NYIP

I have recently heard of this NYIP.com and how they teach 3 million people all

the time, and they have been doing it for 95 years or so.

Are they legitimate? If I were to talk to other photographers and say, "I got

the certificate from NYIP" would they look at me like I am an idiot, or have

respect for me.

 

It sounds interesting. Anyone have experience with them?

The information contained in their lessons is valuable info. However, much of their content is extremely old and obviously has not been updated since the 1980s. That said, the basic principles that they teach are still applicable to today's digital world. They are legitimate from a correspondence course aspect. It is NOT the same as obtaining a degree from a 4 year university. If you are new to photography and want to increase your knowledge and skill, you will benefit from the information. However, "I got a certificate from NYIP" will not carry the same weight as BFA or, better yet, real world experience. I think they will allow you to receive the first lesson package for free. Take a look at it and decide if you want to do it or not. Just my $.02.

Commenting from personal experience, I found that schools like NYIP teach and provide curricula remotely. Most of their stuff is based on sound practices developed and written by others. The student is assigned readings and practical projects that when done, are critiqued and commented by those with previous experiences and expertise. Keep in mind that photography can be subjective and an "art." <p>

Could you purchase a few college level photographic texts, do the assignments and have someone you respect critique your work and offer suggestions? If yes, then you can skip the correspondence courses or go ahead and use it as a smaller commitment with lower expectations professionally. It's a beginning. Is your hunger for knowledge greater? A bonafide art college will challenge you to a far greater degree usually. Degrees from accredited brick'n'mortar colleges & universities generally carry more weight because of the challenges and documented successes they provide. It's way more expensive, but if you are successful, the rewards can be greater!<p>

If you look at photography as a skilled trade, jobs & benefits are usually based on skill-sets and quality of work done. Some apprenticing, OJT, & network building will help you more than a degree from a correspondence school. There are no guarantees, no entitlements, but you have the freedoms of choice and can keep trying until you succeed! Personally, I like workshops and don't get to do as many as I'd like. An intense, fast-paced, well-led week of experiential learning usually helps me launch whatever professional interest I am focussed on. It also expands my network of VIPs and new friends in my life!

Spencer, the only way to gain respect is through your portfolio. If your images are good other photographers, clients and potential employers should be impressed and vise versa, regardless of your education. A four year degree doesn't guarantee you have the skills to create impressive, 'professional' images, but it surely can help. As can NYIP. For the cost, which is cheaper if paid up front and not month-to-month, NYIP provides, in my opinion, a quality supplemental education. Nothing replaces experience, and all of the college and correspondence classes in the world can't help you if you don't shoot constantly and consistently. If budget is an issue, and you're looking for a place to begin or have taken some local community college course(s) and want some expanded education NYIP is a good avenue. Some of the material is dated in regards to when it was produced, but the information provided is still and always relevant. In addition to their printed lesson material, they provide lessons and lectures on cassette, CD-ROM, and DVD including a wealth of supplemental material on those formats. They have also recently introduced online pod casts. I was impressed with the quantity and quality of supplemental texts that came with the course, many of these are published photography related books that can be found on bookstore shelves.

 

NYIP also focuses more on the professional 'business' side of the industry, which I found lacking within college courses. I feel they give real world information when it comes to the photo industry and how to earn a living, whether fulltime or as a part-time freelancer. They will also allow you three years to complete the course at your own pace. Their staff is very helpful as well. Since I am more of a part-time photographer, my primary source of income is computer-related and the same rules apply in that industry. Someone can have the whole alphabet behind their name, i.e. MCSE, CNA, CNE, etc.; but that just means they can read a book or attend a class and successfully pass a test to get certified. Iﾒve known plenty of computer folks with alphabet soup behind their names that can't troubleshoot their way out of a paper bag. Actual experience counts the most. I recommend NYIP as an affordable resource that can assist you to become a better photographer. Thatﾒs my three and a half centsﾅ

I already sent my 6th Photo Project, and I'm waiting for the certificate. The fact is not the certificate itself, but to master the photographic technique. It doesn't matter where and how you learn, you MUST deliver good photographs anyhow. If somebody is interested in your work, that's what they will want to see, your work, not the certificate. The NYIP course has helped me a lot, but however it was not the first course I took, I studied at Kodak too (not distance course), and both worked well for me.

New York Institute of Photography (NYIP) is accredited by Distance

Education Training Council (DETC). www.detc.org.

 

NYIP is a postsecondary institution which offers two distance education

courses/programs: The Complete Course in Professional Photography

Course

and Digital Photography: The Complete Course. We do not award academic

degrees nor do we transfer credit to an academic institution. We were

founded in 1910, first accredited by DETC in 2006 and the next

scheduled

re-accreditation review is 2012.

 

NYIP is a concentrated certificate/diploma program, rated by New York

State

Department of Education (NYSED) as 270 clock hours of study. In order

to

qualify for NYIP certificate/diploma a student must successfully submit

comprehension tests and complete photo projects. 270 hours is less

than

half time of college study and would be up to the college?s discretion

for

obtaining credit. Additionally, dealers and programs offering student

discounts on items purchased is the dealer?s judgment.

Just to add a note to this, they have updated their course books. I just ordered the course and have Unit One, it had current digital SLR photos, and they have re-written the course I received a copy of the First printing of the new stuff, with a request to email them any typos I find, I am sure every who orders the course right now will received the same request. Just thought I would put it out that they finally have updated their stuff!