Fri, April 29th, 2005 by myla kent
I've been photoblogging for more than a year now, and I promised myself that if I stuck with this for a year that I'd consider taking a photography class. We have all sorts of options here in Seattle (local community colleges, DiscoverU), but before I pick one, I thought I'd get a little feedback here.
I'm curious to know if you've taken classes what, if any recommendations you might have; what to look for in a teacher/class (and what to avoid); and what were the things you learned that you feel really made the difference for you.
And if you have taken a class, did you feel like it hurt or helped your creativity? If you have yet to take a class, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject too.
(And of course anything else you'd care to share on the subject)
Thanks for your time,
April 29th, 2005 at 3:31 am
I'd recommend taking a beginning black and white course, you get to learn developing and printing. Plus the fun of playing with chemicals and joy of seeing your prints form magically in front of you; and you get to learn why Adobe gave the Photoshop tools some of those weird names.
The best thing I found in classes is meeting people, showing your work and being forced to shoot and produce something. I've always learned the most from my fellow students; hearing their feedback and seeing their work.
April 29th, 2005 at 3:37 am
photo classes are wonderful and i have taken several. the first was when i was fifteen at a four-year liberal arts college. then a few years at scad, and lately a few at a local community college for digital editing.
my all-time favorite one was the intro photo class at scad, this was before digital. the professor loved every aspect of photography, and was focused on encouraging our own individual styles. he was not overly critical but rather fair and helpful with his suggestions. he let us all critique each other before he made his own comments. i found the critiques extremely helpful as we were all at about the same level and interested in learning as much as we could. seeing how each student interpreted the assignments was a treat, and i still think about some of the more successful interpretations when i am shooting today over a decade later.
other professors didn't allow the class to critique and just went on about how they would have shot the images differently. i personally found those to be less helpful.
another favorite was the history of photography class, as i feel it is important to know as much about the medium as possible.
i highly recommend an intro black and white class to anyone who wants darkroom experience and is a bit timid about just doing it on their own the first time. plus, having deadlines and assignments is a great way to motivate yourself to shoot more. i am thinking about taking some more this fall at a local studio just to get back in the darkroom.
of course if you are a diy kind of person, you could just get the upton's photography book which is a class in itself for film users. i still have my fourth edition i bought for my first scad class, and refer to it often.
April 29th, 2005 at 5:59 am
~I have not taken a class since college w/ a professor who was my 'mentor' of sorts. This prof taught me all the ins/outs of film photography, developing. I have considered taking a Photoshop class or two at the Pittsburgh Filmmakers, but I have procrastinated beyond belief, maybe your post will help end that, classes start soon there and I have my checkbook right next to me...I have attended workshops at the Silver Eye Center for Photography here in Pittsburgh, mainly chat sessions with successful and highly regarded photographers/photojournalists who have come to Pittsburgh and been to the Silver Eye. I have found those workshops to be highly motivational, educational (of sorts) and have presented the why's/how's behind some of the photography I enjoy most...~
April 29th, 2005 at 9:05 am
I think the answer depends on what you want to get out of a class?
Do you want to learn more about how cameras work and all the various theories and systems for making good exposures?
Do you want to learn how to deal with film, just digital, or both?
Do you want a creative kick in the pants to move you in different directions creatively with your camera?
A good class can provide all of this but now in the world of digital photography the feedback loop for learning is very fast; what you might need is just a technique for keeping track of what you're doing so you can learn and improve. You can get this from a class or maybe from a book or even from a post on this weblog.
My recommendation is to shoot a lot more images in controlled environments and take notes as you do it so you can experiment with depth of field, with light and color, and with composition. You can learn a lot about photography on your own with a bit of a plan and a way to keep track of what you're doing.
I'm not trying to steer you away from a class but many people just need a bit of organization to learn more from their own experience.
April 29th, 2005 at 9:17 am
I've taken two classes in Boston, both were/are great (I'm in the middle of the second one). One was a darkroom basics class that taught the basics of printing. The teacher was an old industrial photographer, a really nice guy and a lot of fun. He wasn't the fussiest teacher and was more into having a good time in the darkroom than getting perfect prints, but he was a great influence and I learned a lot from him. That was at Boston Center for Adult Education, his name is Lester Cuneo and I would highly recomend him.
I'm currently taking a lighting class at New England School of Photography that is kicking my ass in a good way. The assignements are not hard, but my pictures have been consistently terrible because I've had to get away from my usual habits and really learn how to use a camera and meter. I realize how little I knew about what I was doing initially. It's definitely opened my eyes up to what is possible with photography.
I'm not sure that a class can stifle your creativity. I think that notion has some element of truth, right now I'm not happy with my photographs artistically, I'm really focused on learning some basic skills. But without those skills, my more arty photographs will continue to be inconsistent and crappy, so I feel like I'm doing work that absolutely needs to be done.
