On-line learning

[AnonymousKiwi1]

Has anyone completed any online study in photography? Or anything for that matter?
There's a course that I am tempted by, but it's not cheap.

Photography Institute

I just wonder if it would be worth the money.

[freybear3]

Why pay the money, when you can learn from others on the forum?

I refuse to pay for photography classes.

Experimenting with your camera settings, is the BEST way to learn. And it is FREE

Also talking to others about photography as well, (FORUM) you will learn alot too.

[candleman]

[freybear3]

LOL, I LOVE that photo!

[nickbedford]

Originally Posted by freybear3

Why pay the money, when you can learn from others on the forum?

I refuse to pay for photography classes.

Experimenting with your camera settings, is the BEST way to learn. And it is FREE

Also talking to others about photography as well, (FORUM) you will learn alot too.

This. I've only been photographing for about eight months and everything I've learnt was from reading magazines, looking at photos online and reading articles, but most of all... experimenting with my camera.

[tyasa81]

hi kiwi... whether it's worth the money would depends on what you want to achieve from the course... is it the diploma so you have more credentials when looking to market your skills or is it just for a basic understanding of the camera... not sure about the content of the course but based on the outlines, here's some thoughts to ponder...

Course Outline


MODULE ONE : CAMERAS & LENSES
- This module is one that i dont really care for... if you want to know different types of cameras a quick google search is enough... if you frequent photography forums, you'll know these in time definitely... being this is an online course, you wont even be able to see and touch and use all the different camera formats and lens which is what is important when you want to talk about different medium... their feel, use and results.. you can't get this from online talk unless you are willing to spend money on purchasing the hardware..

MODULE TWO : SHUTTERS, APERTURE, ISO AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS
- this is another theory heavy module... the big 3, you should be able to learn it by yourself in time like many others here... in fact you can google most of the terms used in this section and find out yourself what they do

MODULE THREE : EXPOSURE & METERING
- do you have or planning to use light meter? again another easy find in google or here

MODULE FOUR : THE FILM & DIGITAL PROCESS
- Now you are talking film and their processing... i dont really want to build a darkroom or learn theories on film producing... so my interest here is low

google these... as i think that's enough if you are only interested in digital.. otherwise if you're into film, then i can't help with that as i have no experience in them

• In Camera Filters & Sharpening
• The Histogram
• In Camera Controls & What to Do With Them

MODULE FIVE : LIGHT & COLOUR
- might be the most interesting one in their module... but strobist covered most things about colour... and you can find out worthwhile filters in digital (mostly cpl, nd, grad nd, infrared)...

MODULE SIX : LIGHTING
-again... strobist blog has most of these info... plus do you have a strobe?are you planning to buy one? you need more than 1 for most of the advanced strobist... and it gets expensive very soon...

MODULE SEVEN : HOW TO TAKE BETTER PHOTOS
- this might be a big help if the teacher is very good if you're planning to take your skills commercially... a mentor always helps.. but a LIVE mentor is worth 10x than an online one


MODULE EIGHT : EQUIPMENT & SOFTWARE
- can be renamed "here are the list of things you need to buy.." otherwise you'll just get theories..

MODULE NINE : RETOUCHING, RESOLUTION & PRINTING
- looks like basic understanding of photoshop negates some of the stuff here... granted i'm not a pro in photoshop, and could you a help here..

MODULE TEN : THE STUDIO
- another renamed "invest in studio equipment" otherwise...

MODULE ELEVEN : HOW TO CONSTRUCT A PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO
- if you have a mentor you can trust, then this is definitely helpful...


MODULE TWELVE : PHOTO AGENTS, PICTURE AGENCIES - HOW TO GET WORK…AND KEEP IT
- if you have a mentor you can trust, then this is definitely helpful...

Summary:
being an online course, you have no hardware knowledge on how to use and the feels of the different equipment here (mainly studio and all the formats)... which is important... any internet junkie can quote you the size of different sensors and etc, but most probably never even touched one... nor can they tell you the feel and use of the different equipment..

if you want to know how it feels, be prepared to buy lots of stuff... assuming you have basic dslr and a few lenses... studio equipment, flash, stands and modifiers, backdrops (at least another grand or more). it'll even get crazier if the course makes you decide to buy a portrait lens just for the feel of it, a wide angle, a telephoto, a fast lens, a slow lens... and i dont think anyone in the right mind will go buy a medium and large format camera based on an online course...

my advice: go find a brick and mortar school... you can play with the hardware... you get to meet your mentor in person... and you can meet real people... it'll help you much more than this... just imho...

[SwissJon]

Hiya.. I ummed and Ahhed over this course for a while, and eventually decided against it. The thing is, you're on line already, and with a one shot a day rule in the critique thread, you'll have far more feedback here than you possibly could from this school..

Why don't you do what I did? Get yourself a load of books to work through, and stick with this forum? I can tell you this much, I joined here in October last year.. Since then my photography has gone from this:



to this



I've saved myself $1000 which I'm planning to spend on a week long photo tour. I'm fairly certain that the peer mentoring you receive on here is pretty good, and the fact is that since you have more than one person mentoring you, you get the chance to develop your own style, rather than being pulled into taking photos of the style that the tutor likes in the school.

There's nothing stopping you buying books that help you with each of the aspects that the course looks at, and then setting yourself different challenges, and we're more than happy to help you walk alongside us in this wonderful hobby you've chosen.

[nickbedford]

The best thing you can have is an absolute passion for knowing the craft. I'm getting recommended by people and I've only been photographing, period, for eight months of my life, sometimes working for bands, sometimes working for companies doing product or event photography, sometimes just photography for a friend's party.

Most of this came out of my portfolio work. My portfolio came from my desire to better myself, to know exactly why I should take a photo a certain way, and to have confidence in my abilities.

I taught myself exactly why the aperture works the way it does, exactly when a certain shutter speed creates issues or is useful to achieve an affect, how to use flash and lighting setups, how to compose a shot quickly but accurately, which is especially useful in shooting events and getting good results, and with a small amount of experience, how far I can take my gear to its limits before I have to settle on a method of achieving the results. Have I finished learning? Hell no! I've only scratched the surface.

Even now I've been asked to do a photo shoot involving a number of apparently gorgeous models for a beauty boutique. Have I done this kind of shoot before? I'd say not really, but I'm absolutely confident I can get the results.

I paid nothing to learn (excluding the magazines), and was passionate about learning and it's gotten me to the point where people are simply trusting my skills despite being so "young" in photography.

I'm not trying to boast, but trying to make a point that while a photography course might look good on paper, it's rarely the primary reason why people will ask you to photograph for them.

Your portfolio is everything. Then there's networking :P

[theoldcop]

FWIW - I am brand new to this fascinating hobby. I take an average of 200 photo's per day (nature) just from my deck (waiting for nice weather/free time to go exploring). I belong to just about every photography forum I can find, read anything even remotely related to photography and I've found a very good resource in YouTube.

[jojonac]

I have taken some online courses. I would say the best thing they provide is one on one feedback from the instructor.

You can get that here, but I would say it is not as reliable. What you can get here, and a lot of other places online is general knowledge of your camera, the basics of photography from composition to lighting, to shutter speed v ISO v Aperture.

My opinion is if you really want to take classes, then apply to a school like the Art Academy or Art Institute of Pittsburg, they both provide online degrees in photography. However, you don't need any of these things to become a better photographer. All you really need is the drive to go out and shoot, and the ability to look stuff up in books or on the web.

There are also options out there like, workshops hosted by well known Pro Photogs. That is what I will be spending my money on next.

jojo