Aspiring Photography

[j.coulter]

I am a sophomore in college, striving for a degree in business management. I am also very in love with photography. I am thinking of switching my major to something to do with photography but, first i would like to know anything that anyone would like to share about the life of a proffessional photographer and anything about potential salary. Any insite would be greatly appreciated...
Thanks,
A confused college student.

[dou_b_14]

Im a music major and wish I had gone into business....Get ur business degree and practice practice practice and develope a style in photography, then use your business degree to be successful with your photography business....just my oppinion. good luck on whatever you decide to do.

[FlyingPhotog]

+1 for the Business Degree.

Running the business side of any artistic endeavor is easily 80% of the work...

[photog_87]

I totally agree... get that business degree. Learning to shoot is much easier than learning the business end of things.

[j.coulter]

That is what I got to thinking after posting... Thanks for the input/advice guys.
Justin

[EveryMilesAMemory]

I stick with the Business Degree and keep shooting and practicing on the side. Maybe try and get a few paid shoots under your belt before you even consider switching majors.

I think I enjoy photography much more as a hobby than as a job. When ever I get a few jobs lined up in row and have to crunch out so many shots, I tend to get burned out with the business side of it.

Good luck
Pat

[Robert16]

Stick with your business degree. Learn the photography stuff here and in the field.

[Gary_Evans]

Do your business degree, it will serve you better in the long run.

Of all the photographers I know, and there are many, only one studied photography at university, all the rest came to it as a second profession. Also, the local college to me chucks out about 30 "photographers" a year and has done for years. Apparantly only one still works in the photography industry - behind the counter of a local mini-lab.

So I agree with all the others - stick at your business degree.

[BradM]

A degree based on photography will serve you much better than one say in art history when you ask "do you want fries with that?" because at least you have a nice idea on how to light the interesting customers that come up to the drive thru window.

Get the business degree it will serve you much better in the long run.

And income as a photographer? It varies wildly depending on type of shooting to the market your are in. You can get a job in a mall shooting portraits at maybe $10/hour or doing the same in your own studio billing at $100/hr but only netting about $15/hr depending on expenses and time involved in getting clients.

A six figure income is possible for one with skills and savvy but these are in the marketing end, not on the photography side. Photography is like any other business, it is at least 80% about the business and maybe 20% about the shooting.

[symes]

I agree with the rest, learn the business side of things...take workshops and photography courses if they're offered and go from there! :)

A degree based on photography will serve you much better than one say in art history when you ask "do you want fries with that?" because at least you have a nice idea on how to light the interesting customers that come up to the drive thru window.

Another comedian who has no understanding of the value of an arts degree...

[PhotosGuy]

Hit the marketing courses hard & take an art appreciation course to keep Symes happy. ;)

[airfrogusmc]

If you're really creative a business degree will bore the crap out of you. I say polish your craft and get a grip on your style in school (photography) then get out and work for a well established successful photographer that in the field of photography you want to get into. Because normal marketing techniques don't always work with selling creativity learn all you can from him and you will learn more in a 6 months about the business of photography than you would if you got an MBA. Being around other photographers and creative people, some are going to go on and be very successful, is so valuable. Get your craft ironed out in school take some basic business classes and get a job with a successful established photographer and work there a few years. That way you're well on your way to developing your own style and vision and have made most of the technical mistakes in school or on someone else dime (the established photographer). Its worked for me...

[j.coulter]

Thanks to all of you for your care and opinions. It has been very useful! I am almost positive that I am going to stick with the business degree and spend as much time learning photography on my own and from you guys as I can. Thanks!

[bieber]

Make sure to stay openminded, too. There's always the possibility that you just won't "get" photography (not sure how good you are right now, but I'm guessing you're just starting out?) or that you'll grow tired of it after a year or two: best avoid changing a degree to it if it turns out that it might not work out...

[djscrib]

Get your business degree. If it turns out in 5 years you hate photography (or you suck) you'll be able to get a job. A photography degree, not so much.

Get a minor in MIS, or anything to expose you to technology from a development side.

Sit in on graphic design classes.

Lastly take pictures.

[MG30D]

....get out and work for a well established successful photographer that in the field of photography you want to get into. Because normal marketing techniques don't always work with selling creativity learn all you can from him and you will learn more in a 6 months about the business of photography than you would if you got an MBA. Being around other photographers and creative people, some are going to go on and be very successful, is so valuable. Get your craft ironed out in school take some basic business classes and get a job with a successful established photographer and work there a few years...

^I agree with you 100%

To all that are plugging the Business degrees: Do you guys actually have a business degree? And if so, please explain to me what you learned that actually helped you in the "business of photography"?

Years ago, having a degree was a privilege. Today, a degree is expected. As a result, every undecided high schooler (including myself) goes and gets a business degree.

I'm currently acquiring my BS in business, and from experience I can tell you that I learned more about the runnings of a business from working at a restaurant while in high school, than I have will working on getting my business degree...no joke.

I did not have to sit in an hr management class to realize that I should treat employees with dignity and respect. I did not have to sit through a marketing class to realize sex sales. Etc. These things are common sense...and what is not, e.g. definitions and theories, are fairly useless in real life.

Furthermore, everyone is getting a business degree....their is nothing unique about them, you become one in a million.

Business degrees teach you how to be a "good employer" in a cubical for a large corporation. It's all about useless theories and definitions. In fact, my school (and I appreciate their honesty) pretty much told us (the students) that this was in fact true.

Here's what happened, the business department was called together for a meeting. In this meeting we, the students, where informed that there was a "big problem" occurring in business today. The problem was that business graduates where unprepared for real life business. Furthermore, this was true for all colleges/universities across the US, including Harvard;).

So, why where business students unprepared? Simple, a business degree was taught as a "science", while in reality business is more of an "art". In other words, students where learning definitions and theories that where useless in real life situations, and the students had no real life business experience. Fortunately, my university has begin taking steps in dealing with this issue, by trying to offer classes that are "in the field", through internships and so forth. Unfortunately, my generation will not be part of this. :(

I'm currently looking a schools like http://www.scad.edu/ to get a bachelors in photography. I'm not sure if its worth it, but I do know this: I'd rather learn something useful. I'm not happy with my degree (it bores me to death). Making 20-30K a year and being just one in a million with a business degree is depressing. And that many entrepreneurs/business men (and even some of my business professors) don't have a degree in business.... usually one just needs a degree of some higher education.

By the way, as for getting an MBA, guess what, you don't have to get a four year degree in business to then go on an get a master in business.;)