April 29th, 2005 at 10:21 am
I think one of the best things about a class is being surrounded by other people eager to learn the same thing. That kind of invironment inspires personal growth.
That said, avoid classes that are a requirement for some other field. My first photo class was a photojournalism class that everybody in the college who wanted to be reporters, editors, etc. had to take. I enjoyed the class...but had to put up with a lot of pissing and moaning by my classmates.
The best advice that I've read here so far is to ask yourself what it is you want to learn. A class learning old school black and white can be very rewarding. But most of your time is spent in the dark without a camera. It will help you learn exposure concepts better, but your compositional skills probably will not see vast improvements.
Whereas some other class that focuses more on shooting might open your creative eyes, but you might not learn much about lighting/exposure/theory.
April 29th, 2005 at 10:37 am
Good question. I’ve been down this road…..still going down this road. When I bought the D70 (my first SLR) it became immediately apparent that I needed a class. I enrolled at the local community college for a non-credit class. These are set up as “hobby†type classes, and it was a great disappointment. The class was filled with students of wildly different skill levels, so a lot of time was spent with the very basics. The instructor spent very little time going into any detail about lenses, apertures, shutter speeds, ISO’s, etc. We spent half the class critiquing our work, but he never went into benchmarks, such as what you should be striving for. I’d skip non-credit. I’m now looking to enroll in a credit photo class, which is difficult because most are offered during the day when I’m working. I also asked Santa Claus to bring me a Photography Club….and HE DID! There was no photography grouping this area, but shortly after Christmas the park district in a nearby town decided to organize one. I’ve found this to be a great source of help and information. The more experienced photographers are willing to share their knowledge and tips with the others. Each meeting there’s a presentation on some topic, a question and answer session, sharing personal experience and finally a session where we view each others work. That is a great source of inspiration to me….seeing what other people are shooting. I know some photography clubs get a bad rap – just a group of older men..yadda, yadda, yadda. But this group is a good mix of ages, skill levels, styles and it’s downright fun to find a group of people whose eyes don’t glaze over when you start talking about cameras.
April 29th, 2005 at 1:48 pm
I havent taken classes outside of those I took as a photography major... but I can give my opinion on what to look for in a teacher.
I always found that I got the most out of a class when the teacher was open to your style or tastes. I had some teachers that were dead set in thier ways and if you didnt shoot like them, or expose/develop for the zone system like them, or didnt shoot the same churches as them, they'd make your life hard.
The one teacher that I enjoyed the most, was a wedding/portrait photographer. Definately not my style, but he didnt hold that against me, he actually accepted, nurtured and helped me develop what I was doing more.
I'd have to agree with alot of what your_waitress had to say.
But it all depends on what you want out of it. What is your experience and what do you want to learn more about. A basic black and white class is always good. It will probably teach you the basics of the camera as well... what exactly does the f-stops do and how it effects how you shoot and your image. Maybe teaches you a little about the zone system, how you can squink your eyes and get a basic idea of how contrasty the scene will be... and of course the developing and printing of your film.
April 29th, 2005 at 3:11 pm
Santa Fe workshops. If you can afford the time and the trip it is great! I had a wonderful week. Nothing but photography for a week, great sites, nice people and world class photographers doing the teaching. Classes for all levels.
April 29th, 2005 at 3:13 pm
First I think you must make sure that the course will have a lot of hands on sessions and require frequent assignments. I have taken one course that the teacher only talked and showed some slides, and took us to the studio only once. It was total waste of my time and money. The other courses that mostly I have taken at Langara College, Vancouver, have been very helpful since they were practical.
I would suggest a course in Composition and Design for the start, assuming that you feel comfortable with handling different cameras and have a basic knowledge about lighting.
April 29th, 2005 at 3:39 pm
I am just about to finish a certificate in photography (which I will use to build into a BFA) and I think that if you are interested in classes intro to photography is the best place to start. It's work but it is great to understand the basics.I would check out the school facilities and see what the equiptment etc is like. If everything is rundown and supplies are few you may want to look somewhere else.
I have been very lucky with my school which is a community college which started as an art school. The arts departments are excellent. I have a huge amount of equiptment that I am able to use, from lighting kits to hasseblads and large format cameras. That has been a huge part of being able to grow and get familiar with as many different aspects of photography as possible.
I have most enjoyed learning and working on lighting and photoshop skills. The head of my department is the type of teacher who understands that everything is a stepping stone and needs to be practiced before you really get it right. He is the type of teacher who gets you to work your ass off without having to say those exact words.
I have been fortunate enough to work as a lab moniter at school running the open labs and helping students with their printing etc....I have found that talking to people who are just learning has helped me really strengthen my skills and was a great experience for me. It pays next to nothing in cash but it well worth it in experience. I know not everyone could do this but I thought I would add that anyway.
