Photo School: Is it Worth it?

[MelLoch]

Hello friends!
I am a new member to DPS and am looking for some advice, possibly of some people who have 'been there, done that'.
I am a student at Emily Carr in Vancouver, BC. I started my foundation year just in September and, although it is going well, I feel as though I might be wasting time. I have a huge passion for travel and have not had the opportunity to go very many places, and I find I am very antsy lately, wishing I was on the road instead of behind a desk.
My question is, is it worth the money (that I don't have) and time (4 years) for a degree in Visual Arts, Photo Major? Or am I better off to quit and spend my hard-earned money traveling the world and bettering my photography practice on my own? Does one need a degree to get anywhere these days? Sometimes I feel as though I am only here for that final piece of paper to prove that I went to school. Is it necessary?
Any and all feedback is appreciated!

Cheers!

[AlecCastillo]

Im in the same bus, I am considering attending SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) but I am not sure if it is worth the money. I feel as if anyone can learn the technical aspect of photography, but you will learn more by practicing every day.

[nickbedford]

My own experience (and a lot of professionals too) says no. I've learnt more practical knowledge out of school and university than I ever did in it, because I was learning at my pace, and learning the things I wanted to learn for good reason, to achieve certain things. That's not to say that courses don't have their place, but I tend to find myself not enjoying them because you are made to learn things that seemingly are irrelevant.

You can learn a helluva lot by experimenting, reading everything can about technique, composition, technical things like aperture, shutter speed and ISO, by looking at work that you admire and "nutting it out" with your existing knowledge, and by watching how other photographers work (such as instructional DVDs). Just absorb everything you can and seek new things. I'm continuously discovering new things I never knew about or never realised and it's constantly changing how I approach my own photography.

Also, a great portfolio is going to trump a list of qualifications any day of the week. A portfolio tells your client you already have produced results, not potentially produce results.

That's my opinion on learning photography anyway.

[metallion58]

Just my 2 cents...

1. A good education is never a waste of time.
2. Since you'll have theoretical AND practical lessons (+homework) you'll get plenty of practice in various fields and thus learn much faster than you could on your own and focus on what you like afterward.
3. The networking alone will be worth years of experience outside.

Considering that you can also moonlight as a second for an established photographer in your area, I think you can easily get the best of both worlds there.

[cdgaskin]

only you can answer that question i think...

me, i learned on the go, yeeeeears ago i bought a canon eos350 rebel and started learning photography using books and online media for help and tips, only once id got how to manually set my camera up and take decent photos, knowing what change made what thing happen, did i move on to digital, which i think is what they do in most colleges round here, start you off on film cameras, so you learn to do as much as you can in camera so as you dont rely on photoshop all the time,

i must admit, the networking and and extra skill sets would have been helpfull.

good luck in what you choose though and were all here to help with tips or advice regardless of your final decision

[nickbedford]

There are the pros though, which include networking early on, access to gear such as lighting and sets and many others.

I guess in my case, I don't really have the time to take a course because I work full time and such so I'm taking it upon myself to teach myself as much as I can. I love learning new things in photography so I'm constantly thinking about things I can try, places I can go to find inspiration or learn new things.

My answer above probably came off as a one way only approach but hey, it's up to your own circumstances to determine which path you want to take in learning.

[brianxlt]

An education is never a waste of time or money, but what you are being educated in could be.
If photography is the business you would like to do after you have an education then perhaps a major in business with a minor in the arts would serve you two fold.
While learning the art of photography you could be getting a degree in business. With that knowledge you would know how to setup and establish your photography business.

just my 2 cents.

[Bruce A]

Originally Posted by brianxlt

An education is never a waste of time or money, but what you are being educated in could be.
If photography is the business you would like to do after you have an education then perhaps a major in business with a minor in the arts would serve you two fold.
While learning the art of photography you could be getting a degree in business. With that knowledge you would know how to setup and establish your photography business.

just my 2 cents.

That was much more than 2 cents worth!

[rosserx]

I have a degree in Graphic Design and I'm employed as such full time. However though at home, I apply all that formal training to be a self taught photographer. All the technical knowledge I would ever need can be found on the internet. All the creative "know-how" I learnt in school, and just apply the theories to photography.

I +1 what brianxlt said. Major in Business and minor in Graphic Arts. That's the best way to go. Good luck on your journey!

[NathanFranke]

I direct you here, and here. It's been asked before, and will be asked again.

If you want to make a business of photography, double-major in business and photography. If you plan on getting a "real job," that piece of paper will help later.

Like many have said, I've learnt more and gotten more experience shooting since school than I did when I was taking photo courses. That being said, I never would have had access to a wet darkroom or a 4x5 view camera without going to school, so there is that. There's also something to be said for having real flesh and blood people to interact with, rather than pixels and forum handles.

I'm glad I majored in photography, I just wish I had put more effort into my classes, and studied business, too.