photographic career

[Dirt_Bike_Ryda]

Hello all.

I am 17 years old and i am in year 11 at school. I dislike school extremely (as many do) as it does not allow me to follow my dreams, which are taking photos as i cramped up learning complex concepts that quite fankly i do not care the slightest about, and only because most (almost all) employeers want you to have your HSC to before they will employ you. So i have found a PhotoImaging course at TAFE in Nepean (im aussie for those international readers), this course will train me to be a professional photographer, yes it actually says that. This course will take 3 years to complete (4 or more if i get the Advanced Diploma, rather then just the Diploma). I am just wondering if there is anyone on here that as done this course (or similar) and what they have done afterwards with photography, and also if anyone knows how hard (or easy....) it will be to get a job with a large magazine company, or something alike

thankyou all so very much.

[gturner]

sounds like a good idea to follow your passion, I am a big believer in this!
Remember a few things -
1. Just because it is your passion, doesn't mean you are any good
2. Anything you study (3 year course) requires dedication. If you dont like school because you dont like getting out of bed in the morning or think you can goof off for 3 years taking some happy snaps, you will find yourself going nowhere
3. Understanding the science of photography is hard work. You will need to study!

What entrance requirements are their for the course?

If you are prepared to commit, I say go for it, but don't think it is easy or easier than school

[kurtwall]

Dirt_Bike_Ryda: At the risk of sounding like an adult, you're not taking the long view here. For example, when I was in high school, I despised geometry and couldn't see the point. I couldn't imagine, for example, why knowing how to bisect a circle or how to find the length of the third side of a right triangle was important. Two years ago, though, when I started woodworking and making furniture, those skills were quite important and I was happy to know how to do it. The point being, just because something doesn't interest you now doesn't mean it won't interest your later or be important to you in the future. Likewise, that something interests you now doesn't mean that it will interest you later. In fact, I'd say that it is likely that some of the things in which you are interested today will utterly bore you later.

More to the point, a lot of what you are learning in school now is less about the individual facts you learn but, rather, about learning how to learn or where and how to find information when you don't know something. There's also the notion of investing time and effort in something, for few things worthwhile and worth doing are easy or happen quickly.

Life isn't always exciting and interesting, either. There's a good portion of it that is about just showing up and participating in the routine, hum-drum, run-of-the-mill activities.

In any event, if the course interests you, I'd say take it. But be prepared to see it through to the end and stick with it when it isn't utterly fascinating.

Heavens, I just sounded like my parents.

[olgabe]

It depends on your tolerance for risk (assuming you have to provide for yourself and can't rely on your parents money in the future). Photogrpahy is a fantastic career if you are really good at both image taking and business side of things. But just getting a degree in photogrpahy is not a good guarantee of employment (well, these days the only degrees that seem to guarantee employmnet are engineering and medical...). So if you are looking for a stable income, I'd pick something else to study, continue to pursue photography as a passion and learn through part time courses, online and practice... and if you are truly good, jump into it with both feet once you are sure it's your thing...

If you have unlimited resources, ignore all of the above.. I would have done a photography degree 15 years ago after high school if I did not have to make a living for myself. I don't regret that decision because I can still enjoy photography, it was just not feasible as a full time source of income.

[Dirt_Bike_Ryda]

hmmm...... ok.... thankyou all.....

thats something to think about. ill give it some thought for now.

[Free]

If you hate school, the chances are you'll still hate doing photography at tech. I was the same and really don't do well in a regulated environment like schools. I went to Sydney Institute to study web design and struggled just as much as I did in school! The difference was I'd spent a few years out in the real world washing dishes and doing other shitty jobs, so I had a bit more incentive than I had when I was younger.

Another thing to remember is that these days you struggle to get a job shovelling the proverbial with your HSC After your course when everyone is looking for work, unless your portfolio is streaks above the rest, people with their HSC will land the good jobs without you getting a look in.

My advice - stick with your HSC and improve your studying skills and then do the photog course. If it's going to take that long anyway, you could also consider Uni, but that will be even harder to stick with than Tafe.

[Jim Bryant]

I know you hate school...so did my daughter. She only needed six credit to graduate from High School and dropped out. Guess what, the only job she can get is being a nanny for her best friend's child. Granted she's getting room, board, food plus $600.00 a month, but what's going to be next? She is a truly talented photographer ( guess it runs in the genes but a high school diploma is very important if you want to make anything of yourself in life. So stay in school kucklehead

[FrankLamont]

I wouldn't get a diploma, at any rate. Go for a BA (spec. photography)... try PSC (Melb), or the (one of at least) best in Australia, the RMIT course...

There are a few in Brisbane that are really good.

[Dirt_Bike_Ryda]

why not? whats bad about having ? or why is it a waste of time?

[candleman]

Originally Posted by Jim Bryant

So stay in school kucklehead

exactly..

my sisted dropped out to do nursing, turns ou she dropped out of that too and things didnt go too good for a long time for her.
she's 24 and only just started to study something again.

BTW
heres what i think, its the best advise i was ever given.
get a qualification in something that is always in demand,
teachers, mechanics, engineers, .....something thats not luxury orientated.

when you are qualified, degree, trade or diploma and have a few years experience under your belt you are set. You can then case something else.. if it turns to crud you arent left in a deep hole.. because you always have a back-up plan.

you dont need to study photography, you can learn a hell of allot form practice and self study. Talent will trump a piece of paper from a school any day.

what you COULD study as a qualification is business management, marketing, accounting.. something that will really help you in a photography business.