New Member

[nuteck]

Hi Everyone,

My name is Simon and I am based in the UK.
I came across Proud Photography via another of my web sites and I am keen to know what people think of this online course.

I am an established photographer who wants to brush up on skills and further enhance my photogrsaphy techniques.

The course does not seem to cover much digital photography, more conventional I would say, and is there any software coverage, say Photoshop for example.

All your feedback appreciated.

[laura]

Hi Simon. Welcome to the forum.
I'm only on lesson 5 of the course, so I cannot say what comes after that but the course is back to basics of photography for beginners, which I believe most of us are. I personally see it as a starting point from which I can build on whether it be additonal courses or books or the many many pages on the internet.
There are many people here who have completed more of the course (if not all) who have a lot more experience than me who wil be able to answer your questions I'm sure.
Looking forward to seeing some of your work.

[reval8r]

Hi Simon,
I'm currently finishing the PP course. I feel that what you get from this course for the cost is an exceptional value. It’s pretty much geared to beginners and those that want to learn how to make consistently good images. It’s not a replacement for a college degree in photography, but if you want to take better pictures it’s a great place to start. I started the course more advanced than most here, and I still learned a few things. The critique for the instructors is very helpful.

Bottom line, if you want to learn to take better photos and spend less than $100 there’s not a better way to do it than taking the PP online course.

[nuteck]

Thanks to Laura and Larry for your input.
A question to both; would you say that you can comfortably get to gripos with the course by completing it online?
Lets say, rather than sitting down at a desk and writing your studies that way.
I always think that online courses can be distracting sometimes, maybe its just me.

[laura]

I cannot answer for any one else, but I did worry about that when I first found the course, but I still make notes while I'm reading the lessons and use other websites and books, like I would if I went to college to take lessons.

My own personal issue is not having a set deadline to submit work, only because I tend to work better under some pressure, knowing that I have to do it or else I fail!!! (Admin: this is not a suggestion!!)

However not everyone works that way, some people have the discipline that maybe I don't.

I do feel that I would benefit from "classrom learning" but I think this forum and the feedback we get from the tutors helps fill that gap.

As I said before I see this course as my first step, and I will continue learning whether it be from more on line courses or in a classroom.

[coffee]

Mu opinion may differ a little given you situation. I finished the course a few weeks ago and it help me a lot because I wanted the basics.

If you are an established Photographer and want new techniques, I don't think this course will provide it. This is more a basic course. So if you already have the basics, and are established, it may only provide what you already know. But if you want a brushup on the basics, then it's a great value.

[jerryph]

The course is indeed setup for beginners, and is a good one. The input from the instructors is timely, pertinent and honest. It is also not setup to take the place of an accredited college or university. The price is also not as astronomically high as these places will charge as well.

As far as being dstracting if done online, well to this I say... each person is different and the final deciding factor is not the media or form of delivery, but the dicipline level of the student. I do a LOT of constant and advanced learning in my chosen profession, and the form makes little difference to me be it online, book or classroom driven. The end result and benefits are decided by the student and their dedication to the topic, not the form of delivery.

Ultimately, though, like learning to drive or swim, photography is best learned while performing the act instead of watching someone else do it for you or reading about it in a book or slideshow. One can learn the basics from a book, but one can never learn to be an accomplished photographer no matter HOW many books one reads or how many courses one takes.

As far as course content, there is no indepth material on post processing though the vast majority (95% or more) is directly applicable to digital photography. There are MANY alternative solutions to learn about post processing and more... places to learn this that are specific to your software of choice, so i the end, this is not something that should be an issue. It is just not covered in this course, though.

If you can honestly evaluate your skill levels and are anything above an "advanced beginner", this course may not be the best choice for you to go more than beyond the basics. However, as suggested, even if you are at a more advanced level, but are looking for a way to brush-up... this course is well worth the price of admission.