I've been a fool!

Well maybe not! Being a veteran of the Royal Air Force, who was injured during my service, I have become involved with a local Veterans support center, as both a "client" and a volunteer. One of my volunteer functions is as photographer for events. This has lead to the forming a a photography club, for all veterans, and their families. I'm the one that is going to be "leading" this group. The initial intent is to run some basic this is your camera, and this is how things work type sessions. I'm well versed in the basic theory of photography, and that is not really my concern. What I am a little concerned about is dealing with the many and varied camera control interfaces, and the fact that I only really know Canon DSLRs. We are trying not to set limits on who can attend, so I'm expecting to see everything from phone cameras upwards. What I am worried about is say suggesting that people adjust the ISO setting of the camera, and then having to spend an age figuring out how to adjust ISO on a range of cameras that I am unfamiliar with. I will of course ask that people bring their instruction books with them, but that could still take up a lot of time, especially on cameras that do not have direct labeled buttons to press. We only have two hours every other week, and I really want to make this work.

Alan

It doesn't make sense to teach them how to use their gear, if you don't limit their gear.

Here's a suggestion: Start with some generic photography rules and picture composition on auto. In the last section of the class you can teach them for example about the exposure triangle and give them homework that includes figuring out how to change the settings on their personal camera. Shift the learning how to use the gear to home and homework and focus on the photography essence in class.

Alternatively, you form groups of similar hardware - give them an exercise and the group can support each other in finding the settings (e.g. a Nikon group, Canon group, ....)...

When I first got into photography I attended one of those types of classes geared toward senior citizens.
There was about thirty folks at the beginning, DSLRs to P&Ss...nobody read their manual...what a snafu.

Today, IMHO, there is no better resource than YouTube...tell each of those students to spend a couple of hours
researching their particular camera and memorizing their manual. Next class, have each show you how to use it.

Then, get into that exposure triangle stuff.

Sounds like fun.

I wouldn't worry about them showing up with different cameras that you're not familiar with. That's part of the fun, you will learn something too, because they will challenge you with some things you're not well versed in. You can start the show with a speech about not knowing every camera and that you're happy to learn a new camera with someone.

You'll get answers about ranges on various cameras off a tablet or something and google really fast too, faster than hunting down manuals.

Very best,

I say that you should 'Stick to the CONCEPTS' and only as a tertiary goal make any attempt to figure out how to make a camera do ANYTHING...after all, every Canon camera model is different, so I dare say that what you assess as your own 'familiarity with Canon' is delusional...compare a 5D user interface with a 5DIIV user interface, and you will be LOST!

Good luck with this...

I did something similar. I went down the road of "helping them to learn their own cameras", so some had bridge cameras, some had point and shoots, etc. What I found was the following:

- It took more time to go over "how to use your cameras" and we had little time to go over photography basics, and creative shooting.
- Once I showed them how to use the camera, a few later, several simply forgot how to do what I showed them.
- I didn't end up with any kind of sense of accomplishment in the way of having new photographers out there producing great results.

This is a case of "either you give fish to a man to eat, and he eats one meal, or show him how to fish, and he can eat for a long time" type of thing.

It is better that they read manuals, or at least put bookmarks into their manuals on how to do things, than just to show them how to use the camera. This way if they forget, they can go back and read up as a refresher. Hopefully others will be able to step in and help with camera functionality, freeing you up to do more of the teaching of exposure, DOF, macros, landscape shooting, etc.

There are 3 time consuming topics that you could choose to get involved with:
- What equipment should someone get, and then learn how to use that equipment.
- Photographic basics, like exposures, DOF, etc
- Post processing techniques.

Each of these are huge areas individually. Trying to cover all 3 in a series of sessions can be very, very challenging. You might want to concentrate on one at first.

.

I would make sure that it is a Photography Club, and not a Camera Club. By that I mean that it would behoove you to focus on the concepts of photography rather than gear-oriented concepts. If you focus on discussing things like composition, light, and subject matter, then you won't have to bog yourself down with the minutia of the differences between each person's camera. Plus, it would be a lot more fun for the participants. Personally, if I went to a photography club meeting and there was an emphasis on camera settings, or gear in general, I would never want to go to another meeting again.

As for the "how to use your camera" stuff, if I were in your position I would offer to stay late after the meeting is over to help people with their cameras on a one-on-one basis. If you have internet access at the meeting venue, then you could get on YouTube and find instructional videos for just about any camera. For instance, if I want to know how to adjust the ISO on a Canon Power Shot, then I would just enter that in YouTube's search bar and then watch one of the videos that show up in the search results.

Here are some of the types of YouTube videos that might be very helpful to your club members:

TUTORIAL | CANON PowerShot G7X | Top 25 Questions

Quick Tip: Sony FS7 - How to change ISO

iPhone - How to Manually Adjust Camera Exposure

Nikon D500 How To Set Up Your New DSLR

Perhaps, instead of teaching people how to use their cameras, you can teach them how to find the information on their own. In the long run, this will be much more useful to them because they won't be so dependent on you or other club members when they have a problem they need help with. And it will mean that your meeting time won't have to be bogged down with boring details, and can instead focus on the fun stuff like artistic vision and creativity.

