Paying a professor?

<p>I'm getting a little frustrated with my lack of guidance and I want to get better. I've read some books and magazines, but when I'm done photographing that bird or flower, I'm always left wondering what a "real photographer's" take on what I just shot would look like. Anyway, I was thinking of different things I can do, and it occurred to me that maybe I can ask a professor or photographer if he could help me once in a while. Since this is a forum full of photographers, I figured I could ask some questions here.<br>

1. Is this a strange request to make to a photographer? Have others done this before?<br>

2. I would be fine with having a sort of "evaluation" done of photos I've taken every week or every two weeks. How should I compensate a photographer who would give me advice and criticisms? This would be done via e-mail, I suppose.<br>

3. Who do you think would be more receptive to such a request? A college professor, event photographer etc. ?</p>

<p>Thanks, guys. I can't afford college classes right now, so I'm just looking for a more realistic form of help. </p>

<p>What you want is a mentor. It doesn't have to be a college professor, it has to be someone that can teach you. You have to decide what kind of person you want as a mentor. When I went looking, I approached the most ruthless and critical person I had seen. This was online, not local. He was honest to the point of making some people very upset, but for me, it was what I wanted. I stayed with him for years, and it helped a lot, but I know that a lot of people would have problems with his style.<br>

<br />So figure out what you want and approach someone. You do want someone who isn't going to say "great shot" about whatever you do. You don't necessarily need someone who shoots what you shoot unless you are looking for specific technical advice. Mine was a landscape photographer and I've shot about three landscape photos worth looking at in my entire history of photographing.</p>

<p>What you pay would be dependent on what you are looking for from someone. Regular contact? Weekly critiques? Technical advice? How to edit your work into a portfolio? You have to decide what you want from this. Looking at your posted images here, I can see that you have talent but need to work on what you really want from it.</p>

<p>Find a photographer you admire and pay them for one on one tutoring. Happens all the time in many fields.</p>

<p>There is no doubt that learning at the elbow of an experienced photographer will speed your progress. It is not a strange request by any means. Perhaps someone local to you would be interested in a trade of services if you can provide something they need. In the studios I worked in coming up, often young photographers looking for a leg up would offer free manual labor around the studio (cleaning, hauling, go-fering etc) just so they could observe and occasionally buttonhole one of the staff shooters to look at their work and get tips.</p>

<p>Check out local camera clubs, especially larger more established ones. They often don't get a good rap but I sure learned a lot when I was beginning and the more experienced members where very generous with help and guidance.</p>

 

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<p>I'm always left wondering what a "real photographer's" take on what I just shot would look like.</p>

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<p>Don't be so hard on yourself, Ann. You <em>are</em> a real photographer! Self doubt is natural. You are on the right path by seeking knowledge. Find a mentor, keep working with books and websites, keep studying pictures you like and try to figure out how they were made. Stay curious and allow yourself to be amazed by the visual world. All skill and craft takes time to develop through practice. Be persistent but also be patient. Mastery will come, but there are many long, uninteresting plateaus of hard work before the sudden leaps of improvement. Learn to love the plateau. </p>

<p><strong>Jeff</strong>, I agree, I would prefer someone blunt and honest and not "that looks great!" Although I tend to be sensitive, my favorite teacher in middle school was a math teacher who was a soldier in the Vietnam War. He was a serious man, stoic and blunt. But when he praised you, it really meant that much more. I loved learning with him. After I switched schools, actually, I never did well in math again. </p>

<p><strong>Louis</strong>, thanks for the advice. I started looking at photographers by a university close to me, and I found one that had good reviews from ratemyprofessor.com. I think I may go that route when I gather the courage. </p>

<p>You could take a class -- I learned a lot at a community college, and a lot of it was from fellow students, some of whom were pretty amazing artists.</p>