Share your etiquette advice for my situation

Fenster

I am currently attending a course where I find myself in a situation where I provably know more than the teacher. He shoots film and admittedly never uses it personally except to composite images (badly; take an element of photo A and put it into photo . I've used it day-in, day-out for a couple of years. He is teaching Adobe Photoshop 6 instead of (the available) CS4 because that is his personal familiarity.

I'm nowhere near the level of expert or master, but I do have a good handle on Photoshop.

My problem arises with his methods in certain areas that I feel lends to bad habits, things such as it being okay to work destructively on images rather than using layers. I think it is a small, easy thing to teach. Instead of going to Image-> Adjustments you should go to Layer-> New Adjustment Layer.

Do I sit down, shut up and mentally switch off for the next nine weeks or at some point do I stand up and say something to him? Quietly offer my advice at some stage?

nilhg

Is the rest of the course worth what you're paying? If it is I think you'll just have to sit this bit out, if not I'd be looking for a refund.

jpb1974

Sounds like you've signed up for the wrong course.

It might be disruptive for other students to start questioning everything... the students who know SFA will just end up confused.

I'd pack your bags and head for the hills... hopefully with a refund for the remaining classes.

DaireQuinlan

Yeah if you're paying for it I wouldn't take it sitting down. If it's just part of a larger curriculum I'd just quietly sit out the classes. I'd definitely have a word with whoever is responsible for coordinating the classes as to the suitability of their tutors.

Fenster

Eh, FAS sent me to it, so it is totally free. And getting out to meet new and like-minded people is always enjoyable. Plus any bit of paper I can hold up is good.

jpb1974

Eh, FAS sent me to it, so it is totally free. And getting out to meet new and like-minded people is always enjoyable. Plus any bit of paper I can hold up is good.

Grin and bear it so...

DaireQuinlan

jpb1974 wrote: »

Grin and bear it so...

... and quietly offer advanced photoshop courses to people in the class on the sly*


*Although on second thoughts, trying to sell services to a class full on unemployed people doesn't sound like much of a business model ...

PCPhoto

I was gonna ask where the course was on and how much ...but spotted the FAS thing..... have signed up for a BASIC photoshop course, even though I use photoshop every day I just know I do things "my way" instead of the "correct" way - I'm probably damaging the images - but ALL of my work is reportage but would like to start making my workflow easier.

jpb1974

Layers are grand and simple and useful and all that... but I know lots of people that treat getting to grips with photo editing programs such as Photoshop like trying to read the bible in Double Dutch.

In fact... put a lot of people in front of a computer and they freeze up completely.

Given that it's a FAS course I doubt FAS are getting tutors with Guy Gowan like Photoshop abilities.

The tutor probably knows the basics and is keeping it as simple as possible for his own sake and some of the students.

I think you're getting what you paid for here...

ihastakephoto

punch the clock and if he's in any way interested let him see how you do it, and explain tentatively why you're using non-destructive layers adjustments.
oh be ready for the filesize increase moan that he'll come out with.

Fenster

Well I wouldn't have said anything. Then he started trying to tell me that I should be working on a single layer where possible.

jpb1974

If I were the tutor and an upstart student was questioning my techniques I'd be going to my Little Book of Photography Clichés and slapping the upstart student photography the wisest of all wise quotes:

"Photography is subjective (and so are my post processing techniques)"

ihastakephoto

in that case either
A: when alone with him (not in front of an audience) explain that you are an active photographer, with an impending solo show coming up. and show him some of your work.

or

B: chow down and take it, ignoring what he tells you when possible.

DaireQuinlan

jpb1974 wrote: »

"Photography is subjective (and so are my post processing techniques). Except for overblown HDR. That deserves a slap upside the head "

FYP

jpb1974

Except for overblown HDR. That deserves a slap upside the head

Just remember that Achtung has an L now... a ray of hope for the HDR world.

sheesh

I wouldn't mention it. If i did i would mention it in passing along the lines of 'oh i use adjustment layers for that' . it is possible that he knows about adjustment layers but figures it is confusing to beginners which it was to me when i first heard about it.

bullpost

His hands may be tied on this as he may have to follow standard course contents. Software used may also be dictated by FAS licencing arrangements. I'd have a word and ask whether he will be covering adjustment layers etc. and that gives you opportunity to put your point across.

