Photography Career

[rich_yau]

123

[elkootcho]

http://www.artcenter.edu/accd/programs/undergraduate/photography.jsp

Very highly respected school in Pasadena, CA. Good place to look if you're interested in going to an "Art School"

[tuggnet]

...
I'm visiting Harvard and MIT this weekend.

Any career advice greatly appreciated!!

My neighbor visited MIT a few weeks ago. About $280K for four years! Ouch.

That's a lot of prints ;)

good luck!

[kenyc]

My neighbor visited MIT a few weeks ago. About $280K for four years! Ouch.

That's a lot of prints ;)

good luck!

:) Yeah! Lots of prints and equipment and ..... Of course my son has decided to transfer to Reed at the tune of $40K per semester!

KAC

[EricKonieczny]

Whatever you choose, I will give you one quote that always thought of having good merit.



"If you love your job, you will never have to work a day in your life"

[Longwatcher]

Not sure if it has photography courses these days, but I think UCLA used to. It is where a large number of Film (movie) careers have been made so I suspect it has a photography program as well.

However, if you want to make money the odds are heavily against your making significant money at photography and the odds of working at NG, SI or the like are very low. You are more likely to get a job participating in pro sports. But if you really really feel you love photography, then who cares how much money you make.

There is also a very good college in NY that teaches photography (although I seem to remember it is not the one that advertises on the web a lot as a photography school). A photographer I admire a lot (Barbara Nitke) teaches there and she is a very good photography teacher.

And lastly I have been told that Savanah college of arts in Savanah, GA would be a good school to go to for any artistic career although I don't know if they have a specific photography program.

I will let you do the research.

[BrandonSi]

Honestly if I were you I'd major in something "normal", such as Business Admnistration and try and get a minor in Photography or something similar. Then if the interest is still stong, perhaps consider a Masters Degree in Photography. That way you have all your bases covered should something not work out, and you need to rely on finding an office job or some other mainstream work to pay the bills.

[rich_yau]

123

[AjP]

tons of practice - the best photography school :)

[BrandonSi]

Undergraduate Business programs are very tough to get into, even with my standards.

What? Business should be one of the easiest to get into next to a Liberal Arts major.. Hard would be something like engineering or pre-med.

[KevC]

Do engineering :) The skills you acquire doing an engineering undergraduate degree will apply everywhere. It's the analyitical thinking that really helps. If you survive engineering at MIT, you can do anything ;)

I'm doing a Physics degree, (engineering wasn't for me) while doing photography on the side. Your portfolio is what really sells you, not which school you go to. My friends that do/did photography for their degree said they didn't learn too much. Just shoot, shoot, shoot and you will improve!

[rich_yau]

123

[rich_yau]

123

[KevC]

You should do what you love. EricKonieczny is right. You have to find something you're really passionate about. If photography really is it, then I can't help you. But, if you're like me, find something you really love that's a little more concrete.

Engineering is definitely a concrete field, highly regarded with their awesome analytical skills.

Is there anything else you really love besides photography?

[rich_yau]

123

[TonyKInTexas]

First off, taking business courses is a good idea. Photography, especially as a business, is not about taking images. That is the product you are selling. The business of photography is like any other business and needs to be ran as such.

And most schools, except maybe dedicated art type schools, probably require pre-reqs for any degree program.

You could do a double major or major in Art with a minor in Business. That way you understand and know what can impact your business and an Art degree can come in very handy in a lot of different areas.

[KevC]

teaching.:confused: Another dead end low paying type job.

I was thinking of teaching and wedding photography at the same time.


I don't know, but here in Canada teachers get paid very well. 2 months of summer off, easy 8:30 to 3 schedule, awesome pension plans, great salary too.

There's a lot of money in wedding photography, but as you already know it's highly stressful.

[gkas]

I highly recommend Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA. My youngest son just graduated with a BA in commercial photography. I have been very impressed with not only their instruction in photography, but photography as a business. The commercial program is a year-round 3 year program. He just turned 21 and graduated with his degree. He has already picked up several commercial accounts. He was taught how to price a project and present it to a customer in a professional manner. He just did a full page ad for a Harley Davidson magazine, with photo credit. They've definately given him all the tools to be a success. ...and I've given Brooks all my money ;}

[TonyKInTexas]

In the USA, teachers, especially in public schools, don't get paid well. Then comes the paperwork shuffle which seems to get bigger and bigger each year. There are teachers now who are having trouble affording health insurance because the costs keep rising and their pay hasn't.

