Course and life advice!!

[fidsey79]

I could really do with some advice here. I really want to take my photography further but feel that I need extra help. I really enjoying taking portraits of children and would love to learn how to do it properly. I am looking into a lot of options and just need a sounding board.

I have just finished my City and Guilds Level 2. I was going to do Level 3 but our local colleges only does a choice of one topic of landscape or studio - and neither college has any form of studio setting. As it is limited and quite expensive for what it is (£250) I am not sure about this route.

Another option includes doing a more full-on BTEC level 3 at Hull College, but this is largely art background. Whilst they do have 3 studio settings, I am not so sure that I want to follow the art and design route as it is not 100% directly linked to what I enjoy doing. It is also v expensive £850.

I could go on day training courses, for example Aspire, but not sure whether I need to learn more fundamental basics before joining one of those.

I could follow internet training and / or join an internet training provider (phototraining4u) and learn at my own rate.

Well done if you have read this far. I have really got myself into a pickle through this and it is constantly on my mind. Any advice would be wonderfully received, otherwise I may have to hit the bottle!!

 

[Simon photo]

Are we talking part time or full time?
I recently completed my btec level 3 part time and it was a fraction of the cost, it ran a theme of location that we had to adhere to but that can be translated into pretty much anywhere you shoot.
Our lecturer was very influential, to me anyway and helped convince me to shoot film seriously, not just for the novelty of it.
But like anything, practice in your chosen field is worth a thousand college courses and speaking from experience of being a heavy goods fitter, and currently a head chef. I have learned more on the job than in college.
That's not to say education in chosen fields is a waste of time, its good to have a foundation.

 

[fidsey79]

Are we talking part time or full time?
I recently completed my btec level 3 part time and it was a fraction of the cost, it ran a theme of location that we had to adhere to but that can be translated into pretty much anywhere you shoot.
Our lecturer was very influential, to me anyway and helped convince me to shoot film seriously, not just for the novelty of it.
But like anything, practice in your chosen field is worth a thousand college courses and speaking from experience of being a heavy goods fitter, and currently a head chef. I have learned more on the job than in college.
That's not to say education in chosen fields is a waste of time, its good to have a foundation.

It's a part-time course, 4 hours a week. I think it is quite intensive. There are about 4 main topics to cover in the year. Where did you study?

 

[Simon photo]

I studied it in swansea, at gower college. Was two hours once a week over the course of a year, culminating in a completed visual diary, 6 finished prints and two prints from those six displayed in an exhibit.
The exhibit is a great way to finish the course i think as it gets your work to an audience and gives you some focus for the end of the year.
I considered enrolling in the a s level course but with personal projects stacking up and my list of wants getting longer i decided against it.