Tuition session for beginner coming up....any suggestions?

jerry12953

jerry12953

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Jeremy Moore
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I have my first personal tuition session coming up soon. The rellies bought it as a gift for a family member. I couldn't really refuse, could I!

I wasn't aware at the time but the client uses a compact - so jpg's only - and likes nature and particularly close-ups. She's never used editing software.

If I could give her one bit of advice it would be

"Save up for a DSLR, get a decent PC and install lightroom!"

For wildlife photography, it would be

"Learn as much as you can about wildlife"

It shouldn't be a problem to explain the general principles of photography........

I thought I might try and download a free software package for her....the GIMP? Any other possibilities?

You may not have any sympathy for me at all but any suggestions on how to expand this advice out to cover half a day?
 
The skill here will be advising her how to work within the limitations of the compact camera. She may / may not have any interest in taking photography more seriously as a hobby, so I'm not sure about advising her to save up for better gear - she may just be interested in taking better snaps on her days out?

Maybe spend time on composition and light? And most compacts have good macro so maybe look for opportunities for close ups? And what about tips on fieldcraft? (for lack of a better expression - I'm not a nature photographer!)
 
jerry12953 said:
I thought I might try and download a free software package for her....the GIMP? Any other possibilities?
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GIMP might be a bit daunting. Picasa is simpler, acts as a library, and doesn't destroy the original IIRC.

I'd concentrate on showing her how to get the most out of the compact. How to control exposure and depth of field as far as possible with the camera, what the scene modes actually do, composition, stuff like that. It's surprising what can be done with a compact camera, they just need more effort than DLSRs.
 
Thanks for the thoughts on this, Andy and Ed. I'm assuming that as her family has bought her a tuition session she is quite serious about photography.

I agree that for the time being she needs to work within her compact's limitations. Never having used a compact myself I can't really imagine how limited they are!

Interesting comment, Ed, about how compacts need more effort than a DSLR. I found this myself when using a CSC!

I'll maybe download both Picasa and the Gimp for her. She can try both out. Thanks for the suggestion, Ed/Dave.
 
jerry12953 said:
I agree that for the time being she needs to work within her compact's limitations. Never having used a compact myself I can't really imagine how limited they are!
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It depends on the model. I've used a few. Some are really limited, but so are camera-phones (I assume, not owning one!) but results can be good. As Andy said, they can be good for close-ups.
 
Re: lesson plans - That is an entirely fair comment, but personal tuition is not something that I offer. It was a phone call from her family, completely out of the blue.

It was only after the agreement with the family was made that I discovered the client's level. I'd be much more confident with someone more advanced!
 
You should be able to do quite a bit with that - a quick Google reveals it has PASM modes which is a plus! See if you can download a manual for it and brush up on how to use it!
 
Hi Jeremy... I'm a bit confused to be honest! Why is it you've agreed to do this? Do you actually want to start offering tuition as a business, or are you doing it because the relatives (hers, but are they also yours?) really wanted you to?

If you want to set this up as a business then following the advice of others who've done it would be a good starting point ;) If you're just dipping your toe in the water then I guess that's a bit different.

Do you want repeat business from this customer? What sort of customers might you want in the future - beginners, intermediates etc.? Groups or individuals?

For what it's worth, I'd definitely suggest focusing the lesson on what she wants to get out of her photography though - why she enjoys it and also what her frustrations are. Perhaps try to get her to list a couple of things which she thinks are holding back her photography. If by the end of the lesson you can address those (depending on what they are, of course), then she'll feel like she's got something really valuable out of the lesson.

Just my 2p...
 
pjm1 said:
Hi Jeremy... I'm a bit confused to be honest! Why is it you've agreed to do this? Do you actually want to start offering tuition as a business, or are you doing it because the relatives (hers, but are they also yours?) really wanted you to?

If you want to set this up as a business then following the advice of others who've done it would be a good starting point ;) If you're just dipping your toe in the water then I guess that's a bit different.

Do you want repeat business from this customer? What sort of customers might you want in the future - beginners, intermediates etc.? Groups or individuals?

For what it's worth, I'd definitely suggest focusing the lesson on what she wants to get out of her photography though - why she enjoys it and also what her frustrations are. Perhaps try to get her to list a couple of things which she thinks are holding back her photography. If by the end of the lesson you can address those (depending on what they are, of course), then she'll feel like she's got something really valuable out of the lesson.

Just my 2p...
Click to expand...

Ooops......
 
