A good photography course?

[Wileykit]

Hi,

I'd really like to go on a photography course to help me improve my pics, and hopefully one which also has some Photoshop aspect to it as me and technology don't mix! However, there's so many out there and I'm not sure which are good and which just want my money. Can anyone recommend a good course?

I'm in London but happy to leave the M25 if there's a great one somewhere I can get the train to. It'd have to be evenings or weekends too.

Cheers!
Leanne

[Boddie]

WAB member Hobjob went on a course that he recommended highly

I am sure he'd be happy to let you know about it. I am pretty sure it was in the London area too

[Hobjob]

Originally Posted by Boddie

WAB member Hobjob went on a course that he recommended highly

I am sure he'd be happy to let you know about it. I am pretty sure it was in the London area too

No, not in the M25, down in Beautiful Pembrokeshire.

It was techinically a wedding photography course, but it covered
lighting +++++, Photoshop +++, composition, tripod use etc. etc..
I went with my daughter who does this work in south Africa,
but I learnt so much. Even the "how to organise wedding photography"
had so many lessons for other photography; check your kit, charge
your batteries, make lists, scout out the area first at the correct time for
similar lighting, have back-up if rains (which in my case now means
find a pub!!!).

Photography Courses

But thre are a host of other good people around I'm sure.

When choosing make sure the person has been teaching for some time
Fly-by-nights come and go on the web.

[Digifrog]

What kind of photography do you want to concentrate on?

Will you be wanting to learn post production techniques (Photoshop)?

I think possibly this is a 'careful as you go' area. I haven't done any courses whatsoever, completely self taught and after 6 months I am happy so far with my progress, though still got lots to learn.

On the flip side, my friends wife spent £1000's on a course and I find a lot of her pics doesn't show or justify the amount of money she spent.

Courses to me are just a way of showing perspective clients a qualification note. I think I would like to carry on learning myself and let the finished photograph be my qualification note.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Rgds.

[skywatcher]

I'd recommend David Plummer based in Sussex. I've been on two of his courses recently:woodland birds and fungi. He's doing a two day course called "Capture to Computer" in Feb and March. I'm signed up! He's an excellent teacher, a really pleasant guy and a good all round naturalist.Tap in his name to Google to see his website.
Skywatcher

[Ukwildlifeo]

Daniel bidge does some day courses or workshps as he calls them, in conjuction with Essex wildlife trust, from their visitor centres. There are details on his site here: Workshops on www.DanielBridge.co.uk

[Wileykit]

Some really good ideas there. Thanks - I'll definately check out both the one's associated with the Wildlife Trusts, and I've noticed that Daniel Bridge does a macro course too, great as I'm getting (myself) a macro lens for Xmas!
Cheers!
Leanne

[Wildbear]

Check out your local colleges for evening course, probably not as good but a lot cheaper.

[Badllarma]

I'm with Digifrog with regards to photoshop courses. I'm self taught in the following,

Lightwave (3D application).
Première, After Effects Combustion, Digital Fusion, VT 5.0 (video)
Photoshop, Lightroom (stills)
Dreamweaver, Flash (web design).

And apart from free online videos never had a course in any (and I've made money with them all!!).

I did one Photoshop course at a a local collage and by dinner of the first day was told by the tutor she could not really teach me anything and so was wasting my time, I spent the rest of the day helping her with other students. and left the course.

With video these days you will find tutorials on Youtube(other video sites are available) as well as the like of Adobe TV for free, to help understand the principles.

The only courses I would pay for are the ones teaching practicable skills that are taught by experts in the field I've done one so far and they are worth there weight in gold as you get all there years experience rolled up into a few of days.
But software, grab a couple of books, surf the internet and a get yourself bedded in with a nice brew, current weather conditions in the UK make this even more of a ideal option

[MartynA]

One thing I would definitely recommend you do before you book with anyone, is take a look at their website and the pictures they have taken.

If you're impressed by them, then try and talk to someone who's been on their courses and get some feedback.

You need to be sure of two things.... firstly that, in your eyes, their photography is better than you can currently produce by a long way and, secondly, that the individual is also a good teacher.

It's all to easy these days for the world and his uncle to start offering photography courses so make absolutely certain you're not throwing away a lot of money - you could buy an awful lot of books for the same price (OR pay for a few days away somwhere - because sometimes all you really need is time to practice!)

Martyn