jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Do any of you buy instructional videos showing how to use your cameras? I've bought them from CreativeLive (Nikon), Gary Fong (Sony). I've also bought quite a few instructional videos and series that cover photography in general. I know there are free videos available, but sometimes a concentrated series does a better job.

One you should all see is the two-parter done by Joel Sartori from Nat Geo. They are available from The Great Courses Plus, and you can probably find them at your library - Photography I and II. (or 1 and 2)

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

The Great Courses video classes are well worth it —just buy them on sale!

Manny Jay Loc: Colorado

(Free ones on You Tube.)

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

Not really, I have found free videos(LR PS onone, and a few others) that are concentrated such as the Anthony Morganti series. And if you click on his youtube channel you get weekly updates. I get more info than my senile brain can absorb.

traderjohn Loc: New York City

For me, I do not spend a lot of time taking pictures. Fall foliage and the upcoming holidays are the expectation. If I have a question or want to take a ...look see, I go to YouTube and there I find the answer and a wealth of information on anything photography.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Fall is the prettiest time of the year, but does one year look different from any other? Barely. Still, I drive around taking pictures.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I started watching Ben Wilmore's Lightroom course on The Great Courses. It's excellent.

traderjohn Loc: New York City

I think it does. The weather and atmospheric conditions play a big role in length, depth, and a variety of colors. I don't drive around just take pictures. Except of course during foliage.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

You must get a nice assortment of colors in Central Park.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Jerry, there is such a plethora of instructional videos available for free. If I'm looking to learn something, I look to youtube first.
--Bob

Blair Shaw Jr Loc: Dunnellon,Florida

No...I simply read the manual , practice the manuever, goggle any questions I have ,and consult Yoube for the rest. Time is all I have left and I try to find my way on my own,basically.

CaptainPhoto

Creative Live has some out standing videos. John Greengo has some fantastic instructional videos. I also have some series by Ben Wilmore, both his Lightroom and Photoshop. Agree, there is lots of FREE stuff on YouTube, but then you get what you pay for. Some of it is good, some not so good.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

"How to use your camera" is a very broad area. Gathering good educational material should be more specific.

Information on basic camera operation will be found in the owner's manual- many that I have seen are very through as to basic simplified orientation and more advanced menu options and features.

For more specialized learning in specific areas of photography such as portraiture, still life, landscape, nature, wildlife, lighting, post-processing and retouching, special effects, photojournalism, wedding and event coverage, electronic flash technology commercial photography... the list goes on. There are may books, video tutorials but free online and ones that can be purchased or subscribed to with payment.

The best approach is to do the research and find photographer/instructors who's work you admire and has a good reputation as a TEACHER. There are may photographers that produce excellent work but have difficulty or reluctance in teaching solid "nuts and bolts" instructions as starting points. As for the U-tube and other online tutorials, there are may good ones, but I become wary if at the beginning the instructor is too self aggrandizing or is too busy "selling" equipment. I also don't like "cliff-hanger selling-up", which sometimes occurs on paid courses where a segment takes you to a cretin point and to "lean more" you need to buy the next offering. There nothing wrong with serialized courses but you should know that up-front. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with sponsored courses either as long as you know that oftentimes many of the techniques that are explained can be done with other than the sponsors equipment unless it is very specific and unique.

bela1950 Loc: Massachusetts

I found Lynda.com to have many photography video courses. You can access all the courses for FREE through your local library.

rvenneman Loc: Yuma, AZ

I have purchased a few from Creative Live for a Nikon D750 and a Canon T7i taught by John Greengo. They are excellent.