photos, (even if in the fully Auto modes) determine what you do, or don't like about them, review the EXIF data, then find & refer to the manual sections. As an example, You take some shots of moving subjects and they come out blurry. Find the section that cover's "shooting a moving subject," study it a bit, experiment with the settings the manual recommends etc., to determine and learn if your first samples were blurry because of shutter speed, camera holding technique, etc., etc.. </p>

<p>You don't indicate what Camera you have, but I expect most manufacturer's User Manuals will be comparable to the Canon manuals.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p><em>"Not courses or classes or tutors or colleges. </em><strong><em>No photographer should need any of that. </em></strong><em>Whether or not you want to make a living out of it, the advice stands either way."</em></p>

</blockquote>

<p>Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and mine is: that is extremely narrow-minded and very poor advice.</p>

<p>WW</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>that is extremely narrow-minded and very poor advice.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>This is not my thread and nor is it one where I get to argue ad nauseam. But if you read what I wrote you would not have written what you did. My advice stands unchanged. I'll leave it at that.</p>

<p>Ashley, good luck. ;-) If you have questions, just ask. That's what we're all here for.</p>

<p>Thanks everyone for all the responses! I have a lot to learn. I have been going through a Digital SLR book along with my manual and camera. It's nice to learn about it, read about how it works with my manual, and then trying it with my camera. I haven't had much time as I had finals on Wednesday, but I hope to spend more time this next week playing with it. Thanks for the advice, I will definitely read it through a few times. As for my camera, I have the Canon EOS 60D with the lens kit (18-135mm). I know that having a camera no matter how much it cost, doesn't make you a good photographer. I have read this in many different places in the last week or two. It does make sense though. </p>

<p>As for the class, I thought about going to class so we could have weekly assignments and having it structured in that aspect. I would like to be told how/what to go look for. I think after shooting different things like that I could start learning different ways of taking photos. I could always try to find a tutor that teaches with homework and new topics each day. Having student's interaction would be nice though, all of us learning new things and then being able to discuss it. At the same time having a tutor would be very nice with the one on one. I do appreciate having one on one, as I normally (in my studies) like to go and talk to my professors and get more explanation on things we were taught. </p>

<p>I can always read the manual and play with everything during the next quarter (it will be a demanding quarter, so no time for a photography class) and then decide what might work best for me at the beginning of summer. I work in the school district, so I have summers off. I want to spend quite a bit of time doing photography during the summer.</p>

<p>Anyways, thank you for all your different perspectives and advice. :)</p>

<p>Every body has his own learning style. But I strongly believe that reading loads of books will help but that is not enough. You needs to get your camera and practise a lot. If it's possible you can join a photographic club or comunity where you can meet new friends with lots of experience to share. But you have to practise a lot and train your eye. Hope to see some interesting shots from you. Good luck.</p>

<p>I did a lot of learning here on Photo.net! You can search for answers to your questions, and ask questions that have not been asked or are specific to you. Compared to film, the short feedback loop of digital, (shoot, look, learn) is a godsend!<br>

You really can't hurt a camera by taking bad photos. And remember, there are TWO main components, technical profciency, and YOUR creative vision. Sometimes the best artists are those that defy convention.<br>

Most importantly have fun and ask questions. Photo.net is a helpful, patient and kind community.</p>

<p>Karim, I agree: no drawn out arguments.<br>

I did read. Literally. As there is no other way so to do on a forum. So for clarity of my point:<br>

I do not take any exception to the opinion that the "BEST" way to learn is to pick up a camera and start taking pictures. <br>

But the next sentence (in bold), although linked to the idea of what “is best” - is indeed a stand-alone statement: that no one SHOULD NEED.<br>

That is a definitive statement.<br>

And thus it is in my opinion that that statement is narrow-minded and poor advice.<br>

I am most happy to leave it, at that.<br>

Regards.</p>

<p>Ashley, yes.<br>

Sifting through different perspectives is always a good idea. </p>

<p>WW</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Okay, I don't want to post a new topic, so could anyone help me figure out how I can tell if I shot a picture in auto and manual? I am looking at my pictures in photoshop and bridge. I can see the f/stop, length and such. I see the "exposure mode" is auto on all except 3 pictures. I took a bunch in both auto & manual (AV for my camera and manual on my lens). Do you know what can tell me? I wanted to compare the pictures I took.</p>

<p>Go to the top of this page there is a "learning" tab.<br>

Learn photography first, I spent a few years in a darkroom before I even saw a camera. You can find a lot on the web,everyone is different, I can read something three times but it doesn't click until I do it, that is why working as an assistant for a great mentor was worth more than any book or course. Back then I couldn't afford a course and there wasn't a net. Don't get me wrong I love to read, so much the employees at Barnes and Noble know me by my first name. Books are knowledge,Whatever works for you.<br>

So for you, maybe there is a photogroup in your area, people love to share.<br>

If you get the basic's down, you will be able to use any camera because you will have an understanding of how things work, understanding and seeing light is the same now as it was years ago.<br>

If you try to do to much at one time it may be overwhelming and you'll get frustrated, I see it it many forms where people with little knowledge are trying to correct there images with software.<br>

Good luck with your adventure.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>“could anyone help me figure out how I can tell if I <strong>shot a picture in auto and manual?</strong> I am <strong>looking at my pictures in photoshop</strong> and bridge”</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Open the (JPEG) or convert to a JPEG image in Photoshop.<br />From the Bar menu select “File”<br />Select “File Info” (Alt+Shift+Ctrl+I)<br />Select “Camera Data 1”</p>

<p>Alternatively, you can download an EXIF reader programme such as “Opanda”: let it read the JPEG file info.</p>

<p>Alternatively, you can <strong>right click</strong> on the JPEG preview.<br />Open “Properties”<br />Open “Details”</p>

<p>WW</p>

<p>PS:<br>

Does that one on one Assistance classify as Tutelage?<br>

See my point?</p>

<p> </p>

In order to learn to use your camera, a good, hands-on class at a local college or community college would be your best bet. How

would you evaluate a tutor? Go to class where you can learn from and with the other students.

 

When you get to class, follow instructions. If the prof makes you do things that don't seem to make sense, do them anyway. Don't

second-guess the class outline. What he or she is teaching you is important even if it may not seem so at the moment.

 

For Photoshop and post-processing techniques, first search YouTube. You might also try a one-month subscription to Kelby Training.

Most of Kelby's classes well-organized and they teach you the things that you definitely need to know.

<p>I doubt a college course would be beneficial to a beginner. My advice is to do it the old way. Get a hand-held exposure meter (that includes an incident light dome). They are not expensive. Put your camera on manual and use that meter. Do that for weeks on practice shots. Use only a 50 mm (equivalent) lens. Learn exposure first, then learn composition. Those to aspects are universal to all photography. Be very picky about books. Get one and read it completely and try to duplicate what is in it. (Avoid buying a lot of books at first.) As you shoot you will discover your interests which will determine what equipment you will need (macro, landscapes, people, etc.)</p>