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- Kevin Bosekwa
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How did you learn photography ?
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I still practice and fail after 30 years of owning a cameraI practised, failed, practised, failed and practised some more. Eventually it came together, kinda...
How did I pick up a bit about photography? I started in the 1960s and read every magazine I could find on photography, every article in them, and every word in every article. Even the parts and articles that didn't interest me. And I read such books as I could find and afford. And I made mistakes. Plus discussions on my photos with a very experienced photographer who lived next door to one of my aunts.
After all that, I came out with a fair idea of the easy part - the technical stuff. Picking up the important stuff came, for me, much later by reading about art and art history, and reading what great photographers had written (and looking at their photographs).
I read all the photography books in the school library. Then read all the photography books in my local library. Then people bought me books. And then I joined 3 camera clubs and subscribed to 2 print magazines. I looked at mountains of pictures, and just soaked it all up.
In the 70s, when I was learning the basics of photography unfortunately, all I had available was YouTube and copies of Razzle.
I’m mistaken. Razzle wasn’t available in the 1970s.
Guess work with a VERY old camera. Then I upgraded to a Zenit E which had instructions. I also subscribed to the TimeLife Photography series of books. which were a great help. But mostly trial and error.How did you learn photography ?
How did you learn photography ?
Probably after learning the basics to the extent that the person is getting consistently reasonable (or hopefully good!) results and understands why, a fully manual film camera may be a good way to improve, but I believe an entry or intermediate level DSLR would be the best tool for a beginner (with good quality second-hand cameras around there's no need to spend a fortune on a basic, but expandable, set-up either). This is because they can see their results immediately, not wait a few days to see them (and have to pay for the privilege!) as with film; by which time they may well have forgotten what settings they'd used, what the lighting was like, etc.I started with a fully manual film camera , my opinion is that's the way to learn photography
Weird that, because that’s how I learned...I started with a fully manual film camera , my opinion is that's the way to learn photography
and what a waste of time and money compared to how quickly people can learn today. Fully manual cameras force you into concentrating on the mechanical process - isn’t it much more rewarding to concentrate on the creative process?I bought a cheap camera and burned through hundreds of rolls of film, read magazines and books and it started to make sense, shot the odd wedding, bought a medium format camera, did a night school course - started to join the dots better, started learning how to light.
I started learning much better when I discovered the internet 20 years after I discovered photography.
Well that leaves the field pretty well open, then. But I'm all for being non-prescriptive. The best way to learn might be to just - follow your own path. A mentor or two wouldn't hurt along the way, but these days more than ever the info's out there.A mixture of Books / Youtube / Forums / Practice.
Or you could pay for a course or workshop.
Beginner BEST WAY TO LEARN PHOTOGRAPHY ?
Yes but somehow the understanding of basic stuff often needed to create an image seems to elude some newcommers. I was amazed how many in my photoclub was obsessed with the numbers in cases where they dont matter, then not paying attention when they did. Then I cant help being stubbon and "forget" my settings just to make the point they mostly dont matter, And when they do they are case specific.Weird that, because that’s how I learned...
and what a waste of time and money compared to how quickly people can learn today. Fully manual cameras force you into concentrating on the mechanical process - isn’t it much more rewarding to concentrate on the creative process?
Well if you dont have an interaction with someone comunication whats working and whats not simply taking pictures wont teach you much. Its the process of figuring out how to do better next time, what to change to make i work thatl teach you. you can do it on your own if you know what to aim for but mostly the tips, Ideas and knowlegde others give you make it easier and faster.Take pictures..
It really is that simple
Well if you dont have an interaction with someone comunication whats working and whats not simply taking pictures wont teach you much. Its the process of figuring out how to do better next time, what to change to make i work thatl teach you. you can do it on your own if you know what to aim for but mostly the tips, Ideas and knowlegde others give you make it easier and faster.
Well yeah I am thickheaded. I spend a lot of my first years not learning and not understanding why my images was crap.I didn't say they shouldn't look at the pictures to see whats wrong.. make changes then retake.. I wasnt suggesting they just took pictures and did nothing if they are bad... I was merely simplyfying the best bit of advice i ever got..It's done well for me and many others...
So heres the extended version... By far the best way to learn photography is to take pictures.. then take more pictures.. then take more pictures.. and when your done? Take more pictures and more pictures.. Taking picturs and learnign from your mistakes will teach you more than any other method.....
For the picky and argumentative amongst you I will of course have to add ... "IMHO"
I think most people got it... but for @soeren and anyone else who didn't
Well that leaves the field pretty well open, then. But I'm all for being non-prescriptive. The best way to learn might be to just - follow your own path. A mentor or two wouldn't hurt along the way, but these days more than ever the info's out there.
Technique's one thing though and vision's another. Look at lots of photos and learn to self-crit. Review everything all the time. Unless you just want to take snaps - but neither is it necessary to get hung up on being conceptual. Think about feeling, if that's not an impossible oxymoron.
How I learnt (I wouldn’t recommend)
Got the bug at junior school when a teacher picked a handful of us to have a go with his camera and a play in the darkroom. But there wasn’t enough money for me to take it up when I was young.
FF to me earning my own money, I bought a cheap camera and burned through hundreds of rolls of film, read magazines and books and it started to make sense, shot the odd wedding, bought a medium format camera, did a night school course - started to join the dots better, started learning how to light.
I started learning much better when I discovered the internet 20 years after I discovered photography.
The joy of the internet is that there’s tons of info out there, the downside is that there’s tons of stuff out there thats utter s***e.
It’s easy when you already have a decent understanding to sort the wheat from the chaff, it’s difficult when you don’t have that baseline knowledge.
Who to listen to? Who knows