I firmly believe that books and face-to-face classes are the best way to learn photography, but video training is a perfect complement for those who already have a good foundation. Maybe it had never occurred to you to give a training video as a gift, so let’s see the most interesting ones we’ve done.
On YouTube or Vimeo we find hundreds of channels dedicated to photography. There you can see hours and hours of training with which you can learn a lot, as long as you have a good routine, that is, watch the video with the program next to it and practice and practice until you get the result they offer you.
Just do a little research to find great channels. In my case I learn and always recommend many of them. Tripiyon, Photoshopeando, Digital Reel, Digital Photographer, Piximperfect, f64 Academy, Photoshop Training Channel … and some more, are a reference within this world.
But Santa Claus or the wise men cannot just give away advice. So I am going to recommend video courses that I have done and that have allowed me to learn about new processes or strengthen my knowledge.
I am sure that I will leave interesting and complete courses. But as always, I follow the maxim of recommending only what I know.
The best video courses to give to photographers
In preparing this article I have realized the amount of video courses that I have been buying throughout my life. And I am sincere I have a hard time finishing them and I think that I always learn more when the course is face-to-face. They require a lot of time and concentration and that is why I prefer a thousand times the courses that you buy for life and not those that expire.
In the list that I am going to put here, I will only talk, as I have already pointed out, about those that I have done and that I have liked the most. So if I don’t name one that you think is essential, you can quote them in the comments.
Natalia Taffarell: ‘Beauty & Hair Retouching High End Techniques Series’
I start with the first video I had of photography. It’s in English and that made things very difficult for me. But I think it is one of the courses that I have learned the most in my life as a photographer. And it was in dvd format.
There are all the essential techniques to retouch portraits in a very detailed way. The problem is, it looks simple in your hands. When you put on yourself, you realize the hours you have to work to get minimally close to what professional retouchers do.
It seems to me that it is no longer sold. It would be wonderful to see a new edition with Spanish subtitles at least.
Carles Marsal: Matte Painting: complete and professional techniques
I haven’t finished them yet, but you have to admit that ** Carles is one of the most interesting Photoshop masters in this country **. His use of the program is impressive, much more complete than what classical photographers can dream of.
The idea is to take advantage of all his techniques for the matte painting in ‘traditional’ photography. The amount of information you can get is staggering.
For example, using the tool Brush It can leave many of us speechless who only play with the round brush and stop counting. His universe is different and I am sure that one day I will be able to take a technique for my style.
Jesús Manuel García Flores: Without fear of Capture One
I love learning as much as possible from this program. I believe that I will always be a student. This course by Jesús Manuel García Flores it’s perfect to get you started in Capture One and to learn new techniques if you are an advanced user.
Along the 24 chapters he analyzes all the tools of the program as if he were an old experienced teacher, explaining it step by step so that no one is left behind. The advantage of this course is that it has several updates. And that is a plus that counts a lot.
Hugo Rodríguez: Capture One Pro IN DEEP
A 12-hour course that I haven’t had time to finish either. This is the only rented course that I recommend. It is not a format that I like, more must be recognized that it is one of the most complete courses you can find on the market.
It is a perfect course to give to those methodical photographers who, if they intend to finish something, do so above all else. And with the Hugo Rodríguez course they are sure to learn a lot.
Nekodifier: Online Course on Frequency Separation
If there is a video course that is leaving me speechless, it is of course this one from Nekodifier. It is for experienced photographers with great computer skills. You can feel overwhelmed with so much information.
Frequency Separation becomes a powerful tool well beyond separating into two layers to make a coarse skin fit.. It has completely hooked me and is forcing me to do my best to understand everything it suggests.
It is a course where nothing is taken for granted and that requires having a notebook next to it to write down everything. I don’t even want to think about all the notes that I have just with this course. And I just would like to take the time to put it into practice sometime.
It is a small selection of all the ones I have. Some, for the realization of this article, I have realized that I have inexplicably lost them, like those of August Dering. Others I still have pending, such as Iris Encina’s ‘Adobe Photoshop for portrait retouching’.
It is another way to learn, at your own pace. But if you don’t have time or are not methodical, they may be stored in the cloud of your computer. Surely if Santa Claus brings you any of these, you will be happy.