One of my final images in lighting.
This class was a disappointment.
I have some more about that in another post here.
The review here isn’t going to discuss the person that was supposed to teach this course. I’m going to stick to the curriculum.
I’ve also been told this class is being revised so I can only speak to the course I took in Spring ’10. This course seems to take an in-person studio class and turns it online without much consideration to the differences between on-site and online courses.
The videos are very boring and do a barely adequate job in demonstrating most of the concepts that want to be taught. The videos and the bulk of the course material and the course assignments are targeted towards studio photographers and the generally larger and more expensive lights and light modifying tools that studio photographers use.
The course requires studio strobes, light modifiers, gels, and an incident light meter. However, the bulk of the assignments can be done with small hotshoe strobes. The exception here would be a large softbox but there are rigs that can use 2,3 or more hotshoe flashes to light a large softbox. True, you lose the modeling light capabilities but the use of LCD screens on DSLRs and computer to camera tethered solutions make more sense and would be very helpful in teaching the building up of lighting for a scene.
The incident light meter is fine and useful, yet most students are using DSLRs and learning how to read histograms for high and low-key lighting and how to use the in-camera reflective meter in difficult lighting situations seems more useful than the 250 bucks spent on an infrequently used Sekonic.
The basics of lighting apply from small desktop sets to large staged productions. Only a fraction of photographers become F/T studio-only photographers and this course would greatly benefit from covering a much wider gamut of shooting situations.
I can and did get more value out of a $45 Scott Kelby book/DVD on lighting and I could see teaching a class using that as a course supplement. I also recommend Joe McNally’s “Hot Shoe Diaries” to those with a bit of lighting experience. If you are interested in lighting I can also suggest the free courses on Strobist.
Again, the online version of this course as I took it in Spring ’10 is not recommended…Strongly not recommended.
Time to Drop a Class
February 5th, 2011I have felt during the first week of class that the instructor is not really engaging the students, certainly not me. It’s during the first week of class that the immediate bond and relationship between a student and instructor are developed. I’m not feeing good about this.
Last night after getting in from my working photo gigs I logged into class and saw a couple more posts from the instructor in my PH 699 course (Special Topics: MS: Concept & Critical Processes). You can read some of it in the previous post.
I had my bad class at AAU and I will not accept another one. Maybe the instructor is having a bad week, maybe the PH 699 course really starts to shine in a few days. If I knew another student that had taken the same course/instructor pair then I would have more data points from which to make a decision, but I have to go with my gut and my previous class experiences.
All my other courses (with that one exception) have had very engaging and motivating teachers. Each instructor has reached out to each student to make a connection. All of these classes have been A or A+ or A++ courses, and I have taken additional courses from some of these instructors because I placed higher importance on working with the person teaching the material and less importance on the subject.
I have a friend that is a great conversationalist and chef. When ever I go visit her I know I will learn something and have a great meal. I don’t define the meal I enjoy the experience.
Classes at a master’s level in art need to be an enjoyable experience. For me they also have to push me and my limits, expand my thoughts and overall enhance me and my work.
I’m not feeling it in that class.
Tamara Hubbard deserves all the kudos I can send her. She is the Associate Director of the Online Graduate Photography Program at AAU. She lead the Thesis Project Seminar class I took in the Fall of 2010.
Last night I wrote her, this morning she responded. That’s remarkable and speaks to her dedication to the program and as a great student advocate.
She recommended two classes:
and she reminded me that today is the last day to make a change without a penalty or fee.
I’ve heard a couple good things about PH611 and I do want to take the course but I don’t want to walk into an unknown. My friend Terri (who I teach workshops with in Midas, NV) has taken Shannon Ayres and has nothing but great things to say.
I called my advisor (WHAT! on a Saturday?!) and left a message, then I called back to the front desk and voilà! there are advisors working on a Saturday at AAU. That’s great!
There are not enough words to say how wonderful the director and the advisors have been in guiding me and getting me into a new class.Online courses could seem daunting as I work in my own space and feel removed from the traditional classroom and university interactions. Getting this type of support is very nice.
The take away here is I AM RESPONSIBLE for the classes I take. If I’m not satisfied then it is MY RESPONSIBILITY to effect the change.
Onward to PH 655 Digital Montage with Shannon Ayres.
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Posted in Courses, General Comments, PH 699: Concept & Critical Process
Tags: Ayres Brian Parkin class course critical processes graduate photography instructor motivating teachers MY RESPONSIBILITY photography program project seminar Shannon student Tamara Hubbard Terri thesis project Week