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Photography Education and a Career in Photograhy


robert_hall2

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NOTE: I wrote this mini-essay because I have seen so many questions in this forum asking advice about becoming a

professional photographer. I would like this essay to receive comments and suggestions from others. It was

written to help younger people make important education and/or career choices. It was posted as plain text on

purpose.

 

 

The first decision as a prospective photographer you must answer is: “what kind of photography.” There are

several specialized fields each of which has their particular demands and rewards. I will try to list them all:

portrait & weddings, advertising or commercial photography, fashion photography, photojournalism (newspapers,

magazines), scientific and technical photography (forensic, medical, illustrations, etc.), sport photography,

event photography, nature and landscape photography, fine art photography, and others. Within each area are some

specialties. For example portrait photographers might specialize in high-end portraits, or school photography

including high school seniors, while sport photographers might specialize in one sport such as car racing. It is

very difficult to be a “jack of all trades.”

 

The second decision is whether or not to pursue a career in photography. After deciding your main interest you

absolutely must explore the career. Do you wish to be self-employed or work for some business or organization?

Then you must answer basic career exploration questions including those that follow. Where are the jobs located?

How many jobs are available? How much can you expect to earn? What are the financial benefits (health

insurance, retirement, etc.) Are jobs expected to increase or decrease in number in the future? What exactly

will you be expected to do? It is essential that you explore the career before you spend a lot of money on your

education, and those critical years of your life.

 

The third decision is strictly personal. Do you have the interest, motivation, and basic skills necessary to

become a photographer? Because photography is both an art and a craft, it is important that you have a “flair”

and interest in both. The technical side of photography requires a certain type of thinking. It’s a good sign

if you enjoy playing with a camera. Almost all photography is digital which requires computer skills as well

as the ability to work with complex software. Photography at all levels is a form of art, and you need to have a

desire to produce artistic work. Each side of photography has its creative aspect, and creativity is something

you need to appreciate and enjoy. Most importantly, photography is a career, a business, and you must have

business skills, including “people skills.”

 

Spend some time thinking about yourself. Do you like to work inside or outside, for yourself or for someone

else? Are you technically inclined? Are you artistically inclined? Do you like to work with people? What gives

you the greatest gratification, making friends, creating art, or making money? (Reflect on how these relate to

the specialties.)

 

Most of the skills required of a photographer can be learned (not inherited), so just because you don’t have

much knowledge and skill at the present should not discourage you. But you must have ambition, drive, and the

willingness to work hard.

 

Finally, it is a very rare young person who thinks ahead enough to plan for retirement. Most college age people

feel retirement is so far off that it is almost inconceivable. This is a very serious error. Especially in the

current times, you must start saving and planning for your retirement. At the very least, talk to a financial

advisor and get the basic information. With a little thought you can find a few knowledgeable people who will be

willing to give you an hour of their time. Then, start saving and investing.

 

How do you learn photography? In the years prior to the 1960s, most prospective photographers learned the craft

under a master, usually as a poorly paid assistant. It was “on the job” training. As the baby boomers grew up,

colleges started offering courses in photography. A few specialized photography schools have survived. Most

students in this forum ask questions about what college they should attend, never really thinking through the

education process.

 

Colleges seem at first glance to be a good place to start, but that is just the first glance. First, there is no

guarantee any college program will provide an appropriate education. There is no guarantee that college

professors will be the best source of information and inspiration. Professors, by definition, are not practicing

photographers.

Second, colleges are for-profit organizations even if they are technically “non-profit.” They use their profits

to increase salaries, add staff, add buildings, etc. That profit comes from the enrolled students and

endowments. Most specialized photography schools, really trade schools, exist solely for profit, and may even

have stock holders who receive a portion of the profits.

 

There are no entrance requirements to photography and therefore no requirement that a photographer hold a degree.

Anyone can claim they are a photographer. There are no state license requirements and no nationally recognized

certifications. College degrees provide a diploma, and professional associations may confer recognition, but

none of these are required to become, and succeed, as a photographer.

 

A student of college age should be concerned about three main factors regarding their education. First, a

general education is invaluable. There is no replacement or substitute for a four year liberal arts degree.

There are few opportunities that can replace four years of thinking and learning during these formative years. A

general college degree is also flexible, allowing you to enter a new field if you change your mind in the future.