I don't know, but here in Canada teachers get paid very well. 2 months of summer off, easy 8:30 to 3 schedule, awesome pension plans, great salary too.

There's a lot of money in wedding photography, but as you already know it's highly stressful.

[InskiP]

In the USA, teachers, especially in public schools, don't get paid well. Then comes the paperwork shuffle which seems to get bigger and bigger each year. There are teachers now who are having trouble affording health insurance because the costs keep rising and their pay hasn't.


Truely a sorry state of affairs for such an important job...

Otherwise, that wouldn't be a bad deal doing both the things that you love.
Teaching, and then doing weddings in the summer when most weddings are anyway.
It sounds like you want to make LOTS of money, who doesn't, but you may or may not have to sacrifice some...you have to decide what will make you happiest in the long run...

Brooks in Santa Barbara sounds like it may have some promise.

Good luck...

[sixshot]

Be an esl teacher like me in China and then you have no paper work, cheap expenses and plenty of free time for photography! I do various english training including in companies such as adidas and p&g which is interesting and I can put my business degree to practice.

[Nikolas]

teaching.:confused: Another dead end low paying type job.



I take great offence at that statement being a teacher.
Can you re-word it please?

[rich_yau]

I take great offence at that statement being a teacher.
Can you re-word it please?

Didn't mean to be disrespectful. I want to teach and I respect my teachers. It's just difficult to do because of the pay and small room for advancement.

[Nikolas]

Didn't mean to be disrespectful. I want to teach and I respect my teachers. It's just difficult to do because of the pay and small room for advancement.

Not where I live it isn't
Exactly what sort of advancement are you after?
Are you in it for the students or for "advancement"
Ever considered you also get more time off than most professions and the satisfaction you get educating someone is priceless.
Not to mention the job is never boring.
It's statements like yours that make my blood boil.
But all is forgiven. :-):lol:

[rssfhs]

Go to business school, make a few million before you're thirty, sell your business, retire and then pursue photography and your other passions without worrying about where your next meal will come from!

[rich_yau]

It is precisely for those reasons that I am interested in teaching. I love doing it. BTW, I would like to teach high school. I will soon see, as this coming year I talkes it over w/ my principal and past math and I will have the opportunity to be a TA in a Pre-Calculus class.

the only thing im extremely nervouse about is that if the students don't like me or my teaching style, i might get booted out really quickly. Some of them are my age. :confused: (seniors)

Not where I live it isn't
Exactly what sort of advancement are you after?
Are you in it for the students or for "advancement"
Ever considered you also get more time off than most professions and the satisfaction you get educating someone is priceless.
Not to mention the job is never boring.
It's statements like yours that make my blood boil.
But all is forgiven. :-):lol:

[blinking8s]

http://www.wku.edu has like 28 pulitzer prize winners or something insane in its photojournalism alumni list and won 14 of the 16 hearst photojournalism awards. Many art schools say photography starts with fine art, but photojournalism schools will tell you a photographer out of their system is a jack of all trades. They only have a staff of 4, its a family almost, and it explains why they are right next to brooks in ranking.

Im attending in the fall of 05 and excited as hell. I know photojournalism isnt a big money maker right off the bat, but the chance to slave and be next to some big names in the process is fine by me...once ive paid my dues to the system, ill do my own thing.

After photojournalism though, you could get a masters in business or just about anything. Be set to be a manager/editor for anywhere you applied.

[Stearmandriver]

I'm certainly not a professional photographer, but I have a cautionary tale to offer about spending a LOT of time and money on a very specialized education in a very competitive field:

13 years ago, I was where you are right now. The only difference was, I wasn't considering a career in photography, but aviation. Flying airplanes has always been something I've loved, and been lucky (or cursed) enough to have a talent for. I was offered advice from teachers and counselers who really knew nothing about professional aviation, but, because of the "wow" factor associated with the job, keenly encouraged me to pursue an education tailored to the field. I can imagine you're probably getting some of the same advice. Compounding the matter was the fact that, as a teenager, it seems completely reasonable to bet your whole life on following your dream.

