U.K photo home study courses

Hello all,

As a newcomer to photography I am trying to find a home study course in the U.K to develop my skills.

After signing up for a city and guilds course with ICS (International Correspondence Schools) which then turned out to be no longer accredited, I am understandably dubious of some of the other courses advertised in photo magazines.

Could anyone who has completed a home study course give me any recommendations or advice.
Thanks,
Chris Wilson

chris wilson said:

Could anyone who has completed a home study course give me any
recommendations or advice.

Click to expand...

I'll admit right off the bat that I have never taken a home study course in anything. I wonder how much you could get from a home study course in Photography. That would be like taking a home study course in water colors. Without direct interaction between you and the teacher or even without a teacher, how much could you learn?

Maybe there is some aspect of photography that you feel you are weak in and you want to explore that area, like the technical aspects of cameras, f-stops, lenses and DOF. I think you could learn about those things, but I don't think you could really learn more about shoot good pictures without someone to tell you if you are doing it or not.

I just think it would be difficult to do what you are trying to do. You might save some money and order a book on photography.

Thank you Serra for your reply.

What I am trying to find is a course that will teach me more about the technical aspects of photography but also one which will allow me to submit my photo's for review from a qualified tutor.

As i mentioned in my original post I had paid for a course accredited by City and Guilds, which in the U.K is a recognised examining body.

Unfortunately I work full time and in shifts so I am unable to take a course at college.

Please anyone who has completed such a course or could recommend an alternative let me know.

thanks again
Chris Wilson

Well, what do you know!

I took a home study course with the British Freelance Photographer Bureau prior to my taking up full time photography.

In deference to the last reply, I was devastated by the postal – Oh so long ago??? – but the postal replies, I was a lame duck, I had so many things wrong that I sat and cried for ages. It was a right kick up the b* .

I’m afraid that I do not know of any off-hand but I do come across them from time to time. I’m sure there is some service or school doing just this – and with the connected world taking online classes (dammmit I was looking at one recently – sorry can’t remember) but one can take online classes and have real time assessments and live discussion – time zones permitting etc.

I think it is a great idea – as, whilst forums like this are interesting and informative they are not really the easiest for new comers to learn a broad understanding – rather a clarity on some points now and then.

Chris wilson said:

Please anyone who has completed such a course or could recommend an
alternative let me know.

thanks again
Chris Wilson

Click to expand...

Ger Bee said:

In deference to the last reply, I was devastated by the postal – Oh
so long ago??? – but the postal replies, I was a lame duck, I had
so many things wrong that I sat and cried for ages. It was a right
kick up the b* .

Click to expand...

That does seem like the way it would be. How can anyone READ a critique of their work via a postal reply and not be devastated... If I were a teach and I smiled at you and said, "This is a nice shot but it needs a little work." You might feel encouraged. If I sent you a letter and said the same thing, you might toss your camera in the bin.

In addition, it would depend on who and what your teach was. Someone who had different interest or a different type of photography style might not be able to express to you the information you need in a form that you can understand. I took a one-on-one course on studio photography from a guy who was wonderful in the studio. I learned SO much from him, but I wouldn't take word one of his advice about landscapes or technical photography, I just didn't feel he was any better than I was in those areas.

If your instructor is this letter from the post, how can you tell who or what they expect and where they have knowledge to give you?

I know this doesn't help much, I love photography and I've learn a lot about it in formal and informal training and it just seems so hopeless trying to learn without one-on-one contact.

One suggestion is to find some people with common interests and teach each other. This board is a great source of information and a few email friends might be all you need to learn a great deal. The best way to learn is to shoot and have someone discuss your work with you. On the technical side, you can learn all of that from books. I wouldn't suggest posting shots and asking for open comments unless you really feel good about yourself. It is almost a death wish.

Hi Chris,

Jessops a UK photo retailer offer short courses , that you may be able to take advantage of

Here is the URL http://www.jessops.com/info/courses/

Rory Oakes

chris wilson said:

Hello all,
As a newcomer to photography I am trying to find a home study
course in the U.K to develop my skills.
After signing up for a city and guilds course with ICS
(International Correspondence Schools) which then turned out to be
no longer accredited, I am understandably dubious of some of the
other courses advertised in photo magazines.
Could anyone who has completed a home study course give me any
recommendations or advice.
Thanks,
Chris Wilson

Click to expand...

