Comments on: Is Photography School Really Worth It?

By: learningthelight

learningthelight — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:55:58 +0000

Thanks for your input, Rina – you’re right, you can learn so much from Flickr and other websites, there is a wealth of information out there. Love your photography, by the way, you have a lovely site. Thanks for commenting.

By: Rina

Rina — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:51:45 +0000

I’m kinda con – in the sense that all u need to do is get involved on flickr, facebook or other medias where u can perhaps get some good know how camera wise. I have learned heaps from flickr, met some awesome people irl – who have taught me what they know, i gave them some tricks of the trade. This combined with heaps of podcasts, hrs infront of youtube etc… Now i teach others of my findings, and no i dont charge anything but perhaps a beer

By: learningthelight

learningthelight — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:09:32 +0000

Thanks for your comments, guys. I agree that photography is an art, but I also agree that a good teacher will try to teach you just how to express your art as well…it’s an interesting discussion!

By: Christopher Acuña

Christopher Acuña — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:12:38 +0000

I agree that Photography is an art, but the tools used nowadays are very technical and having someone guide you and teach you the correct way to use them is invaluable than trying to fumble around with online tutorials and videos even though some are very good. The digital workflow has become significantly more technical than the days of film. And there are so many options that learning about them will be extremely beneficial.

And I’ll also agree that art cannot be taught, but then again, a good instructor will not try to teach you how to make art, but open your mind to new ideas and concepts that may take an individual years to reach on their own through self-realization. The projects assigned should guide you through process where you essentially learn by doing and you have the benefit of critique and assistance from the individuals around you. A good explanation of the history would also bring to light problems discovered by the masters of photography and how they dealt with them.

Learning through the internet in frequent cases you may find valuable help, but then again, the internet is filled with individuals that can be easily distracted, navigate away from a page, or just plain indifferent since there is no real discussion.

Art is a journey through life and you never really stop learning new things, but having a good foundation is very important in my opinion.

By: Mitchell

Mitchell — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 21:35:43 +0000

Photography is an art, not a science.
Nobody can teach you how to express yourself the “correct” way.

By: learningthelight

learningthelight — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:09:20 +0000

Hi Amy – thanks for your great comments and thoughts. As someone who has been to a class I really value your input. You’re totally right in that people wouldn’t even think to Google things like the ‘Sunny 16′ rule, I hadn’t thought of that – and it really must be great to see how different people treat the same photography assignment – I think all your points are great. Thanks for contributing.

By: Amy

Amy — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:45:53 +0000

Is photography school really worth it? Yes!!! I would still be shooting with the little green box with no clue why some pictures had DOF and some didn’t. Understanding the ISO – Shutter – Aperture was a very hard concept for me to understand one of which I think I needed someone to say over and over in class until one day it finally clicked how they are all related.

When you are trying to learn something that you don’t understand it is hard to figure out what question you want to Google or what books you want to buy. For instance the rule “Sunny 16″ I would never have known to Googlethis or buy a book that talks about it. The class not only showed me how to use a camera, but also terms and rules I might want to look up on my own.

The critiques in class are extremely valuable! Of course the advice they give you on your own photos – different directions you might want to think about cropping and subject matter are wonderful. What sometimes is even more educational is what everyone else decided to take a picture of when given the same assignment. Everyone comes in with such different ideas it helps you to learn to think outside of your comfort zone outside the box.

Price is always an issue and there are some very expensive photography schools out there, but it you look around there are always deals to find!