best place to learn?

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pricey87

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I was recommended to join this forum to ask for some advice. I've recently bought a used DSLR and as I'm a novice in using this type of camera I'd like to learn how to use it properly. I just want to be able to take some decent photographs that I feel proud to show my friends and family I have no intention of selling any images or taking it up as a profession so really I just need to learn the basic settings & skills etc. that I'll need to use for taking the usual type of touristy shots, landscapes, buildings, wildlife and such. I have no idea where to start looking for some tuition on this subject in the Tyneside/Northumberland area. Could any members recommend any camera courses/clubs for me to look into or if perhaps I'd be better off looking into taking night classes at a local college? I really don't know where to start so any help would be appreciated. Thanks
 
Classes would be a good idea I guess but knowing how the camera basically works in the first place would be a better one. A DSLR can be daunting at first as there are so many different buttons and settings to use, my suggestion would be to use the camera in Auto mode first to get to grips with zooming, framing and focusing then just to start using the other functions selectively.

I do find the internet (here) and youtube particularly helpful where I can actually see someone using a particular function or technique then for me to try it for myself on my own camera.

What camera have you got?
 
pricey87 said:
I have no intention of selling any images or taking it up as a profession
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You me and lots of others.. all said the same thing:)

Give your location/town and camera you own.. hands on is the easiest way to learn.. someone stood wiht you showing you how..

Read these forums and get out there every chance you get taking pictures.. it will all fall into place eventually.. but you really need to be out every chance you get.. take pictures of everyhting you can..
 
Mates with DSLR cameras all seemed to swear by canon so I bought a second hand entry level camera, the 1100d (hoping to upgrade once I get the hang of using all the different settings) at the moment I'm working up in the north east (and will be for the next year or so) travelling between Durham and Berwick so any courses/classes between there would be acceptable to travel.
 
I think that's the best way Paul, buy in cheap to begin with and see how you get on. You can always keep the lenses you buy and use them on a new body in the future (excluding FF) if you outgrow it.
 
I've just recommended Mike on another thread as well.
I was watching some of his stuff the other day and for somebody that already knows their way around a camera it can seem a bit basic and boring, but for a beginner, he is excellent. Everything is in plain english and easy to understand.
 
Thanks for that, I've been trying to get my head around flash and dragging the shutter for ages. After watching Mikes video I now have it.

Sorry for the Hijack :-)
 
Learning the camera is one thing - it's almost as if modern cameras have TOO MANY settings & controls.

The other thing is to learn to see light and assess it, because light's what we're dealing with. Light can be gentle rather than dramatic. Many kinds of light can be engaging in a photo. But some light is boring! Be a tough judge of your own work.

I know this isn't really an answer to your original post!

That camera will likely do more than you want, maybe for some years to come. Taking photos is far more important than shopping for ever newer kit, which can become like a disease & a distraction. Magazines reinforce this 'cause they're full of the incessant noise of advertising.
 
To be honest the best starting point is the manual, they are actual quite good at starting you off. Then move onto searching the web or picking up a few magazine which can be helpful for an illustration point of view.
 
Also worth looking in the meeting forum to see if there are any meets in your area as you will get lots of help and advice from fellow enthusiasts. That's what I did down here in South Wales and learned (and still learning) a lot about all aspects of photography and had great days out as well.
 
When I got my first SLR I got a book at the same time to get an idea of how to use it properly. Then I spent an afternoon taking pictures of the dog. :)
 
Book - The Eye of the Photographer by Michael Freeman

I only got my first DSLR about 4 years ago. I did some remote learning courses with DigitalmasterClass and started a BA Hons Degree in Photography just 12 months ago with the OCA (also distant learning)
 
I found finding an evening course at my local college was well worth the money. You get access to a course leader who is probably very experienced and will be able to answer any questions you have, and more importantly, actually show you how to do it on your camera.

Might be worth skipping any kind of "basics" course. I started on the intermediate course as I already knew the basics of using my DSLR but even then it covered the basics of using each mode on the camera so was a gentle learning curve.
 
FrattonFreak said:
Book - The Eye of the Photographer by Michael Freeman

I only got my first DSLR about 4 years ago. I did some remote learning courses with DigitalmasterClass and started a BA Hons Degree in Photography just 12 months ago with the OCA (also distant learning)
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Not disputing this is a great book, I own it myself but to be honest, for me it was a bit too deep when i first got it. Having gone back to it after a couple of years i find I get a lot more from it.
My personal favourite was 'Understanding Exposure' by Brian Peterson which makes it very easy to understand the exposure triangle and the basics of shooting, particularly for landscapes
 
I went on a one day beginners workshop at a photography studio in Hebburn, Newcastle a few years ago. Not sure if they still run them and I think it was about £100 but I got a lot out of it as I'm the sort of person that benefits from that sort of learning rather than reading book.
I would say its a lot to take in in one day but at the time my work didn't allow night classes as an option which might suit better as you have chance to learn a bit at a time the practice before the next lesson.

