Can you learn photography with out going to college?

April 8th, 2010 by admin

I just got a new nikon digital camera the nikon d-3000, and I have gotten very interested in photography now. This camera seems to have a lot of bells and whistles, but i don’t know what most of the features are. It looks very complicated. I am employed full-time and I don’t really have time go back to school. If I must return to school, how long will it take for me to get a certificate in photography?

You can learn photography without going to school for a certificate although there are many who believe it is the best way to learn. I personally am completely self taught in all facets of photography. Still have a long way to go but I’ve done fairly well in the past year I’ve been at it.

To start with your learning take some to read the manual first. Play around with settings, see what each thing does. Experiment and don’t be afraid of crappy pics at first. It’s expected. Consider visiting sites like Digital Photography School to study up on composition, exposure, lighting, etc. You won’t become an instant expert or overnight professional but with some time spent studying and learning you can eventually come out with good shots.

I wish you luck. Photography is a wonderful hobby.

Posted in learn photography

7 Responses

  1. KK

    You can learn photography without going to school for a certificate although there are many who believe it is the best way to learn. I personally am completely self taught in all facets of photography. Still have a long way to go but I’ve done fairly well in the past year I’ve been at it.

    To start with your learning take some to read the manual first. Play around with settings, see what each thing does. Experiment and don’t be afraid of crappy pics at first. It’s expected. Consider visiting sites like Digital Photography School to study up on composition, exposure, lighting, etc. You won’t become an instant expert or overnight professional but with some time spent studying and learning you can eventually come out with good shots.

    I wish you luck. Photography is a wonderful hobby.
    References :
    Experience. You can view my work here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimberlya416

  2. Gohaleg

    I like the excitement of learning by myself and doing my thing; gather some friends and discuss ideas, surf the web and learn at my pace…
    References :

  3. Teri

    No, you don’t have to go to any school to learn photography. It just gives you a more in-depth education on the subject. I’m totally self-taught. Start by learning your camera’s manual, page by page. It will teach you every feature of the camera and how to use them. Then you can look for online tutorials, or read photo books and magazines. Learn how to use your aperture, shutter and ISO to their fullest. Learn about light and composition. Learn about using a camera’s flash, including off-camera flash. Look at lot of photographs from others, and learn from their styles. Look at other art and see if you can emulate some of their styles too.

    Hey, even if you never quite get to the level of the pros, you can still enjoy photography as a hobby. I believe the enjoyment is the most important part of it anyway.
    References :

  4. φως (fos)

    short answer: yes we can

    forget the bells and whistles, learn to control the camera fully manually, learn composition and lighting,

    no you dont need to goto school, you could do a one night a week course at a community college, you will learn and have people to ask things and show you stuff and might meet a few grovy folks also

    try these sites for tutorials and stuff:

    youtube.com
    diyphotography.com
    References :
    i did goto school, i dont insist on it unless the person is on fire with a passion for image making and in a real hurry to learn

  5. Mj

    You have a lot of good answers here. I especially appreciate the encouragement from KK. I’m suprised to learn that she has only been at it for a year because she has a lot of nice photos. Here are some links that I have collected that may help you with your self education. A couple of them you already have.

    http://digital-photography-school.com/
    http://www.diyphotography.net/
    http://www.schoolofphotography.com/
    http://www.studiolighting.net/
    http://www.diyphotography.net/tutorials?page=2
    http://www.photography101.org/
    http://digital-photography-school.com/digital-photography-tips-for-beginners
    http://photoinf.com/General/Robert_Berdan/Composition_and_the_Elements_of_Visual_Design.htm
    http://www.illustratedphotography.com/photography-tips/basic+
    References :

  6. LionessRepublic

    no. that’s like asking if you need to go to culinary school to cook!
    Learn the "basics".
    That’s what I always say.
    Why? because as you start with these, you’ll move on to more complicated features = better understanding of your camera.
    Good luck.
    References :

  7. Jeffrey

    You don’t have to go to college full time to learn photography. It could be self taught/ online taught. If there is a community college near where you live, you can take up part time classes.
    References :

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