Photo Teachers?

I have recently noticed several advertisements of those that are "teaching" photography.  At a school of photography as a guest speaker I was asked what my thoughts were regarding the whole "I can teach you photography" thing. Well here goes. I don't subscribe to that concept for many reasons. One is how to stunt the growth of a new student by teaching them rules about what is and what isn't right for a starter.  Another is the often over used formulas that in most cases these "specialists" teach the naive student as gospel

 I do however have no problem with a school that assists one in understanding technical issues or a school that deals with the historical and artistic aspects of photography. But a school that deals with issues such as cropping, lighting style etc...Well that's where I put my foot down and say an unequivocal NO, Nein, Non.

 I have had so many poor lost assistants whom I would rather not pinpoint specifically, that have no clue what so ever who they are. If they did come into a school of photography with the hopes of coming out an individual, well that notion was sucked out of them by the energy vampires. I'm not saying that all profs are frustrated unsuccessful photographers that couldn’t make it in their field. However from what I have seen and heard, one could not help but make that assumption.

 I am saying that guest speakers, workshops and specialized advise dealing with specific technical issues might be a reason to seek out advice or when a guest lecturer has come in to speak of his or her experiences, as I did at the Orleans School of Photography in France. Do your research. Read, experiment, take tons of photos inspire yourself and grow as a human. Build up your vocabulary in all disciplines and your life shall be richer as a result. It has been proven that the greater the vocabulary the richer ones life. Take a deep breath and do what comes naturally. If you get stuck creatively, take a short break.  If you need some technical advice, just ask questions.

http://www.benjaminkanarekblog.com/?p=1302

I agree the technical aspects and some tricks can be taught...

But photography is an art form and I believe that comes from within. It's how you perceive things as an individual. It's the same with music. That is another subject that you can learn the technical sides of.

It's what you create that is important.

For me I find that just going out and playing with the camera is the best way to learn it.

Not everyone can bring their talents out for themselves, sometimes they need a little help to release their own abilities. This could be lack of confidence, it could be that photography is new and they are struggling with a lack of technical knowledge.

The trouble with teachers can be that they can fall into the trap of saying "this is what you should do" or "this is the right way" and so on.

Very often there is no right or wrong way, only the way we feel about something.

However, with photography the principles of how everything works need to be mastered otherwise we could not actually know how to express what we feel about our subject matter.

I think the science is objective and can be taught by a good teacher. The art is subjective and just might be inspired by a good tutor.
One mans meat is another mans poisson.

Just my thoughts. Learning how to use a camera can be taught in a number of venues. I've seen community classes at a local college that did a fine job at this. Learning the basics of artistic expression can also be taught without much trouble. In that I'm considering things such as the Rule of Thirds, color dominance, symetrical versus asymetrical, repitition, expressing movement in a 2-dimensional medium.

Moving into "art" is a different matter. A friend was in a group taught by an art professor and one of his things was that you should never take a picture of anything interesting. An interesting subject detracts from the art. He had them wandering around a wonderful, exotic city looking for rocks and moss and pavement for photos. No colorful street scenes, no local Indians. After chatting with the professor I decided his lack of interpersonal skills led him to rock pictures.

Personally, I never wished to be an "artist". For me, a photograph stands on its own. If you have to "explain" it, then you've missed.

Of course, as one artist said at an exhibit, "Well, people like your photos but they aren't any good." Fine, I can live with that.

In conclusion, and back on the point, I agree with Benjikan. Up to a point, the schools and classes are great. No one has the secret of being an artist and can pass it on to you. Too many people wish to be artists without first being competent masters of their craft.

I agree with most of what people are saying, but as an artform photography has a much steeper learning curve than, say, picking up a pencil or a paintbrush - both of which can take a lifetime to master.
Personaly, I don't see anything wrong with speeding up the technicalities of producing your art....