People take up photography for a whole host of different reasons. Some simply enjoy it as an interesting hobby, while others have ambitions to earn a living from taking pictures. Since the advent of the digital camera, photography has had a huge upsurge in interest, and not surprisingly a lot of companies and colleges offering a sometimes bewildering array of photography courses, workshops, training and creative holidays to fulfil the demand.
So firstly you need to work out your motivation to learn photography, and which photography subjects most interest you. Do you enjoy taking travel shots on holiday, or close ups of still life? Or perhaps you like telling documentary stories with your photos? Maybe you're fascinated by fashion photos in the glossy magazines, or you always analyzing the concepts behind the advertising billboards?
If you're a complete beginner probably the best place to start is with an evening class, or a photography holiday. This way you can dip your toe in without making too much commitment. In both cases you will get to meet other budding photographers and hopefully get to grips with the basics. However, courses do vary in their subject matter. Try to ensure that both photographic composition 'and' the technical basics are covered.
Taking my own personal experience when I was first learning photography, I took an evening class at a local adult education centre, and also later enrolled on a more formal BTEC course at a (quite well known) further education college in London. You might expect that the BTEC course would have been more beneficial; however the reality was that I learnt far more from the tutor at the evening classes, simply because he understood and could clearly explain and demonstrate photographic composition. If you feel that one course isn't working for you, try a different one!
Another option is to sign up for a photography workshop. You can find some well known and very experienced professional photographers running workshops, so if you have already decided on the area of photography you'd like to study, then these can be a good bet. They are sometimes combined with a holiday on location, with some extra classroom teaching added.
If you are serious about furthering your photography knowledge, and also wanting to explore it as an art form, then you might consider doing a photography degree. This is quite a commitment, both in time and finances. If you can find a good course then doing a degree will definitely help you develop into a more 'rounded' photographer. A note of caution; if you are wanting to become a professional photographer then taking a degree course may not be a great advantage when embarking on a career. Practical on the job experience, possibly by assisting a professional photographer in your area of interest will most likely be of more benefit.
So those are a few options to think about.
Why not check out some photography holidays? Whether you are a complete beginner with your first camera, or are already a wiz with a DSLR and simply want to explore new destinations with likeminded photographers, a photo holiday is a good place to get started!
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