Phot 51 - Beginning Photograhy - worth it?

[aaron]

I'm thinking about taking this class in the spring so I can take
better pictures on my digital SLR (manually setting aperture, etc.).
Does anyone have any experience with this or a recommendation? Thanks.

[Juanita Kindler]

Yes I took it and it's a good class well worth it and it sounds like you already have a good camera.

Juanita

--
Juanita Kindler
72 Moss
San Francisco, CA 94103
415-385-2458
City College of San Francisco Student
Art Institute of CA-SF Alumni

[Laura Chenault]

I've taken a few photo classes at CCSF and they have some excellent
teachers.

You will absolutely make your pictures better.

The instructors do not know every camera model and so you will need to
transfer general information to your specific equipment.

They have a mentor program in this department, so there are many
people around to offer additional assistance outside of class
including one on one help if you need.

Laura

[Eric Noble]

CCSF has an extensive photography program and department. If you haven't ever visited, you should stop by and look at the darkroom and lab facilities in the Visual Arts building. There's a gallery inside the developing area, next to one of the computer labs. They have openings and shows of student work.

The Photo 51 class is the first class to take since it's the prerequisite for many other courses in the department. The department has just switched to teaching primarily digital photography this past year. There's a new textbook they're using, and it's very good (I'm enrolled in Richard's Gordon Photo 51 class this semester.)

Jeff Westin is one of the teachers I came into contact with on a field trip the department held. I would definitely recommend him because he took the students step-by-step instructing them how to use their digital cameras. I've been shooting digital for the past several years, but had never learned how to shoot 100% manually. Now I know. The course has really "put it together" for me and I understand exposure, ISO, metering, white balance MUCH more than I did four months ago. Gordon is good too, but he's not so much hands-on as Westin. Gordon is more theoretical and his critiques of your photography are very exacting. I can't talk to any of the other teachers.

Any other questions, please feel free to ask...

Eric Noble

On Sat, Dec 5, 2009 at 12:19 PM, aaron <aaro...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Leon Vuong]

Do i need to have a camera before talking Photo 51 ? Actually, I don't
know what camera I'm gonna buy. I'm new in photograph.

On Dec 7, 5:26 am, Eric Noble <epno...@gmail.com> wrote:
> CCSF has an extensive photography program and department. If you haven't
> ever visited, you should stop by and look at the darkroom and lab facilities
> in the Visual Arts building. There's a gallery inside the developing area,
> next to one of the computer labs. They have openings and shows of student
> work.
>
> The Photo 51 class is the first class to take since it's the prerequisite
> for many other courses in the department. The department has just switched
> to teaching primarily digital photography this past year. There's a new
> textbook they're using, and it's very good (I'm enrolled in Richard's Gordon
> Photo 51 class this semester.)
>
> Jeff Westin is one of the teachers I came into contact with on a field trip
> the department held. I would definitely recommend him because he took the
> students step-by-step instructing them how to use their digital cameras.
> I've been shooting digital for the past several years, but had never learned
> how to shoot 100% manually. Now I know. The course has really "put it
> together" for me and I understand exposure, ISO, metering, white balance
> MUCH more than I did four months ago. Gordon is good too, but he's not so
> much hands-on as Westin. Gordon is more theoretical and his critiques of
> your photography are very exacting. I can't talk to any of the other
> teachers.
>
> Any other questions, please feel free to ask...
>
> Eric Noble
>

[Eric Noble]

Yes, but it doesn't have to be a single lens reflex (SLR) [film or digital]. Several students in our class had digital point 'n shoot cameras.