Another College Thread

[Nick Pro]

I'm 16 currently, and am a Sophomore in High School. I would love to be a photographer when I grow up. To aid this, and help me see what it's really like, I work for several photographers, and shoot Sweet 16's for various kids in my school. (As I was writing this, I just got a call confirming a sweet 16 shoot!) I am starting to look at College's. I have already gotten several letters from different colleges, but I didn't really find anything interesting about them. I would really love to go to Emily Carr University in BC. It's perfect for me. Mountain Biking, Sailing, Snowboarding, etc. My dream job would be to work for various sports magazines as a photographer. My question is, how would I get such a position? I would love to go to college, but is it necessary? ( I always remember $100,000 on equipment is better than $100,000 College tuition)

Thanks!
Nick Pro

(Feel free to check out my website in my signature)

[DDCSD]

Go to a college with a good sports team and major in BUSINESS. Minor in photography or photojournalism or whatever the school has that is related to photography (or just get on the school paper staff). Go to a public school (so you'll still have $80k to spend on equipment), don't waste money on a private "University of Art + Design". I'm sure that Emily Carr is a great school, but there are plenty of broke artists with $100K in student loans. This is especially true if you want to get into sports photography.

Working on the school newspaper as a staff shooter will open more doors and gain you more experience than sitting in a classroom being taught how to compose an image and make "art". The most important thing about college is the experience. What they teach you in the classroom is secondary.

[MJPhotos24]

A staff job at one of the various sports magazines is not easy, I just shot with an ex-SI intern and they told him to come back in 15 years and maybe they'd have a spot for him, so even a foot in a door takes years to get a "shot" at those jobs.

To run a photography business Derek already said it, take Business & Marketing classes. With that type of degree you can work in several fields if photography doesn't work out. Photography is not as easy as some think and there's a lot of photogs working full time jobs in other areas now because of the current trend of photog jobs getting cut first.

[rdompor]

I agree about going to school for photography. I'm currently an electrical engineering student at Rutgers but I've taken a few photo courses on the side and am even a staff photog for the school paper. On top of that, I'm a staff photographer for the Blue Stream Media photo company. What I've learned both from the paper and Blue Stream Media is that the photography is the easy part of the job. The things they teach you in school either don't matter in application or are learned much earlier in the business than in a classroom. Business school is probably where you should be headed. It would also be good to get into some editorial company like the school paper or a small local magazine to get experience under your belt.

Honestly, it isn't a good time to be looking for a career in this industry. It might just be the newspaper side of me talking, but jobs are being cut in the print industry. Some say that magazines a niche industry, but I wouldn't bet against them fading slightly just like newsprint is doing right now.

Another thing I would suggest if you're really headed for a career in photo is to shoot a variety of styles and events.

Again, I'm going to relate things to photojournalism (PJ) and news work but it's what I know:
I posted in another thread that record numbers of PJ students are going into an industry where record numbers of jobs are being cut. What they're doing to beat the competition is learning a variety of skills including video (for web/broadcast), editing, lighting, shooting weddings/events, and writing. With the current state of the economy, those jobs that are being cut are also being consolidated into the fewest number individuals to get the job done as possible. I imagine it would be very difficult for you to make a living off of shooting for sports rags alone.

[Nick Pro]

Thanks guys. I'm on the school newpaper/yearbook and shoot all the sports already. I am defiantly going to go ahead and get a business degree. Hopefully, the economy will be in better shape by the time I'm in College...

[DDCSD]

Thanks guys. I'm on the school newpaper/yearbook and shoot all the sports already. I am defiantly going to go ahead and get a business degree. Hopefully, the economy will be in better shape by the time I'm in College...

I mean when you go to college get on the school newspaper. Have a look at what Adam Lewis has done in his time at Louisville.

[canonnoob]

Mizzou (University of Missouri) has one of the best photojournalism schools in the country. I am saying this without going there also.. So I mean, Id definatly take a look there.

I shoot for my college's photo services. Shooting sports and other performances. I would definatly suggest getting involved somewhere.

[MJPhotos24]

Another thing - you have two years of basic courses and you never know if you're going to change majors or want to do something else or just realize what you want to do may not be available. You have plenty of time to think about it and even entering college another few semesters to make sure it's what you want to do.

[computerguru3190]

I was always told that newspaper staff was the way to go in college, but that is totally wrong. Find a sports powerhouse school with a good business program and get in touch with the Sports Information photographer. That person is your ticket. Everyone that comes through knows him. SI, ESPN, AP, etc.

Try and get on as his assistant or just be around to help. The job does everything from the pictures you see on ads to images that go out to SI sometimes.

Within three months of starting my job, I already had three places calling me routinely for freelancing work, I have a great relationship with the local paper, I've already been introduced to some of the greats from SI and have shot hundreds of events. I get way more access than anyone else and get paid well. Also my equipment is top notch unlike newspapers. Powerhouse sports schools need good publicity. Pictures are a huge concern to them and they definitely pay for it. That is the way to go.

[Nick Pro]

I was always told that newspaper staff was the way to go in college, but that is totally wrong. Find a sports powerhouse school with a good business program and get in touch with the Sports Information photographer. That person is your ticket. Everyone that comes through knows him. SI, ESPN, AP, etc.

Try and get on as his assistant or just be around to help. The job does everything from the pictures you see on ads to images that go out to SI sometimes.

Within three months of starting my job, I already had three places calling me routinely for freelancing work, I have a great relationship with the local paper, I've already been introduced to some of the greats from SI and have shot hundreds of events. I get way more access than anyone else and get paid well. Also my equipment is top notch unlike newspapers. Powerhouse sports schools need good publicity. Pictures are a huge concern to them and they definitely pay for it. That is the way to go.


