Career in photography

[wryabin]

Can we get to learn photography as trainee and at the same timeearn as well? I want to make my career in photography but dont know where to start. Do i need to have a degree in photography or does experience of snapping photos help you find a job in this sector? I really want to get into this sector because i think this is gonna make me happy .

I was thinking about doing a diploma in photography? Do you think its gonna help? Where in sydney can i study ? M so sick of studying what do not interest me i.e accounting. Any advice will be really appreciative. Thanx for your advice in advance.

[Izzy]

As for those who just go at it and get lucky in the business and actually have a viable business are 1 in 40.

Might I suggest a Liberal Arts Degree or Photojournalism at a 2 year college? I am getting ready to pursue these at my local college. I do not expect to learn anything more than a different way as I have already made a living at this. I am looking to shoot for more like National Geographic or other major syndicated media.

[Jim Bryant]

More importantly......is learning the business side of photography, not the actual photography at all. You need to take business and marketing classes, not just photography class. As Izzy said one in 40 or more business fail, because the photography just thinks the only thing matters is clicking the shutter, which is only about 10% of your business, the rest is marketing, meeting clients and of course.....a ton of paperwork, which accounting is a big part on whether you sink or swim.

[andyw]

Originally Posted by wryabin

Can we get to learn photography as trainee and at the same timeearn as well? I want to make my career in photography but dont know where to start. Do i need to have a degree in photography or does experience of snapping photos help you find a job in this sector? I really want to get into this sector because i think this is gonna make me happy .

I was thinking about doing a diploma in photography? Do you think its gonna help? Where in sydney can i study ? M so sick of studying what do not interest me i.e accounting. Any advice will be really appreciative. Thanx for your advice in advance.

It really depends on what genre of photography you want to be in.
There are some where a formal qualification is required - scientific, forensic are a couple I can think of off the top of my head.
There are others where it would be helpful if you want to start at the bottom as it were.
A lot of snappers in the fashion industry did go through degree courses and then came out to start as assistants and work their way up from there.

That said, there are also many successful photographers who dropped out of college because it was not teaching them what they needed to know.

There are also many "spe******t" photographers, more especially in the nature and wildlife genres who have zoology or biology degrees which is massively helpful in their field.

It really is horses for courses, Photography covers quite a range of things and each has, or can have, different routes into them. One thing which is consistent though is the requirement to have a good upto date portfolio of your work.

As JB says, business qualifications (or knowledge) is probably more important if you are looking to start up as a freelance, especially if you want to run your own studio, but you also need the skills and knowledge of the photography to be successful.

Personally, I have been doing this for the best part of 40 years, about 30 as a "pro".
I started snapping shots down my local pub of the various events and also at local sports clubs. People started asking for prints and then asking for me to cover their events or games.
I was then asked by the local papers for prints and then they asked me to cover things which their staffers couldn't do.

I have no formal photographic qualifications but have done various short courses and still go along to seminars etc to keep up with the latest developments.
When I went "full time" I also did a couple of business courses.

[wryabin]

Thank you all so much for your valuable time and suggestions. so it means that i need to have a degree rite. I am thinking about getting a diploma from catc. Does anyone have any idea about this college? At this moment i am so much craved for photogtraphy that i have decided i will be working watever i get and save some amount for tution fees to study something wud be career oriented and at the same time make me happy as i do it. If you have got any other institutions in mind around sydney , then can u please direct me to them.

[MicroMommy]

I am in the same boat. I hope to one day have learned enough to do this professionally. Good luck to you!

[wryabin]

Originally Posted by MicroMommy

I am in the same boat. I hope to one day have learned enough to do this professionally. Good luck to you!

thanx and good luck to you as well. hope we can achieve wat we are after.

[faeriegodess612]

I agree with Izzy and Jim. I will say, you got me inspired to look more closely at the colleges here and what they offer. I thought that my only option was The Art Institute in Austin (which is an hour away), but upon closer examination I discovered one of the colleges in town offer a Fine Arts degree. I'm looking to make a career out of something I love doing as well.

I'm not sure about Sydney or Australia government but here in the U.S. you can get a grant to go to school that you dont have to pay back or pay back a small amount. Then theres of course student loans that you usually dont pay back until you graduate. I'd look into financial aids as well. There are certain requirements to admittance to college as well, so you'd need to talk to an advisor and find out what all you need to even apply. And as always,...prepare yourself for the road ahead. College is not like grade school.

Good luck! Hope you find what your looking for.