Firstly, your advice of 'buy new kit' is not the way forward.
As has already been said, work with the limitations of the equipment.

For instance, the last few days I've been going for a walk at lunchtime round a nature reserve near my workplace and taking photos. With my smartphone. I've not got any uploaded yet but the fact is I got photos I was happy with. Being a good photographer is about more than the gear you use, it's about being able to use the gear that you have. (caveat... before anyone picks up on it, I know some photography needs great gear. But not ever nature shot needs a long zoom...)

I recommend you read up on the camera she has, and then tailor your time to getting her to make the most of it. We're talking when to use exposure compensation, how to set white balance and how to meter & focus as the technical level - all stuff you can do on the SX700. How to compose the shot, background considerations, rule of thirds etc for the technique stuff. That camera can do macro stuff quite well I believe...

Just don't belittle her camera at all if you want this to be a success.
Also, and I may or may not be alone in suggesting this, don't take your camera. Maybe take a tripod if she doesn't have one though, demonstrate the value in some circumstances.
 
Also, if she doesn't like post processing, don't cover it in any detail. Maybe look at cropping in Picasa or something but even gimp will likely be too much.
 
pjm1 said:
Hi Jeremy... I'm a bit confused to be honest! Why is it you've agreed to do this? Do you actually want to start offering tuition as a business, or are you doing it because the relatives (hers, but are they also yours?) really wanted you to?

If you want to set this up as a business then following the advice of others who've done it would be a good starting point ;) If you're just dipping your toe in the water then I guess that's a bit different.

Do you want repeat business from this customer? What sort of customers might you want in the future - beginners, intermediates etc.? Groups or individuals?

For what it's worth, I'd definitely suggest focusing the lesson on what she wants to get out of her photography though - why she enjoys it and also what her frustrations are. Perhaps try to get her to list a couple of things which she thinks are holding back her photography. If by the end of the lesson you can address those (depending on what they are, of course), then she'll feel like she's got something really valuable out of the lesson.

Just my 2p...
Click to expand...

Her relative (not mine) phoned up out of the blue and asked me. I explained that the session wouldn't have any structure to it and it was priced accordingly. They were happy. It's a gift, so she may not feel she has invested too much into it. Nevertheless I have a duty to the relatives to do the best I can.

I have done group tuition before but they have tended to be more advanced. DSLR's etc! Personal tuition is something I'd like to move into as I have plenty of experience and a very good track record. It could make a useful extra income stream.

I've asked her what she wants and she seems a bit vague - just wants to know how to take better photographs. I think I'll introduce her to the joys of using a tripod.

Thanks for your thoughtful comments and suggestions. I appreciate it.
 
That makes sense Jeremy...

I'd be inclined to get her to concentrate on light - where is it coming from, which direction is she shooting in, what type of light is it, etc. What time of day in the lesson? Will you have shaded cover if needed?

If she's to go away happy, she has to feel that she's got "a result" in some form. So understanding what she wants to achieve is important, even if she's not able to describe it in detail. "Taking better photos" is fine - in which case, make sure her view of a "better photo" is in line with yours! If she likes midday snaps with blown highlights and half a face in the dark then a bit of gentle nudging in the right direction would be a good start. I'd definitely want to find out what her photographic eye is like before taking her in any particular direction.

In a way, the kit, the processing and all of that is a bit superfluous in my opinion - unless she genuinely says to you, "I'd like to take photos that I can turn into HDR" or some such. Is this, perhaps, a potential client who might come back for more lessons?

People always seem to start with the exposure triangle, but I do also think there's value in developing someone's eye for photography and light alongside improving their technical capabilities of actually using their camera (or cameras in general).

That's me up to about 3p now :)
 
RichardtheSane said:
Firstly, your advice of 'buy new kit' is not the way forward.
As has already been said, work with the limitations of the equipment.

For instance, the last few days I've been going for a walk at lunchtime round a nature reserve near my workplace and taking photos. With my smartphone. I've not got any uploaded yet but the fact is I got photos I was happy with. Being a good photographer is about more than the gear you use, it's about being able to use the gear that you have. (caveat... before anyone picks up on it, I know some photography needs great gear. But not ever nature shot needs a long zoom...)

I recommend you read up on the camera she has, and then tailor your time to getting her to make the most of it. We're talking when to use exposure compensation, how to set white balance and how to meter & focus as the technical level - all stuff you can do on the SX700. How to compose the shot, background considerations, rule of thirds etc for the technique stuff. That camera can do macro stuff quite well I believe...

