I’ve wanted to take a photography class for more than a year, but I kept putting it off. What would I do with this skill? Was it worth the money? Last month finally taught me that it’s worth investing in myself. The fact that taking photos makes me happy is reason enough to enroll in a class and practice photography. Monday was the first night of my class, which has only one other student. This makes the class more relaxed and we each get more one-on-one time with the instructor. I asked him about a thousand questions in our first session, which ran longer than scheduled. We walked around a quaint Chicago neighborhood to practice shooting, find areas of light, switch up our angles, play around with our camera settings and ask questions. Today I’m sharing what I learned and the reasons to take a photography class.
What I learned in my first class:
- It doesn’t matter what camera you have (Nikon vs. Canon vs. Sony vs. whatever). We all had different cameras in class, and they each had great features. You can take neat photographs with what you have.
- In addition to different cameras, each photographer has a unique eye and preferences. What I think looks good might not align with what you like, and that’s OK.
- I apparently have not been using my camera to its full potential. My instructor showed me how to adjust aperture on my camera in a way that is different than what I’ve been doing. I also learned to measure the white balance, something I don’t think I’ve ever done! (Maybe during photojournalism in college, but that was so long ago … )
- I learned a bit more about why I am getting some blurring with my newest lens. I’ll have to work on reducing camera shake as I practice more.
- You want to improve the quality of your blog or social media posts.
- You want to learn to use natural and/or artificial lighting.
- Your photos don’t turn out as well as you wanted, and you don’t know why.
- You want to eventually pursue it as a side or full-time hustle.
- You want to turn on auto mode and learn how to actually use your camera.
- You want to know which camera equipment to invest in.
- You think photography is fun!
The lens I am learning to use**:
