Online Schools
Sep 25, 2011 18:17:56 #
Has anyone taken an online course in Photography...if so which ones may be the best bang for the buck.... expecting to have some surgery over the winter....need something to keep my mind occupied !! I keep getting mail from one in N.Y. but is it really worth it or should I keep looking to online help from y'all.
Sep 25, 2011 18:31:00 #
ewoody wrote:
Has anyone taken an online course in Photography...if so which ones may be the best bang for the buck.... expecting to have some surgery over the winter....need something to keep my mind occupied !! I keep getting mail from one in N.Y. but is it really worth it or should I keep looking to online help from y'all.
http://kelbytraining.com/
Sep 25, 2011 20:00:56 #
ewoody wrote:
Has anyone taken an online course in Photography...if so which ones may be the best bang for the buck.... expecting to have some surgery over the winter....need something to keep my mind occupied !! I keep getting mail from one in N.Y. but is it really worth it or should I keep looking to online help from y'all.
I keep getting mail from them, as well, (assuming it is NYIP) but I'm not sold either. Something else you might want to consider is BetterPhoto (www.betterphoto.com). I have taken 2 courses there and hope to take more. However, they are on a schedule (either 4-week or 8-week) with a specific starting and ending date, and most require taking photos and submitting them to the instructor for critique; you didn't mention how mobile you will be after your surgery. They have a variety of subject matter in all skill levels.
Sep 25, 2011 20:06:22 #
I have taken a course online and really didn't learn much from it.....I have learned more from "Photography for Dummies" and just playing with the settings on my point and shoot camera. I was wondering if there was any good ones out there myself?
Sep 25, 2011 20:17:29 #
stansgrl63 wrote:
I have taken a course online and really didn't learn much from it.....I have learned more from "Photography for Dummies" and just playing with the settings on my point and shoot camera. I was wondering if there was any good ones out there myself?
I have not taken any except for the ones at BetterPhoto, so I can't speak for any other opportunities, but the two I took were excellent and helped me quite a bit.
Sep 25, 2011 20:36:58 #
I even went as far to email my instructor with a question on something I didn't understand. He just referred me back to the book I was trying to learn from. He couldn't even put it in common everyday language so I could understand....needless to say I ended up quitting the program. Which leads me to the question....Do you have to have a degree in order to be a pro?
Sep 25, 2011 20:44:50 #
stansgrl63 wrote:
I even went as far to email my instructor with a question on something I didn't understand. He just referred me back to the book I was trying to learn from. He couldn't even put it in common everyday language so I could understand....needless to say I ended up quitting the program. Which leads me to the question....Do you have to have a degree in order to be a pro?
We've had this basic discussion here since the beginning. What is a professional photographer? We determined it someone who sells his/her photographic work/services. It says nothing about the quality of their photography. Would you call a food photographer an artist? People who hire them do but the average person on the street might not consider that art. I know lots of amateur photographers that have great artistic skills but are not getting their primary income through photography. When I'm looking for a professional photographer I couldn't care less if he went to an accredited photography school. I'd want to see a volume of their work. Schools might teach you the basic skills but experience is the key to a top amateur or professional.
Sep 25, 2011 20:49:53 #
Thank you Bob! I appreciate you taking the time to answer me. I am so eager to learn about photography....but can't ever get an honest answer or critique from people. I finally got some photos posted today and guess what lots of views, but no critiques! LOL!
Sep 25, 2011 20:56:45 #
stansgrl63 wrote:
I even went as far to email my instructor with a question on something I didn't understand. He just referred me back to the book I was trying to learn from. He couldn't even put it in common everyday language so I could understand....needless to say I ended up quitting the program. Which leads me to the question....Do you have to have a degree in order to be a pro?
I think I would have quit, too. What is the point of having an instructor if you can't ask questions if you don't understand. As far as being a pro, in my opinion the short answer would be no. It would depend somewhat on whether your potential clients would require it. If you have the knowledge, experience and ability to provide images that someone would pay enough for that you could live on the income, then probably not. But you'd better be good, because from what I see, you would have a lot of competition from other people who want to make a living with their camera, and many of them will have degrees. Personally, I don't want to be a pro, as that seems like it could become too much like work and stop being so enjoyable.
Sep 25, 2011 21:00:49 #
I would love to do just nature and landscape shots.....I know I won't make a living at it. I love to be outside, hate being shut up in an office all day. This is like my therapy, it relaxes me, makes me happy, and I get to see the world thru a lens of a camera!
Sep 25, 2011 21:05:19 #
stansgrl63 wrote:
Thank you Bob! I appreciate you taking the time to answer me. I am so eager to learn about photography....but can't ever get an honest answer or critique from people. I finally got some photos posted today and guess what lots of views, but no critiques! LOL!
I know it's hard to put yourself out on a limb and get no response. I have over 1,000 posts and 70 threads started by me in just two weeks. There are threads that have no comments at all. I just keep posting and waiting. One suggestion is to think of a catchy title to your thread. Putting "Help please" or "Critique my photo" isn't likely to garner attention. Be creative and title a portrait something like "Nicole, Vixen" and you'll have a lot better response than one I saw titled "Stuff". LOL Keep your chin up. This forum is new and going viral right now. There are more new threads screaming for help each day. When I go to bed at night my email box is empty. When I awake I've got 40 new emails notifying me of responses to threads I'm involved in. Gee Wiz this site is exploding.
Sep 25, 2011 21:10:55 #
Thank you once again Bob! I'm not very creative when trying to describe photo's, it is in my head, just can't seem to put it on paper! LOL! But I will try it and see how it works!
Sep 25, 2011 22:41:46 #
I am currently in school at the Art Institue of Pittsburgh photograhy, but I want my degree so that is why I chose this route, it will cover all aspects of photography, not just the mechanics of how to but the business aspect too. I just started this year and already have seen dramatic iprovement in how I see things and how comfortable I am with my camera and my abilities improve daily. We are also requiered to have CS5 and lightroom 3 and learning the ins and outs of these programs is rewarding too. Not sure what you are looking for in a school but I was up in the air between a degree through AIO and the NYIP. From what I researched NYIP was a good place to get the mechanics and how to's with out having to get the math and english etc...too.
Sep 25, 2011 22:50:19 #
I have uploaded photos and I know that I'm not a good photographer. I just take photos of what looks good to me and I usually can see what it will look like in my mind way before I ever take the photo. Have had a few friends tell me that I am good, but you know how the saying goes! Would rather a stranger critique my photos instead of friends. I have also looked into NYIP, just not ready to go that far yet. Have had 1 bad experience with 1 online course already!
Sep 26, 2011 07:49:41 #
I have taken four courses from BetterPhoto.com. I loved the courses, I learned a lot from them and I printed the actual text so I could refer back to it from time to time if need be. They helped me out quite a bit. I just got an email from them regarding a new video they are producing that will address composition that I can't wait to get started with. Go to their website and take a look. The courses are 4 to 8 weeks and do have assignments that are due on a weekly basis and I have never had a problem with the instructors getting back to me if I have a question. They critique your assignments and give you great feedback.
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