Hello and thank you to all who replied.

From the replies I have come to the conclusion that it may be better to find a local camera club that will open their doors to a digital photographer, unfortunately for me my only other attempt to find a club in my area was met by what can only be decribed as a transparency snob and was less than welcoming.

I have just this morning recieved details on the BFP course and wonder if Ger Bee or anyone would recommend it?
Cheers Chris

Chris wilson said:

I have just this morning recieved details on the BFP course and
wonder if Ger Bee or anyone would recommend it?
Cheers Chris

Click to expand...

I'm not up to date with the course - I'm sure it has moved on since I did it but the basic principals should be the same - it also depends on what it costs now, I thought it expensive enough and a wee tad dated.

But as the rudiments are timeless – I do use them in my daily work and the editors I deal with can be very cutting so it prepared me, well.

There were a lot lessons and exercises and it needs dedication to see it through – if it has online access now, against the postal system which is just too slow to be poignant, then I ‘d say you will learn quite a bit from the course and as the ad says – (or did) you should make the course fees back in sales – well that much worked for me.

I've just looked at the BFP website and the home study courses look like mine did.

Today I'd not recommend this - assuming it is the same thing.

They seem to be talking "The Course is presented in two handsome volumes containing 18 lessons with assignments which you complete and send in to your own personal tutor." That sounds soooo familiar.

This is fine but today I'd expect CD and online assessments and assignments and file transfers -- if they are not doing this then the course, financially, cannot be worth too much in enrolment fees – which they are not saying how much.

If they are the same handsome volumes that I got then you would not be impressed today in the least – I did my course close on 20 years ago and started freelancing before it ended – I actually never finished it.

chris wilson said:

Hello all,
As a newcomer to photography I am trying to find a home study
course in the U.K to develop my skills.

Click to expand...

Hi Chris,

before signing up for a course, make sure the information you get is up-to-date. I had a look at a home study course a long time ago, and the material they sent me seemed to be at least 20 years old. Imagine what has changed in photography in 20 years? Such a course would be nothing else than an expensive joke.

If you look for some of the basics of photography (and especially digital photography) you might want to check out

http://www.photocourse.com/

It´s a "work in progress" page but gives a lot of information mainly on technical aspects. There´s no feedback or tutorial service (at least I haven´t found it).

Bernd

chris wilson said:

Hello and thank you to all who replied.

From the replies I have come to the conclusion that it may be
better to find a local camera club that will open their doors to a
digital photographer, unfortunately for me my only other attempt to
find a club in my area was met by what can only be decribed as a
transparency snob and was less than welcoming.

Click to expand...

Ouch. That's unpleasant.

Maybe if you look around a bit and see if there's another club that is more flexible? I joined one that mentioned scanners and websites in the blurb, with suggestions that even traditional photographers will probably find a need to investigate digital media in the future. It turned out that the instructor had a very simple digital camera that he used for "taking notes" and the pre-framing of shots, but since I joined, others have bought digital cameras too, and there's lively discussion of the various things that such cameras can (and can't) do.

(I'm learning a lot from the club, but the downside is, this is in Japan and the instructor seems reluctant to comment on my work because he says my view of the world is so different....)

Chris wilson said:

I have just this morning recieved details on the BFP course and
wonder if Ger Bee or anyone would recommend it?
Cheers Chris

Click to expand...

chris wilson said:

Hello all,
As a newcomer to photography I am trying to find a home study
course in the U.K to develop my skills.
After signing up for a city and guilds course with ICS
(International Correspondence Schools) which then turned out to be
no longer accredited, I am understandably dubious of some of the
other courses advertised in photo magazines.
Could anyone who has completed a home study course give me any
recommendations or advice.
Thanks,
Chris Wilson

Click to expand...

Hi Chris,

This is Bad News / So-So News type of reply.

Bad News: I live in Vancouver, Canada so I know of no Photographic
courses in the UK.

So-So News Advice: Go to your local Camera shop where you
bought your (digital)(?) camera and the
salespeople there should know of and maybe
have taken some courses similiar to ones that you trying to find.