Should you change careers, you would have a background that would almost certainly be a prerequisite. Secondly,

it takes about a decade of experience to become a good photographer. It is a rare student who will have the

talent to be a great photographer right after college. You can learn much of what you need to know about the art

and the craft of photography on your own, or on the job, or with a post-college program for a year or two. But

it will take several years of practice to become a master. Thirdly, if you plan on going into business for

yourself, you must learn business skills. This is often neglected by photographers who are captivated by the

creative aspects of photography.

 

I will add two further cautions. First, most colleges will provide an emphasis on fine art photography. There

are few artistic areas that are more captivating than producing a spectacular fine art print. But just try to

sell it. A career is fine art photography is exceedingly challenging. Choose a college that provides more than

just a fine arts background. Secondly, beware of the non-digital program (the program that teaches the chemical

film process.) If the school is not digitally based, you should be very cautious; the professors may be teaching

what they know, what they learned many years ago. Few professors are working professional photographers.

 

If a four year program is for you, try to work for a photographer during summers and vacations. Volunteer, if

possible. Take lots of pictures and read extensively. Participate in your college photography club (but don’t

expect much because it is like the blind leading the blind.)

 

If a four year college is not for you, you might consider a specialized photography school. Although

photography schools will provide a more intense experience, they lack any opportunity for a general education.

The successful schools have decent programs, but most are expensive because they are private, funded mostly by

student tuitions. And again, a degree or certificate is no guarantee you will be employable.

 

Or you can self-train. There are many avenues for self-training, and you might be a good candidate if you have

the drive and discipline to do the work. You need to structure your time, give yourself assignments, set

specific goals, and find ways to have your work evaluated. There are free or inexpensive on-line courses, lots

of educational DVDs, and hundreds of websites that can provide just about any information you might need. A few

precautions are in order: Be wary of the expensive short term seminar. Enroll with caution; check them out

before you send a check. You will probably learn from experience that not all educational DVDs are first-rate,

or relevant to your needs. Magazines are designed primarily to sell products, not instruct. You cannot get a

good education from reading magazine articles. They have their place, of course, but don’t rely on them to give

you the education you will need.

 

One exceptionally great source of knowledge and experience is through the major professional associations. My

experience is limited to the Professional Photographers of America (The PPA) and their state affiliates. The PPA

is the largest professional association for portrait and wedding photographers (including high and college senior

photographers. There are several affiliated “schools” which offer several one-week courses each with a master

photographer. The courses are usually excellent and inexpensive for what you get. The PPA has a major national

convention yearly. Every state has its affiliate organization (and there are regional organizations, also) which

offer one-day seminars and two or three day conventions. Join your state or regional organization first, attend

all the seminars and their conventions. If logistics allow, join more than one state affiliate. It takes time

to meet people who will help you, but taking the time and effort should pay off handsomely. In addition to

practical photography, the PPA is encouraging affiliate schools to include courses on business management and,

all importantly, marketing.

 

In addition to meeting helpful people and taking excellent courses, the PPA offers print competitions and a

certification program. I did not understand the importance of print competitions for several years, so I will

pass on what I learned. At a state or regional seminar, attend the judging, and then attend the “show” where the

prints are displayed. Talk to the judges. You will be surprised, and I hope inspired, by what you learn.

Judging photographs is entirely subjective so expect inconsistencies and some strange results (according to your

opinion). It is like any other subjective judging. If you attend more than one competition, you will get a feel

for what goes into making a great print. It is one of the most positive experiences I can recommend.

 

The PPA certification process is challenging. I would recommend you do it for yourself, mostly. The

certificate will enhance your reputation and it is a very subtle marketing device (it gives a prospective

customer some assurance that you are good.) I can assure you that it is not easy to become certified.

 

What will happen after you go to college? Well, you will get a job. Hopefully you will get a job working for a

master photographer who likes to teach. If you want to make a living in photography, it would seem reasonable

that you should learn from a person who has a successful business.

 

Photography is equipment-intensive. Professional equipment will cost about $20,000 in day’s dollars. This would

include a professional camera, two or three professional lenses, a computer, monitor, appropriate software, and

accessories. This is just the entry level expense. Much more will be spent in future years. This means that

the person should undertake these decisions with great care. To repeat, the student must explore the profession

in considerable detail.

 

What is happening in the job market? These paragraphs are impressions I have gained from several sources.

