Can photography be self taught?

Photography is more accessible than ever. While there are still traditional routes to learn about photography through university classes and the like, more and more people are learning on their own. Given the number of resources available (both free and paid), you can learn about photography on your own. After seeing the first rolls of film that I had developed, I wanted it to be so.

When I got my second camera, I was already taking photography very seriously. And even though I was at a point where I thought I was familiar with how most cameras work, I still sat down and read the 300-page user manual that came with it. The bottom line is that when a person looks at an image and that image is considered to be good or bad, they don't judge the equipment they used. They will judge the photographer who took it.

The principles of photography haven't changed as drastically since it first appeared in the 1860s, something I learned when I started taking photographs. I was so focused on what was in front of me that I missed everything else around me. A disadvantage of photography (or an endearing feature, depending on how you look at it) is that it forces the photographer to see our three-dimensional world without limits, through a rather limited two-dimensional box. Use our free tool to calculate your score in less than 60 seconds.

When you're in a class with a teacher and 20 other classmates, it's almost impossible not to assimilate the views of the vast majority. However, being a self-taught photographer, you're free of restrictions and can develop your style.