If that doesn't work, then you'll will have to do what most other
photogs have done......go out and shoot lots of pictures, make lots
of mistakes and learn from those mistakes.

Also, you might want to put this post in the Pro Digital forum or
try the same post at: http://www.robgalbraith.com

Hope this helps and good luck.

Cameras & Cocktails....(from the Been There Done That Bar & Grill)

JRS

log said:

Maybe if you look around a bit and see if there's another club that
is more flexible? I joined one that mentioned scanners and websites
in the blurb, with suggestions that even traditional photographers
will probably find a need to investigate digital media in the
future. It turned out that the instructor had a very simple digital
camera that he used for "taking notes" and the pre-framing of
shots, but since I joined, others have bought digital cameras too,
and there's lively discussion of the various things that such
cameras can (and can't) do.

Click to expand...

IMO, this is the perfect way to learn hobby photography. You get to take pictures and have them reviewed by your peers as well as letting them teach you what they can. As long as there isn't a huge ego problem, I think that this is a very good method.

log said:

(I'm learning a lot from the club, but the downside is, this is in
Japan and the instructor seems reluctant to comment on my work
because he says my view of the world is so different....)

Click to expand...

The Japanese are a strange bunch of people as a whole. I mean Japan is a great place and the Japanese are very nice generally, but they do have their strange ways. There are just so many factors that would prevent an instructor from commenting that have very little to do with photography. Personally, I don't think I could ever hope to fully understand the Japanese. You know what, I worked as a photographer in Japan for 3 and a half years and I can't remember even once a Japanese person actually giving comments on one of my photographs. I think one time we were doing an enlargement of a five inch negative and making a 6 foot long print, one of the Japanese we worked with walked in and said. "Oh, that is bigu". Does that count?

Serra said:

MagicAngel said:

(I'm learning a lot from the club, but the downside is, this is in
Japan and the instructor seems reluctant to comment on my work
because he says my view of the world is so different....)

Click to expand...

The Japanese are a strange bunch of people as a whole. I mean
Japan is a great place and the Japanese are very nice generally,
but they do have their strange ways.

Click to expand...

And I'm sure you could find a Japanese person who would make a similar comment about "The English" or "The Americans" after a superficial exposure to them, so don't worry about it.

MagicAngel said:

There are just so many
factors that would prevent an instructor from commenting that have
very little to do with photography. Personally, I don't think I
could ever hope to fully understand the Japanese. You know what,
I worked as a photographer in Japan for 3 and a half years and I
can't remember even once a Japanese person actually giving comments
on one of my photographs.

Click to expand...

That's strange--I was getting comments right from the start. But note that I do understand the language.

MagicAngel said:

I think one time we were doing an
enlargement of a five inch negative and making a 6 foot long print,
one of the Japanese we worked with walked in and said. "Oh, that is
bigu". Does that count?

Click to expand...

It proves something, but maybe not what you intended.

Hello Chris,

I just happend to be curious and browsed around in this section of dpreview (I'm normally hanging out in Nikon Talk)... anyway enough about me. I happen to have an option for you, not from the UK, not even from Europe but through the help of the Internet your location doesn't really matter.

The name is Ben Lifson, a teacher, write and photographer, critic etc etc. He is holding personal courses, i.e. they are adapted after your needs and not you together with 20 other people. That means he'll put alot of effort into talking to you personally. The communication is through emails and through some type of message program (MSN for instance) so that you can save all communication in logs for later studies.

I've been lucky enough to have a few talks with him and I must say it's been very rewarding. Not only is Lifson skilled but he's aslo a very nice person to talk to.

Anyway, enough talk, this where you find him: http://www.benlifson.com/ or through his email: [email protected] I think you will find him very interesting and his way of teaching very rewarding.

You can tell him I sent you.

Regards and good luck!

Petra

chris wilson said:

Hello all,
As a newcomer to photography I am trying to find a home study
course in the U.K to develop my skills.
After signing up for a city and guilds course with ICS
(International Correspondence Schools) which then turned out to be
no longer accredited, I am understandably dubious of some of the
other courses advertised in photo magazines.
Could anyone who has completed a home study course give me any
recommendations or advice.
Thanks,
Chris Wilson

Click to expand...