Photography classes

Naturenut · 05-18-2010, 10:49 AM

graphicgr8s · 05-18-2010, 11:06 AM

I think I would be more leary of learning from a person who has no film experience. To be succesful with film you actually have to know what you are doing.

Naturenut · 05-18-2010, 11:09 AM

Originally posted by graphicgr8s

I think I would be more leary of learning from a person who has no film experience. To be succesful with film you actually have to know what you are doing.

**blackcloudbrew** · 05-18-2010, 11:16 AM

I took a class in digital photography last fall. While I didn't have the problem you mentioned with the instructor, he did explain that the class used to be about scanning film images and digital printing. I learned a lot about basic photography and digital printing. It really didn't mater if we spent weeks on white balance or noise. See what the syllabus for the class is then make up your mind. The basics are the basics regardless of what the light is recorded on.

graphicgr8s · 05-18-2010, 11:59 AM

Originally posted by blackcloudbrew

I took a class in digital photography last fall. While I didn't have the problem you mentioned with the instructor, he did explain that the class used to be about scanning film images and digital printing. I learned a lot about basic photography and digital printing. It really didn't mater if we spent weeks on white balance or noise. See what the syllabus for the class is then make up your mind. The basics are the basics regardless of what the light is recorded on.

True but I have found digital allows a person to flub/fake it more.

TaoMaas · 05-18-2010, 02:19 PM

While it doesn't bother me that the instructor has never used a digital camera...it DOES bother me that he doesn't believe in them. Some old-school film guys have a serious bias against digital. I guess it would just depend upon what the class was going to cover. For instance, if it were a class on doing portraits and was going to cover wardrobe, posing, lighting techniques, composition, etc...then what difference would it make if a person were shooting film or digital?

PeteyJ · 05-18-2010, 04:05 PM

Sounds like a film elitist. That doesn't necessarily mean it would be a bad class to take, just as long as you don't by into the whole "digital is the devil" spiel.

One thing to remember about photography is that technique won't be a whole lot different between the two mediums, as far as the actual shooting is concerned.

Another thing to remember is that a good instructor will really only teach you technique, and maybe a little bit of art theory. A good instructor will NOT tell you what to take pictures of, or creativity. He/she might teach you creative ways to compose, expose, etc., but as far as subject matter goes, a good instructor will leave that all up to you (maybe some guidelines as far as assignments go, but creativity will still mostly be in your own hands).

The problem with a lot of instructors is they try to tell you what kind of stuff you should be shooting and what you shouldn't be shooting. This limits creativity, and in a sense creates a clone of the instructor. That is the kind of instructor you would want to stay away from.

Blue · 05-18-2010, 09:31 PM

If the guy is good at film photog, it wouldn't hurt taking the class if you are interested in film. Its probably harder to find a film class in some areas these days.

SpecialK · 05-18-2010, 10:03 PM

Hit him upside the head with a K20D, grip, and a 12-24 and he will realize digital is for real.

EyeSpy · 05-18-2010, 10:27 PM

Originally posted by SpecialK

Hit him upside the head with a K20D, grip, and a 12-24 and he will realize digital is for real.

okay, not so happy with that one.

Adam · 05-18-2010, 11:06 PM

You should learn the basics using a simple film camera IMO- it's much more instructive and makes you truly understand the concepts, rather than trying to memorize things with fancy little buttons on a digital camera.

**ChrisPlatt** · 05-19-2010, 12:21 AM

I certainly would; in fact I'd prefer it. But if your sole interest is digital
photography you might want to look for a course geared primarily for that.

Chris

TOUGEFC · 05-19-2010, 01:03 AM

Originally posted by Adam

You should learn the basics using a simple film camera IMO- it's much more instructive and makes you truly understand the concepts, rather than trying to memorize things with fancy little buttons on a digital camera.

