One of my New Year’s Goals: To become a better photographer
January is the perfect time to contemplate our goals for the New Year. Are they resolutions? Intentions? Goals? Call them what you will, but one way to enhance your life is to create a goal for yourself.
I have some fun new ideas cooking for AdventuresofEmptyNesters.com but I also want to improve upon what I am already doing. I enjoy being an amateur photographer, but I wanted to seek some formal education. Just yesterday I have started a series of classes at REDRed Photo Studio in downtown Seattle.
I was anxious about admitting that most of my photography skills come from instinct and experience and that my knowledge of digital photography is incomplete. The last time I took a photography class, I was in the seventh grade and we developed our photos with smelly liquid in a darkroom.
It is certainly a humbling adventure but I wanted to start at the beginning. I walked into a very cool studio in an industrial part of Seattle, located near the Seahawks stadium. There were just four other photographers in my class and everyone felt their skills needed improving in one way or another.
Neil Buckland, the photographer/owner of RedRed Photography was open, friendly, and thrilled to share his vast knowledge and professional experience with us. I LOVED IT!
There are eight classes to choose from and we are allowed the flexibility to take the whole series or just the classes we were interested in. I signed up for the introductory class just to see what it was like, but within only a few minutes of instruction I knew that I struck photography gold and I was going to learn so much!
At the conclusion of the first class, I quickly signed up for the balance of the classes and went to lunch with Neil and another student at a fantastic Thai restaurant in the International District of Seattle, just a short walk away. Not only was I going to learn vital information about my camera and gain a solid foundation in digital photography, but I was interacting with people that love the same things as I did.
For four Sundays, we take two classes, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Neil gives us homework to practice what we learn and then later we may go out on field trips and photograph this beautiful city.
Class #1
Digital Basics: Understanding Exposure
Class #2
Digital Basics: Metering 101
Class #3
Digital Basics: Shutter Speed
Class #4
Digital Basics: Depth of Field
Class #5
Digital Basics: Composition & Lenses
Class #6
Digital Basics: Creative Effects IN-Camera
Class #7
Digital Basics: Advanced DSLR Functions
Class #8
Digital Basics: Understanding Exposure
Neil has an adorable dog named Brian that keeps us entertained as well. I feel so fortunate to have found these studio classes that will most certainly help me to become a better photographer.
Have you taken any photography classes?
Do you plan to improve a skill this year? Learn a new one perhaps? I plan to learn more about food photography as well… my dream class.
