Taking a Photography Class with Nikon School
Confession time: photography has never been my strong point. Entering college I harbored dreams of becoming a professional photographer but after one basics class realized it was much harder than I thought. If the camera phone hadn’t gained popularity I don’t know what I’d be doing now. You might be reading a blog containing crude drawings of places I’ve been.
Recently, I was invited to attend a photography class at the Nikon School. Did you know the famed camera company offers classes around the country? I certainly didn’t. When Nikon offered to lend me a DSLR to use with my studies I immediately signed up.
The cool thing about Nikon School is that it travels around major American cities. Instead of having to go to Nikon they come to you to offer you instruction in the photographic arts. The class I took was located at the Hilton in Long Beach. Easy peasy.
My class was focuses on Action and Portrait photography. I was initially nervous because I wasn’t that familiar with DSLR cameras but I needn’t have worried. The class is ideal for beginners as well as intermediate photographers and the instructors were happy to share their knowledge.
Speaking of the instructors…talk about pedigree. The class was taught by Bob Pearson and Nick Didlick two experienced photographers with decades of experience between them. Both have traveled around the world covering everything from the space program to the Olympics. Their passion for the craft was evident and they happily shared their enthusiasm with the class.
The class was three hours long and divided into two sessions – Action and Portrait. Mr. Pearson taught the action portion while Mr. Didlick handled portraiture. While the class does focus on Nikon equipment it’s not simply an instruction in how best to use your DSLR. We also learned the perfect time of day to take a action shots and portraits, the best background for a great shot and the most useful equipment to help ensure a perfect picture (amongst other things). The class was chock full of information and I came away with a lot of useful notes.
Afterward I grabbed my loaner Nikon D5500 and headed to the beach to capture some pictures.
I must admit it felt pretty good to carry a the camera around pretend to be a pro for a day. After the class I had so much more confidence in my ability. I realized that just a little extra knowledge goes a long way. I’m so happy I took the class with Nikon School and can’t wait to hone my skills further.