Is it worth *really* studying photography?

[awinphoto]

Just a little thought from someone who has been in your shoes... When I was at school... there were a lot of kids who loved photography and then there were others who kinda had the wrong attitude... They didn't like the cost of tuition, thought it was a waste of their time and thought they were above it... they washed out pretty quickly... And while I dont know if they succeeded chasing their dreams or if they are working at blockbuster, or was working at blockbuster, in hindsight I wish I could go back and work harder, built an even better portfolio, while I had all that gear, resources, and studios available to me for free! It's easy to take for granted what you have now and want to look forward til you're out of school, but like agierke said, IF this is what you love, IF this is what you want to do for the remainder of your days, work at it... Stop worrying about commute time, stop worrying that you are wasting hours in class, go in with an open mind and if need be, ask questions and push forward the class so you can get the most out of your time while you got it. By all means, if a perfect situation pops up where you can drop out and do what you want to do, then do it, but until then learn everything you can, shoot everything you can, work with as many cameras, lenses, strobes, backgrounds, build your portfolio, use what you learn and break all the rules and do what you need to do in order to advance your photography. Just because you may be shooting for an assignment doesn't mean you also cant be shooting for you, shooting for your portfolio... And if you are able to do that, then in hindsight you wont look back at your experience with regret but accomplishment.

 

[jspiteri]

Think about what you really love and want to be doing then find out what it takes to get there.

I've always fancied National Geographic myself:

National Geographic photographers have college degrees in a variety of disciplines. Most did not major in photography, but all took photo courses. The most common majors have been journalism, anthropology, sociology or psychology, fine arts, and sciences. Our editors and photographers agree that it is important to complete a degree in a discipline other than photography. Freelancers usually come to us with at least five years of photojournalism experience or with specializations such as wildlife, underwater, nature, or aerial photography. We seek balance and an eclectic blend of interests, abilities, and photographic styles in the freelancers we hire.

 

[agierke]

some really great points being brought up....

one of the best aspects of going to art school were the critiques. it is invaluable to have that type of forum to discuss your work and others and it is something that is very difficult to replace/replicate outside of school at the same level.

also, complaining about anything is generally a waste of time and doesn't get you anywhere. very early on in my education, i took the stance that EVERYTHING i got involved with would bring me experience and thus would be furthering my goals towards being a photographer. i even started viewing working part time in mall retail as experience that would directly benefit my career in photography... and it has. you have to change your mindset to turn negatives into positives! i remember many of my fellow students would complain that they didn't want to do something that they didnt feel was directly related to photography....and now i dont hear much of anything from them anymore. the attitude i see most commonly associated with the successful people i run into is that they are open to anything, get involved with many things, and are very rarely negative.

more nuggets of advice....

even a bad experience can yield a positive result. learning how to manage long days is a great benefit! you are doing that now and it will pay off!!! doing something well when you are not completely enthusiastic about it is a great trait. trust me....to be a successful professional you will have to do alot of things you dont necessarily want to do. getting a broad experience a in a variety of subject matter will only strengthen your ability to connect and relate to many more different individuals. the more people you can get to respond to you the more opportunity you will find! that history class you dont care for so much....it will pay off sometime down the line when you least expect it to!

its always better to try to find reasons why something is beneficial rather than to always look at why something is a waste of your time!

 

[scottsdaleriots]

Just a little thought from someone who has been in your shoes... When I was at school... there were a lot of kids who loved photography and then there were others who kinda had the wrong attitude... They didn't like the cost of tuition, thought it was a waste of their time and thought they were above it... they washed out pretty quickly... And while I dont know if they succeeded chasing their dreams or if they are working at blockbuster, or was working at blockbuster, in hindsight I wish I could go back and work harder, built an even better portfolio, while I had all that gear, resources, and studios available to me for free! It's easy to take for granted what you have now and want to look forward til you're out of school, but like agierke said, IF this is what you love, IF this is what you want to do for the remainder of your days, work at it... Stop worrying about commute time, stop worrying that you are wasting hours in class, go in with an open mind and if need be, ask questions and push forward the class so you can get the most out of your time while you got it. By all means, if a perfect situation pops up where you can drop out and do what you want to do, then do it, but until then learn everything you can, shoot everything you can, work with as many cameras, lenses, strobes, backgrounds, build your portfolio, use what you learn and break all the rules and do what you need to do in order to advance your photography. Just because you may be shooting for an assignment doesn't mean you also cant be shooting for you, shooting for your portfolio... And if you are able to do that, then in hindsight you wont look back at your experience with regret but accomplishment.