Portrait and wedding photographers face serious challenges as the digital revolution continues to advance. The

average person can now take an excellent photograph and enhance it with inexpensive software. There is a trend

to not produce prints; people are choosing to display their images on their computer or television screens. Even

high quality printers are inexpensive, and mass market (“big box”) stores produce good prints inexpensively. In

order to compete, the photographer must offer something that the average amateur cannot produce, and develop a

market for their products. Marketing skills are critically important.

 

In all likelihood, fashion and commercial photographers will be in demand for many years to come, but competition

is intense. Making a name for yourself is required, and that depends entirely on your skills and ambitions.

Photojournalism is apparently a dying or shrinking field for still photographers as newspapers reduce staff. The

internet is a growing source of news and information, with video becoming more important.

 

Most amateur photographers get hooked on photography through landscape and nature photography. There are

probably no more difficult areas in which one could make a living. The market is small and the number of great

photographs (taken by amateurs) very large. Specialized fields exist, but a student should plan to enter those

fields with care. Fine art photography is an equally difficult and challenging profession. It is possible to

succeed financially as a fine art photographer, but there are very few who do.

 

Take hope. In the early 1900s George Eastman introduced the Kodak camera which the general public purchased in

large numbers. Hundreds of professional portrait photographer studios closed as the amateur took their own

photographs. But professional photographers still survived because they offered products that the amateur could

not make, but still demanded. Still photographers face a similar situation today. Creative photographers with

good marketing skills will probably always exist. There are some areas in photography that are lucrative. A

good business person can make a business succeed. The challenges are large, but opportunity always exists.

 

In summary, think about what kind of photographer you want to be. Learn about the career you are thinking of

entering. Plan your education carefully, and invest in your education with care. Remember, everyone wants your

money. Join appropriate professional organizations and attend their meetings. Practice, practice, practice.

 

 

 

Describes photography related careers briefly

http://www.khake.com/page45.html

 

Unimpressive information but may be helpful.

http://www.careeroverview.com/photography-careers.html

 

Has some links

http://www.artschools.com/articles/photography/careers.html

 

One of those paid advertising sites:

http://www.education-online-search.com/articles/careers/photography_careers

 

Beware of sites that seem to steer you into some direction; they are probably sites set up specifically for

advertising and marketing, hoping to take your money.

 

Professional Associations

Advertising Photographers of America (APA)

American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP)

Commercial Photographers International (CPI)

Editorial Photographers (EP)

Evidence Photographers International Council (EPIC)

National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP)

National Press Photographers Association (NPPA)

North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA)

Photo Marketing Association (PMA)

Professional Photographers of America (PPA)

Senior Photographers International (SPI)

Society of Sport & Event Photographers

Sports Photographers Association of America (SPAA)

Student Photographic Society (SPS)

Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI)

Women in Photography International (WIPI)

 

 

 

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Robert, I know the point you are trying to make but there are a few assumptions I will disagree with on. You make college a hit and miss

proposition, not really accurate. This comes down the future student picking a college that meets his needs, just like any profession. It is

only russian roulette if you don't do your homework. A good college program has internships as well apprenticeships. A good college program

will give fundamentals, hands on experience with gear and some practical work experience.

 

"The certificate will enhance your reputation and it is a very subtle marketing device (it gives a prospective customer some assurance that

you are good.)"

 

I know you are a big believer in PPA, I am not. The big issue is it exists in a vacuum it has no value outside of the photographic community.

It is meaningless. I do not see how their certifications will enhance your rep beyond a few photographers when world has no knowledge of the organization. I am not saying their education is valueless, but the only value of the certification is a personal marker nothing more. That may

because in my neck of the woods in California PPA is not a player. 3/4 of the photographers I know have not heard of it.

 

Photojournalism is not dying as much as newspapers are joining the Darwin Club and going through a mass extinction. I worked in the

newspaper industry for over twenty years, they were having issues before the internet. The issue for newspapers today is they are trying to

run on the same economic model that has been around for 50 years and the corporate model to manage papers just does not work.

 

What I can say from experience is photojournalism is usually 5 years a head of the curve in terms of trends and tech. HD video is now

becoming a major player. I would say 75% of the stories I do now involve video. My guess is in the next 5 years wedding and event

photographers are going to feel the heat from HD videographers, taking stills from video. So my suggestion is learn multimedia.

 

Finally I agree with you about shooting and more shooting but I will add show your, show your and show your.

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Great article. One thing else that might be helpful to young photographer is a list of all the different types of photography jobs that are out there. There are the most known like what you mentioned in the second paragraph but I bet a specific list might be helpful in making a decision. For example, within photojournalism there are different specialties, war, politics, etc...

