Have You Ever Taken a Photo Class: Have you ever taken a photo class? What did you most learn about? What was the most helpful? Do you understand, Shutter, Aperture and ISO?

Coker Loc: Havana, IL

Have you ever taken a photo class? What did you most learn about? What was the most helpful? Do you understand, Shutter, Aperture and ISO?

wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

Coker wrote:

Have you ever taken a photo class? What did you most learn about? What was the most helpful? Do you understand, Shutter, Aperture and ISO?

Self taught except for National Camera Repair School. But second camera with a pro and photo assisting with a pro is a good way to learn, Instead of paying tuition you can earn money too.

tainkc Loc: Kansas City

Coker wrote:

Have you ever taken a photo class? What did you most learn about? What was the most helpful? Do you understand, Shutter, Aperture and ISO?

Yes I have. My daughter and I took a photography 101 course about 3 years ago at a local community college that covered all that you mention and then some. It was very helpful. The best part was that it was free and it was an 8 week course that was 4 hours a day on Saturdays. neater yet was that my daughter received credit for it as one of her electives.

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

All the time. Attending a 2 1/2 day Darton Drake class starting in a few hours.

http://www.dartondrake.com

There is NO substitute for in-person learning. Yeah, I know everyone touts how much there is on You Tube, but the in-person small group stuff where you can ask questions, is still way better. The online stuff is great for refreshers, for tips on stuff, but real learning requires you spend some money, go to a few workshops, get unfiltered critique, go apply. Then repeat.

Radioman Loc: Ontario Canada

Coker wrote:

Have you ever taken a photo class? What did you most learn about? What was the most helpful? Do you understand, Shutter, Aperture and ISO?

Not exactly a 'photo class' - I have been to photo-sessions at trade shows. The one that was most interesting was the technique of giving depth-perspective by keeping the vanishing point in the picture - preferable following the rule of thirds.

For example, This is one from taken by EricLPT http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-508-1.html

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Coker wrote:

Have you ever taken a photo class? What did you most learn about? What was the most helpful? Do you understand, Shutter, Aperture and ISO?

Coker, photo classes is pretty broad, but yes. After taking photo in the 70's with film and shooting for 40 years, I enrolled in a professional photo curriculum at my local college. I've completed about 30 units encompassing most genres and still have about 10 units to go.
The basics are not even mentioned, but without them you wouldn't make it through the first course.
The most important element are the hundreds of critiques that you will both receive and give, and every student is at a semi-pro level or higher.
For me, the most valuable part is to go through all the genres at the nuts and bolts level and be introduced to hundreds of styles and dissect them under the guidance of high end pros.
It's cool.

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

Went to a two day Bill Stockwell Wedding workshop when I started doing Weddings. It was the best thing I ever did. Not only did I learn from him but also my fellow students. I went to one or two workshops ever year after that and feel I learned from them all. These were how to take pictures not how to set your camera. - Dave

deej

CaptainC wrote:

All the time. Attending a 2 1/2 day Darton Drake class starting in a few hours.

http://www.dartondrake.com

There is NO substitute for in-person learning. Yeah, I know everyone touts how much there is on You Tube, but the in-person small group stuff where you can ask questions, is still way better. The online stuff is great for refreshers, for tips on stuff, but real learning requires you spend some money, go to a few workshops, get unfiltered critique, go apply. Then repeat.

Plus the structure which involve dedicating your time and focusing on the class without interruptions I find really enhance the learning ability.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Coker wrote:

Have you ever taken a photo class? What did you most learn about? What was the most helpful? Do you understand, Shutter, Aperture and ISO?

Do you feel you are in need of such a course. There are some very fine books that can give you much of what you seek. If you are looking at a course, check content carefully. Some courses focus on post processing through Photoshop or Elements. Some are geared more towards composition and still others are more specifically geared to dSLRs, or to non dSLRs. Sounds like you want a course on basic digital photography, but be careful because some courses may focus more on how to operate and use a point and shoot rather than delve deeply into technical subjects.

wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

deej wrote:

Plus the structure which involve dedicating your time and focusing on the class without interruptions I find really enhance the learning ability.

That's why adults are the best students, they choose to learn.

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

wlgoode wrote:

That's why adults are the best students, they choose to learn.

I think anyone who wants to learn is a good student no matter what age. I have done the Boy Scout Photography Merit Badge for severel years and I am once in a while I am amazed at what 11 - 12 year old boys learn and know about photography. - Dave

STVest Loc: LA - that's Lower Alabama

Coker wrote:

Have you ever taken a photo class? What did you most learn about? What was the most helpful? Do you understand, Shutter, Aperture and ISO?

Made an arbitrary decision to take up photography as a hobby. Ordered a dSLR camera on-line. When it arrived, I was totally bumfuzzled. Enrolled in two continuing-ed courses at one of the local universities. The first was seven 2-hour weekly classes which gave an overview of what all the buttons were for and introduced us to the exposure triangle. It also introduced flash photography and studio lighting. The second course was four 3-hour classes on composition. Having someone to show me and the interaction of Q&A was invaluable to me. Neither course pretended to be any more than it was - introductory. But, they each gave me the basis I needed to understand articles, books, blogs, etc. about photography. I still have a LONG way to go and much trial and error needed to successfully implement what I am learning. Im looking forward to the day I can make a WOW photo.

erasmus666 Loc: Nuneaton England

Coker wrote:

Have you ever taken a photo class? What did you most learn about? What was the most helpful? Do you understand, Shutter, Aperture and ISO?

I'm currently enrolled on a on-line one in the UK run by the Institute of Photography. It's very structured and you learn about the things you mentioned even by using an on-line D-SLR simulator so that shutter, aperture and ISO can be tried out as if you were using a real camera. The course is very good and presumably there's similar in the U.S. We also have local classes where like-minded people meet up to swap tips, learn about specific topics such as studio photography, and give constructive feedback on your own efforts. This is probably what's most useful from a photographic point-of-view. Also of course, there's the social side of things; what's better than improving at a hobby you enjoy whilst making new friends. Best of luck, please let us know how you get on.

bob44044 Loc: Ohio

I took a Photography class at the Lorain Art Council. We What we learned was Histograms, Bokeh, Leading Lines, Rule of Thirds, Compression Photography, Confrontation Photography, Environmental Photography. And more important we were given assignments and critiqued our work in class. Very helpful when your trying to improve your work. I also spent a weekend in Nikon School. I'm always open for learning.

windshoppe Loc: Arizona

To address the original question in which the poster specifically asks about the exposure triangle: I've taken several online classes from PPOP. The first one that I took was "Understanding Exposure" taught by Brian Peterson and a colleague. The class is really a rehash of Peterson's excellent book by the same name, but the feedback on your submissions and the ability to see other students' work as well as the critiques of their submissions is invaluable. The classes are not inexpensive, but they offer specials from time to time and the live video critiques that they introduced in some classes a while back are very effective. "Understanding Exposure" is a logical starting point for classes, as it will give you a thorough understanding of the exposure triangle.