I 'worry' about those things you mention coz i'm not 110% fully committed let alone 50% committed. I am enrolled else where which is almost $16,000 a year and if I dont withdraw soon I'll have to foot the bill. Not committed coz I have found out i dont need a photography qualification/degree/whatever to do what i want to do (which is work in the film industry). I have literally spent the last 2yrs spending thousands of $$$$ doing all thses photography short courses to work towards into getting into this course only to find out it's not 100% necessary. In that timeframe I could've completed a differengt qualification and currently be working in my desired industry. Of course that's a load of 'what if's' and 'should have's'.

I have been told by the teacher (who sorta mentioned it to the entire class) that to work as a assistant to a photographer you dont necessarily need a piece of paper which completely contradicts what all the studios that i have applied/inquired at for a position there, have said. They all ask 'where is your qualification?'. It's frustrating.

my best advice i can offer to any student wishing to have a creative career is be prepared to eat breath and sleep your chosen profession....7 days a week year round. if you are passionate about the medium you have chosen all things will work out on the end. those that succeed chose this lifestyle because they NEEDED to and not necessarily because they WANTED to. from my first day of art school to today, i was/am constantly thinking about my art, craft, and business whether i want to or not. if my mind goes idle it idles on photography. this is what passionate means and understand that there are countless people out there in all creative professions that you will be in competition with who feel the same level of fervor. they will work insane hours as long as it takes them to achieve whatever level of success they need to fulfill themselves.

so the bottom line is no one can tell you if this particular education is worthwhile to your particular experience. it boils down to asking yourself what you really want to do and then doing everything you are capable of to make it happen.

find something you LOVE to do....the rest will take care of itself.

Another thing students should do is to learn other skills to compliment your photography. In today's world you have to be multi-talented to survive. Also network like crazy. Networking is another thing they don't really teach you in college. Surround yourself with awesome talented people. Reach out to professionals you admire etc..

Kind of hard when the three main photographers I admire, respect and am inspired by are american and i live no where near them lol. But yeah, I know what you mean. I cant really find any good aussie photogs who i admire and want to get in contact with.


I have 2 weeks where i can still withdraw without suffering financial penalities. Here's another question: If I do withdraw and skip any more photography education, start up my own photography business. How much would/should I charge? I know people say to do a couple freebies for weddings, work up your folio, etc. But one of my lecturers said that we shouldn't do freebies anymore and charge at least $30-$50 an hour. I want constant work and a source of income. Yes it's taking the 'easy' way wanting to get rich asap but this isn't the industry(photography) i want to work in forever, as a career. This is a pretty damn expensive course, i no longer have a job (had to quit coz boss/manager didnt like how many hrs i was at uni for and he wouldnt give me more than one 3hr shift a week as a casual, i worked PT before this course) so i dont have money.

 

[awinphoto]

Just a little thought from someone who has been in your shoes... When I was at school... there were a lot of kids who loved photography and then there were others who kinda had the wrong attitude... They didn't like the cost of tuition, thought it was a waste of their time and thought they were above it... they washed out pretty quickly... And while I dont know if they succeeded chasing their dreams or if they are working at blockbuster, or was working at blockbuster, in hindsight I wish I could go back and work harder, built an even better portfolio, while I had all that gear, resources, and studios available to me for free! It's easy to take for granted what you have now and want to look forward til you're out of school, but like agierke said, IF this is what you love, IF this is what you want to do for the remainder of your days, work at it... Stop worrying about commute time, stop worrying that you are wasting hours in class, go in with an open mind and if need be, ask questions and push forward the class so you can get the most out of your time while you got it. By all means, if a perfect situation pops up where you can drop out and do what you want to do, then do it, but until then learn everything you can, shoot everything you can, work with as many cameras, lenses, strobes, backgrounds, build your portfolio, use what you learn and break all the rules and do what you need to do in order to advance your photography. Just because you may be shooting for an assignment doesn't mean you also cant be shooting for you, shooting for your portfolio... And if you are able to do that, then in hindsight you wont look back at your experience with regret but accomplishment.