Just don't belittle her camera at all if you want this to be a success.
Also, and I may or may not be alone in suggesting this, don't take your camera. Maybe take a tripod if she doesn't have one though, demonstrate the value in some circumstances.
Click to expand...


I agree with almost all you say. I wasn't planning to belittle her camera but if she is at all serious it would be the way forward for her.

Where I perhaps differ is whether to take my own camera or not. I know experienced tutors differ on this. I think it was Galen Rowell who said he preferred to be able to show his clients what HE would do in situ. Let them look through HIS viewfinder. I think I'm of the same opinion.

Once again, many thanks for your thoughts. I do appreciate it.
 
A tripod won't help certain types of photography though... Paul has nailed it I think, don't focus on the equipment, focus on the technique. Light direction, tonal range etc.

My thoughts regarding the camera are from experience. I taught my mum a few things with her compact (a fuji superzoom bridge) and rather than using my camera I would use her camera to approach a shot. It worked, it demonstrated the through behind the shot well without changing the gear significantly. Handing someone used to a bridge camera my DSLR/70-200mm combo to look through the viewfinder was not a positive experience for anyone!
 
pjm1 said:
That makes sense Jeremy...

I'd be inclined to get her to concentrate on light - where is it coming from, which direction is she shooting in, what type of light is it, etc. What time of day in the lesson? Will you have shaded cover if needed?

If she's to go away happy, she has to feel that she's got "a result" in some form. So understanding what she wants to achieve is important, even if she's not able to describe it in detail. "Taking better photos" is fine - in which case, make sure her view of a "better photo" is in line with yours! If she likes midday snaps with blown highlights and half a face in the dark then a bit of gentle nudging in the right direction would be a good start. I'd definitely want to find out what her photographic eye is like before taking her in any particular direction.

In a way, the kit, the processing and all of that is a bit superfluous in my opinion - unless she genuinely says to you, "I'd like to take photos that I can turn into HDR" or some such. Is this, perhaps, a potential client who might come back for more lessons?

People always seem to start with the exposure triangle, but I do also think there's value in developing someone's eye for photography and light alongside improving their technical capabilities of actually using their camera (or cameras in general).

That's me up to about 3p now :)
Click to expand...


Paul, many thanks again.

I guess some of the things that are second nature to me would be quite difficult to explain on a compact. Polariser? ND grads? So for that reason again it will be important to take my own gear so that I can show what a difference they make.

This discussion and the suggestions therein are very helpful. Those little gears in my brain are clicking into place.
 
Work on the lighting, aperture, shutter speed, ISO and this isn't a bad depth of field exercise

Shallow DOF
  • Find a subject/object that is still or will be in one place for a couple of minutes.
  • Stand about 2 feet from the subject and focus on it.
  • Set your ƒ-stop to the smallest number possible (e.g. f2.8). To do this you will have to be in Portrait or “Av” mode. You will note that the shutter speed will automatically adjust to this aperture setting in the “Av” priority mode.
  • Take some pictures, then adjust the f-stop setting to the next higher number and repeat. Do this one more time.
  • You need to take a minimum of FIVE shallow DOF photographs.
Large DOF
  • Now set your ƒ-stop to the highest number possible (e.g. f16) and focus on your subject. Take a series of pictures
  • Step back to about 10 feet from your subject and redo the above settings – first at ƒ1.8 then at ƒ16. Take a series of pictures.
  • You need to take a minimum of FIVE large DOF photographs.
For software I'd be looking at Picassa or something like Fastone.
 
A row of cars in car park works well for the DoF, so it's an easy one to set up.
 
Hi Jeremy - As a beginner I would love someone to buy me some tuition. Talking as if it was me I'd want the photographer to ask me what I'm having probs with (if she's a bit vague as in she just wants to take better shots) you could get her to take a photo of something and then go over things she needs to think about light lighting, DOF etc then get her to go back there and take another shot once you've gone over the stuff. :)
 
This guy http://www.karltaylorphotography.co.uk/ does a fairly decent beginner's guide DVD course. I bought a copy for my girlfriend. It is very much about getting the most from a compact, with a good balance between creativity and composition vs technical knowledge and constraints. You might find some ideas from Youtube clips for the course.
 
A few cans of beans or other food items along a kitchen worktop, running from the bottom left to upper right in the viewfinder - I'm sure you get the idea.
 
