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Photography courses

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  • 24-10-2020 10:13am
    #1
    Trans Ann
    Registered Users Posts: 57 ✭✭


    Where's the best place to do a part time photography course for a beginner? Also what is the best camera for a beginner to use?
    Thanks.


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    #2
    Irishphotodesk
    Registered Users Posts: 1,896 ✭✭✭Irishphotodesk


    Trans Ann wrote: »
    Where's the best place to do a part time photography course for a beginner? Also what is the best camera for a beginner to use?
    Thanks.

    it all depends on how you learn best - with covid you will be restricted to one-on-one or virtual/online learning.

    one of the best pieces of advice with respect to learning is get out and take photos.

    there are plenty of places willing to take your money and offer to teach you how to take photos, but the information is usually available online for free, if you are able to search properly and effectively (sometimes you will waste a lot of time watching useless tutorials but sometimes you will learn something new in a 30min video)

    with photography there are so many different aspects/styles and even processing images can be something to learn, what aspect of photography are you interested in ...just the basics aperture, shutter speed, ISO, framing, composition, or more advanced stuff like posing, lighting, exposure..... googling some of these words (if you don't know them) might help you learn some of the basic terms.

    with regards to cameras - very difficult to recommend a specific camera to start with, I've often told people to go into a shop and physically feel the cameras see which one feels nice in your hand, Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji, pentax etc all offer full systems with a multitude of interchangeable lenses, I personally have been using Canon for the last 20+ years, but Canon/Nikon would be considered the top because of the huge amount of lenses available, other manufacturers are competing in recent years....these days a mobile phone is very capable of capturing a good image.

    feel free to post some pics and don't be afraid to ask for advice - the people in the photography forum are often extremely helpful.


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    #3
    Trans Ann
    Registered Users Posts: 57 ✭✭Trans Ann


    Irishphotodesk wrote: »
    it all depends on how you learn best - with covid you will be restricted to one-on-one or virtual/online learning.

    one of the best pieces of advice with respect to learning is get out and take photos.

    there are plenty of places willing to take your money and offer to teach you how to take photos, but the information is usually available online for free, if you are able to search properly and effectively (sometimes you will waste a lot of time watching useless tutorials but sometimes you will learn something new in a 30min video)

    with photography there are so many different aspects/styles and even processing images can be something to learn, what aspect of photography are you interested in ...just the basics aperture, shutter speed, ISO, framing, composition, or more advanced stuff like posing, lighting, exposure..... googling some of these words (if you don't know them) might help you learn some of the basic terms.

    with regards to cameras - very difficult to recommend a specific camera to start with, I've often told people to go into a shop and physically feel the cameras see which one feels nice in your hand, Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji, pentax etc all offer full systems with a multitude of interchangeable lenses, I personally have been using Canon for the last 20+ years, but Canon/Nikon would be considered the top because of the huge amount of lenses available, other manufacturers are competing in recent years....these days a mobile phone is very capable of capturing a good image.

    feel free to post some pics and don't be afraid to ask for advice - the people in the photography forum are often extremely helpful.

    Great. Thanks very much for the information. You're right, I will check out some online tutorials and will check back in should I need any more help. Thank you.


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    #4
    SilentBee
    Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭SilentBee


    Trans Ann wrote: »
    Great. Thanks very much for the information. You're right, I will check out some online tutorials and will check back in should I need any more help. Thank you.

    Don't get overwhelmed with all the info. At some point, just go out and start taking pictures.


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    #5
    Pissarro
    Registered Users Posts: 36 ✭Pissarro


    I'm doing a course with The Photography Institute (Ireland). I'm happy with it. I study the notes and complete the assignments. I've been taking my time and bought a 6 month extension, It's a diploma course so I will have a solid qualification after two years - in my case. The videos on Youtube are a great help to supplement the notes and get straight to the point. Prior to starting with the Institute I started a short photography course locally before Covid but it got interrupted by Covid and cancelled. I deliberately bought a camera of the make that my tutor had so that he'd be familiar with the make. Hope this is of some help.



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    #6
    Lime Tree Farm
    Registered Users Posts: 2,640 ✭✭✭Lime Tree Farm


    I went to night classes at a local third level college. My point & shoot camera needed to be replaced with a DSLR for the course. I purchased the Nikon D5100, with 2 kit lenses. It is a semi-automatic, plus Manual, Aperture, Speed, and Automatic modes. The course covered the basics including film and dark room. I have since purchased a full frame Nikon FX, which I am still getting to grips with.

    My recommendations would be night classes, a Nikon DX DSLR, and a book titled "From Snap Shots to Great Shots" for whichever model of camera you purchase.



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    #7
    who_ru
    Registered Users Posts: 2,033 ✭✭✭who_ru


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058124947/photography-courses

    i recommend The School Of Photography online course, their beginner course is excellent, the course starts with the basics and builds from there, they don't try and overwhelm the learner. There are tasks sheets for each section of the course so you need to practice. Don't fall into the trap of youtube videos, it's not the best way to learn. You will need a camera in front of you when doing the course.

    https://www.theschoolofphotography.com/

    if you want to understand exposure, composition, focal length, etc it's the course to do. You will be told from the outset that from now on you will only use manual mode or semi auto mode but never full auto, which is how you understand the full potential of your camera.


    in terms of a camera there are 3 main types; full frame cameras (for professionals) mirrorless cameras and micro four thirds cameras. The difference between all these is the size of the sensor that processes the light when you take a photo, full frame cameras are physically bigger than the others and a lot more expensive. I would recommend a mirrorless camera to start with, Nikon, Canon, Sony, Fujifilm are all excellent cameras. You do not need expensive equipment to learn photography. You should also consider used cameras provided they are in very good condition, that's how i started recently.

    good luck.



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