Without a doubt - totally agree.

Don't get me wrong - I think this is a great idea, and hats off to Matt for even contemplating it.

It's just one of these things where if we're not careful, people are going to end up disappointed. Either beginners (who'll be out of their depth), or already-advanced PS users (wanting something super-advanced), or Matt (cos people don't sign up for the course because they don't know clearly what level it's being pitched at, and then his preparation is wasted).

I think it should be money up front (people value more what they've paid for), and he shouldn't price it too cheap.

None of my business of course - just a few thoughts FWIW.

Indeed. Matt for president.

I'd be happy to come down to the South Coast. Anywhere from Brighton to Chichester would be fine, but I'd go further afield to suit Matt's convenience.

I can see a problem here.

There's the risk that if the masterclass is for a mixed-ability group, half will be bored, and half will be lost.

I think this is another example of Matt's extraordinary generosity of spirit, but I do think that there's little point travelling a long distance, and putting Matt to the time and trouble to organise and prepare, when the basics can be easily obtained from any one of numerous books and web sites.

It's one thing to dash off a quick question on a forum when with a little effort it's perfectly possible to look up the answer for oneself.

It's quite another to expect a masterclass without having put in a substantial amount of preparation first.

How is your camera's metering set up?

I see no turkey.

Good heavens, less than two minutes???

He's the fastest paint in the West, no doubt there.

Here's the one on the left again... the most inquisitive of the three.

You may or may not remember the kittens I shot last year... this was one, and this was the other.

Well, they're all growed up, and have kittens of their own - just four weeks old.

Give it time. I suspect quite a lot of us find it a difficult style. Not least in my case, since it's not trivial to overcome the nervousness associated with carrying a camera about in public.

Do you think he's wondering if he's ever going to live that down?

I think it's our civic duty, of course, to ensure that he doesn't...

I can see both points of view.

It's the difference between,

"Here's a photo with good raw material (eg exposure, sharpness), and my vision for it is this... and I'll do x, y, and z to it in order to achieve precisely that."

... and

"Here's a photo that technically isn't really very good, and I'll spend ages fiddling about with it to try and improve the contrast/sharpness/removal of distracting background/cloning of burned out highlights etc etc."

In the former case, the result can often be fine, and the building is a case in point (even though I don't find it ugly, it is more imposing and mysterious - it reminds me of the building that sets sail on the high seas in Monty Python's 'Meaning of Life').

In the latter case, it's rare that all that effort is worthwhile. I think we all go through a phase of trying in vain to salvage something from poor raw material, but it's a pretty dispiriting experience, and I've all but given up on it.