What field of photography should I go into?

[ted_springer]

I am in school to become a professional photography. I absolutely love photography but I'm just not sure what area of photography I want to

"major" in. I know I like to shoot people/portraits. I am pretty good at that. It excites me. But the teachers at my school are stressing

advertising over editorial, saying that it pays better. The little that I've done of it so far is sooo boring and tedious. I would like to make the

same kind of money shooting people. I also would like to have creative freedom in my job. Is this asking too much? Any suggestions on what I

should study?

[elnoralouisa]

I would do what I love. There is money in wedding photography, and opening up a studio. You could always do a few advertisements on the side if money becomes a problem.

[ckp]

Shoot a lot of everything now. A lot! Don't worry about specializing until you get a really good feel for all types of work and more specifically the business of that particular focus. Making a living as a photographer regardless of the type of photography almost always requires some sacrifice and compromise. But you can always have your "personal work" which remains your own. Hit up the students in the graphic design, fashion and marketing departments if your school has them. It's really good practice and excellent for your portfolio. And some of the assignments can be a lot more fun than in the real world.

[Spearhead]

First of all, very few jobs of any type have a lot of creativity in the first few years. Generally you get the least exciting work, you "pay your dues."

 

Second, some areas pay better than others. Often these are mundane areas in which the assignments are pretty boring. "Editorial" is not a great place to make the best salaries these days.

 

Third, if you learn what the teachers want you to learn, you will probably come out with some useful knowledge. I suspect that "advertising" means that you learn lighting technique, which will always be useful.

 

Fourth, you can find creative things to do around the stuff that isn't that creative to you. I shoot sports. I didn't get into this because I was always into sports, I got into it because I'm good at it. But I take the shots I really love around it, building a portfolio of shots of fighters in the intense moments before and after fights.

[ted_springer]

Thanks guys. You really gave me food for thought.

[vincedistefano]

If "advertising" photography is boring and tedious to you already, then you're not doing it right. Have you achieved perfection in your advertising photography work?

 

There's almost always a way to inject your own creativity into anything you do, whether it's high-brow or menial, whether you're doing street or snapping shots for a catalog.

 

And it branches out beyond taking the actual photos. For example, is your workflow 100% dead-on and efficient? No? Then there's a place for your creativity to shine.

[aimpic]

You are looking at three things.

 

The one you are best at.

The one you enjoy the most.

The one that earns the most.

 

Cheers Peter