not sure where to begin

[craveprints]

<p>I need to make a portfolio to submit to try and get into photography as a major for the summer semester-fall semester this year and i am not sure where to even begin.. any thoughts?</p>

[starvy]

<p>Amanda,<br>

I had a look at your portfolio here. You obviously like people and music. Your pictures have too much going on. I think you should focus on what you really like. However, getting close to these people and shoot naturalistic portraits? Musical portraits can be interesting in the right context.</p>

[William Michael]

<blockquote>

<p>I need to <strong>make a portfolio </strong>to submit to try and get into <strong>photography as a major </strong>for the summer semester-fall semester this year and i am not sure where to even begin</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Select three or four themes, at least one including people. Produce six images for each theme ensuring that each image tells a story of its own yet still conforms to the theme. I suggest one theme be B&W only. Themes should be diverse. Use only the best finished six images for each.<br>

Begin today - this time of year has many themes.<br /><br /><br>

WW</p>

[jason_hall5]

<p>A few ideas....</p>

<p>Stick with what you know and do well. Often folks want to try and show wide verity, sort of a jack of all trades and master of none.</p>

<p>It is far better to have a few really great shots than a bunch of Ok ones. No filler shots! Choose the photos that show your very best, even if you know they are not as good as you would want them to be.</p>

<p>If you know an experienced photographer, ask if they can help you find your strongest photos....the ones that evolk emotion.</p>

<p>Jason</p>

[jon_robert]

<p>"get into photography as a major for the summer semester-fall semester this year and i am not sure where to even begin"</p>

<p>Select another major.</p>

<p>#1 you are not going to graduate and then walk into a job just because you graduated as a photography major. A lot of majors do nothing to provide an income to anyone except the school offering these majors.</p>

<p>If you have no idea where to begin then it is your first clue that you are about to waste a lot of time and money.</p>

<p>Select a major that will pay off.</p>

[Karim Ghantous]

<p>I agree with Jon. It is preferable to select a degree or diploma that has broad utility. One can become a photographer without a major (in fact YOU ALREADY ARE!). Nobody would scoff at a humanities or psychology degree, for example.</p>

<p>Or you can do fine arts - that way you'll get a proper education and it will have relevance to photography. But IMO subjects like history, psychology, science, business etc. are slightly preferable. EDIT: if you can't get into any course but photography - and I'm sure you can - then you'd be better off just working and pursuing photography in your spare time.</p>

<p>FWIW: I was considering studying photography but I'm so glad now that I did not.</p>

[simon_hickie1]

<p>In the UK there are more students taking photography undergraduate courses each year than there are photography based jobs in the whole country. But if you are <em>really</em> good it might be worth giving it a go. However, with my university lecturer hat on, I'd recommend either taking a traditional 'academic' subject as a major (as Karim suggests) and perhaps take pursue photography via a college/university student society and maybe volunteer as a college/university photographer for student events and publications.</p>

<p>Employers like people who do extras, not those who just have paper qualifications!</p>

[devon_mccarroll]

<p>I personally believe that the best education you can get if you want to work as a photographer someday is a business education. That's the place where many photographers fail when they go into business. You really need to know how to run a business, plus if you don't get work as a photographer (or only have part time work), then you'll have an education you can use in many different areas to pay your bills.</p>

[dan_south]

The photos in your p-net gallery are interesting and nicely done. Select from among the best of these or similar shots

that you have already finished. These images reflect your taste and your vision. Don't run out and try to take images

that you think will look good in a portfolio. They won't convey your genuine love of the subject. Be true to yourself and

what you like to shoot.

 

As long as you are being honest with yourself and realize that photography is a difficult business to break into and

that you are not guaranteed a job at the end of your course of study, there's no reason for anyone to discourage you

from studying what you want to study. Keep in mind that there's a very good chance that you'll have to make your

living in other ways and prepare yourself for that eventuality (perhaps with course work in another field). But the

opportunity to study photography from a reputable program will add a lot to your life, even if you never make a living at

it.

 

That said, if you are struggling to get by and need an education to support yourself, study accounting or nursing or

some other field where the jobs will be more plentiful. You can always come back and study photography later when

you have established a profitable career doing something else.