The Photography Institue

[MiniFighter]

Howdy all :)

I have considered over the past few weeks of doing a photography course, not to become pro :rolleyes: but to delve deeper into my new found hobby and learn as much as i can.

The course lists i have found on the Tafe website are all located too far away from me, and after some more looking i found THIS (http://www.thephotographyinstitute.com.au/index.cfm/apg/home). I was wondering if anyone has done this course, if anyone has any feedback on it, thoughts, know the tutors etc.

Its not a great outlay, but for a hobby it is a substancial amount $1099 or $999 upfront.

Just would like some feedback before i commit to anything.

[Speedway]

I would suggest you forget lining their pockets for something you can get for free. Work your way through the new to photography section on this site, get out and take photos, post results here for cc and finally practice, practice, practice.
Keith.

[Art Vandelay]

I'm with Keith, I can't see much value from those courses, considering you can arm yourself with a few books and/or scour the net for info and be an active member on here (or similar) for feedback as you progress, all for next to nothing.

[William]

Nah ! Save your money for better glass, Just had a look at your Profile and the shots your taking , You dont need a Photography course, Do do as suggested in the above comments , Your more than half way there , Some great shots in your second post , Well done :th3:

[CHardy]

I also thought of doing that course..but the $$$ stopped me...I have spent the last week trying to read as much as possible from this website and others, plus books from the library, only to have mental burnout...lol....I forgot how to change the ISO setting on my camera...was totally blank :o. Have taken a few days "off " and will start with one project from 1 website at a time from now on.

[geoffsta]

As Above.
What I have found in this site is that apart from the NTP section, there is a wealth of knowledge in it's membership.
If you have an image that lacking just that little something. Post it in the CC section, and in the post say "I like this image, but how do I" And I bet you'll get a few responses from people in the know on how to improve it. It also helps if you add what software you are using to edit the image. That you will not only get improve the image, but also get to know a bit more about your editing software.
I do a lot of experimenting, and when I post these images it's amazing how many members add to my experience.

In summary. Post your image, ask the question, listen to the answer and apply it to your next image. You'll get a lot more than $1000 worth of lectures that way.

[reflect]

Since coming back into the photography world, I have constantly been amazed at the level of sharing of knowledges, tips and information about all things photography related. This forum and others like it, you tube and even manufacturers are producing easily followed, informative and fun tutorials. I am sure that you would gain some knowledge from the paid courses, but IMO save your money for great glass and use all the free information that is at your fingertips. Just be sure to get out and practice, practice, practice !! :th3:

[ricktas]

Get the basics down, then look for courses or workshop that suit your favoured genre. Weekend lighting workshops, wedding workshops, landscape workshops will generally give you more, than a course that is designed for beginners, most of which is available freely as the above posters explain.