I 'worry' about those things you mention coz i'm not 110% fully committed let alone 50% committed. I am enrolled else where which is almost $16,000 a year and if I dont withdraw soon I'll have to foot the bill. Not committed coz I have found out i dont need a photography qualification/degree/whatever to do what i want to do (which is work in the film industry). I have literally spent the last 2yrs spending thousands of $$$$ doing all thses photography short courses to work towards into getting into this course only to find out it's not 100% necessary. In that timeframe I could've completed a differengt qualification and currently be working in my desired industry. Of course that's a load of 'what if's' and 'should have's'.

I have been told by the teacher (who sorta mentioned it to the entire class) that to work as a assistant to a photographer you dont necessarily need a piece of paper which completely contradicts what all the studios that i have applied/inquired at for a position there, have said. They all ask 'where is your qualification?'. It's frustrating.

my best advice i can offer to any student wishing to have a creative career is be prepared to eat breath and sleep your chosen profession....7 days a week year round. if you are passionate about the medium you have chosen all things will work out on the end. those that succeed chose this lifestyle because they NEEDED to and not necessarily because they WANTED to. from my first day of art school to today, i was/am constantly thinking about my art, craft, and business whether i want to or not. if my mind goes idle it idles on photography. this is what passionate means and understand that there are countless people out there in all creative professions that you will be in competition with who feel the same level of fervor. they will work insane hours as long as it takes them to achieve whatever level of success they need to fulfill themselves.

so the bottom line is no one can tell you if this particular education is worthwhile to your particular experience. it boils down to asking yourself what you really want to do and then doing everything you are capable of to make it happen.

find something you LOVE to do....the rest will take care of itself.

Another thing students should do is to learn other skills to compliment your photography. In today's world you have to be multi-talented to survive. Also network like crazy. Networking is another thing they don't really teach you in college. Surround yourself with awesome talented people. Reach out to professionals you admire etc..

Kind of hard when the three main photographers I admire, respect and am inspired by are american and i live no where near them lol. But yeah, I know what you mean. I cant really find any good aussie photogs who i admire and want to get in contact with.


I have 2 weeks where i can still withdraw without suffering financial penalities. Here's another question: If I do withdraw and skip any more photography education, start up my own photography business. How much would/should I charge? I know people say to do a couple freebies for weddings, work up your folio, etc. But one of my lecturers said that we shouldn't do freebies anymore and charge at least $30-$50 an hour. I want constant work and a source of income. Yes it's taking the 'easy' way wanting to get rich asap but this isn't the industry(photography) i want to work in forever, as a career. This is a pretty damn expensive course, i no longer have a job (had to quit coz boss/manager didnt like how many hrs i was at uni for and he wouldnt give me more than one 3hr shift a week as a casual, i worked PT before this course) so i dont have money.

You dont need a certificate to work for yourself... You really dont need a certificate to work for someone else, but as you have found out, if they want one and you dont have one, it can severely hinder your hiring process. In that regards it's fully up to the market and the market demands... Some places may be more strict than others... Make sure your portfolio is good enough to show customers and get ready for harsh critiques at times.

If you feel that you have all the nuts and bolts down... you got a firm understanding on exposure, lighting, filling, shading, etc... if you feel that your ready to dive head first into the photography business, then by all means, but treat it as it is, a business... I'd see if you can enroll in a cheap local community college class on business management/marketing/etc... Those will be vital in understanding how to be profitable with your business. I cannot stress this enough... That would be the difference between being a successful business and a "starving artist".