.

Thanks for the comments, and advice, I will now go and have a good think about them all. If anyone has any more thoughts and ideas for me please post and let me know.

Thanks

Alan

Since you are "well versed in the basics of photography" I would mainly stick to that, but at the end of first session give them a printed list of useful web sites and books such as "Understanding Exposure". Also tell them to make sure they have read and understand their camera manuals before the next session.

Finally, get them to vote on what they most want to do at the next session.

Good luck, and let us know how it went!

The manuals for some cameras exist online only. "Bring your manual" won't work for these. I wish my G15 had a printed manual, but its "manual" is on my laptop, and the index is too sketchy for many lookups.

BigAl007 wrote in post #18109979
... This has lead to the forming a a photography club, for all veterans, and their families. I'm the one that is going to be "leading" this group. ...

Alan

So lead it. Look at other photo clubs - they still exist - and see what they do. There are two clubs in my area that are active from September through June. The larger club meets each week. When I attended, there were 200 or so members in the club, and typically 100 would attend each meeting. Yes, no joke, that was roughly 50% active members! Each week would be something different. First in the month might be a competition; second might be a critique; third might be a guest speaker; fourth might be a member's photo collection from a trip or from the general photography they do. In those months where there was a fifth meeting, they ran a swap shop type of meeting. I've seen presentations from National Geographic photographers, as well as one from a Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist.

You could do something similar to that. Especially if there are inexperienced photographers, once a month you could have a "getting to know your camera" workshop. Don't think you're going to do everything. Unless you are a top, world renowned photographer, you're not going to present all of the content if you want to succeed. Even a Joe McNally or Jay Maisel would become boring after a short while.

Lead. Organize. Reach out to top photographers in the area. Reach out to schools in the area that have good photographers. Look for local authors of photography books. It's a photo club, not Alan Photo Training. Yes, you can and should present your content and experience occasionally, but the more outside experience you can bring in, the better it will be for everyone including you.

Good luck!

You really need to ask yourself what is the primary purpose of the gathering. Simply helping people to use their camera is a noble purpose, although challenging to accomplish with all the permutations of user interface in cameras.

Are you trying to convey information pertaining to 'concepts in photography' rather than 'how to operate your camera'?

The other thing you can try is to have members show off 2-3 shots, and the other members offer comments about the photos. All of photography is not 'technical', a lot of it is simply 'pleasing folks'

.

mathogre wrote in post #18110274
Lead. Organize. Reach out to top photographers in the area. Reach out to schools in the area that have good photographers. Look for local authors of photography books. It's a photo club, not Alan Photo Training. !

That's a great insight. In the photography clubs that I've been a part of, the President of the club is typically not even one of the better or more experienced photographers in the group. "President" simply means that you are someone who is willing and able to do all of the organizational things that are required in order to secure a venue for meetings, keep records, oversee the committees that organize contests and events, contact and schedule guest speakers, and work in conjunction with the club secretary and club treasurer in order to make sure that the proper accounts are being maintained and the proper records are being kept.

In fact, being President of a photography club means lots of work, NONE of which is photography related.

Even in the tiny little start-up groups I've been a part of, no one ever expected the club president to help them with their techie questions and such. The President has specific jobs that are part of his/her responsibilities. Everything else is someone else's responsibility, not the President's.

.

Five suggestions. Perhaps one of them will be helpful.

1. relax and make it a fun collaborative experience
   
2. relax and make it a fun collaborative experience
   
3. relax and make it a fun collaborative experience
   
4. relax and make it a fun collaborative experience
   
5. really do relax and make it a fun collaborative experience
   

.

BigAl007 wrote in post #18109979
Well maybe not! Being a veteran of the Royal Air Force, who was injured during my service, I have become involved with a local Veterans support center, as both a "client" and a volunteer. One of my volunteer functions is as photographer for events. This has lead to the forming a a photography club, for all veterans, and their families. I'm the one that is going to be "leading" this group. The initial intent is to run some basic this is your camera, and this is how things work type sessions. I'm well versed in the basic theory of photography, and that is not really my concern. What I am a little concerned about is dealing with the many and varied camera control interfaces, and the fact that I only really know Canon DSLRs. We are trying not to set limits on who can attend, so I'm expecting to see everything from phone cameras upwards. What I am worried about is say suggesting that people adjust the ISO setting of the camera, and then having to spend an age figuring out how to adjust ISO on a range of cameras that I am unfamiliar with. I will of course ask that people bring their instruction books with them, but that could still take up a lot of time, especially on cameras that do not have direct labeled buttons to press. We only have two hours every other week, and I really want to make this work.

How have things been going with the club, Al?

I would love to hear about your meetings and the instructional time, and how things have progressed since you started this club back in the summer.

.