April 29th, 2005 at 7:51 pm
your_waitress had a good advice (i'm currently in enrolled at SCAD as a photo major).
definitely take a university intro class. even if you shoot digital, learning all the black and white darkroom stuff will be fun, and you will learn a lot, and it will be FUN. plus being in a class with others and participating in critiques will help you learn.
i thought for sure with my fancy digital SLR that i didn't want to have anything to do with the 90% film based photo program at SCAD. a couple of classes later and i'm a photo major and can't even remember the last time i picked up my digital SLR - i'm thinking of selling it to buy a better film body.
April 29th, 2005 at 8:33 pm
It's important to consider what you want to learn. There are many classes, workshops, books, etc. Do you want darkroom with chemicals or darkroom with a mouse? Do you want studio stuff - lighting, posing, business? I'm basically self-taught through on-the-job experience with high school yearbook and college newspaper. I did take a class in college, where I learned about famous shooters, but really only to have access to the darkroom and equipment. I learned the most from working as a wedding photographer's assistant. There are a lot of paths to choose. My mentor: http://www.weddingart.com
April 29th, 2005 at 8:47 pm
take a look at http://www.nyip.com/
they cover a broad range of stuff at
affordable rates...
April 29th, 2005 at 9:40 pm
Making pictures is a very simple act. There is no great secret in photography...schools are a bunch of crap. You just need practice and application of what you've learned. My absolute conviction is that if you are working reasonably well the only important thing is to keep shooting...it doesn't matter whether you are making money or not. Keep working, because as you go through the process of working things begin to happen. -Elliott Erwitt
Of course you'll probably meet some cool people in school, and that's nice!
April 30th, 2005 at 2:18 am
Twenty four years ago I had a beginning photography class in high school. I didn't learn much. The only other education I've had was assisting a few commercial photographers, none of them shot people. I taught myself the rest. What I'm saying is... I agree with everyone else.
April 30th, 2005 at 5:59 am
I'm interested in photography classes to know people with the same interests as me, basically. I've taken two courses, so far. The first one was absolutely crap, a bunch of old people who barely knew how to use their cameras. I didn't learn anything. The second one was better, but most of the people attending hardly had any interest in photography. I've tried to look for photography groups in my area but most of them are merely an excuse to go out and have some beers, with photography relegated to a second plane. So, I've resigned myself to be self taught and enjoy photography on my own.
April 30th, 2005 at 3:02 pm
Maybe what you need is not a class, but a "club" where a group of like minded but different experienced people get together and spend a bit of time taking pictures together and sharing tips and advice.
I have 3 friends I ask advice of; all of us are serious non-professionals (love doing it, don't need to make money from it) and we have an extended club in that we don't live close enough to get together regularly. But, we do share images and advice and that's useful.
There are many ways to do almost everything in photography and no one right way. Maybe something you could do here (since you have so many experienced and different opinioned readers) is to pose a question and let us all answer it as you've done here.
A general question might be: what's the best way to learn how to control depth of field.
To that question you'll undoubtedly get a lot of discussion, some of which will be "actionable" (you can take it and use it in your learning.
You also might post a picture and ask what we think of its composition. You'll get a load of differnet opinions, etc.
There is no one right way, there are many and the most important thing is to consider the entire thing a process: taking pictures and you learning how to take pictures. You will never stop getting better at it and it is only you who has to like the results (unless you're trying to sell your work).
I have an MFA (not in photography) and I took a load of photo classes during both undergrad and grad years so I could take better pictures of my work (ceramic sculpture and dishes) and it really helped. But, I was very directed and didn't care about the course per se, just making better images of my work to send to galleries and shows. Although, I had a great photo teacher who, during summers would print for Ansel Adams in his studio (yes, this is a while ago, I'm an old blogger). So, I got exposed to the Adams Zone system and many other ways of thinking about composition and exposure but this teacher (Willie Osterman) didn't ram any of it down our throat, he just supporter our learning, any way it went. I think he's still teaching at RIT although I'm not sure (he and I were at the U of Oregon, Eugene at the time).
Later I got much more interested in photography to record my rock climbing expeditions and such although I never had enough money as a climbing guide to buy a good camera and had I iit would have been killed on El Cap. Those years it was an Olympus XA (still a great little film camera).
I was a very very early adopter of digital technology (a surveilance camera and MacVision), etc. and I've been digital ever since. Yes, film is great stuff but not for learning anything but darkroom techniques. The best way to learn about exposure and composition is to take a lot of pictures and keep track of what you're doing along the way. Digital is abolutely the easiest (and cheapest) way to take enough pictures to learn from. I wish I'd had a digital camera when I was in college; I had to learn about exposure with film and a darkroom and while I'm glad I had that experience I think digital is a better way to learn if for no other reason than speed.
Anyway, there's more than one way to think of learning about this stuff and taking a course is only one, maybe not the most appropriate one given that you have a "group" of opinionated and experienced photographers right here to draw from.
May 1st, 2005 at 2:17 am
Thank you for all the wonderful feedback and for taking the time to answer -- this helps a great deal.