Agreed. I did a photography class 10years ago in high school, and it was all black and white film, we used Pentax K1000's learnt all the basics and techniques which are still relevent in todays digital world, and also learned about developing film as well as making prints in the darkroom. I learnt alot during that course and its still with me today.

patrickt · 05-19-2010, 07:08 AM

Since I started in photography in 1962, I certainly don't have a problem with film. I prefer digital now but film is great. But, insisting on teaching beginners with film, including darkroom processes, is foolish. I set a camera for my sister to learn with and she didn't have to fiddle with any buttons or menus. She focused on shutter speed and aperture. As we moved into composition the digital has a major advantage over film.

While I really appreciate prime lenses I also appreciate the convenience of zooms. I'm comfortable using a hand-held light meter but I'm quite comfortable with the pictures I take using the camera light meter.

In my opinion, the reason the instructor in the OP has supposedly never tried digital is that he's terrified he would learn of the advantages and he would no longer be "special".

In my opinion, an instructor today should teach with digital and the time that would have been spent on darkroom skills could be used for learning basic editing on the computer.

I live in Mexico and a photographic center gives classes. For quite some time they required a film camera with manual controls. Now, they simply require a camera with manual controls. Good move.

TaoMaas · 05-19-2010, 07:30 AM

Originally posted by patrickt

In my opinion, the reason the instructor in the OP has supposedly never tried digital is that he's terrified he would learn of the advantages and he would no longer be "special".

Sorry, but I think you're reading quite a bit into the original post that wasn't there.

Quote:

In my opinion, an instructor today should teach with digital and the time that would have been spent on darkroom skills could be used for learning basic editing on the computer.

I agree with part of this. I do think that teaching darkroom skills is a thing of the past (unless it's part of a 4-year degree program), but I disagree with the opinion that digital is always a better teaching format. I think it really depends upon the teaching situation.

05-18-2010, 10:49 AM	#1
Naturenut Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: northeast USA Posts: 273	Photography classes

05-18-2010, 10:27 PM	#10
EyeSpy Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Arizona Photos: Albums Posts: 663	See the birdie Originally posted by SpecialK Hit him upside the head with a K20D, grip, and a 12-24 and he will realize digital is for real. okay, not so happy with that one.

05-18-2010, 11:06 PM	#11
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,594	You should learn the basics using a simple film camera IMO- it's much more instructive and makes you truly understand the concepts, rather than trying to memorize things with fancy little buttons on a digital camera. Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

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05-18-2010, 11:06 AM	#2
graphicgr8s Guest	I think I would be more leary of learning from a person who has no film experience. To be succesful with film you actually have to know what you are doing.

05-18-2010, 11:09 AM	#3
Naturenut Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: northeast USA Posts: 273 Original Poster	Originally posted by graphicgr8s I think I would be more leary of learning from a person who has no film experience. To be succesful with film you actually have to know what you are doing.

05-18-2010, 11:16 AM	#4
blackcloudbrew Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Cotati, California USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,460	I took a class in digital photography last fall. While I didn't have the problem you mentioned with the instructor, he did explain that the class used to be about scanning film images and digital printing. I learned a lot about basic photography and digital printing. It really didn't mater if we spent weeks on white balance or noise. See what the syllabus for the class is then make up your mind. The basics are the basics regardless of what the light is recorded on.

05-18-2010, 11:59 AM	#5
graphicgr8s Guest	Originally posted by blackcloudbrew I took a class in digital photography last fall. While I didn't have the problem you mentioned with the instructor, he did explain that the class used to be about scanning film images and digital printing. I learned a lot about basic photography and digital printing. It really didn't mater if we spent weeks on white balance or noise. See what the syllabus for the class is then make up your mind. The basics are the basics regardless of what the light is recorded on. True but I have found digital allows a person to flub/fake it more.

05-18-2010, 02:19 PM	#6
TaoMaas Pentaxian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Oklahoma City Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,574	While it doesn't bother me that the instructor has never used a digital camera...it DOES bother me that he doesn't believe in them. Some old-school film guys have a serious bias against digital. I guess it would just depend upon what the class was going to cover. For instance, if it were a class on doing portraits and was going to cover wardrobe, posing, lighting techniques, composition, etc...then what difference would it make if a person were shooting film or digital?