That defiantly sounds like a good idea. Do you have any idea of what schools would fit that description?

[MJPhotos24]

...guru is right in that these schools pay well for events, but landing those jobs are not always that easy. Also right in that the "powerhouse" schools are like that while other smaller schools might just get images from the school paper, etc. and not pay extra as they don't care too much on top quality.

[clarence]

I was always told that newspaper staff was the way to go in college, but that is totally wrong. Find a sports powerhouse school with a good business program and get in touch with the Sports Information photographer. That person is your ticket. Everyone that comes through knows him. SI, ESPN, AP, etc. Try and get on as his assistant or just be around to help.

Do you have any idea of what schools would fit that description?

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/rankingsindex

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/rankings

[tomcat360]

Yeah I am currently a photo major and to be honest....I haven't learned that much that has made me a better photographer. I do feel like I am excelling in my photography but I feel it is more to sitting around reading online and practice than anything else. Shooting for the school newspaper has made me a better photographer but only because the assignments are generally so boring that in order to be happy with the shots I have to get creative.

Now I feel that if the photo dept here had at least a couple photography-business related classes it would be great. Dealing with customers, invoices, budgeting, and maybe a photo law class, dealing with copyrights, image use, releases, etc.

I have fun in the classes and it will give me that darn piece of paper that everyone is so concerned with....but how much am I really learning that is pushing my photography? I am learning how to shoot 4x5 cameras and such but how relevant is that to photography these days?

[computerguru3190]

These schools know that they need good images. Getting on with them or even working for free for a little while is a great way to get some awesome experience and contacts.

[nphsbuckeye]

First, it's definitely, not however else you all are spelling it (I wouldn't bring that up, but this is, ironically, a thread about colleges) and various other grammar and spelling mistakes.

Although I have no interest in being a PJ, attending Ohio State, the only university with all NCAA sanctioned sports, I have a very large sports portfolio. Don't go to some small artsy-fartsy "university", but rather try to get into a large, reputable university. Going to a large university in a big city will facilitate many different, cool, and pertinent stories one can shoot that can go into PJ.

[DDCSD]

First, it's definitely, not however else you all are spelling it (I wouldn't bring that up, but this is, ironically, a thread about colleges) and various other grammar and spelling mistakes.

What on earth does this terrible run-on sentence (with very poor grammar) mean? :lol:

[tomcat360]

Yay comma splices.

Anyways, I can see how it would be beneficial to be in a real city with real news--but only if you can find out about it and get to it. There is just as much (boring) campus news on one campus to the next. As for sports, they happen everywhere. You could get more exposure and rub elbows with big time photogs on the sidelines of a SEC school football game than a FCS school, but content-wise it's pretty similar. Yes, full stadiums that wrap all the way around provide a better back ground than empty seats.But a football still is a football and a tackle is still a tackle (following me here?). Also the facilities could be better, therefore better lights which makes it easier to shoot.

As for picking a college off of geography....I did it and don't regret anything about that! I can ski, hike, waterfall jump, mountain bike, waterski etc, all while being rather close to home. Some places in Cali you can be at the beach in 30 and the mountains in 30 if you are interested in going across the country.

[nphsbuckeye]

What on earth does this terrible run-on sentence (with very poor grammar) mean? :lol:
It comes from years of reading academic journals. Sentences like that aren't technically wrong, just very hard to read. One usually only reads languages as such in academic or legal texts. Fun, isn't it:p?

[DDCSD]

It comes from years of reading academic journals. Sentences like that aren't technically wrong, just very hard to read. One usually only reads languages as such in academic or legal texts. Fun, isn't it:p?

It makes no sense though. What were you trying to say?

[nphsbuckeye]

Some members here were spelling "definitely" incorrectly and since this is a thread about attending college, I brought that up. (In addition to other grammatical and spelling errors.)

[DDCSD]

Ah, now it makes sense! :)

[nphsbuckeye]

Ah, now it makes sense! :)
I thought it did the first time. :)

[TheSportsGuy]

For the OP,

I have the same dream. I am a freshman Visual Communications Major at my local four year college, and I take pictures for yearbook, student website, the school, coaches, and for the local paper. All the photography that you can manage, you need to do it.

As far as the big school stuff goes, it makes plenty of sense. I plan on trying to get in to N.C. State's School of Design to earn a masters in Media Design (photography and illustration).

I know I'm not completely majoring in photography, but I believe learning about Graphic Design and other compliments to my photography will help me pursue my dream of being a pro photographer.

Good luck man...

(p.s. College>>>>>>>>high school :D)

[tomcat360]

What college in NC are you in? I'm at ASU.

[TheSportsGuy]

What college in NC are you in? I'm at ASU.

I have some friends at ASU..

Probably never heard of it, but right now I'm at Mount Olive College, it is a small 4-year private college. Hoping to graduate and get in to State.

[AdamLewis]

Just thought Id add my two cents in.

Photo school is great but you dont learn anything you couldnt learn anywhere else if you read a lot, shot passionately, and really learned from what youve done and what other people are doing. Photography isnt rocket science.

What you do get when you go to school for photography (or, if you have a ton of money, an actual "photo school" like RIT or Brooks..) are connections. You get contacts. You get your name out there.
Now that comes with good and bad. Good is you get people to know you and might look you up and hire you on somewhere. Bad is if you piss off the wrong people, that pretty much seals the door shut at a lot of places.

Personally, I think going to school for photography is a waste. If you want to work for a company, just learn to shoot. Meet people, talk to people, take every chance you can get to cover something and put together a portfolio.
If you want to work for yourself, DEFINITELY go to school for business first.