Photography: study or hobby?

[Nhoe]

Hi everyone,

after months of thinking this over, I've decided to ask you guys whether to study photography or rather keep it as a hobby. It's true, I love photography and it's one of my few passions in life. But I've got the impression that everyone's becoming a photog nowadays and some don't even have to go to college. What are my chances in this competition? If study, should I choose photography itself (wonder if this exists) or rather some related professions (any ideas what these would be, except for photodesign)? Would anyone like to share his opinions or his own experience? I'd really appreciate that.

Cheers,
Nhoe

[3bayjunkie]

There is always a need for a photographer. Even with some of my first jobs I didnt even have to show a portfolio. All I did was have an SLR and people continued asking me to photo events like car shows and golf tournaments. I had to do some change of command ceremonies for the ARMY and different events like that which I thought were boring, but it was still fun because I like photography and I like being creative with my style.

[NathanFranke]

The benefits of studying photography in school (my example assumes 4-year, American university) vs self taught via internet are this:

A school with a photography curriculum will likely have more gear than you do. You'll get to play with it. In my classes, I got to spend lots of time in the darkroom (I really miss those days), I got to play with large format cameras (I miss those days too, even though my dslr costs more than a monorail 4x5+ accoutrements--at times I wish I had bought the 4x5 instead), full studio setup with props.

You'll be surrounded by like-minded individuals, full to the brim with creativity. It's a good environment.

As part of a photo program, you're eligible for excellent discounts on adobe software, high-end gear, and the like. The irony is that students (a historically financially-challenged demographic) can get the best prices on hugely expensive photo equipment.

Your professors know about conferences and stuff where you can hobknob and network with photo professionals, find internships with the movers and shakers of the photo industry, and get you information on competitions and galleries that might not be readily available elsewhere. Just being in a college town can help with the gallery showings.

The cons:
There's an old adage: "Those who can't do, teach." Your professors may or may not be as helpful as you'd like.

Not sure who other schools do it, but my university's curriculum's studio class was a complete joke (would that Strobist existed in 2005), and it covered absolutely nothing about the business end of photography--legal issues, tax issues, small business management. Again, schools vary, and a different university will do things better (or worse).

Cons:
You have to go to school. It's insulating. Everything you learn in school won't apply in the real world. I haven't yet met the school that mimicked real world situations to the point where a college degree actually prepared the graduate for productive adulthood. On-the-job training is still the best teacher, and school won't help with that.

There is a lot of competition, and experienced photographers can be jerks. It's a cutthroat field, and it's not for everyone.

Photography is expensive. As a hobby, it's sometimes off-putting. As a business, you'll be sinking even more into it. If you don't have the startup funds, or have the gear already, it'll be a long slog before you have the seed money to start anything.

My suggestion:
Study photography, but do it with your eyes open. Double-major in Business and Photography, or major in Business and minor in Photography. Realistically, once you've learned the exposure triangle and gone through Lighting 101 and 102 on Strobist, you know how to deal with any photographic scenario. Business is harder to learn on one's own, and it's more important to have business acumen than to know the difference between inkjet and giclee prints.

Also, it pays to have a marketable skill other than photography (like welding). Check your classifieds--in this economy, if something is in the classifieds it means they're desperate. I always see ads for experienced welders. If you can do something that's in demand now, you'll be able to earn enough seed money to to photography later. Photography is like riding a bike--you won't forget how to do it. The technology changes, but the technique is the same now as it was in 1840.

[3bayjunkie]

until this year I didn't really know anything about photography. When I got my SLR Nikon N80 given to me by a friend who upgraded to a DSLR I had two lenses, a 24-105mm and a 70-300mm. I ended up just learning by trial and error what worked. Mostly using my 70-300mm because of the more shallow depth of field it gave me at 300mm. I didn't understand that lower f/stop gave a more shallow depth of field, i just happen to keep it on the lowest f/stop in order to get a faster shutter speed. Of course I understood a slow shutter speed made photos blurry.

For Christmas 2010 I got a kindle 3G from my wife. I have read 6 photography books this year and now I wish I had started reading sooner. Although I came away with some decent photos, I think I could have benefited with a little more knowledge of what I was doing.

If you have the oportunity to go to college for photography I would say DO NOT pass it up. I went to school for digital media at Full Sail University back in 2001 and graduated in 2003 with an Associates in Science for Digital Media. Being surrounded by like minded individuals, as mentioned above, is amazing! I loved it. Probably the best two years of my life.