I would not recommend low balling and doing freebes anywhere anytime... Your work is valued based upon the perceived value of your work. And this also boils down to your professionalism with how you act around your prospective clients, and on your work... If you do freebes people kinda think in the back of their minds that you are cheap and basically not to expect much... You can totally blow them away with your work, but in their minds that work is still linked with the low value of "free". That not only hurts the industry, it hurts your reputation and hurts your works perceived value to others. I would look around and talk to people... look at flyers, and get a good idea on what your market in your area is charging... Dont get 1 price range, get as many as you can... If you want to lowball a little bit at that time until you really build your portfolio, by all means, but dont cut your nose off to spite your face. Sit down, figure out what you need to live off of, figure out what YOUR cost of doing business is... Figure out how much money you need in order JUST to break even after rent/mortgage, utilities expenses, equipment maintenance/repairs, advertising, marketing, etc... That will be a good place to start from when it comes down to pricing.

 

[CandiColoredPixels]

But in general, if you want to shoot for...the AP...and other fantastic career paths...

ha! Obviously you don't know too many AP photographers!

Seriously though, your enthusiasm and attitude are great and you have a good handle on what it takes. Just suggesting that the AP is not exactly a promising career path these days. Actually, all photojournalism in general is a pretty dismal career path. Keep in mind that for every photographer you see on the sidelines at a major sporting event, there are several hundred underpaid souls plugging away on small and mid-market newspapers just praying to avoid the next round of layoffs.

You do bring up good points. I agree that the AP probably isn't a very promising gig. As I also agree with a lot of people being underpaid and awaiting layoffs. It's sad, but very accurate.

 

[scottsdaleriots]

I think I will drop at least two units this semester, too much work and I'm not even interested in half of the units I have to do. Ah, why is photography such a difficult, with "struggling artists" everywhere and 'cut-throat' industry. Very time consuming.

 

[CanineCandidsByL]

I'd like to throw another option at you....forget photography/art school in favor of business school. If you want to start your own business, getting a background in business will probably favor you. Photography is fairly cheap to practice, but business can be very expensive.

 

[awinphoto]

I think I will drop at least two units this semester, too much work and I'm not even interested in half of the units I have to do. Ah, why is photography such a difficult, with "struggling artists" everywhere and 'cut-throat' industry. Very time consuming.

The same can be said with most of the industries out there... ambulance chasing lawyers, accountants/CPA's, mechanics, engineers, Dr's, nurses, custodians, teachers... Especially when the world economy is still struggling not to mention local economies, There are a lot of unemployed people out there in thousands of different industries and specialties... Photography is just one of them... It is what it is. Especially right now, there's always someone out there who can do your job and accept less than you because they have less than you...

 

[scottsdaleriots]

The same can be said with most of the industries out there... ambulance chasing lawyers, accountants/CPA's, mechanics, engineers, Dr's, nurses, custodians, teachers... Especially when the world economy is still struggling not to mention local economies, There are a lot of unemployed people out there in thousands of different industries and specialties... Photography is just one of them... It is what it is. Especially right now, there's always someone out there who can do your job and accept less than you because they have less than you...

I know that there are occupations out are is just as difficult as the photography industry - but say if you study to become a lawyer you're a lawyer, you can't really branch (much) out somewhere else in the law/criminal industry whereas as a photographer you've got so many types/genres to dabble in. I think photography, as a career choice, is a lot more expensive than a lawyer; you'd just need legal books, etc. but a pro photographer needs a lot of equipment and then some (as depends if ur a studio/wedding photog or a landscape, portraits, etc photographer). Anyways my knowledge isn't very broad when it comes to the lawyers/other career choices.


You can learn outputting and the 'process' of printing and choosing the correct paper from the Internet, can't you? That kind of knowledge only really applies to portraiture/wedding, landscape photographers, yeah? I mean it'd be useful knowledge if you weren't shooting those areas. It not 100% absolutely necessary?

