----- Original Message ----- From: Brad Dobo Subject: Photographic Training
> Hey folks, > > I'm quite curious here. How many of you took some formal training in > regards to photography? Was it a university arts degree, or a community > college course, or something else, like training under a professional or > having a wise friend show you the tricks. Or is it simply many years of > simple experience and perhaps reading books? I got involved in photography, I think 32 years ago now when my parents gave me a little home darkroom kit for Christmas. Shortly after that, I started working for a local wedding photographer as an assistant (I think I was 14), and I worked for him 6 or 7 years. During that time, I also got to know some of the local "old guys" and spent a lot of time talking photography with them. I met another fellow, completely by accident who was also learning the craft of B&W photography and we fell into a most excellent friendship. He was a pianist (go figure), and has a very good eye. He taught me much about composition, and turned me on to the quality advantages of medium format (he is a Hasselblad user). At some point, I gyess 45 years ago, I got a photo lab job. I moved around a bit, chasing one girl or another, but ended up working in minilabs after the fall of the commercial lab empire. I have taken photo technical training from Kodak (who offered me a job in Rochester when I produced a perfect score on their colour acuity tests), Fuji, CX systems (the Gretag distributor in Seattle Washington), and Noritsu. Most of my visual training, such as it is, is informal sitting around with a bunch of photographers critiquing each others work. William Robb