Plus, quite often you will need skills in more than one area to be good at your specialty. I work mostly with human interest stories but I have ended up doing some stills and making ofs for the movie industry. Then when some of the agents saw my work they wanted me to do studio work for actors. That is the freelance world, one thing to another.

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Ralph: Thanks for your comments. College. I see students heading into a photography program with no clear idea of what they want. You know how competitive it is and how few will succeed. Their investment in time and money will not bring the advantages it should. Experience gained in many years of teaching high school, plus my own two kids, has taught me that most young people are naive about their career choices. This is not so bad if they get a general college degree, but a degree in a highly specialized field can have serious disadvantages. I don't think many college photography programs are worth their price, but I am sure some truely are. I think photography is more of a "hands on" skill, enhanced by academic knowledge rather than visa versa. PPA. I agree with you! The certification offered by PPA is mostly for self-growth. A certificate placed discretely in a studio is subtle promotion, not worth much by itself. The real benefit of PPA and most especially its smaller affiliates, is the education and contacts they provide. Again, those are personal, self-growth experiences. Photojournalism. I almost cry when I think about the loss of weekly magazines filled with great images. The web is no replacement. It's very sad, indeed. Finally: show your stuff! GREAT. I wish I had thought of that. It's worth a paragraph.
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  • 2 weeks later...

Ralph:

 

I have been reading your posts for quite a while and am responding because of your request. I have been lecturing across the country on

careers in photography since 1992. I too have seen many changes in the industry ranging from the fat film 90's where most talented

photographers who had marketing savvy were making a boat load of cash, to the 2001 photo crash, to the slow resurrection of the high-

end professional.

 

I am the Director of Outreach for a major university offering a 1-year certificate for career & technical photography, I own a photography

studio and I am the Chair for the National SkillsUSA photography contest in Kansas City, MO. So, I am in a position to speak with

literally hundreds of students seeking an education / career in this field. There are MANY accuracies in your article and I appreciate your

unbiased approach because you do not seem to be speaking as a representative of any company, but rather of personal experience as a

teacher, photographer & parent.

 

You are correct that given the right person, one could accumulate the information to teach themselves with the information available on

the internet. We have to stress the "right" person because a common theme from those who have tried this approach is one of

frustration that quickly results in discontinuing their personal quest. Besides, I know of no one who enrolled into Google University,

stopped working a job, and spent 8 hours a day perfecting their skills through a series of self-instructed assignments. Usually, these

folks continue with their lives and slowly accumulate head knowledge that either fades or turns into a desire to seek formal training.

 

As for the PPA, there is no way for us to know for sure the number of small studio owners willing to train up a student in the ways of the

master. Especially knowing full well that these assistants WILL leave to become competition in their own community. Photographers like

to shoot and there are very few willing to hand over a job to an assistant, especially one who lacks formal training. The exception to this

are the hi-volume, low-cost studios run by a marketing professionals who hire photographers of varying skill levels to cover as many

contracts as possible. So, most studio owners will hire a student with NO formal training to answer phones, process orders and at the

most, take back up photos at an event. Certainly not the training the student needs to become an industry professional.

 

I agree with the importance of a good liberal arts education combined with a specialized program. To spend 4 years and $180,000 or

more to get a BFA in fine art photography with the goal of starting your own portrait or commercial studio seems like overkill. I have

often told students that if they were to spend a small fraction of this on education and use the remaining balance to invest into their

studio, they would be well ahead of the game.

 

Your thoughts?

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Hello Bill,

 

I come from a commercial art/photojournalism background, I spent most of my career shooting for newspapers. These days I

am focused on editorial and commercial work. I never worked for a studio mainly because it was just to confining for me.

 

It depends on your goals as a professional photographer. If your goal is photojournalism or commercial art 4 years of college

makes sense. If your goal is a small studio portrait/wedding, then no a 4 year will be overkill but a junior college is a good

alternative.

 

At this point and time, I would say every photographer should take a few business courses in college, especially the

photojournalist. As photographers we a little caught up to much in the art and not enough in the generating income part of

photography.

 

Here is what I am finding today, there are a lot of professional photographers out in the world, but most lack the basics and

structure of the art. There are a lot of people calling themselves professional as soon as they buy a camera. It would be like if I

bought a socket wrench and called myself a mechanic.

