Learning photography  

Test of Time photography provide photography education for photographers of all skill levels. Digital photography is complex technology and photography is a sophisticated communication medium. Our method of teaching photography is to build the student photographer's skills so they can achieve creative control over thier photography.

Digital cameras are remarkable technology and they have an amazing capability to take pictures fairly easily. For the majority of snap shooters leaving every control on automatic and hoping they get the shot is enough to satisfy them.  

The photographer that is considering attending a digital photography workshop may not be satisfied with that limited approach.  They recognize the creative potential of digital photography but are not sure on how to approach the complex subject. 

Their question is “How do you learn digital photography? 

Photography is complex and nuanced and in my opinion a remarkably satisfying pursuit. Photography and more specifically the process of creating photographic images is a subject that merits study.  For new photographers and those who are new to digital photography the sheer volume of information makes it hard to decide where to start.  The number and types of photographic subjects and techniques is infinite and add to the complexity of choices.  

My photography career has been a thirty plus years continuous learning experience so I speak from experience and appreciation for the task at hand. To become a photographer that is capable of creating consistently good photographs requires effort. My passion for image making and my experiences in a lifetime of photography has made that effort so very worthwhile. 

To learn to be a photographer you have to have equal shares of desire and commitment. Despite being a complex pursuit, photography is a learnable craft.  

One of the best and first teaching tools available is the photography of others. We are surrounded by imagery in every aspect in our life. One of the ways to improve your photography is to learn to analyze the qualities in the photography of others. Developing your critical eye and exploring how the world can be portrayed photographically will help inform the photography you want to make. 

Find your own photographic heroes. Learn about the work and history of iconic image makers. Find the photography that inspires you, that fires up your passion for creating images. Use the photography as a reference not as something to duplicate. As you develop your technical understanding of digital photography you can begin to deconstruct the images that you view and make an analysis of the photographic techniques employed. 

The best advice I can give to a learning photographer is simply to shoot!  The old joke about musicians,  “How to get to Carnegie Hall? – practice, practice, practice” applies to photography. SHOOT, SHOOT, SHOOT if you want to become a better photographer. The craft of photography is a discipline that has to be practiced. Invest time and creative energy on a regular basis and your photography will improve. 

The developing of your photography skills is something that can be developed over time.  I your expectation as a beginner photographer is for some magic formula to making great photography you will be disappointed. The challenge is real but the reward, the satisfaction of being able to make the photographs you imagine, is immeasurable!