Joining Kelby One
Just curious what everyones thoughts on joining Kelby One. Do you get a lot out of it and is it worth the money?
terryMc
Loc: Arizona's White Mountains
I joined NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals) right after it began, and all I got from that was "Buy this book, buy this disk, buy this seminar, buy this, buy that, from Kelby. I never got any kind of actual benefit.
There will always be people who see it differently, but I never saw anything from Kelby that was "worth the money" for me.
Been a K1 member for a few years. Yes, for me it’s been worth it. Others’ mileage may vary. Tons of well-organised courses laid out in “tracks”. Just about any photography topic you can imagine….first rate professional instruction.
The online community is full of experts and is well moderated without the nonsense that goes on in non-moderated forums.
They also have lots of live interactive classes and group discussions.
There are a lot of courses and only you can decide if they are relevant to your needs. Some are great, some (especially by Scott himself) are a little too comedic in presentation for me. Even so, there are gems of info and I can slog through for them if need be. I don't reference it as much as I used to, but it's still worth it for me.
His discounts on participating vendors are hit and miss, but better than no discount. Used to have a great discount section on B&H, but nowadays, the discount is pretty miniscule.
I've been a member for years as well. The course I've selected to watch have been very helpful. Plus, I can go back and watch again if I so desire. MY focus has been upon sports photography (DAve Black is great!) and aviation photography. All have been very helpful. I have also reviewed courses covering new cameras I have purchased to familiarize myself with them. Good stuff.
You can't get no better...
Top drawer...
And the seminars are awesome...
The books are just right...
I was a member for years and canceled my membership. Great courses, well organized, but most of the information is available for free on Youtube. Not the same lectures, nor the presenters, but similar content and for the low cost of free. The coupons never save me anything substantial.
If you are new to photography or looking to get intensive info on a specific topic, and you can't find it on Youtube, it's great. Not a long-haul proposition for me.
I bought Scott's first 5 Digital Photography books at Costco years ago. I loved them, and still use them. But that's me and my level of photography.
It is true that a lot of the general content on K1 can be found for free on YT but what sets K1 apart (in my opinion and which works for me) is how well the material is organized, the quality of the instructors, and the ability to ask specific question in the K1 community as it relates to specific courses. And the K1 community is a very well moderated forum that is populated by many experts in their fields so getting prompt, accurate answers to sometimes complex questions is the norm rather than the exception (at least that's been my experience).
I also greatly enjoy "The Grid" which are weekly online seminars/meetings, usually with guest speakers and on specific topics. They also have Community Live presentations each week on various topics. For example, a couple weeks ago Erik Kuna did a great Zoom meeting on photographing the upcoming eclipses which I found extremely helpful.
Waste of time and money. All you get is hearing how wonderful Kelby is.
Those that complain that all you hear is how great it is and how great Mr. Kelby is, have a point.
BUT, I've been a member since the NAPP days, attended two conferences and often view their videos. I took in a video last night. Both the conferences and videos have been a huge help to me. For me, it's worth it. If you don't view the videos, or you already know everything, it's of no value.
I agree. I attended 2 courses on LR and got very little out of them. Viewed a few videos and fianlly walked away.
Thus my negative view of Kelby.
grandpaw wrote:
Just curious what everyones thoughts on joining Kelby One. Do you get a lot out of it and is it worth the money?
==================================
With all due respect GrandPaw...
Mr. Scott Kelby is 'only one venue' and there are many more out there
It is up to the 'consumer' to identify what they want and/or need in the way of education
.... AND, if you are good enough with your 'search parameters'.........
........You can find anything on YouTube -- For Free !!
YES... there are lot of educated and interesting people at KelbyOne... and if you like your 'source' in one location... by all means, it is "OK" to pay for it...... IMHO.
As someone who has been in the field of photography for 55+ years and someone who is a professional investigator... (i.e. I know how to use a search engine)..... I don't need to 'Pay for Knowledge'
As I said before... You can find anything on YouTube!! & that includes 'for free'
Cheers
Goldstar46
George Veazey
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grandpaw wrote:
Just curious what everyones thoughts on joining Kelby One. Do you get a lot out of it and is it worth the money?
Not a paid subscriber, but two free or low cost options.
Search YT and you will find a regular video series by Kelby called "The Grid", average video length is ~ 1.30 but easy to scroll through for content you are not interested in. Kelby and his compatriot Eric Kuna have two regular sections (i) A "blind photo critique" (2) "Editing tips" that I find both invaluable and they also regularly invite high quality guests.
Additionally, some time ago I bought the first four Kelby "Digital Photography" books. Even if they haven't been updated, they still contain valuable content. These first four books can be purchased second hand very cheaply through "Second hand books" or "Thrift books" or "eBay".
There is also a "Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Parts 1-5 (First Edition, Download)" for ~ $70
DWU2
Loc: Phoenix Arizona area
They used to publish the free online magazine Photoshop User, which was free to members (even those who only had the free level of membership). But they ended the magazine a couple of months ago.
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