Are you self taught or did you formal training?

are you self taught or not?

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Steve Smith

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DWThomas said:
Well I said "self taught" but yes, to me that equates to 'no formal training'.
Click to expand...

Same here. I am quite lucky in that if I see how someone does something, I can usually do it myself. This is why I do my own carpentry, building work, plumbing, central heating, electrical work, etc.

Other things I have picked up at work without formal training include CAD drawing, using our CNC router and various other machines.

I consider all of this to be self tuition even if it did involve asking other people questions.

I don't have qualifications in any of it but I'm too close to retirement to worry about that now!


Steve.
 

Sirius Glass

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Mostly self taught with lots of trial and error, research at libraries, asking questions, and now the internet ==> APUG, graflex.org, large format camera, and hasselblad.info.

Taught by coworkers at Kodak and a lesson with Per Volquartz.
 

MattKing

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I had one high school class that included photography.

Plus another two high school classes learning how to operate offset presses, including camera work in support.

Plus two night school courses that were really just a way of getting time in a darkroom.

Plus lots and lots and lots of informal education from my father, friends, co-workers, and Kodak publications.

Plus APUG .
 
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Ricus.stormfire

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I've always found it interesting that so many schools in the US (and others) have photography....that I think is a good thing. (talking schools not colleges and universities)

OK... I think I might have phrased the title a bit better, self taught should mean as in "self taught" as in NO FORMAL TRAINING,NO TEACHERS,CLASSROOMS CURRICULUMS/MODULES/WHATEVER THE TERMS IS. I am interested in how the work (and whole philosophy around photography) and what the ratio of the active members(those that responded anyway) of this forum differs from NON FORMALLY and FORMALLY trained, the "yes and no" option would include, workshops and other similar training.

As someone that not been formally trained, I sometimes I have to wonder how and what "influence" a Teacher/lecturer has/might not have on a person's photographic work... and the whole being part of a group of students....does this have an effect. I understand that if you read a book, the author is "teaching" you in some way, but just because I have read a book by say Ansel Adams or Andreas Feininger does not mean I have nearly been "tought" by them, books unlike face to face teaching/training, must impart some very different ways of approaching one's photography, IDK....

I am not saying one makes you better than the other, just trying to figure out the difference reflected in peoples work/philosophy, if any....
 
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flatulent1

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Both. When I caught the bug in the mid 80s I read every book I could find on the subject. A year or two later I had a year of photography and darkroom classes at the university, just enough to cover the basics. It's by reading this forum that I'm discovering how much I don't know about the subject.
 

eddie

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Got a BFA, in Photography from The George Washington University. It was a great experience, both technically and aesthetically. The other art classes the degree required expanded my compositional and color skills, too. Those days were waaaay before the internet, and the hours spent in the photo department, drinking coffee, and hanging out with others sharing the interest were also positive. In fact, I find the APUG experience to be very similar to those coffee days...
 

winger

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I got hooked when I did a "shutterbug" week at Girl Scout camp at about age 12 - that was the first time I developed film and saw a print show up in the developer. I took photography for my art classes in 9th grade and 12th, then for my art requirement freshman year of college ('86-'87). Nothing until about '98 when I started taking darkroom classes at the Danforth Museum School in Framingham, MA. Once I built my own darkroom in '03, I didn't take any more classes except one continuing ed one at RISD in '07. I think I had enough different instructors that I took little pieces from each. I've definitely learned a ton from shooting with other APUGgers and seeing what's posted here and at sites like LFPF and some others.
Having my own darkroom and being armed with the basics is what really let me learn the most, I think. I could work on my own and get results which taught me how to get better ones. I'm still learning...
 

Worker 11811

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I can agree with the idea that few people are totally self-taught but I see things differently.

When I think of somebody being "self-taught" I consider that the bulk of their education was self directed. They might have taken a class or had a mentor but they didn't follow a set curriculum. They took a class, followed the guidance of a teacher or mentor but the majority of their knowledge comes at their own decision, not from a prescribed course of study.

When I think of somebody being "educated" in a subject I consider that they took classes and followed a course of study laid out by, for instance, a school of photography or in a major/minor in some other curriculum.

Therefore, I would say that people like me who took some classes, had a mentor and/or learned on their own by reading or self-experience might be better described as autodidacts.

I consider myself an autodidact.

When people ask me what "autodidact" means, I tell them that an autodidact is a person who picked up a dictionary and looked up the word "autodidact."
 

ic-racer

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I have an MFA in Fine Arts, not Photography. However, my "Art" is Photography.
 

StoneNYC

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I'm self taught completely (and I mean no formal school training).

At 12 I asked my Dad to show me how to use this camera I found in the attic.

He took me to the zoo, I was having trouble shooting the lion because I didn't like the fence in the way and wanted to just see the lion. So my dad was a physicist so he explained it to me in his way, bending light around the fence so you couldn't see it (fully open aperture) and I was fascinated with how I could make the fence so blurry you couldn't see it.

Anyway I got the camera for Christmas and the rest is history, I really only had that one time, the rest I learned myself, about 3 years ago I assisted a fashion photographer once, and then again last year twice, and that's it, but that first time got me hooked on the lighting and I saw his technique and took it from there, I'm now doing fashion and lighting shots which I didn't do before.

My high school was a college prep school so no photography classes at all, so sad really, I wonder if I would have chosen to go to college for photography instead of not going because I didn't know what I wanted to do at the time, if I had had a formal class, I think that would have certainly motivated me and given more momentum.

I've been thinking lately it's time to take some classes on specifically photoshop and Lightroom a I'm mostly fumbling around in the dark with those programs...yes it's a FILM forum, but it's part of my story don't get mad.

