Learner Reviews & Feedback for Photography Capstone Project by Michigan State University

A simply wonderful course, technical to a degree but not overwhelmingly so, and one learns through doing. There are plenty of assignments to help build your skill sets, and lots of reviews and peer reviews to help build your personal skills as well.

This specialization was one of the most amazing experiences. I found out a new passion and had wonderful teachers who guide me from knowing nothing to shoot in manual! Thank you Professors!!!

From a noob photographer to setting up my new photo studio this course has helped me to achieve some greatest heights.

Thanks to Coursera.

Interesting course. I like the fact that you learn how to project yourself and implement a vision of your own art. This is a great and amazing beginning for creativity.

If i had a bad point, just be careful, with all those pseudo people, making a rush of the course, by not participating fully in the course. You can learn a lot with feedback from proper peers, but some are there, with stolen shots, and old pictures, begging for review all the time. Flag those people so that they stop trolling on the course, and take your time to learn about you.

Thanks to Peter and Mark. I wish they would appear more on the course.

Thank you to all the peers.

I liked the instructors. It is a course that takes a lot of work and you can get out of the course what you want to get out of the course. Doing photography kept my sanity during Covid-19. The bad part is that other students don't take the capstone seriously.

The course content was excellent. The instructors were also excellent. They are clearly highly professional and they promoted sharing and fairness and the highest ethical behaviour by and for all. It was truly an honour to be instructed by them. I know that Michigan State University also promotes the highest ethical standards.

However, that was not what actually happened.The course was based on the concept of peer review intended for students to share ideas, openly critique each others work and thereby learn from each other. This apparently was necessary because the on-line format encourages thousands of students to enrol to generate income for the University and Coursera. Therefore, it becomes impossible for the university to evaluate the progress of their students and it is left to students to review their peers.

The peer review process does not work however when students do not share the ethical behaviour of their instructors or the educational institutions that employ them. In my case, peer reviews consisted of singular grunts (good, nice, has, cesxa, etc.) even on my final Capstone project. When I had opportunity to review 9 students, every one of their assignments were the same, word for word. None of them submitted photographs which were required and therefore I lost the opportunity to review their work.

I hope MSU and Coursera find a way to correct this type of behaviour in the future, but if not, I would recommend serious students to seek their educations elsewhere and leave this course to the lazy, unethical peers that I experienced consistently throughout this specialization.

The Capstone Project is a good way to put everything together that you learned in the previous courses of the photography specialization, but I got very little feedback. The requirement to put together a photographer's statement and plan a full project was a good challenge. It made me think and plan. I also learned from looking at the projects others submitted.

That said, I would have learned much more with more feedback. Very often the peer-review feedback I received was a single character or a single word. Not terribly helpful. I also often did not receive as many responses as I should have - based on how many I was required to submit.

The biggest disappointment was no feedback from the professors. The course says they look at all of the final submission and provide feedback. It would have been helpful to receive it, but I did not hear from either of them.

While Peter is an amazing professor and has great explanation, the other professor has a huge lack of enthusiasm and his monotonous voice made consider several times dropping out of the course. Recommended to give you an overall idea of photography but the assessment of the classmates were mostly disappointing.

no one to supervise what students are doing so everyone is copying the content of others.

Hi,

Then 1 year ago I've noticed this course presence in Coursera I was really enjoyed it exists and according explanation it provides lot o valuable and interesting work. Several months ago, then our government officially made a gift for young peoples in form of Coursera tests i was really inspired to finally attempt one. Unfortunately, just after start I've realized how rotten it is. 9 out 10 submissions are wrong, plagiarized. Nothing about this course is true is value and recognition after completing it feels total zero. I respect work you and MSU put in, content, videos and all learning theory is great. Unfortunately all peer review idea is not working in our world, 6-7 submissions filled with same text in a row, photos, project. If I would pay for this course my money, i would definitely be very angry and unhappy about how things working here. Such courses instead of proud and recognition brings only hate and disappointment.

Thanks MSU for content, both professors did great job and preparation and delivery. I learned something new.

Coursera part of business to make it FAIR and its total garbage in output.

regards,

Andrej.

Not really worth taking this class. The video production quality has horrible sound issues and there are a lot of bots that make the exercises a pain. I went through the entire specialization, finished the Capstone, and these issues only get worse the further you go. I'm sure there are other photography classes through Coursera that offer the same information in a much more organized way. I Gave the other classes in this specialization 2 stars but I'm giving the Capstone 1 because there were so many bot accounts, it slowed everything way down. Also the peer review/forum exercises were very unorganized compared to other Coursera classes I've taken.

First, I would like to thank you Professors Peter Glendenning and Mark Sullivan and the management of courser team who have accepted my application for waiving the fee for the courses 4, 5 and Capstone Projects.

