Why You Shouldn't Take Adult Education Classes

In an effort to better myself and to take better photos that may lead to more biz for The Bean and The Bear Photography, I signed up for an Adult Education Class that teaches you the more advanced settings on your camera and the basics of Photoshop.

Sounds good right? Yeah, not so much.

The class is on Tuesday nights from 7-10, so right there I am in for a long night and am forced to miss the Biggest Loser. To top it off, the class is about thirty minutes from my house. Granted, I signed up with my Bean and Bear partner, and she was the one who found the course so at least I have someone in the class I can whisper with when things start to get out of control.

This is the problem with Adult Education:

1. The teacher is almost always a professional, who isn't really skilled in actual teaching. We spent the first class looking at pictures this guy took and talking about his history. Hey buddy--can we fire up the computers please? And what about my camera? I am super psyched you have a sweet lens on your camera, but since it isn't the same make or model as mine, how is that helping me?

2. There are crazy people out there with expensive cameras and no idea what is going on in general around them. Case in point, one lady who insists on asking thirty-five questions every ten minutes and who is less computer savvy then the Lady. This is the same lady who asked if Photoshop was only for Mac's, after the guy specifically told her you could get it for any type of computer. She also writes down every type of lens or gadget that the "professor" mentions. How about just learning about the stuff you have in your bag and letting the rest of us get some information as well.

3. You are forced to take photos of a dog named BJ on a cold Tuesday night in a field covered in goose poo. Oh, Beej, I am not sure if I will ever forget you eating all that goose poo while I clicked away, frame after frame.

4. It takes 45 minutes for everyone to download their photos onto the computer and then the "professor" insists you just watch him use Photoshop. I mean really, the class is only 5 weeks long and after two weeks, we have yet to use the software.

5. At ten to ten, with everyone yawning and feigning interest in the gradient feature the the prof is applying to the background of the Beej, he asks what time it is, then proceeds to talk for an additional 20 minutes, show us photos that he has taken and answer 12-45 of the crazy camera lady's questions. This puts me in my car at 10:30pm, not to get home until 11, with not one bit of Photoshop training.

UGH.

As much as I love to take photos the assignments that this guy has given me have been less then convenient for me. The Lady does not like to stand in front of a window for back lighting shots and I had to convince my husband to jump in the middle of my kitchen for ten minutes so I could get the mid-air shot. Let's just say these photos are less than flattering.

This week, I have to take photos of train tracks. Sweet. Can't wait to spend two hours doing the assignment and then no time actually looking at or adjusting the photos in Photoshop. Three more weeks. . . I will let you know if my photos improve.