For a novice photographer, learning the art of photography can seem a daunting task.  But as an artist you are never alone.  We have so many others who have gone before us and are willing to give a hand back to help us newbies.  With a little initiative we can find the help we need to refine and sharpen our skills.

This photographer, Raymond Barlow, holds workshops to help other artists learn.

http://raymondbarlowworkshops.blogspot.com/

How fun to explore the finer nuances of photography, in the field, with a few good people. What a great way to go about it, right?  I’m sure the teacher is – as always – learning from the student too.

And because the best things in life are free, some of the best ways to learn are free!

I love YouTube for free learning.  You Tube has relatively quick how-to’s on anything and everything.  Here’s a sample of a search result entitled “photography lessons.”  Check it out; search a few of your own.  Add the ones that interest you to your “watch later” list.  And of course always share your favorites with us here, in the comments below!

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=photography+lessons

For the more serious academic, iTunes U has free lectures from a plethora of universities on several topics in photography.  Just go into iTunes (pc users can download iTunes as well), in the drop down menu select iTunes U, and then search for photography.  You’ll find everything from Crime Scene Photography to a National Geographic Collection called Masters of Photography, where you can “step behind the camera with top-flight photographers.”

Whatever method you chose to expand your skill set and sharpen the skills you already have, nothing compares to good old practice.  Try, play, explore, just have your camera ready to shoot at any moment.  In the book Outliers, author Malcolm Gladwell suggests that it takes over 10,000 hours to become an expert at any one thing.  Start logging in those hours.  You’ll be amazed at the results perseverance can produce.

How do you learn and hone in your skills?  Share in the comments section below.  Thanks!