PHOTOGRAPHY SCHOOL VS COLLEGE ED

Hi Everyone I am looking forward to do a Masters maybe a , concentaration in Photojournalism,

I have graduated of a BA in comm, and i have been freelancing for a local newspaper www.endi.com for

almost 3 years now , i am tempted to and want to adquired more professional skills in order to get a

formal job either photographing or been an editor . does making a photojournalism master worth it? or i

will go over again the same stuff .?

Nobody has ever asked me if I had a Masters or even a Bachelors degree.

 

This is only my opinion as a professional photographer:

 

If you want to teach, get a Masters.

 

If you want to shoot, get experience.

Missouri School of Journalism if you want academic credentials in PJ.

First, I think you need to get your money back from whatever school gave you that bachelor's in communications. But that's beside the point here.

 

I run a public affairs shop and weekly newspaper on a military base. I can tell you that when I'm hiring shooters, I'm most interested in seeing a stong portfolio from them, not so much a sheepskin that says they went to college. For my writers, that sheepskin carries more weight, but not so much for the shooters.

 

If you're wanting to get more photography skills, I wouldn't go for the master's. A lot of community colleges now are offering programs in photography, and an associate's program would probably be more what you need. Of course, if you already know how to use a camera, then you might be as well off just becoming really good friends with the photographers at that newspaper you're stringing for, shoot your butt off and get them to critique your work for you every chance you can get.

Hello, Ms Miner

 

Your question is not really clear, and as a technical, (not snide) comment, the question is made less clear by its sentence construction.

 

But what I make of the question is this:

 

1. You think you want to have a career as either a photographer or an editor (presumably a photographic editor).

 

2. At the moment you have a BA in either: commerce, communications or possibly community studies.

 

3. And you have experience either writing or photographing (or both) at a local newspaper.

 

I (as a photographer), am rarely asked what academic qualifications I have; however if your career path lies in the editorial field, a Masters study would be beneficial.

 

A Masters usually requires a research topic and doing such expands your specific area(s) of expertise. It is quite eye opening what you learn when researching.

 

If you wish to carry on photographing, then more study at a school of photography or as an indenture to a studio or photographer of high regard will also do you good.

 

But getting out and doing is also essential.

 

The hardest path is to study and work at the same time: but if you can do this, it is really rewarding.

 

I advise you should first decide what your PATH IS:

 

Editorial (essentially directing and compiling others` work) or

 

Photography (Essentially doing it yourself)

 

When you make that decision, you will be better placed to decide what the next step is.

 

Regards

 

WW

thanks for the replys

If you really want to get a masters degree two useful possibilities would be cultural anthropology, especially useful in our multi-cultural city environments, or psychology. Photojournalism is all about people. People skills are important whether dealing with editors or subjects. After you get enough experience under your belt nobody is going to care what degree you have. Your portfolio and your body of published work is all you'll need. Right now your grammar and spelling do need a bit of refinement. Work on that first. My experience at smaller papers and regional magazines was the reporter sometimes getting tied up someplace else, and I'd get stuck writing the story myself. Demonstrating that you can do that also might be the difference between landing a job or not.

Move to New York City and play with the bigboys. In the early 70's I made the mistake of listening to my well meaning parents and went to a regular dollege, got a BA in Psychology and did nothing with it, my fault. I wanted to go to School of Visual Arts in NYC. About 8 years later I got lucky and a friend opened a lab, I went to work for him and eventually wound up as a custom printer in the city. Never been happier. Now I'm opening my own lab. I was lucky.

Good Luck and don't give up.

Michelle,

 

I agree with Pico on Missouri, however, I succeeded in photojournalism having never taken a single photography course. I was the photo editor and chief photographer for a chain of 5 newspapers in Boston, one of the most highly competitive PJ markets anywhere. The key to success was not formal education, it was having the goods.

 

If you walk into any photo editor's office with photos that make them say holy sh@t, and demonstrate that you can produce those results on a regular basis, then you've got the job.

 

I ran an internship program at those papers and had a lot of photo school students who were very serious about photography submit resumes. That didn't mean, however, that they were any good at completing assignments. Having the real skills as a PJ to connect with your subjects, make stunning photos, and get them to the editors desk BEFORE the deadlines is what makes a PJ successful. All the rest is fluff, in my opinion.

 

That being said, people may want to see Missouri on your resume before they let you in the door if you knock on that door the traditional way.

 

I would suggest instead that you self-assign and then give an editor a call and say something like "I've just completed a photo essay on corruption in the Mayor's office" or "I just got a shot of a bank robbery in progress...would you like to see those pictures?" I doubt a single editor could resist inviting you in that way. That's how it worked for me.

 

I photographed President Reagan during a visit to a town near me back in the 80's. I was 19. I lied..er stretched the truth, with the Secret Service and told them I worked for the local newspaper freelance in order to get a press pass and they gave me one. Everyone else in the press pass suite had grey hair. Anyway, once I got the press pass, I called the local paper and asked if they wanted photos of the Reagan visit because I had a press pass and their response was basically hell yes and that they were unable to get a press pass for some reason.. They ran 6 of my photos, including the front page, the day after the visit and that story got me the job in Boston. That was the first time I was published. They later offered me a full-time staff position on that daily newspaper. Again, I have never taken a single photo class.

 

Best of luck to you.

 

P.S. Don't tell the Secret Service, OK? It'll be our little secret ;)