Note: I was recently asked if I would allow someone to write a Guest Weblog post. Since I hadn’t been asked before, I thought, “Sure, why not. Let’s see how it goes.” So without further delay:
When a Formal Photography Education Is a Disadvantage
If you take a look at most of the photography forums, you’ll find many a discussion thread featuring the question of a formal education in photography. People with an interest in the subject want to know if it’s a good decision to earn a degree in photography or if it’s a total waste of time. The answers are varied of course, with most people insisting that talent and experience are enough to make it in this industry and others advocating a basic degree or one that enhances your business skills. But, no matter how useful a degree is, there are times when it is more of a disadvantage than a benefit to enroll yourself at college, and these are:
· When you know you are talented: and your work has already started receiving critical acclaim. If stalwarts and veterans in the business agree that you have potential, then you certainly don’t need to waste time going to college to earn a degree that is not going to add to your skill level.
· When you already have a job: If you have a photography job or an internship that you love, don’t waste your time and money getting a degree unless your employer insists on one. Even then, it’s better to study online and still keep your job so that you gain the experience and earn money too.
· When you don’t have the money for college: If you’re going to borrow money to finance your degree, forget it. It’s just not worth it. First of all, you lose potential earnings. And most important of all, you’re going to be putting yourself in debt to put yourself through college. Instead of doing this, work on your skills and practice your craft until you’re able to secure a good job.
· When the school you choose is not acclaimed: A degree in photography or arts is valuable if it gets you connected with the right people in the business and helps you secure a good job that pays well and that offers opportunities for advancement. If the school you choose is not acclaimed and is just another one among the crowd, it’s just not worth the time and effort.
At the end of the day, it’s a personal decision whether you choose to take or skip the college experience. So use your judgment according to your situation, because only you know what’s best for you.
By-line
This guest article was written by Adrienne Carlson, who regularly writes on the topic of photography colleges. Adrienne welcomes your comments and questions here or at her email address: adrienne.carlson1@gmail.com
—
I welcome your comments related to the Guest Post, or please let me know if you’re interested in contributing a guest post. The views and opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily relfect those of Gary Crabbe or Enlightened Images.
Nice article and nice touch allowing it in your blog Gary.
One thing not mentioned is how well the college fits with your desired genre.
Why would one enroll in a formal degree in the first place? Is it to acquire business skills related to the photography business or is it to help one ‘see’ better? As to the former, I don’t know. As to the latter, you don’t need to go to school. There is an astonishing amount of material available now on the web where one can acquire the basic principles. And one can seek instruction from seasoned photogs through workshops, photo expeditions etc for an in-the-field experience. After a year or two, if you cannot do better than snapshots, it should be clear that your talents may lie elsewhere.
The headline of this post definitely grabbed my intention and leads me to wonder how can a college education be a disadvantage? That is obviously not the case for all professions and I don’t think it is for photography either. When you put yourself in an intensive learning environment for a long period of time you will be better at what you do and photography is no different. It just depends on what you wish to do as a photographer.
The business is full of self taught photographers who do phenomenal work and just a many, maybe more, college educated photographers that are extremely successful as well. But for every one of these talented self taught photographers receiving critical acclaim, how many others are there on the same path? A hundred, a thousand? Probably even more!
The idea that the net, with all its free information, combined with a few workshops is all you need to suceed is an illusion. A camera does not make a photographer anymore than a wrench and screwdriver makes one an auto mechanic. It takes skills that go way beyond taking a picture. I once read that 80% of those that decided to start a photography business were out in less than three years.
If you desire to be a full time nature photographer you have few options other than reading, the net, and an occasional workshop. No college teaches professional nature photography that I know of. But if you want to do more than nature don’t rule out school.
I attended Brooks Institute and am absolutely convinced that I would not have been in this business 29 years if I was a self taught photographer. College gave me a diverse set of skills that have allowed me to adapt to many situations where problem solving was critical. It gave me a photographic instinct. Like many of you, I have a passion for landscape and nature photography, always have, always will. I have enjoyed shooting every state in the US for stock and on-assignment, several times, but it is advertising and corporate assignments that keeps me in this business, pays the bills and sends my kids to college. These are not things we think about when young or starting out.
Jobs? There are no jobs in photography! I don’t call shooting babies in the mall a photography career let alone a job. Its minimum wage with formula lighting and no experience needed. Great career jobs in photography are very rare. Spend time looking for staff photographer jobs and you will find that many want a background in photography, video, and multi media, even web programming. Staff jobs often seek the jack-of-all-trades. Most of the government photography jobs do.
Out of the roughly 40 I graduated with less than a dozen remain in the business. As they say it is easy to enter and much more difficult to stay. One of those I graduated with was a corporate photographer until they closed the department. He has been looking for a staff photography job for 5 years and jut landed one and had to move from coast to coast. He was one of 6 finalists, all with degrees and experience in the business.
So have no illusions about this business. It is crowded, rough, and occasionally thankless. It is also very rewarding if your passion is satisfied. Evaluate your goals. If nature is all you want to do then forge ahead because there are few options. Longevity is the key in this business so anything you can do to expand your skills and abilities to shoot lots of subjects will pay off.
Unfortunately college in any career is too expensive, but don’t dismiss the idea if you want to be very diverse. This will no doubt increase your chances as a full time assistant for that famous photographer you admire. The less they have to train you the better and this is a fabulous way to meet and work with clients and learn the biz.
Bottom line is; it depends on what you want to do as a photographer and then how you go about it. If you have the budget to attend a photography school, go to a really good one. There are some great ones and some really bad ones. No better way to learn than in a full time learning environment with veterans of the business who now teach and surrounded by fellow students eager to learn as well. School will be hard, but nowhere near as hard as day to day in the profession.
Charlie Borland wrote: “The idea that the net, with all its free information, combined with a few workshops is all you need to suceed is an illusion.”
Perhaps Mr. Borland’s point above is aimed at my rejoinder. If so, I would like to clarify. Note that I wrote “acquire the basic principles.” I did not say the net + workshops is “all you need.” As in every other art form, practice, perseverance, reflection, and crucially – input from adepts are necessary to one’s development. Good work is no accident and it does not come by easy. Not in arts, not in science.
Rajan-
My comments were not intended as an affront to yours nor to the original poster, other than to question the title of the post, so please dont view as such. I tried to offer a broader perspective of this issue because, as Adrienne noted there is much talk among forums that school is a waste of time. This thought is expressed many places across the net and I question how many of those posting that idea actually have well establised and profitable photography businesses.
In my post I tried to differentiate between those who wish to be full time nature photographers and the few educational options they have and those who wish to have broader skills. In many ways I agreed with your perspective by suggesting that there are no nature photography schools (that I know of) so workshops and the net are the option. I followed by suggesting that a career in photography will be more fruitful with broader skills and that the fastest way to get those skills is school. The entire business is tough and the broader your skills the better opportunities you will have.
Charlie
Charlie – no affront taken. I view these as friendly conversations.