A career in photography - Advice requested

Im looking to start a career in photography after college. I would like to

start in wedding and special occassion photography, but im not sure as to what

qualifications are needed. im really keen in photography and i enjoy it a lot.

in my spare time i focus in digital photography and using adobe photoshop cs3

and at college i use film photography using techniques such as studio work,

flash, textures using macro lenses and landscapes. i currently study A level

photography and Graphic design. i am planning on geting my own film camera and

making a portfolio. Im not sure about going to university as i dont know

whether i need it to take a career in photography. i thought of taking an

apprentaship somewhere but i dont know. What should i do? do i need anymore

qualifications?

 

Sam

Sam, from experience dealing with someone with a masters in photography a degree in photography is next to useless for wedding photography. Once you know the technical side well enough for it to be subconscious what you need is plenty experience of what wedding photography is all about and the best way to do that is good old fashioned apprenticing. When I worked with my mentor/boss for 6 months it wasn't to learn what fstop to use, it was to learn how to deal with people, how to work with the flow of the day and what to do when things don't go as planned or just plain wrong. Of course apart from that there is the whole peripheral side to wedding photography that doesn't involve any photography at all. The marketing, the selling, the organisation, the people skills, the orders, the advertising, etc, etc.

 

Seriously if you are going to get a degree and want to break into wedding photography most here would recommend a business course rather than a photography course, you will find it far more useful.

 

If however you want to go into journalism then a degree or two in photography is almost a must these days silly as it may seem. When I first wanted to make a living from photography my mother was being treated for the big 'C' in a specialist hospital in Manchester. I was with her one day and on the way out popped into their photography department to ask for a job. The woman in charge of the unit there told me I would need at least a masters in photography before the hospital would consider me eventhough she started without any qualifications and was trained up from 6 months on the job. She explained that management can't see beyond written qualifications these days however stupid it might sound..

<p>Here's another perspective.</p>

 

<p>If you want to do wedding photography then you certainly don't need qualifications.

By far the majority of wedding photographers are entirely unqualified, and a smaller

number have some form of association of a professional body which may/may not have

included some training and accreditation.</p>

 

<p>But if you have long term ambitions of more varied professional photography

(editorial/documentary/fashion) then a university course will be very helpful. Not for

what it teaches you about photography but for the contacts you make, and the insights

you gain into how work is pitched and won. In commercial photography knowing the

right people is the difference between having work and having none.</p>

 

<p>Even with a degree you can still expect to be someone's apprentice on graduation,

but you'll at least have the experience to develop and move on more quickly.</p>

The down side of many (most) university courses which a are profession based (including dentistry, medicine, vet science and the like) is that they have little or no business management or commerce portions to them.

 

Granted that some professionals upon graduation work for a company as a salaried employee: but some do not.

 

A family Dentist in Private Practice and a Plumber running his own show are identical in regards to owning and running a small business, so to a Professional Wedding Photographer.

 

I emphasise the critical importance of a sound business training should you wish to conduct your profession as your own business.

 

WW

I would say learn Graphic Design. Usually when I see someone who has combined their knowledge in graphic design, photography, and has a creative eye.... the pictures usually speak for themselves.

Hi, Sam,

If you do decide to take further qualifications I'd suggest you choose your course very carefully. Speaking from experience, in the UK most university photography courses are Arts-based (with a capital A!), and not practical-based. I learned more about being a wedding photographer from assisting a seasoned wedding photographer in one day than years of photography courses. I'd suggest you book yourself onto a one-day seminar with a pro to get an idea of how it works, and you can ask their advice too. (Eg. Calumet have days by Mark Cleghorn throughout the country which are very insightful).

I'd echo everything my esteemed colleagues above have said. Being a successful commercial or event photographer has far more to do with the people skills, business savvy, and marketing end of things than it does with actual photography. It's not for everyone, but it seems everyone and their pet fish thinks they can be a good wedding photographer. Many a beautiful wedding has been ham-handedly captured by "Uncle Bobs" out there because they had a nice camera and were cheap/free. Those brides lost out on the kind of images that a true professional could have captured.

 

Yes, you do need to have the right equipment, camera skills, graphic design skills, marketing skills, knowledge of lighting, digital imaging, computers and software, and, at the very least the eye and heart of an artist and visual storyteller.

 

It also takes integrity, dedication, selflessness, energy, a strong back and legs, resourcefulness, and long hours late at night perfecting your craft (post-producing pictures and marketing/networking).

 

You'll be in competition with greater and lesser mortals than yourself, including those wandering around with a shiny new D-40 who have no business photographing a wedding. You'll waste advertising dollars on schemes that don't work, and be forever scratching your head to explain what DID work and why. You may be thinking that weddings are a great way to meet women, and yet, if you're doing your job properly, you'll have no time to stand around and gather phone numbers, and won't have the stamina to take someone home after a grueling afternoon of intense photography.

 

I could go on and on, but are you up for all that? I personally LOVE it! Good luck.