photography courses

<p>hiya,</p>

<p>I was wondering if anyone could recommend an online photography course which is good ? (I am based in UK),<br>

I am doing one at the moment and its unbelievably bad.</p>

<p>any ideas ?</p>

<p>thx xx</p>

<p>What don't you like about the one you're taking now?</p>

<p><Chas><br /><br /></p>

<p>Hi Charles,<br>

if I am brutally honest the feedback is not critical enough. They just say its really good....I want to progress so I value constructive criticism. also the tutor isnt much of a photographer if i am brutally honest, so I not sure I value her opinion.<br>

there is sooo much talent on this site, i value the thoughts of people on here more then the course i am doing.<br>

pants......know any good ones with top notch tutors ? </p>

<p>I did very well by a local camera club that met regularly and employed rigorous critique. Check around.</p>

<p>I took several online classes at Better Photo and found them very helpful in the early stages of my learning. I took another online class - on another site - last year, but found it didn't meet my needs or standards. I think it is tough to recommend a class to someone because we all learn in different ways and at different speeds. Personally, I found my BP instructors to be well skilled in their areas and very supportive of the students in my classes. It may be worth a glance - <a href="http://www.betterphoto.com/home.asp">http://www.betterphoto.com/home.asp</a></p>

<p>(Drat, this is not meant to be a post in stereo....)</p>

<p>Other than evening courses at your local college of technology (or arts) - do they still have those ominpresent institutions in England? - I believe in learning through books. Anything (if available in English) by Edouard Boubat is great (I have his little book "La photographie" - a jewel) or by the Canadian Freeman Patterson (more on "seeing" than on the hard techniques) or some of the Time-Life series, although dated. Ilford publishes some good books by a Mr. Coote, but also a bit dated. The journal B+W photography has lots of good contemporary articles and it is relatively inexpensive in England. Your local library probably has lots of books on photography, its techniques, its approaches.</p>

<p>brilliant, thanks everyone. i appreciate your input. Will definately check it all out....thanks again</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Nicola, as Arthur, I value books... partially because you can always go back to them, partially because it allows me to do things in my pace. Apart from the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-3rd-Photographs-Camera/dp/0817439390">Understanding Exposure</a> (Bryan Peterson), which is a really solid introduction to the "technical" basics, one of the books that helped me along the most is Michael Freeman's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Eye-Composition-Design-Digital/dp/0240809343">The Photographer's Eye</a>. To me, it's really a book that got me across that "road block" of being technically decent/proficient, but not managing to create photos that have some impact. Not that I got a whole lot better, but at least I know where to look now - and I can be my own critic in constructive ways.</p>

<p>A photoclub can also be a great way to develop further, though obviously the 'quality' of the club does vary. Finding 1 or 2 others, maybe a local pro, to help you with critiques could also be a way. What I do like about a club or several fellow photographers is also seeing what others found and I didn't. It helps opening my eyes to other oppurtunities.</p>

<p>One notion, I do not think a tutor necessarily needs to be a good photographer too. You can get really good feedback from people who do not shoot photos. They might not point the technical ommissions or details out for you, but they might have a great deal to tell you about the impression that an image leaves.<br>

Finally, there is critiques here too... and they can be really very useful. But, you need to invest in it, and go out there and share your critiques too, else you will end up with relatively little interaction. That sounds like a lot of work, but actually giving critiques is very self-educational too: it forces you to describe why a photo does or does not work for you, which elements cause what, which choices of the photographer work for you, which not. Analysing a photo can give you a lot of insight in what your own photo need or do not need too.</p>

<p>Anyway, no idea for a good online course, sorry :-)</p>

<p>Thanks Wouter !!! I love Brian Peterson books and agree that the third edition of understanding exposure is a fabulous intro......the photographers eye was next on my list actually, so I shall hit amazon and get that one as well....many thanks :))</p>

<p><a href="/beginner-photography-questions-forum/00RljT"><strong>This thread</strong></a> has links to many online illustrated and video tutorials, most of them free.</p>

<p>For me, the books by David DuChemin were life changing. I wished I'd read them back in 1999 when I started photography (but they weren't out then). Someone on here answered to a poster who was upset that their pictures weren't like those from people on here saying try reading the books from David DuChemin, Within the Frame and Photographically Speaking. I felt mine also weren't up to par and figured if it's good for the goose it's good for the gander. I bought those 2 books, and I found them to be the first to explain in a way I understand, the how and why some can take pictures of a phone book or a mundane chair and it looks like it belongs in a museum while others can take pictures of the the Dahlia Lama and it's plain as can possibly be. Within the Frame, and Photographically speaking awoke me in ways no one else has, then I bought the book Vision and Voice it's a way of editing images to get your point across which is another I recommend. Maybe If you can only afford one book, Within the frame would be my recommendation... and get a feel.</p>

<p>Off topic, his use of camera equipment does puzzle me. His first book he uses one brand, his second is mostly the other brand. Sometimes I see he's using one brands 24mm Tilt & shift and a couple pictures later the other. Makes me wonder if he has a full gamut of both manufactures.</p>

<p>Anyway, Within the Frame from David DuChemin was life changing to me. Photographically speaking was also life changing, as I found it has very little in common with the first but I would start with Within the frame. Good luck!</p>

<p>This well illustrated guide teaches picture-takers to improve their visual thinking in order to develop the full potential of their imaginations and learn to express a theme or subject more effectively with photographs. I have an earlier edition, but this one is recent.</p>

<table id="metadata_content_table">

<tbody>

<tr >

<td >Title</td>

<td >Photography and the Art of Seeing: A Visual Perception Workshop for Film and Digital Photography</td>

</tr>

<tr >

<td >Author</td>

<td ><a href="http://www.google.ca/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=inauthor:%22Freeman+Patterson%22&source=gbs_metadata_r&cad=4">Freeman Patterson</a></td>

</tr>

<tr >

<td >Edition</td>

<td >4, illustrated</td>

</tr>

<tr >

<td >Publisher</td>

<td >Firefly Books, 2011</td>

</tr>

<tr >

<td >ISBN</td>

<td >1554079802, 9781554079803</td>

</tr>

<tr >

<td >Length</td>

<td >154 pages</td>

</tr>

</tbody>

</table>

<p>As you are a Brit why not just bite the bullet and spend two years in Bendigo, Australia and do the diploma of visual arts. The course has a very good teaching team and an excellent photography component. You won't look back and you will have had an adventure as well as a great education.</p>

<p>You might want to try KelBy's Training <a href="http://kelbytraining.com/">http://kelbytraining.com/</a> For $25 month you can pick any photo training video they have to offer. Some are really good, but some are rushed as if they are pressed for time ? Unfortunately there is no feed back, just watch and learn...</p>

<p>I tried online courses, books, etc., which were okay, but nothing helped me as much as feedback from professor and fellow students in photo courses as the local community college.</p>

<p>brillaint answers !! I will definately be buying your book recommendations because in truth, i have learnt the most from books and mags so far. I will most certainly invest in those book recommendations, so thank you.<br>

I rather like george's idea about Bendigo Australia, but I dont know whether I can take my babies there ! :)<br>

thanks everyone again, this website is invaluable xx</p>

<p>Babies, not a problem. Both my grand children have logged more hours traveling than me. My grandson has been around the world at age 1. Grand daughter is a regular commuter between Perth, Sydney and Bendigo, several trips this year and only 1 1/2 years old. Life's too short to make excuses not to live it. ;-}</p>