DaireQuinlan

jpb1974 wrote: »

Just remember that Achtung has an L now... a ray of hope for the HDR world.

Or a pithy comment on the distinctions themselves.

jpb1974

Pithy

Except for overblown HDR. That deserves a slap upside the head

Ah no... just acceptance that surreal HDR images seem to be commonly accepted as a valid form of photography now so there's not much point in bashing it.

smelltheglove

I was in a similar situation when I went to do a plc after finishing school. I did computer management and skills. I had only just got my first pc weeks before starting and although I learnt my desktop publishing skills and book-keeping etc through this I also attended a computer class which covered basic microsoft office. I was shocked one day when the girl next to me opened up and her microsoft word was not full screen. She called the tutor over who assumed the pc was broken and asked her to go to the next available pc, it was then that I stood in and showed her how to maximise the window. I dont think the tutor was too happy with a 17 yr old student being more capable then her but I was gobsmacked. The end of my tether cam when another tutor lost the disc containing over 3months of project work for my desktop publishing class, although I probably could have done the work again in a matter of hours at home I had lost patience with the fact that some of the tutors not only did not seem to care but did not even have the general knowledge themselves to use the machines never mind to teach on them.

Looking back now I probably should have gone to the head and explained the various situations to ensure others received the proper education they were there for but I just threw the towel in and took up a full time job.

I would advise that if there is a superior, which I'm sure there would be, to go to them and explain that the teachings would cause very bad habits and with simple changes the course would then be up to scratch.

jspruit

If you are taking the FAS course, then maybe you could get asked to be put into the advanced course instead? It might be more up to your level?

DaireQuinlan

jpb1974 wrote: »

Ah no... just acceptance that surreal HDR images seem to be commonly accepted as a valid form of photography now so there's not much point in bashing it.

Dan Brown is commonly accepted as a valid form of literature nowadays, it doesn't make his books any less dreadful.

Fenster

jspruit wrote: »

If you are taking the FAS course, then maybe you could get asked to be put into the advanced course instead? It might be more up to your level?

This is the advanced course. I already asked.

jspruit

Fenster wrote: »

This is the advanced course. I already asked.

Oh-that is interesting. I was thinking of doing this course as I'm unemployed now and used Photoshop at work but wasn't sure if I was doing everything efficiently and in the best way. I'm not sure how much I'd benefit from this now then.

oshead

Grin and bare it. I believe you can learn off anyone, no matter what level of knowledge or ability they have. If you go in to the course with an open mind, you certainly gain something from it.

Fenster

jspruit wrote: »

Oh-that is interesting. I was thinking of doing this course as I'm unemployed now and used Photoshop at work but wasn't sure if I was doing everything efficiently and in the best way. I'm not sure how much I'd benefit from this now then.

Some elements are refreshing. Reviewing the rule of thirds gave me a new appreciation for it.

K_user

There isn't much you can do I'm afraid. Just do your time and get the slip of paper at the end.

Arguing with teacher will only p*ss you off even more and I doubt that you'll change his mind or his methods. Not to mention that if you annoy him too much it will go further, in which case the course organizers will side with him.

Grin and bare it me thinks.

rowanh

If you are unemployed it would be no harm asking who ever runs the course about teaching the class in future? Id say you could still get full or most of your dole and get paid for it, if its outside of your previous work hours then i think you can anyway.

superflyninja

oooooooooh destructive editing.that is surely the biggest photoshop no no? I wouldnt stay in the course if i were you.

Slidinginfinity

Stand up in the middle of the teachers sentence about how do it and in your best Marlon Brando in 'Apocalypse Now' voice scream, "The horror, the horror!". :D

charybdis

The guy isn't there to teach you Photoshop and you aren't there to learn Photoshop. The purpose of you being there is to get credentialed.

He doesn't need to know how to use Photoshop, he just needs to know what to say to you for you to complete the course.

This is what we get for turning our education system into a protracted cap-feathering exercise.