So I would suggest reading some books and if college is an option, DO IT

Here are the books I read just to satisfy your curiosity;

The Digital Photography Book Vol. 1 by Scott Kelby
The Digital Photography Book Vol. 2 by Scott Kelby
The Digital Photography Book Vol. 3 by Scott Kelby
The Moment It Clicks by Joe McNally
Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition by Bryan Peterson
Fine Art Wedding Photography by Jeff Kent and Jose Villa
David Busch's Nikon D7000 Guide to Digital SLR Photography, 1st Edition by David D. Busch (in process. more for reference)

Next on my list to read:
The Art of Photography by Bruce Barnbaum
I purchased all these from Amazon with my kindle and was able to get them instantly.

Good Luck!!!

[ChrisAdval]

Originally Posted by Nhoe

Hi everyone,

after months of thinking this over, I've decided to ask you guys whether to study photography or rather keep it as a hobby. It's true, I love photography and it's one of my few passions in life. But I've got the impression that everyone's becoming a photog nowadays and some don't even have to go to college. What are my chances in this competition? If study, should I choose photography itself (wonder if this exists) or rather some related professions (any ideas what these would be, except for photodesign)? Would anyone like to share his opinions or his own experience? I'd really appreciate that.

Cheers,
Nhoe

In my opinion the piece of paper (degree) of certification a college/school gives is worthless in the arts world just because it depends on your talent in devloping good work. That's it!

Here's my story and take it as it is and learn from it... I'm in college, majoring in business administration. I'm also taking a few important photography and broadcasting classes I think (not a curriculum) are important and needed for my goals after college. My academic goals is to go for my MBA in Marketing (or higher) just for the passion of marketing and what power I would have by having that power, which is creating specific products based on my future's marketing firm research and design and create products based on our research and my firm would specialize in specific markets/audiences/industries, etc. But primarily create content for photography, video production in advertising that is toward our company's specialized demographics. Those are my goals, do I need even a degree for my business nope, but I know it will have more value than an arts degree yes, clearly. Plus my plan is to use the degree to get a better paying job to finance my company. I know most people today aren't logical or rational enough to plan this far ahead but it helps tremendously like it will for me.

I've already went through basic photography (foundations/dark room/film), digital photography, basic photo enhancement, studio 1, advertising (flyer design) and right now I'm taking media writing (broadcasting), video production 1, and graphics design 1.

[NathanFranke]

Originally Posted by ChrisAdval

In my opinion the piece of paper (degree) of certification a college/school gives is worthless in the arts world just because it depends on your talent in devloping good work. That's it!
...
(etc, you can scroll up and read it again if you've forgotten)

Basically, this is exactly what I would have done if I had a do-over. Take the photography courses, but get something that you can make money from right out of the gate. Photography is not profitable for the first year(s) when you're starting up. Computer programming, nursing, certified welding or HVAC--you get the picture.

[3bayjunkie]

Originally Posted by NathanFranke

Basically, this is exactly what I would have done if I had a do-over. Take the photography courses, but get something that you can make money from right out of the gate. Photography is not profitable for the first year(s) when you're starting up. Computer programming, nursing, certified welding or HVAC--you get the picture.

get your A&P license and get a job doing aircraft engine over hauls for homeland security.

[foto nfoosyist]

I wish I was young and at school, I would not be put off and would just work hard, there will always be a need for good photographers, it just depends how badly you want it.

[BigFuzzy]

One thing no ones really touched on is the need for the business acumen.

Ideally, you can go to school earning a degree in photography and some sort of business degree. Most working pros will tell you that the vast majority of their time is NOT spent photographing but instead doing marketing, networking, accounting advertising etc etc.. so whatever you do, ensure you get your head around some of the business aspects of potentially having a career in photography.

I think I'm good enough to go pro (even if I don't make the money I make now, which I wouldn't!), and I am entirely self taught (books, mags, a couple workshops and a photography club), so school is not absolutely necessary. If the program's good, then it could be really worth it, if it sucks, you might be better off finding a good local photographer to assist while studying your business degree.

Either way, the one thing that will work 100% towards being more likely to be successful is to get your ass out there and shoot a boat load of photographs. Be ultra critical of your work. Set goals and get specific.

As for passion, you might regret giving up on a passion to do the 'smart' thing down the road. i'm lucky to have a profession I'm passionate about so that I can pursue my photography passion without having to add the "I need to do it as a job" aspect, so I have the best of both worlds.

Good luck