Stop buying photography courses and other crap
What was once a learning boon has become a wasteland of peddling
The advent of the internet has seen an explosion of online training and instruction in pretty much any career in existence. Everything from CD’s (early 2000’s), to streaming videos, to PDF docs and, most recently, subscription memberships. In some instances, this is a great asset as it can give novice photographers insight that might normally be years away or even insider secrets that only a few are privy to. And for a time it was heaven sent in a world that has shunned the tried and true methodology of apprenticeships.
As a photographer, I’m all for learning new techniques or seeing how a more experienced shooter accomplishes a look with some behind the scenes video or an in-person workshop. But like all good things, it has become its own worst enemy by continuing unchecked to the point of not only being useless, but detrimental to learning. At one point it was only the established and elite photographers that distributed learning materials because if you’re going to learn something, you want it to come from the best in the business. Now, every Joel Grimes and Peter Hurley wannabe is offering the best how-to guide for whatever lighting technique and over-edit that’s trending on Instagram. #mylightsetup #photoshoptodeath
On the surface, this may not seem to be such an affront to society as I’m laying out here but we must look at the bigger picture (no pun). First, as long as people buy these gimmicks, someone will keep making them and that alone should be a reason to stop supporting this racket. Think about it like this, with every decent (and I emphasize decent) photographer trying to promote everything they know about photography to try and generate a side income and/or build a following on social media what’s left to discover for yourself? Where’s the art form if all you do is Google it? Not to mention a significant drop in quality control.
The same can be said for presets and other assets that allow you to copy someone else’s look. Unless you’re shooting the same subject matter with the same camera settings you’re wasting your money because it won’t give you similar results. You may also be setting yourself up for failure by using another photog’s hand me down Lightroom settings or how-to video because in this industry if you don’t figure out how to do it yourself so you can deliver high-quality images every time, you’re not a professional. And it will show.
Secondly, how are you going to learn to create your own work if you keep copying others? And not just take a different photo but create your style, your approach to composition and, your unique voice artistically. Because if your goal is to ride the latest trend on social media to stardom, it’s going to be a short trip my friend.
Now I’m all for balance in the universe (Yin and Yang, Apple or PC, Jedi vs. Sith) so let’s look at some good investments for a budding shutterbug. Pro Edu and Creativelive are excellent learning platforms and provide content from industry-leading professionals. #notsponsored You can buy a la carte or spring for a membership and both allow you to download videos for offline viewing. There are other more genre-specific training platforms as well. Sue Bryce, Peter Hurley, and Felix Kunze are some standout examples. But here again, not everything available is helpful because these are businesses and they need to keep customers engaged by showing a consistent amount of updated content. Just because someone made a video doesn’t mean it’s worth watching — much less taking it to heart.
How do you know who or what is worth investing in? First, honestly ask yourself what you’re trying to accomplish and if you’ve reached an impasse. Then make sure the content meets some basic criteria.
Here’s a shortlist to help narrow the field significantly:
- Created by known photographers that have an extensive professional portfolio
- Content is professionally shot and edited with exceptional video and sound quality
- An established following has access to a website or Facebook group to ask questions and seek guidance
It’s a fairly simple list but this rules out about 95% of what’s searchable online.
The point isn’t to limit other photographer’s growth but rather to guide the industry as a whole away from the “You too can shoot like me!” mindset and instill the desire to learn and discover.
Every artist was first an amateur. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
That’s where true innovation and art comes from, the process of learning by doing, of trying and failing. Not watching and copying.