Good luck and enjoy your camera.
 
pricey87 said:
I was recommended to join this forum to ask for some advice. I've recently bought a used DSLR and as I'm a novice in using this type of camera I'd like to learn how to use it properly. I just want to be able to take some decent photographs that I feel proud to show my friends and family I have no intention of selling any images or taking it up as a profession so really I just need to learn the basic settings & skills etc. that I'll need to use for taking the usual type of touristy shots, landscapes, buildings, wildlife and such. I have no idea where to start looking for some tuition on this subject in the Tyneside/Northumberland area. Could any members recommend any camera courses/clubs for me to look into or if perhaps I'd be better off looking into taking night classes at a local college? I really don't know where to start so any help would be appreciated. Thanks
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personally i started off with reading up the Manual and playing around with the camera functions.
if there were anything iam not sure,i just Google for more detailed information.
nothing beats practice and practices. Go out and shoot more :)
 
Thanks for all the advice. I had thought about booking some weekend courses but the one I found was 26 days spread out over a year & at the end they reckon you'll be qualified to start your own photography business which is totally not what I want. So manuals, books and advice from friendly photographers it is then.
 
search you tube - many great photographers who can explain things so simply and so interestingly. Its sometimes easier watching a video

Someone mentioned Bryan Petersen - he's great

Experiment - one of the best ways to learn and have fun
 
This is exactly what I'm looking for. Learning the basics. I already know bits and bobs about photography etc. Brought a Canon 700D the other week, with the kit lens. I'm already looking at new lens to buy. The main reason for getting the camera was for holidays. Despite having a pretty decent compact camera, it just wasn't cutting it for low-light shots.

I'm looking at getting a magazine which has lots of different tips and tricks, videos aren't an ideal way for me to learn.

I hope you get on well with your new purchase :D
 
I took up the discounted offer (from £400 down to £40) for the Institute of Photography Diploma course ,15 sections with assignment feed back from each one (if you submit pics its your choice) and I final exam submission of three pics.

Its E learning all done at your own speed on the computer , at some stage joining a local camera club is going to be the way forward and last but definately not least , this forum theses guys and gals have helped me so much already with direct info/critique and just what I pick up from reading the posts.

Cheers Alan

I did a quick search and this deal is still out there in different places:

http://www.dealzippy.co.uk/institute-of-photography/
 
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Some folks like to learn by themselves other prefer learning in a group on a course. Only you can decide which you prefer.

However, before signing up for a course have a look free tutorials. You Tube has already been mentioned but also look at the tutorials on this site and those on -

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/


Three things that are crucial to going further than always shooting on Auto are

Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO,

how they relate to each other and the effect each has on the photo.

To begin with I would put your camera on Auto - some shots will be good, some not but they are all useful to learn from.
All digital photos include data on the settings you used which can be reviewed to see if they worked or not. To begin with, this data will not mean a lot to you but as you learn more it will become very useful.

I'd also get a photo editor. There are a lot of free ones you can try before spending anything. Just Google for free photo editors. A very easy to use one is Photoscape - it is limited but often I find it does all I want.

More than anything else just take lots of photos and if you want some opinion or help on any, post them up here.

Dave
 
Agree with the above, im a novice and been looking through the tutorials on cambridgeincolour and I am learning a lot about general camera settings.
 
I'm biased of course because I love the place...but TP is one of the best places to learn photography...there are thousands of active members here most of them love photography and helping others to share that love when they have the chance...one of the quickest ways to learn is to learn is to post your photos up for critique...there are some truly outstanding photographers on here across most genres
 
Tony8 said:
Forums like this and YouTube are very helpful. I have found this YouTube channel to be really helpful (and no, I am not associated to it in any way :) )
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I agree, lots of stuff on youtube (good and bad) but Mike Browne's stuff is some of the best.

You can also do a lot worse than spend just under a fiver on Tony Northrup's ebook - amazing value for money and it covers a lot of ground. In fact it probably covers too much ground but you can just pick and choose the chapters that are of interest - all the basics are covered and there are embedded links to around 6 hours of video too if you prefer watching to reading: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...ok+how+to+create+stunning+digital+photography

You can also look on Meetup.com for local groups (search for photography) which can be a great way to learn from other more experienced people and tend to be less cliquey than some camera clubs and more welcoming to beginners.

Evening classes I have never tried but locally to me for example (in Edinburgh) the only photography option seems to be a few computer classes in post processing (Photoshop I think?) looking at the Adult Education programme - unless you go private (eg: Stills in Edinburgh - which is excellent but a bit more expensive.)
 
I did evening classes and I loved them, improved my photography more than ANY piece of equipment and at a fraction of the cost.

I can thoroughly recommend Southend College. I did their Photography 1,2 and 3 courses when I started out. They were £60 each I think and they were either 3 x 3.5 hours or 4 x 2.5 hours. The classes were small 5 people in Photography 1 and 3 and about 10 in 2.

1 Gave a basic overview of photography and how to use your camera, aperture, iso, shutter etc. composition, equipment.
2 looked at more advanced* techniques, using different types of metering, using flash etc.
3 was a practical where we would meet up and go out taking pictures with the group and the tutor coaching us.

*advanced basic techniques!


Truth be told, I found the first sessions in both 1 and 2 pretty redundant, as the first was incredibly basic and the first session of the second course was essentially a recap of the 1st course but I understand it needed to be done to ensure everyone was on the same page.

The Tutor was excellent really knew his stuff and was interesting to listen too, also had the right balance of classroom VS hands on teaching.
 
Thanks have watched the M. Browne ones before, very useful. Will take a look at the other suggestions too.
 
I think the best way to learn is just to go out and do it. Learn from your mistake. Look at shots you like on Flickr and learn from the EXIF data. I can't be bothered to read books about photography or watch tutorials. Just do it!
 
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