Where to Get Photography Lessons

If only we knew how to take good pictures the moment we cradle a camera in our hand. An expensive camera, all the latest accessories, a pretty scene, these are not a guarantee that your photographs will come out great. Most beginning photographers are misguided into thinking that just because their camera is top of the line, it will produce stunning shots every time they press the shutter button. Unfortunately, that is not the case. How good a photograph is mostly based on how good you are as a photographer, regardless of camera brand or model. Although, the quality of high end DSLR would be better in terms of clarity and fineness compared to a cheap point and shoot, in the end the ‘awesomeness’ of a shot depends on the person, not the gadget. How do you transform from a person who takes dull snapshots to someone who can show the extraordinariness of an ordinary object or scene? There are ways and means to learn how to take good pictures and these can be found just near you.

Attend local photography classes

There are many ways to learn photography, the most obvious being to join photography classes. Look for sessions being held in your area. Since there are so many things to understand and remember, classes are usually divided into Beginner and Advanced levels. There is bound to be a photo session in your area. Find out the registration date, the session dates, if there are restrictions to the kind of camera you’ll need to use, and do a little research on the teacher.

The great advantage of formal classes is that you will be touching base on most, if not all aspects of photography. You will have a skilled teacher who can give you constructive feedback, and classmates which share your interest. On the other hand, photography classes usually are a bit expensive, but if you are willing to shell out some cash then go for it.

Join online photo communities:

There are several photo websites which you can join for free. The learning experience can be overwhelming and your rate of improvement will increase as you challenge yourself to submit the best shots you can take since you know others will be looking and most likely commenting on your work. These sites usually have a forum or a community where members can critique each other’s shots and offer expert opinions. Photo hobbyists from all over the world would be more than glad to assist you.

Ask a friend or relative for some informal lessons:

Your passion for photography might run in the blood and your dad or aunt could have been practicing the craft long before you were born. Ask them for advice and don’t be offended if they give their honest opinion. When criticism comes from someone close to you, it is easy to personalize it especially when all you want to hear is praise. Know that they are giving you feedback because they want to help you and want you to learn what they have learned as they honed their skills, most of which are nuggets of wisdom which you probably will not find in any photography book.

Learn by doing:

‘Experience is the best teacher’, so they say. Take pictures as often as you can and practice doing different photo techniques and styles. One thing this does is it makes you more familiar with how your camera works and what it can do, as well as what its limitations are. As you become comfortable with using and playing with the camera’s settings, you can start to concentrate on experimenting with photography principles such as composition and perspective. Teach yourself to see creatively, to look at a subject and find out what you can do to present it in an interesting light.