PHOTOGRAPHY RESOURCES AND LEARNING MATERIAL

As I got more and more involved with photography I had to look for ways to learn the keys of being a good photographer. There are a few main methods I used to learn from. The main types can be broken down into two categories, physical and online.

The physical tools I use can be broken down into two types, books and magazines. I am huge fan of reading. There are some really good magazines out there that deal with photography. Some are dedicated to landscape and wildlife photography, some are aimed at portraits and still others focus on conceptual/ artistic photography. And still more don't limit themselves and cover a wide variety of styles. I don't really want to endorse any particular magazine, most are really good learning materials, it just depends on your interest and focus as a photographer. The one area of photography that I find lacks coverage, at least in magazines that are found in stores, is Street Photography. I wish there was a widely available magazine that covered Street/Urban photography, if there is I have not found it.

Another great physical learning aid that I have learned a lot from is of course books. There are some really great photographers out that who put out some great books. Unlike magazines I will endorse one author who I have enjoyed and learned alot from, and only because his books cover a wide variety of photography styles. That author is Tom Ang. I have at least four of his books and I have learned a lot from them. I recommend his books to anyone interested in photography.

Now on to Online learning aids and this list could get way too long and could be it's own blog entry at a latter date. There are so many ways to learn online. You can do online training courses, you use photo sharing sites to get constructive (and hopefully not "bitchy") feedback on your shots. You can join photography groups on "Social Media" sites. There are blogs (like this one) that cover a lot of different genres. There are many other ways to learn online. However there is one online option that I recommend to any and all photographers to take advantage of, and it's free to use, and that is YouTube.

I have learned so much from YouTube videos, and not just dealing with Photography. I have a long list of photography "channels" that I subscribe too. Some are Street based photography, some "focus" on portraits, others are gear review based and some cover just about everything. In my opinion there is no better resource to learn from than YouTube.

There are other ways you can learn about photography, you can join clubs, attend photowalks and learn from other members. You can attend college/university courses, attend workshops and seminars and many others ways to learn your craft. I haven't done any of these, partly because of geography, and partly because of money. I hope to do some these in the future though.