Mich56 said:
Hi Jeremy - As a beginner I would love someone to buy me some tuition. Talking as if it was me I'd want the photographer to ask me what I'm having probs with (if she's a bit vague as in she just wants to take better shots) you could get her to take a photo of something and then go over things she needs to think about light lighting, DOF etc then get her to go back there and take another shot once you've gone over the stuff. :)
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I'm just trying to work out how that might be possible. I wonder what the viewfinder is like on her camera. Downloading images onto a laptop would be really useful but I'm not sure it would be possible in the time available. I think I'll try and get her to specify in more detail what she'd like to know. Maybe she doesn't know what she wants to know........


wooky said:
A few cans of beans or other food items along a kitchen worktop, running from the bottom left to upper right in the viewfinder - I'm sure you get the idea.
Click to expand...

Of course. Groynes on the beach, that sort of thing. It could definitely work. Or I could suggest that as an exercise to try herself.
 
tdodd said:
This guy http://www.karltaylorphotography.co.uk/ does a fairly decent beginner's guide DVD course. I bought a copy for my girlfriend. It is very much about getting the most from a compact, with a good balance between creativity and composition vs technical knowledge and constraints. You might find some ideas from Youtube clips for the course.
Click to expand...

Great stuff. I'll certainly look into that. I can't believe how useful this thread has been!
 
Why don't you ask her to either bring along a few shots that she has already taken (or even better, email them to you beforehand), which she is not happy with? She might not be able to put into words exactly what she wants to learn, but if you see her shots, it might give you a better understanding of what she is trying to achieve and where she is going wrong, so you can plan your tuition around that. Even better if she can also send you some examples of shots that she aspires to.
 
Demonstrating DoF will be an interesting technical exercise, but would probably be a struggle on a compact, as it's hard to get a shallow DoF on one. You could demonstrate it on your SLR, but it's not something she'll be able to use unless she buys one.

Maybe demonstrate things like how to disengage flash (how many times do you see people with flash firing off at inappropriate time?), composition skills such as the fact that the camera can be held in portrait and landscape position, getting low down for a different perspective, working a subject or view for different perspectives.

Worth mentioning that making a good impression could lead to follow in business, either through referrals or through a follow on course.
 
jerry12953 said:
Paul, many thanks again.

I guess some of the things that are second nature to me would be quite difficult to explain on a compact. Polariser? ND grads? So for that reason again it will be important to take my own gear so that I can show what a difference they make.
Click to expand...

Again though what use is that to her? It is almost as bad as suggesting she buy a dslr. I am going to be honest. This thread doesn't fill me with confidence on your ability to do this justice.

If I offer tuition, I will have a decent overview of what I will do, how I will do it etc., before I advertise it. Coming on here asking for advice after you have a booking seems like you haven't thought about doing your own research.
 
The reason I mentioned the Karl Taylor DVD is because he shows the diverse capabilities of a compact, not technically, but in terms of results possible. For the beginner I feel his approach is to encourage and enable within the limits of the camera rather than to discourage by emphasising its shortcomings. The student should leave the session with a positive feeling of how to improve their own results with what they have, not filled with horror at the idea of spending several hundred pounds more.
 
ding76uk said:
Again though what use is that to her? It is almost as bad as suggesting she buy a dslr. I am going to be honest. This thread doesn't fill me with confidence on your ability to do this justice.

If I offer tuition, I will have a decent overview of what I will do, how I will do it etc., before I advertise it. Coming on here asking for advice after you have a booking seems like you haven't thought about doing your own research.
Click to expand...

I didn't advertise it. I was contacted by a member of her family and it was given as a birthday present. I know it's not ideal but as mentioned above I would be (much) more confident at dealing with someone more advanced, so that is a bit of a problem for me. Even with DSLR users I'm not sure I would want to go into a 1-to-1 session with a set lesson plan anyway. Everyone will have different interests and abilities.

tdodd said:
The reason I mentioned the Karl Taylor DVD is because he shows the diverse capabilities of a compact, not technically, but in terms of results possible. For the beginner I feel his approach is to encourage and enable within the limits of the camera rather than to discourage by emphasising its shortcomings. The student should leave the session with a positive feeling of how to improve their own results with what they have, not filled with horror at the idea of spending several hundred pounds more.
Click to expand...

Point taken. It will be a tricky balance to find, but she has contacted me and said she would like to know about using a tripod and filters.

I will look into the Karl Taylor DVD. Plenty of homework to do!

But many thanks to all for their suggestions.
 
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