 

[PeterJ]

I think photography, as a career choice, is a lot more expensive than a lawyer; you'd just need legal books, etc. but a pro photographer needs a lot of equipment and then some (as depends if ur a studio/wedding photog or a landscape, portraits, etc photographer). Anyways my knowledge isn't very broad when it comes to the lawyers/other career choices.

I'm neither a professional photographer, nor a lawyer, but one difference with a lot of professions is their legal status and requirement for a degree to become a member of a legally recognised fraternity. For example if I see an advertisement that says "Speeding tickets defended in court for only $200" and follow it up with "Speeding tickets defended in court for only $100" when I'm not qualified to give legal representation then I'd likely be the one in need of legal representation.

Same doesn't apply for photography, anyone with a camera can offer their services and while the more discerning clients will check background let's face it a lot will prefer free / cheap.

 

[agierke]

The same can be said with most of the industries out there... ambulance chasing lawyers, accountants/CPA's, mechanics, engineers, Dr's, nurses, custodians, teachers... Especially when the world economy is still struggling not to mention local economies, There are a lot of unemployed people out there in thousands of different industries and specialties... Photography is just one of them... It is what it is. Especially right now, there's always someone out there who can do your job and accept less than you because they have less than you...

I know that there are occupations out are is just as difficult as the photography industry - but say if you study to become a lawyer you're a lawyer, you can't really branch (much) out somewhere else in the law/criminal industry whereas as a photographer you've got so many types/genres to dabble in. I think photography, as a career choice, is a lot more expensive than a lawyer; you'd just need legal books, etc. but a pro photographer needs a lot of equipment and then some (as depends if ur a studio/wedding photog or a landscape, portraits, etc photographer). Anyways my knowledge isn't very broad when it comes to the lawyers/other career choices.


You can learn outputting and the 'process' of printing and choosing the correct paper from the Internet, can't you? That kind of knowledge only really applies to portraiture/wedding, landscape photographers, yeah? I mean it'd be useful knowledge if you weren't shooting those areas. It not 100% absolutely necessary?

ooo....you got some faulty logic there my friend.

being in photography has afforded me the opportunity to get a glimpse into alot of different businesses and how they work. one thing i have learned across the board is that no matter what business you are in it will be expensive to run that business. there are hidden costs in running any business that the general public just isnt aware of...its called overhead and must be covered by the fees that business charges. thats why "professional" services are generally so expensive regardless of the business type. the only way to lower fees is to incorporate an economy of scale. some businesses have the benefit of accessing economies of scale...others dont (such as photography and lawyers). start up costs are always going to seem huge no matter what business you choose to run.

there are also specializations within any profession. photography is not unique in that manner. ever try to get your car fixed? it is almost impossible to find a mechanic that can work on every aspect of a every type of car out there at a competent level and cheap. i go to one place for body work, another for transmission work, and yet another for engine work. if i want it done cheaply i have a set of garages that i will go to but i run the risk that it may not be done properly. if i know the problem needs to be fixed properly the first time and without hassles i cave and take it to the dealership and pay much higher rates. thats just the way the world works and all types of business' are like this.

also, just because you graduate and get your piece of paper does not mean you get a job. my sister is a lawyer and we know alot of people who went to law school, graduated, and then couldn't get a job. earning a degree guarantees nothing except that you will be in debt. thats it.

finally, yes there is alot of information about alot of things on the internet. reading a blog or watching a video does not necessarily mean you know something to the level that you can put it into practice reliably however. the only true way of learning something is to do it and then do it alot over and over again. additionally, its folly to assume that you don't need to know about a certain process just because you dont foresee yourself doing it yourself. i don't output much anymore but i am better at being a photographer because i spent alot of time working on and understanding color profiling different devices and outputting on a variety of paper types. not to mention before digital, working in a lab and developing on c-41, E-6 and RA-4 machines as well as working with color enlargers. pretty much anything you can learn will benefit you in someway at some point. if you pass on the opportunity to learn something...well thats just one less tool you will have in your belt.

the bottom line is if you want to have a successful business of your own it will require a ton of start up costs, an enormous amount of your time, and continual education whether it come from taking classes, self study, or on the job training. if you just want to work for someone else be prepared that you will get paid less and it will still take a ton of time and alot of continual education....just not as much as when you own your own business.

sry if this bursts your bubble. everything that is worth doing is hard, takes alot of time, and generally will cost lots of money.

