Rongnongno Loc: FL

Ok, then let's be specific.

You want to introduce a person in a scene...

Why is it important to know where the horizon line is for BOTH images?

cbtsam Loc: Monkton, MD

I recently encountered a tutorial

https://www.matiash.com/blog/the-power-of-free-transform-using-adobe-photoshop?utm_campaign=the-power-of-free-transform&utm_medium=email&utm_source=kajabi

It showed me how to make mountain peaks taller and more impressive, something I found interesting but probably not very useful, as I haven't been taking mountain pix for quite a while.

A few days later, I was looking at a beach image where the margin on the right was too small, so I used that technique to make the right side of the image wider. [see https://www.flickr.com/photos/samyaffespix/51175023736/in/dateposted/] So I guess I was given the how, and transformed the why to fit my different needs.

Does that mean the how was more important?

bonjac Loc: Santa Ynez, CA 93460

Absolutely agree. If you don't know why you are do something but know how then you are left not knowing when it is applicable.

Guyserman Loc: Benton, AR

I have six faithful helping friends who taught me all I knew,
There names are What and When and Where and Why and How and Who.

Paul Diamond Loc: Atlanta, GA, USA

Training Videos would be better if they began with the "how" and then gave examples of 'why' and 'when' you might want to use this series of steps/technique in your work. Most people making free youtube videos have no education in teaching, learning, etc. We all would benefit from getting the "how" as well as the "why" and "when" for our photography or any of the thousands of youtube information subjects you will find there.

I did write instruction books not long out of college. I always looked at what I or anyone else wrote with the perspective of someone not familiar with specialized 'jargon' or 'techie speak'. I think it kept me grounded in the focus of helping others that might be encountering these subjects for the first time.

The old saying continues to be true - "You get what you pay for." - Lots of information online and on youtube can be full of non-truths and only rudimentary or biased personal opinions. Get the facts by carefully selecting your sources of information. Evaluate the teacher as well as the quality of the topic being discussed.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

Absolutely that's how it is in most cases. And to make it even more specific (and less useful) you are even given keyboard commands on how to do it all along the way.

I have always contended that you teach the fundamentals not the specifics. In other words, don't give them a particular fish, just teach fishing.

As an example lesson, I posted this for tomorrow in DA as a mini-lesson example of what adding accessories can do for your picture. Now if you learn something from the premise you can take that concept with you going forward. Those kind of lessons can stick with you.

(Download)

R.G. Loc: Scotland

I don't think anybody's suggesting that we don't need to learn technique. But that on its own will have limited benefit. On the other hand learning the why opens up the possibility of achieving mastery of a subject. We need to learn both the how and the why, and ideally the main focus should be on the why because the ultimate objective should be to teach mastery of the subject.