The course was very exciting and knowledgeable right from week one to week 8. I like the reviewing activity for the peers's project statements and photographs which gave me confidence in reviewing and passing comments.

The peers who have given the links of the photographers whom they were going to follow as their model photographers was very helpful. Most of the links I never new.

Though, the site needs little improvement. To search the photographs of the peers was very difficult. We fond their statement but could not find the related photograph. It was easy to find the photographs of the peers submission who have given the links in their project statement.

Therefore, it should be made mandatory for all to mention the link in the statement or the photo should be given immediately below the statement and also space for review comments on the same page.

Sometimes, when we tried to submit the review, the review tab was not working.

Anyways, I enjoyed he course and would like to revise it once again to gain confidence. I am waiting impatiently for the Capstone Project's come out.

This was a great course. I am so happy I signed up for it. Ever since I was a kid I have been fascinated by photography, but I never pursued it. Early this summer, my husband surprised me with a "fancy" camera (an entry-level, mirrorless Sony), but I had no idea how to use it. Taking all the sequences in this series, where the capstone project finished up the sequence really help me to get started.

In particular, the capstone project taught me how to think about telling a story with my photos, not just take random pictures. I've learned how to think more about the story behind the photo.

What was useful was that there were learned at different levels, and some of the more advanced learners helped me a lot with their comments. But also some of the learners that were at my level had such useful comments; really pulling me forward.

I will miss not being a learner in the course!

I think the Capstone project was necessary to build up a photographer and to evaluate all the knowledge one acquired or all the skills one gained throughout the whole specialization. I really enjoyed doing this course. It made me explore new categories of photography, fall under new circumstances while being in a photo-walk. It made me see the world by other learner's cameras. I got to learn not only by other learners' comments on my project but also by observing their works as well.

I recommend this course as well as the whole specialization for all photography enthusiasts who would want to elevate their photography skills and knowledge to a new level.

A complete and excellent course on photography technique, from the technique of handling the reflex camera, through the principles of lighting and digital development, and reaching the composition as well as the ideas to improve the contents based on the concept and the coherence when carrying out a photographic project. A great way to reflect on the intention and message of your photos, and to hone your love of image and artistic expression.

A total of 5 courses, which I have taken in almost 6 months, in which I have had the opportunity to deepen my knowledge of photography and explore it as a means of communication and personal expression.

The five courses within this specialization really taught me a lot as a beginner photographer. All courses were very true to its specialization title, teaching photography from the basics and more. The assignments were really the highlight since they all allowed me to practice my photography skills and learn from my co-learners as well. Not only that, they also taught me how to critique photographs, which I think, is also a very important skill to have as a photographer. Hands down to Sir Glendinning, Sir Sullivan and the rest of the team who made all the courses possible. :)

I truly enjoyed this Photography Capstone Project. It allowed me to put the theory and skills which I learnt in the other courses into practice. I now have the ability to produce a photography project on any type of subject matter that I want to. I feel great! I would recommend this photography Course to any one who is interested in learning more about photography. I found my professors knowledgeable, clear in instruction and charming. I felt as if I knew them and they Knew me.

I do not find words to express my gratitude to respected Professor duo Peter Glendinning and Mark Sullivan also my sincere Thank you goes to Coursera and the concerned individuals associated with her and who are blessing people around the word with such magical journey, I also completed the course "Photography Basics and Beyond: From Smartphone to DSLR " I really overjoyed learning and exploring along with the Professors and everyone on the way.

Thank You.

The course was really useful, I learned many technical concepts that I didn't know and to know my camera better. their classes are very complete, however I believe that some topics are repeated when changing the teacher, maybe I lack a little communication in that aspect. except for the complications to see the videos because of the language, I recommend this course very much

This project is a great opportunity to view wide variety of pictures from learners and photographers. The Professors have created very interesting and instructive lectures. It was a pleasure to be a student in this course. Amazing!!! Thanks a lot.

This course helped to put all the previous ones together. It was a great experience and help to adapt my style of photography. The review of my peers was most helpful in assisting me to improve my photographer's statement and project selections.

This specialization it's being a bless and I am very grateful for completing it. I thank Mark and Peter for the way you have made the course and the whole team of mentors for being there in every doubt or question.

Thanks a lot

Kind Regards

Tenesor

This is an excellent course! I have enjoyed and learned a lot. There is so much talent. Each one of the learners are very good, and with this quality of work, there is just one path to follow: learn and become deeply in love with photography.

Excellent learning experience for the novice to experienced. The course has improved my technical skills as well as the process in the way I take photos now. Thanks to Professor Peter Glendinning and Professor Mark Sullivan.

Great course learned a lot of techniques I should use in my camerawork. Photographs quickly improved, I definitely recommend this course to not only beginners but to professionals who want to perfect their technique.