[Heie]

So I've officially moved in (yay!), and now I'm trying to take advantage of the opportunity to start earning money photographically on the side. I'm going to be offering portrait services (once I update my website - the domain is locked for some odd reason - waiting for the hosting service to get back to me), but the idea of a photography course came to mind and I'd like your feedback on my proposal and any experiences you may have in giving a community-based photography course. This is the post I was about to put on the FB page of the military housing community I live in (3,500 members on the page):

Hey all, I've been asked by a couple of people to teach some basics of photography so they can understand what they are doing and why some people (like me) find it worthwhile to carry around a massive camera compared to just their phone. Or maybe that's just what they told me and they really just want to take better Facebook profile pictures

Assuming I can find a place to meet (does the Clubhouse or anywhere else within <community name> have a classroom we could use for such purposes?), would anyone be interested in such a course? Without thinking through it too much at the moment, I'm thinking about 1-2 hour sessions (2 max), one session per week. All ages and abilities are welcome, as this is targeted towards the "I have no idea what all these knobs and buttons do - I'll just use my phone" type

It would be $40 per person, and if multiple members of your family want to come and learn as well, $20 for each additional person within that family. That would be the cost of the entire course, not each session.

Like I said, I'm just trying to determine how much interest there is for such an opportunity, if any.

Thanks!

I haven't come up with a curriculum yet, but before I did I wanted to know if this was a waste of my time. Also - pricing scheme: good/bad? For background, the community is a mix of officers and lower enlisted ranks.

As always your help is much appreciated.

-Heie

[Outis]

How would the class be structured? Would it basically be lecture-style, or would you spend a lot of time with the students individually, or have them critique each others' work in a small group? I'd want to pay less for a lecture than for individual attention. The more individual attention you want to offer, the smaller the maximum class size needs to be, which drives the rate up.

As for how much you'd want to charge, I'm not sure. If I were offering one-on-one tutoring, I'd probably charge $50 an hour or more; my friends' rates run from $40-$60. But, we're drawing from a pool of students at elite colleges/college preparatory schools who have wealthy parents. For the small group sewing classes I've seen advertized, the going rate seems to be about $15-25 per hour of class time. The maximum size for one course was advertized as 8, but I'm not sure for the others.

Would you bring cameras for people to play with, or would you assume that the students already own a sophisticated enough camera?

As for whether it will be a waste of time-- how much do you like teaching, and how receptive do you think your audience will be? If you really enjoy it and you have a good class, that's pretty much the best thing ever, as far as I'm concerned. Otherwise...I guess that depends on what else you have to do and how much you want or need money.

[Giklab]

$40 sounds OK, assuming, say, 4 one-hour lectures. You need to find out what equipment people are using, but even those with smartphones would apply (most default camera apps come with EV comp, ISO settings and spot/center/average metering).

[carrrlangas]

What about a first free "talk about photography" so that you test the group and yourself. Not a "free first class" but a talk to present different photographic interests, types of cameras / systems, important photographers, etc... That way you learn a lot about the group and get to see how you and they react, see your mistakes and get ready for the paid course... Just thinking out loud

[Miguel]

What is your objective in teaching the class?
If it is anything other than building your brand, then I'd question the effort involved, assuming your spare time is precious. If that is your goal, consider lowering your price to gain more attendees. Limit your learning objectives to a few, and deliver on them within two hours max.

M

[LaurenOE]

What will they expect for the money?
That is the hardest thing, setting expectations.

However, it will be fun until the Canikony trolls show up.
If you can stay focused on photography and that ANY camera is a good one, and stick to generic concepts or aesthetics, you'll be fine.

Also get ready for the frustration of people not understanding or having the ability to take images.

Good luck!

Lauren

[bigted]

From someone who relatively recently started photography (its been 2 and ½ years), I like the way it reads - a very casual, informative and easygoing class. I am not a confident photographer and I like the way it reads simply because is is not full of jargon and it isn't targeted to someone who knows a lot. My photography club offers presentations and classes, but I have to admit their style is directed towards more knowledgeable photographer and they leave me feeling intimidated. What you have outlined is warm, friendly and inviting. You could always offer a refund if you think folks won't want to continue after the first class (I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want to stay ).

[normhead]

I'd look to see if there was a local community college or something (or even a church basement) , where I could at least have a bit of money...and a good place to hold classes. Anything you can do to keep costs down and maximize your income. You won't get a lot of money but it's nice to get something. Bare minimum you need 4 or 5 students and a place where you can look at each others pictures, so access to at least one computer, and one nice big screen. personally, I'd love to live in a place where I could do that a night a week... but the nearest place would be 40 miles from my house and I don't want to do it that much. An 80 mile round trip is going to have to pay me something. I'll teach for next to nothing, but I won't pay to do it. I don't enjoy it that much.

[ROBEFFY]

A group of local people,approached the local library, and were given space on the first and third Wednesday of every month, no charge, for a no membership fee photo club.
Members take turns talking about what they are comfortable teaching.
So, try a local library for a room! Works here in East Ferris, Astorville/Corbeil in Ontario.
I can tell you that 1-2 hours max is all that works. Bring a camera and encourage people to use it every night, as part of the training.
Most newbies have no idea of the basics, such as ISO, Fstop, how or what DSLR means.

[p38arover]

Gahh, I wrote a reply and closed the window before submitting it...

Our camera club president runs such a course for seniors under the U3A (University of the Third Age University of the Third Age - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) banner.

It combines classroom lectures and practical work as well as photo homework to do before the next week's meeting.

I think I have the course notes here (I sat in and did it, too). If so, I could scan and send them to you if they'd be of interest. I might be able to get the Pres to email them to me.

[northofpolaris]

Hey, always enjoyed your tutorials, and I think you'd do well teaching a group. The pricing seems reasonable, and as others have mentioned, many others do charged more. Since this will be your first experience in doing this, I think they'd be helping you out as much as you are helping them. One suggestion I would make is looking up different pedagogical styles or theories as you craft your curriculum. It is all, of course, theory, so don't feel that you have to stick to it 100%.

One thing that I think might work with your setting is if you adopt a flipped-classroom method. You would record/write up lessons of what you would teach in class and have students review that at home and complete assignments. They would then bring in the completed assignments to go over with you in class. The theory here is that you would be able to provide assistance to the students where they need it most, and they do the "lecture" portion of the class at home. It kinda gives you a better idea of where all of your students are at, and where the problem areas are or where they are doing particularly well.

And, no, this is definitely not a waste of your time. Even if you feel amateurish or feel a bit lost with what you're doing, once you find your groove, you'll find that you actually know a great deal and your knowledge will benefit your students immensely. Best of luck!

[sholtzma]

If you identify a group of interested people, you might survey them to find out what sort of instruction they feel would be most helpful. Perhaps you'll learn that they would like a classroom setting with lecture and demonstration. Perhaps they will indicate instead that they'd prefer one-on-one instruction in the field. I'd consider creating a short survey for them to complete, at least after your class if not before you create one.

[skierd]

I'm hoping to start a class at a local youth center skate park this fall, but it'll be as a volunteer with an eye towards giving back to the community instead of for profit, so I think it's a great idea.

I'd focus on giving tips on chasing kids, recording family events, etc since you're dealing with military. So many of them have to spend so long deployed that capturing those memories have to be important.