05-18-2010, 04:05 PM	#7
PeteyJ Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chicago/Cleveland Posts: 176	Sounds like a film elitist. That doesn't necessarily mean it would be a bad class to take, just as long as you don't by into the whole "digital is the devil" spiel. One thing to remember about photography is that technique won't be a whole lot different between the two mediums, as far as the actual shooting is concerned. Another thing to remember is that a good instructor will really only teach you technique, and maybe a little bit of art theory. A good instructor will NOT tell you what to take pictures of, or creativity. He/she might teach you creative ways to compose, expose, etc., but as far as subject matter goes, a good instructor will leave that all up to you (maybe some guidelines as far as assignments go, but creativity will still mostly be in your own hands). The problem with a lot of instructors is they try to tell you what kind of stuff you should be shooting and what you shouldn't be shooting. This limits creativity, and in a sense creates a clone of the instructor. That is the kind of instructor you would want to stay away from.

05-18-2010, 09:31 PM	#8
Blue Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Florida Hill Country Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,377	If the guy is good at film photog, it wouldn't hurt taking the class if you are interested in film. Its probably harder to find a film class in some areas these days.

05-18-2010, 10:03 PM	#9
SpecialK Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: So California Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,480	Hit him upside the head with a K20D, grip, and a 12-24 and he will realize digital is for real.

05-19-2010, 12:21 AM	#12
ChrisPlatt Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Rockaway Beach NYC Posts: 7,692	I certainly would; in fact I'd prefer it. But if your sole interest is digital photography you might want to look for a course geared primarily for that. Chris

05-19-2010, 01:03 AM	#13
TOUGEFC Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Brisbane Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,561	Originally posted by Adam You should learn the basics using a simple film camera IMO- it's much more instructive and makes you truly understand the concepts, rather than trying to memorize things with fancy little buttons on a digital camera. Agreed. I did a photography class 10years ago in high school, and it was all black and white film, we used Pentax K1000's learnt all the basics and techniques which are still relevent in todays digital world, and also learned about developing film as well as making prints in the darkroom. I learnt alot during that course and its still with me today.

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05-19-2010, 07:08 AM	#14
patrickt Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico Posts: 247	Since I started in photography in 1962, I certainly don't have a problem with film. I prefer digital now but film is great. But, insisting on teaching beginners with film, including darkroom processes, is foolish. I set a camera for my sister to learn with and she didn't have to fiddle with any buttons or menus. She focused on shutter speed and aperture. As we moved into composition the digital has a major advantage over film. While I really appreciate prime lenses I also appreciate the convenience of zooms. I'm comfortable using a hand-held light meter but I'm quite comfortable with the pictures I take using the camera light meter. In my opinion, the reason the instructor in the OP has supposedly never tried digital is that he's terrified he would learn of the advantages and he would no longer be "special". In my opinion, an instructor today should teach with digital and the time that would have been spent on darkroom skills could be used for learning basic editing on the computer. I live in Mexico and a photographic center gives classes. For quite some time they required a film camera with manual controls. Now, they simply require a camera with manual controls. Good move.

05-19-2010, 07:30 AM	#15
TaoMaas Pentaxian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Oklahoma City Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,574	Originally posted by patrickt In my opinion, the reason the instructor in the OP has supposedly never tried digital is that he's terrified he would learn of the advantages and he would no longer be "special". Sorry, but I think you're reading quite a bit into the original post that wasn't there. Quote: In my opinion, an instructor today should teach with digital and the time that would have been spent on darkroom skills could be used for learning basic editing on the computer. I agree with part of this. I do think that teaching darkroom skills is a thing of the past (unless it's part of a 4-year degree program), but I disagree with the opinion that digital is always a better teaching format. I think it really depends upon the teaching situation.