So, long story short, I knocked out a BS degree in "airway science - aircraft systems management" - basically a professional flight degree. It would be comparable to a Photography degree, in that it's only applicable in the least to that one field, and not even all that important. It's important to have a degree, but it could be in philosophy for all it really matters. What counts at a technical job like aviation or photography (I'm guessing) is experience... and you SURE don't get that in a classroom.

So, anyway, here I am with my shiny useless degree, and I've actually been pretty successful in my field, ending up a fairly senior jet captain at a decent airline by 30 years old. But - and it's a big "but" - I'm qualified to do exactly nothing else. So, it's been disheartening to find that, while this is a fun job, it's a lousy career for me, and the lifestyle I hold important. Too many nights in hotel rooms away from home and family, etc. The kinds of things no one tells you about when you're 16 and trying to choose a career, because they're all proud of you for wanting to pursue a path they find "neat". :rolleyes:

Point is, I'm interested in a career change but have nothing to fall back on, so I'm starting from scratch. Take it from me, you REALLY don't want to make the same mistake. Get a USEFUL degree and pursue photography as well. Minor in it, like someone suggested, or just find a mentor and soak up everything you can. Hell, get a Pharmacy degree or something, and pursue your love while pushing pills for 80 grand a year. DON'T CHAIN YOURSELF TO ONE HIGHLY SPECIALIZED PROFESSION, or, even if you're lucky enough to succeed in it, you'll have no options for change down the road. And there are LOTS of reasons why you might come to wish you did.

I know you specifically asked not to be told this, but I thought it would be useful to hear from someone who made the same mistake. There are many schools out there that market themselves as elite institutions in a particular field, and use the suggestion that a degree with their name on it will open doors for you as an excuse to charge grossly inflated tuitions for what they teach. Don't fall into the trap.

I read something once that's stuck in my mind ever since: "Failure is hard, but success is far more dangerous. If you're successful at the wrong thing, the mix of presige, money, and power can lock you in forever."

Options are good; give yourself as many as you can.

Joe

[Nidz]

I think i have something to add to the thread

I too am stuck in a job where I can't see any end. I don't have much as far as qualifications but I have a very big interest in persuing a career in photograpy. I would like to stay in my current job but I do have a lot of free time where I could possibly be making extra money on the side.

To all those professionals out there. What would be a good starting field of photography to get into. There are so many different things out there that you could do. If I have never had a picture published should I try to get some of my pictures published and then start to build up a portfolio?
What were the first things you got paid to photograph? How long did you study prior to doing this? Do you find self learning is better than paying for a course? Do you need to invest in some massive equptment in order to enter into some kind of publishing of photos for profits?

I know these questions may be simple for some people but they are important to see what others have done to get where they are.

[NGrinerPhoto]

www.rit.edu

i didn't go there ... but should have

i went to school for photography somewhere closer to home (DC Metro Area)

[PhotosGuy]

First off, taking business courses is a good idea. Photography, especially as a business, is not about taking images. That is the product you are selling. The business of photography is like any other business and needs to be ran as such. I'll second that. Go somewhere that teaches that, & try to at least audit some classes in accounting, business law, etc.
I was once told the the Brooks instructors were not well paid so they'd have to keep active & up to date in their photographic niche. Don't know if that's still true.
I think the best place to learn would be to summer intern in a studio that does the kind of work that you're interested in. You'll learn more useful info there in 3 months than you will in a 4-year program.
While you're doing that, look for a good rep to handle your accounts. They're worth their weight in gold! ;)

[Jimster71]

I did a computer science degree and then worked as a software engineer for 11 years. In the past few years I got increasingly bored with the job. A couple of months back I got made redundant so took the opportunity to do something I enjoy. I got lucky and I now work as a portrait photographer for a national chain of studios. Sure, the money is awful compared to what I was earning, but now it doesn't feel like going to work any more!

[zakabog]

Not where I live it isn't
Exactly what sort of advancement are you after?
Are you in it for the students or for "advancement"
Ever considered you also get more time off than most professions and the satisfaction you get educating someone is priceless.
Not to mention the job is never boring.
It's statements like yours that make my blood boil.
But all is forgiven.

