Photography Classes in NYC

Photography seems like the type of thing that you can just start doing on your own? After all, you buy a digital camera, point, click, shoot and upload the photo to Facebook, and you're done, right? Most who have delved a bit into photography in New York know that there's much more to it than that. While digital photography has certainly made it much easier, photography is still an art form (and of course some of the best photography can only be done without a digital camera). Here are some great reasons to take a photography class in New York today:

1. TO LEARN WHAT GOOD PHOTOGRAPHY IS
Many photographers independently determine their own aesthetic standards when starting out, but a photography class can teach the various elements of a photograph and how to examine it. Once versed in the basics of what composes a photograph, you then gain the ability to judge photography using your own aesthetic preference against those proposed by classical photography standards.

2. TO ADVANCE BEYOND THE BASICS
Basic photography may be easy to execute, but a photography class can teach you the many nuances that allow you much more control over the final image created. Anyone that has ever tried to take a picture of a friend and instead found only a shadow darkened by the sun knows that even simple elements like lighting have a huge impact on photographs.

3. TO LEARN A NEW STYLE OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Most photographers can consider themselves skilled in only one form of photography, and a photography class can help broaden these horizons, to help them discover new forms, styles and methods. Even as you continue advancing your abilities within a given style of photography, it's often worth expanding your horizons, as new styles can help you improve your methods and 'eye' when it comes to the style you favor

4. TO MEET OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS
Photography can be a solitary art, but often, advancing your abilities within a community can put your work into a conversation with other work that can both challenge it and advance it. Not only that, but working together with others within a photography class can increase the amount of dedication and passion that you have in your art, especially in a community like New York City.

Many people wonder what kinds of NY Photography classes are even available - most don't quite know which one is right for them, since photography is the type of thing that most people start out teaching themselves - you just point, click and shoot, right/ Below, I've listed some NYC photography courses, in an effort to make you familiar with what's out there.

1. INTRODUCTORY PHOTOGRAPHY CLASSES
Typically the introductory classes will train you on all the basic photography techniques and process. What exactly does this mean? It includes everything from the basic buttons and settings on your camera to aspects of the setting you create/manipulate like lighting. It includes aspects of photography like exposure control, photo-composition, as well as film, optics and flash.

2. DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY CLASSES
Many people nowadays use their trusty digital cameras, and so of course, New York City offers photography courses that cater to these digital natives! Cameras get more and more complex each day, so of course, digital photography classes in NY will include the details of how exactly to wield the complex device, but they don' t stop there. Many of them teach you the numerous digital tools you can use once you've taken the shot you wanted - these classes teach Adobe Photoshop among many other digital photography alteration programs.

3. FILM PHOTOGRAPHY CLASSES
Ah, a return to the more classical form of photography - shooting and developing film! Film photography classes can sometimes be a little more costly because of the cost of film, darkroom time, etc. but definitely set photographers apart once they've developed the skill sets. Film photography classes typically include the basics about maintaining a traditional camera, and then spend a significant portion of the class covering darkroom and film development, which in film photography is where every artists unique skill comes out.

4. DARKROOM LESSONS
Many photography schools in New York offer darkroom classes, which quite clearly focus in on one element of the film photography process - the darkroom. Darkroom development can be very frustrating yet many film photographers site it as their favorite part of the experience - the part that truly makes their photography come to life. Darkroom classes typically teach printing for photos of different sizes, processing techniques, contrast control, and many other key elements of executing in the darkroom.

5. STUDIO AND LIGHTING CLASSES
Studio and lighting lessons are for those doing professional photography indoors, and as part of manipulated scenes. These could include product displays, modeling, magazine spreads, etc - the bottom line is to learn how to control exactly how the image will appear before you've even picked up the camera. Learn key elements like flash-meter and lighting ratios, portraiture lighting, and exposure control. These are definitely a must for anyone seeking photography classes in New York City that wishes to turn their photography into a bankable skill.

6. PORTRAITURE LESSONS
Another key skill for professional photographers, portraiture classes teach the basics of photographing people in a way that makes a statement about who they are. Many classes will cover subjects like the history of portraiture (helps to understand the present!), composition, and internal and external portraiture.

NOTE: As mentioned above, there's a new website called CourseHorse being launched that seems like it'll offer a great way to find photography classes in NYC - might be worth giving a try!

1.Googling works, but not that well
This of course is the first instinct of anyone that's ever succeeded searching for anything online, but still, it's worth a mention, even if the results that Google brings up aren't that great. Googling photography classes in New York City will certainly bring up the websites of several providers of these types of classes in New York, but then you still of course have to go to each website, figure out if they have a class you want to take, if it meets your schedule, and if it's happening near you - not to mention the price! Yes, this is the big limitation of Google - you get websites, not photography classes! Still, it's not a bad place to start!

2. Craigslist is of course an option - sort of...
Craigslist is a place where people post photography classes, and so you can search Craislist photography lessons for one that fits your needs. This of course isn't very different from Google, except maybe that you have a be a little bit more careful about who you trust on Craigslist - you definitely don't want the NYU student trying to make a little extra cash to sell you a photography class for $200. Still, it often has a decent smattering of NYC photography classes, so check it out!

3. Check in with your local camera / film retailers
Specialty photograph equipment stores always have the lowdown on the best photography classes in New York City. First of course you have to find the specialty store, and prove to them that you're worth the time, but once you get to know them, they are a veritable mine about information regarding Manhattan's photography classes.