I think one of the smartest things that I did shortly after buying my first DSLR kit1 was to take classes with local photographer Frank Veronsky. Frank patiently taught me the [basics of composition])https://islandinthenet.com/composition-in-the-field-with-frank-veronsky/). He did not instruct me on the settings of the camera suggesting that I learn to compose first then "fiddle" later. Over the last twenty years, I have attended various workshops and field trips with Princeton Photo Workshop all with the intent to improve my ability to "see" the light and create emotion in my photography.
But workshops and field trips are useless unless one practices every day. Several times over the last twenty years I have done photo-a-day projects, photo-a-week projects and last year, photo-a-month. Practices make perfect and although I still have a lot to learn, I know my photography has improved with time. It was only after I felt that my basic skills had improved that I started attending day-long workshops.
I think it is money well spent and I am still learning to compose and play with light. This year I intend to attend fields trips in and around Philadelphia and New York City.
- A Nikon D40 with the AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens. ↩