Randy Smith

PHOTO · PHOT · PHOTO1 · PHOTO10 · 9 lifetime ratings

AI rating: 48/100
RMP rating: 3.4/5
Take again: —
Difficulty: 3.1

The decision

Only take Randy Smith if you hear current students confirm he is in helpful mode, because older reviews are sharply split.

Best fit · Beginner FriendlyPolarizingClear DemosPatient When GoodEquipment GatekeeperMood Swings

Reviews split hard between patient photo mentor and harsh lab-tech gatekeeper.
Beginner photography students often praise clear demos and unlimited help.
Multiple one-star reviews cite attitude, equipment control, and belittling beginners.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

FairEffort

58/100

Some students say he does not care as long as work is done, but grades and difficulty comments are mixed with little A proof.

; no online reviews available.

Is the course easy?

Beginner

64/100

Positive reviews say beginning photography is made clear and easy, though negative reviews rate the experience as hard.

; no online reviews available.

Is attendance flexible?

Varies

50/100

, so flexibility cannot be confirmed beyond standard class expectations.

; no online reviews available.

Is this professor recommended?

Depends

48/100

About half the reviews rave about him while a sizable cluster warns students away because of attitude.

; no online reviews available.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Fair

55/100

Little hard grade data; one student says he does not care as long as you complete the work.

Format shift

Workload

Moderate

52/100

Comments emphasize projects and photo .

Format shift

All .

Teaching experience

Average

52/100

Strong praise for clarity and patience is canceled out by repeated complaints about hostility and laziness.

Format shift

All teaching comments are from in-person classes.

Assessment method

FocusOnAssignments

28/100

Reviews focus on photo work, demos, and help with projects rather than formal exams.

Format shift

Assessment .

Luni fit check

Weigh these signals against your actual schedule.

Get help balancing workload, grading, and timing when no option is an obvious fit.

Course format

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Classroom format

In person

9 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Beginner Friendly

In-person photo experiences range from favorite patient teacher to dismissive studio gatekeeper.

Main concern

Attitude and access to studio equipment can feel hostile in some experiences.

What students said

“My favorite professor! I never knew there was so much to learn in beginning photography!”
PHOTO10

“he acts like he personally owns the school's studio and equipment and makes a student feel dumb”
PHOT

“Made learning photography EASY! ”
PHOTO10

Remote format

Online

0 reviews

Low confidence

No stored summary is available for this format.

Main concern

No main concern is stored for this format.

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Reviews do not .

Assessment risk

Standard

50/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

or proctoring rules.

Online

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice
“My favorite professor! I never knew there was so much to learn in beginning photography!”
Voice snapshots generated from 9 polarized in-person reviews, highlighting both mentorship praise and attitude complaints. Credibility rating: Medium.

🎯 Teaching Quality

52/100

“ and good handouts.”

⚠️ Attitude Risk

30/100

“he acts like he personally owns the school's studio and equipment and makes a student feel dumb”

👍 Recommendation Rate

48/100

“ . Smith if .”

📷 Beginner Support

70/100

“Always willing to help those having problems (like me!).”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

and procedures. Demonstrates everything.
in presentations,and FUNNY!
Will spend unlimited time with you to help you unstand material.

Theme 2

⚠️ About Negative Experiences

makes a student feel dumb for wanting to check something out or use the studio.
fat lazy burger eater who makes fun of people that are new to photography
This guy doesn't like to get off his fat ass for anyone.

Theme 3

📈 About Difficulty & Learning

Made learning photography EASY!
There's alot to learn in this class and he made it easy and enjoyable.
doesn't really care as long as you do your work

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

Recent reviews read by the AI

Lifetime ratings

58/100

Evidence confidence

Nine polarized older reviews (2004-2013) give a usable but conflicted picture with limited grade detail.

Inside 9 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 55

4 out of 50

3 out of 51

2 out of 50

1 out of 53

Course coverage

PHOTO105 reviews

PHOTO12 reviews

PHOT1 review

PHOTO1 review

Reported outcomes

No letter grade reported results lead the reported letter grades.

2 reported outcomes

A range

No reported values

B range

No reported values

C range

No reported values

D range

No reported values

F

No reported values

No letter grade reported

Audit/No_Grade 1 · Not_Sure_Yet 1