 

Here is what I found a good semester or two of basic photography, will save the average professional years struggling with the

basics. It will save them money because the will know what gear to buy and its basic application.

 

My view is education is not the only answer to becoming a pro photographer. What it does do is give the professional a

foundation to create his style and technique. It gives them the edge over people just buying cameras calling themselves

professional. It saves money and time starting out. Finally it Gives them confidence.

 

My personal view is that right now there are is a glut of home based photography businesses, and is not a market I would want

to be in. For me I think the best answer is high end clients that expect quality and are willing to pay for it. That means having

the knowledge and skill sets to deliver. It also means having people skills and image to sell.

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I am really pleased that you have contributed to this really important area. I hope that prospective students stop and think, spend time evaluating themselves carefully, and then spend time exploring the options for education. There is so much more to this topic! I think it would be really helpful to have an industry-wide perspective defining the promising fields in photography. The best we could hope for in this forum would be for knowledgeable people to state their opinions.
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Thank you for the great article. I took a photography course here and there and I did in fact found them helpful. I realized however, that it was up to me to choose a path in photography. When I chose my path, I also realized that being a photographer wasn't enough. As a photographer, no matter what area you specialize in, requires you to not only take photographs, but also requires you to be a saleperson, an artist, an accountant, a lawyer, a writer, a marketer and other things depending what your job requires. Nobody teaches you these skills in photography class.
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts, as a professional in the field, with younger people such as myself. I really

appreciated reading what you've compiled here and will take it all in and think a bit more extensively before I, personally,

make my next move as far as photography is concerned.

 

I'd love to become a Fashion Photographer. A few of my heroes are Mario Testino, Terry Richards and Bruce Weber.

I've been a fashion photography enthusiast for at least the past 2 or so years. I've got memberships with online art

communities, subscriptions to magazines, etc. Every day I find new spreads that I love, stories, digital images online -

the list goes on and on.

 

My problem is that I haven't really figured out how to go about seriously chasing my dreams.

 

The closest I've come to getting off on the right foot was just recently (2 months) ago, when I landed an apprenticeship

with a local photographer, Andre Napier (www.andrenapier.com). The only thing about this is that I didn't really expect for

this to pan out the way that it has thus far. I inquired with the photographer, from the beginning, making it known that my

biggest reason for wanting to become an assistant / apprentice of someone's was so that I will be put into an

environment in which I'll be able to learn photography. For the past 2 months, I've done nothing but drive around to make

random-pick ups for the new studio which was being worked on and just opened after 7 months of work. Other tasks

included being sent out for coffee / cake... food in general. I attended 5-10 completely random photo shoots during this

time, all where I was supposed to assist (with lights, etc.). I really got no work out of that. I was told, very seldom, to

"move that light a foot to the right" or "bring the fan." All those misfortunes aside, I was payed very poorly. Also, the

studio has now technically been open for about 2 weeks and in these past 2 weeks I feel as if I've been layed-off. It

honestly feels like I was just taken advantage of and now am slowly being let go. I still technically work for this

photographer. But I'm sure anyone who's taking the time to read this sees what I'm trying to get at. I am currently

extremely low on motivation and don't know what to do, where to go or how to keep going about this.

 

Mind you - I'm not low on motivation for photography... it's really just because of my current location and knowing that I

can't really find others to work for here. I live in Chicago and we all know that this is not a fashion market - not at all.

When I found the photographer who I'm working for, I was very excited and anxious to start work, only to find out nothing

would really come from it.

 

Any further advice? Thanks in advance.

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I just did a search on the word "military" in this thread and didn't find it, so I'd like to throw out one item for discussion. I'm not a recruiter, but I can tell you from experience that people who become Air Force photographers have an opportunity to earn an associate degree in the specialty from Community College of the Air Force. Don't laugh -- it's a fully accredited two year college and most of the credits will transfer to a four-year college. It's not a guarantee -- those who earn the degree do so by attending night school or whatever, to amass credits in humanities, math, science and other subjects. It's not for everybody, to be sure. It can be a hard life for a few years, but the piece of paper at the end can open a few doors for those who wouldn't get the training, ecucation or any other way.

 

Attached is a photo I took many years ago from the tail end of a KC-135 tanker somewhere over the Gulf of Mexico. Fun stuff.

 

Will<div>00QsJ5-71401584.jpg.b8c1bcb3343a019821c5cf2dc8f2ff14.jpg</div>

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