Sunday, December 5, 2010

5 Things I learned.

I came into this class having already read start up books on photography, watching intro DVD's that came with my camera when i boughtit, and I frequently photography magazines. So it was a little frustrating for me to start from the begining. I know as a teacher it has to be frustrating when kids come into the class with a point and shoot and not know what shutter speed is. I did benefit alot from this class, but it wasn't from the book ( i did try to read it but couldn't handle it). Where i benifited was when i met with you after class and got to bring up and discuss photography on a higher level then "this is what a DSLR is".

Learning how to clean sensors, and blow the dust out of the camera is something valuable that i learned. Watching someone do it is a lot better then reading about it in a book. Then the trick you showed us on how to inspect the senor by taking a picture of the sky and zooming in, is a technique i will remember and use.

My favorite thing i learned this year was how to create a HDR photo. I did alot almost too much of this, but i will walk away with the skill of being able to capture a landscape and make it look amazing with out making it look too fake. I love this kind of photography and i would not have learned it if i did not take this class.

Learning how to use photoshop is also something that is going to help me later on. I know i spend most of class working on my sisters senior pictures, but i feel like that is more challenging then putting a squirrel on the empire state building like others did. I think mastery of the software is messing with someones face on photoshop and not making it look fake. If you can do that, then you are ready to cut a piece of grass off of a bison.

Being exposed to the different type of lens out there was helpful too. I now have a better idea of what i want to get when i get some money to put in it. A nice telephoto is on that wish list for sure. this class did do a good job of teaching me what my camera does not have such as exposure bracketing.  I will be better prepaired to buy that stuff when the time comes now.

I learned alot about ethics in photography. You did a good job of disscussing both sides and you did not come across as if you were trying to tell us what is right and what is wrong. talking about the photographers who fake their pics or who shoot at zoo's does kind of make you ask the question if what they are doing is right and if it should be able to compete against a photographer who sits in a swamp getting malaria for six months.

I did enjoy this class, at the same time it was frustrating for me. I think there should be an upper level photography class that sets some limits on what kind of camera you have (no point and shoots), and if you have already taken the intro to photography course. I am aware that I did not complete all the journal entries. I did try, but I decided my other classes were more important then writing 5 paragraphs on each chapter. that seems like a little much, and that book was pretty much stating stuff that i already knew because i did take the intro class, i have read intro books, and watched intro DVD's on photography. I know that is a terrible attitude to have as a student. I am human, and my limited attention span does get the best of me. I feel like even though i didn't buy the book i took more away from this class then a majority of the class. Looking at some of the kids final pictures kind of made me wonder if they knew their camera had a mode other then auto. For example  pictures of the sky during the day with ISO numbers in the thousands?  What i did learn will stick with me, and i will use it forever. All in all i did like this class, i just felt like it would have been better if it had some prerequisites and if there was no book.
 

1 comment:

  1. "I did enjoy this class, at the same time it was frustrating for me. I think there should be an upper level photography class that sets some limits on what kind of camera you have (no point and shoots), and if you have already taken the intro to photography course."

    Amen, and in time there will be, I hope.
    There is always my spring ART347 that has a prerequisite of ART247/ART243, and all but requires a DSLR.

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