How did you learn photography?

Al Kaplan said:
I got interested in my senior year of high school, learned from reading the magazines, asking questions at the camera stores. One guy my age that I met at the camera shop lived nearby and had a darkroom set-up in his garage.

I soon discovered that taking pictures was a great way to make money without really working, and I never did finish my first year of college.
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In our case it was not an easy way to earn money...I had assisted to my father years and I witnessed how difficult to shoot/record at weddings and ceremonies...dealing with drunk people who did not want to pay, carrying all the batteries, cables (for the video cam mostly) flash +lights, running around...People who steal the photos during sales :) But I learned a lot
 
I learned (what I have) through sheer frustration. I needed to make better pictures to satisfy myself, so I asked for advice from all of my photographer friends, looked at books, looked (and am still looking) at tons of pictures. And now, the internet.

I think I may finally be figuring out how to take decent pictures. Now I need to learn how to make decent pictures.

I have definitely figured out the technical aspects, at least from a workmanlike perspective. Up to and including film developing. Now it is down to the art. And printing. I really should get on that.

What I have been most surprised by is the lack of error in my trials in the darkroom. Probably, this is related to my education in lab techniques.
 
I went to art school and primarily was a painter.

Kinda became an art major because I liked the freaky/different girls in the art department. I had a Nikon F2A, was photo editor and darkroom manager for the student newspaper. I shot a lot and established a reputation for being a good photographer. Because I had 24 hour access to my own darkroom. I would burn though a hundred sheets of 8X10 in a weekend printing. I shot and printed a lot. Had a big reputaion.

Soon the girls came to give encouragement. I'd get solicited for nudes, and that led to other things and another reputation. The sex helped make me a better photographer LOL
 
Calzone said:
I went to art school and primarily was a painter.

Kinda became an art major because I liked the freaky/different girls in the art department. I had a Nikon F2A, was photo editor and darkroom manager for the student newspaper. I shot a lot and established a reputation for being a good photographer. Because I had 24 hour access to my own darkroom. I would burn though a hundred sheets of 8X10 in a weekend printing. I shot and printed a lot. Had a big reputaion.

Soon the girls came to give encouragement. I'd get solicited for nudes, and that led to other things and another reputation. The sex helped make me a better photographer LOL
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and when processing.....do you use a 'hardener'?
 
Damaso,

never really thought about it....

My dad started teaching me when I was 8, he gave me a agfa roll-film camera and later introduced me to the darkroom. he was a avid photographer.

My hero in highschool was a retired PJ, he forced me off the SLR and onto the school rangefinders. Then trade school for photography.

I realize that I mostly learned how to expose and process media, print etc, naturally learning lighting, art classes and portraiture... all good and have served me well. the camera payed my rent all these years so something had to be right.

20 years later, Im slowly developing a desire to go back to school, this time with the object of looking more into the art and "why" of images. Having photographed professionally roughly 25 years, I find way to much of my images to be formula based rather than inspiring. you may call them boring and uninspired, it is difficult to pay rent and get in touch with inspiration. (clearly this do not apply to all people, but I find there is a difference from producing a image and to having time to clean ones mind and really create a image.)

Soo, in my case, school did teach me photography, 25 years later I would like to learn how to create images.


Bo
 
The product of the digital age. Videos, FLickr. I have moved on to books. Wedding books and "art".
Bought a minolta 7sii after seeing chris week's video and pdf. Bought my M7 1 month ago. I think the greatest teacher I have is my M7. I see things differently now.
 
Shipped off to the ARMY and bought a 35mm to take a few snaps. When I got serious took a few courses to get some exposure (no pun intended). Afterwards mostly trial and error- with emphasis on error.
 
Watch, read, practice, a few JR college classes, library, internet, seminars, ask questions, photography club, practice, practice and more practice.

It is amazing what you can learn by reading a library book or buy your own.
 
Calzone said:
I went to art school and primarily was a painter.

Kinda became an art major because I liked the freaky/different girls in the art department. I had a Nikon F2A, was photo editor and darkroom manager for the student newspaper. I shot a lot and established a reputation for being a good photographer. Because I had 24 hour access to my own darkroom. I would burn though a hundred sheets of 8X10 in a weekend printing. I shot and printed a lot. Had a big reputaion.

Soon the girls came to give encouragement. I'd get solicited for nudes, and that led to other things and another reputation. The sex helped make me a better photographer LOL
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I went to art school to become an artist, but meeting girls was important too. Hadn't had any luck meeting girls before that, women in Indiana aren't into intellectuals or creatives. Art school girls should be, right? Hell no, they were all married! I don't just mean the older ones, I mean the ones right out of high school, 18 yrs old, like I was. All married already...Uggh! I'm 34, still single! Not that I am complaining..as I have gotten older, I've realized 99% of women are crazy (not in a good way!).
 
bo_lorentzen said:
Damaso,

never really thought about it....

My dad started teaching me when I was 8, he gave me a agfa roll-film camera and later introduced me to the darkroom. he was a avid photographer.

My hero in highschool was a retired PJ, he forced me off the SLR and onto the school rangefinders. Then trade school for photography.

I realize that I mostly learned how to expose and process media, print etc, naturally learning lighting, art classes and portraiture... all good and have served me well. the camera payed my rent all these years so something had to be right.

20 years later, Im slowly developing a desire to go back to school, this time with the object of looking more into the art and "why" of images. Having photographed professionally roughly 25 years, I find way to much of my images to be formula based rather than inspiring. you may call them boring and uninspired, it is difficult to pay rent and get in touch with inspiration. (clearly this do not apply to all people, but I find there is a difference from producing a image and to having time to clean ones mind and really create a image.)

Soo, in my case, school did teach me photography, 25 years later I would like to learn how to create images.


Bo
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Thats the problem with doing commercial photography or portraiture/weddings. You can't really be creative because you're working for a client who wants the pictures to look a certain way. Some professional photographers have said to me that they quit doing artistic/creative work because photography had become a job, and even creative personal work was still 'work'. I never felt that way, maybe because my business has never been successful. I have never gotten enough commercial work to stay busy/fully employed by it so I had more time to do creative work and it remained enjoyable. I make a lot more money doing web design than commercial photography.
 
Acquired the gear acquisition syndrome early on after getting a DSLR a couple of years ago. Each camera taught me something different in addition to all the reading (books and internet) and practice.
 
initially, just by shooting old broken cameras I found in the trash and fixed... then art school... then really learned by myself. The internet was a really good resource though.
 
I started off with a Smena Symbol my dad gave me for my 7th birthday. My dad was an avid enthusiast at anything for at least a few weeks at a time. Then his mind wandered (still does). I bought my first camera, an MTL3, in the early eighties and read a bunch of books, most notably the Encyclopedia of Photography by Michael Busselle. Learnt a smidgen of darkroom with the photo club at college. Then the interest went into a hiatus and resurfaced a few years ago, this time as a digital convert. These days I scour the net, magazines and more to try and catch up. There is more to be learnt, there always is.
 
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