Except statements like that are generally true (and usually said by teachers) in the states. They get paid very little and there's no real room for promotion when you're a public school teacher. Most teachers I know aren't able to live on their teaching salary alone and usually have a second job or a spouse who is also bringing in money.

[Ronald S. Jr.]

See, some people have been commenting on how I seem to have "endless money". I don't. Not at all. But, I'm fortunate to live in an area with not ONE other wedding photographer. It's all about competition. If you're worried about not getting paid enough, (your comment on teacher's salary) I'm not sure what to say. It would seem that you'd have overbearing competition where you live, and even in the area where you're going to school, if you're planning on Harvard. Where would you be planning on pursuing your career in photography?

[Nidz]

It does seem like a lot of people in IT seem to have moved on to greener pastures because it can be a very high pressure and tedious job. I guess it all comes down to how serious you wanna get as to how far you move onto the profession. there is a lot to learn as I found out.

[barnesquared]

Go to business school, make a few million before you're thirty, sell your business, retire and then pursue photography and your other passions without worrying about where your next meal will come from!

amen!

you seem smart, go for the MBA. stick to photography as a serious hobby, practice, get clients, etc, and let it grow on its own. a lot of the great photographers seemed to not attribute their success to where they went to school but to their experiences.

[SHANGHAi]

My art teacher has drilled it into my head: It's not where you go but what you do with it.

Graduate schools will take you as long as you have an outstanding portfolio.

[Joe R]

Remember the photography business is 20% photography and 80% business.

Not to be snide, but you seem like a smart kid - do some research on college photography programs. The previously mentioned Brooks and RIT are 2 of the top photography schools in the country.

[whyzzerd]

If you like teaching, and you like photography.. why not teach photography somewhere? then again, still not a lot of money.

[KennyG]

I have yet to meet a top line professional who had any form of degree in photography. Most have a good education for sure, a business head on their shoulders as a necessity, and something that a degree does not teach - talent.

In my 27 years of earning money from photography I have never met anyone who employs photographers, either directly or by buying their pictures, that has cared one iota if he/she has a degree or college course in the subject. All they care about is the end result and usually the speed of getting it.

[Dr. A]

I guess it is time to put my two cents worth in....

First, it seems like our young and aspiring student should review his career priorities. This is certainly not meant to be critical, so please don't take it this way, but are you interestested in money or what makes you happy? I think that is one of the first questions that you should answer.

There has been a lot of good suggestions in this thread and Joe certainly made a good point about getting an education in a limited area. I couldn't support his point more. In fact, a friend's daughter finished a degree in aviation and couldn't find a job, but lucked into a position in a hospital. She now regrets the four year degree, but is continuing her education with a Masters in Healthcare Administration.

I too, have been fortunate with a broad TEACHING background. While having the desire to go to graduate school to TEACH, I completed an undergraduate degree in biology and finished a PhD in Biomedical Science with the idea that I would be teaching at an undergraduate school. Mind you, I had taught at the primary and secondary levels and LOVED it. However, I didn't find a positon while finishing my degree after a few interview, BUT two months after I completed my degree I was offered and accepted the position of a CEO for a large public healthcare organization. I only got that job because I had a well versed background in BUSINESS (owning my own business for 17 years while teahing).

My suggestion to any new graduate is to keep your career choices open and your scope wide, because you don't know where the future will take you. If it hadn't been for such a mixture of background and experience, I wouldn't have the job I do today...by the way I love my job and still teach as an adjunct professor at a major university.

Best of luck.
Dr. A

[bedeviler]

I highly recommend Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA. My youngest son just graduated with a BA in commercial photography. I have been very impressed with not only their instruction in photography, but photography as a business. The commercial program is a year-round 3 year program. He just turned 21 and graduated with his degree. He has already picked up several commercial accounts. He was taught how to price a project and present it to a customer in a professional manner. He just did a full page ad for a Harley Davidson magazine, with photo credit. They've definately given him all the tools to be a success. ...and I've given Brooks all my money ;}

I second this recommendation. Brooks is arguably the best there is for a specialized photography education. A friend of a niece attended and graduated last year.

-bd