Anyway that and I want to have access to resources that colleges provide. Contacts in the photo world so I can get my Kodachrome book published and such, things I can't do on my own, I need guidance. I never saw the value in a formal education until now, I wasn't ready, now that I am, I fear it's too late...


~Stone

The Noteworthy Ones - Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1 / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic

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Steve Smith

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Forgot to mention... I also taught myself to play guitar, banjo, ukulele and mandolin. As you can probably tell, I don't like other people telling me what I should do!


Steve.
 

kintatsu

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I put yes and no. I've never had any real training other than in 6th grade with a very basic class in school. They taught us that this is a camera, this is film, and here is how we develop it. But I have read a large amount about photography, including Ansel Adams, Scott Kelby, and so many others.

Sometimes, self directed learning is far more potent than formalized structured environments. The structure often shorts those who are either behind or ahead. With self teaching you go at your pace, and can learn in areas where you are weak.
 

TheFlyingCamera

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It's never too late to keep learning. In NY, you have some fantastic programs you can access. There's always ICP, and if you ever get the itch to learn alternative processes, there's CAP (Center for Alternative Processes, formerly known as Center For Antique And Historic Processes, CFAAHP. CAP is an improvement ). Don't forget NYU, SVA, to name a couple. I'm sure some of the community colleges have courses you could take for a less money.
 

lancekingphoto

As others have pointed out, I think "self-taught" is a bit of an oxymoron. You can't teach yourself what you don't know, but you can learn from others in a variety of ways. I've had a small amount of formal training: In high school, I took the one photography class available back in the late 80s. Most of my early work wasn't very good but I enjoyed shooting, and I especially enjoyed working in the dark room. I used to stay after school whenever I could, and spent a lot of time splashing around in chemicals.

A few years ago I took a night class at the local university titled "Advanced Photoshop". The instructor was knowledgeable and helpful, and I learned a lot in that class. In particular, I learned how to use layers, which has been enormously helpful. I still go back and periodically review the audio recordings I made. Learning PS is a lot like learning a language: if you don't practice it regularly it's easily forgotten.

Apart from those two formal bits of training, I've learned from the Web (Youtube has been especially useful), as well as books by Scott Kelby and others. And of course I've learned a good deal by taking many crappy photos.
 

Steve Smith

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lancekingphoto said:
You can't teach yourself what you don't know
Click to expand...

You can if you're the first person to do it. Then you have no choice.

I don't think the Wright brothers went to aircraft pilot school.


Steve.
 

StoneNYC

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If I had a "normal" job where I could schedule classes, I would have ... [tangent] (also I live in CT, only use the name since I'm there often and it's catchy and easy to remember and AVAILABLE, my old site name was ...

www.stoneiiiphotography.com

My new one is www.stonenyc.com

MUCH easier... (I'm blind how many 'i' s is that? ... Got that a lot before...)

Now I just need to make the site look nice instead of cheesy like it is now and I'll be all set!

[end tangent]

As I was saying... But I get my work set sporadically and ALWAYS need to be available for a call for the next day, I tried taking a single course once and missed 5 classes in a row because work fell on those days and so the professor failed me because I was being "irresponsible" by not coming to class, it was that or not have gas money to drive to school or eat... So formal education will be difficult. And work can be at all hours so not like I can take might classes or something, trust me if you suggest something I've probably thought of it before, until I change careers it's a lose/lose in photography unless I suddenly get a Jaggers (Abel) to elevate me to stardom! {Charles Dickens reference}.

Not to mention the commute to NY just for school, it finding a DECENT school in CT. lol

Thanks though.


~Stone

The Noteworthy Ones - Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1 / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic

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removed account4

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lancekingphoto said:
As others have pointed out, I think "self-taught" is a bit of an oxymoron. You can't teach yourself what you don't know, but you can learn from others in a variety of ways.
Click to expand...

not sure about that.

some of the best things in life have been learned by mistake
tinkering, and pushing oneself to do something different ...
thats how inventions and discoveries are made every day.
 

StoneNYC

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We all know that self taught is just a description of learning from trial and error as well as from other resources, all it means is you haven't gone the traditional rout of formal education, lets not be nit picky... Lets just tell our stories


~Stone

The Noteworthy Ones - Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1 / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic

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blansky

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Also don't really think the term self taught is very helpful.

I learned by trial and error, books, DVDs etc as well as over 30 seminars, workshops, classes with about 15 that were held by Professional Photographers of America in a small town in Indiana. As with almost all of them they were a week in length and taught by working photographers, most at the top of their field, who came in to teach for a week.

On top of that there are many convention programs, day long workshops and in some cases I traveled to the persons home and spent a week with them.

So this could hardly be called self taught.
 

StoneNYC

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So then click "yes and no"....


~Stone

The Noteworthy Ones - Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1 / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Vaughn

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I made my first prints in the employee recreation darkroom at the Grand Canyon (Grand Canyon Village -- South Rim). Too long ago to remember the finer details. I had the camera shop in Flagstaff develop my 120 film, bought a couple packs of paper and drove back to the Canyon. Muddled through somehow, remember laying the RC prints on the railing around the stairway to dry. Still have them 35 years later.

Back at college, I took a photo class once a year for the next 4 years, and volunteered as a darkroom assistant. I also attended a couple Friends of Photography workshops, then was a workshop assistant for them for many years. I worked for the US Forest Service for 12 seasons (~6 months each) and during the off-season volunteered again at the university as a darkroom assistant (with full access to the darkroom, of course!) I have worked the past 20 years as the darkroom tech for a university and have been giving carbon printing workshops for the past several years. No better way to learn than to teach!
 
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