 

[awinphoto]

agierke is correct that there are lots of startup and overhead in just about any business. Whether it is purchasing inventory, business licenses, state taxes if applicable, securing an office whether it is a home office or commercial. Getting supplies to do ones goods or service, uniforms if needed or appropriate wardrobe, an accountant or money management system and billing. Lawyers with the REQUIRED schooling, there's no getting around that, the post grad schooling, licensing and tests, plus industry bonds and insurance to protect from malpractice... All this stuff could make ones photography degree tuition look like chump change. Heck, even music bands, take into account costs to record music, promo, guitars, drums, amps, control board, could get into the tens of thousands if not more. Plus, in any industry, the better you get, more business you bring in, the more overhead, better gear, more insurance, bigger office, etc... You see where I'm getting at.

Also agierke is also correct a degree doesn't guarantee you anything. It looks great compared to non graduates and some education is better than none, but a C-D student who skated by school won't be better off than a non grad with an excellent work ethic, portfolio, skills and attitude. Also, online education are full of people giving their two cents, opinions, and agenda and many may not be any smarter than you and me. Most online resources I have to read a dozen or so different sites on one topic if nothing else but to filter out which are more right than wrong and which are credible and which smells fishy. that extra work may make it more questionable if it's worth your time than getting the info once from a guy you know actually knows their stuff. You know my POV and recommendation so I won't parrot my prior posts, but if you feel your ready a nd your portfolio has been critiqued by enough people to know if your ready, make sure you take a business management and marketing course cause in the end, that will be vital to ensure your business is successful and not a starving artist.

 

[scottsdaleriots]

let's not stray from the topic and talk about lawyers/criminal area in general coz though i studied it in school that's as far as my knowledge goes (i've forgotten most of it lol).

Im still on the fence on whether i should drop a specific unit even though i have limited interest in it. It more so applies to self employed wedding/portrait photographers i think with the whole process of developing digital files to be ready to print, etc.

 

[D.Sim]

The same can be said with most of the industries out there... ambulance chasing lawyers, accountants/CPA's, mechanics, engineers, Dr's, nurses, custodians, teachers... Especially when the world economy is still struggling not to mention local economies, There are a lot of unemployed people out there in thousands of different industries and specialties... Photography is just one of them... It is what it is. Especially right now, there's always someone out there who can do your job and accept less than you because they have less than you...

I know that there are occupations out are is just as difficult as the photography industry - but say if you study to become a lawyer you're a lawyer, you can't really branch (much) out somewhere else in the law/criminal industry whereas as a photographer you've got so many types/genres to dabble in. I think photography, as a career choice, is a lot more expensive than a lawyer; you'd just need legal books, etc. but a pro photographer needs a lot of equipment and then some (as depends if ur a studio/wedding photog or a landscape, portraits, etc photographer). Anyways my knowledge isn't very broad when it comes to the lawyers/other career choices.

Legal books ain't cheap... and the fact that laws change/are updated often means you need to keep updating your legal library. Same goes for a lot of other professions - Photography as a career choice is hardly more expensive than one of the professional jobs - The study costs itself will cost far more than what your general photographer would need - Unless you were to be one of those nutcases who buys a 600mm to cover weddings ???

Also: Make a mistake with a photo - wrong exposure, etc, it can be fixed/saved... Make a mistake as a Lawyer? Accountant? God forbid, Doctor?


Agierke really hit the nail on the head... so did awinphoto

 

[marginwalker]

From my experience, no it isn't worth it to go to school to learn photography. I went to one of the Art Institute schools and would have totally felt ripped off if I had had to pay the $80,000 it costs to get the "degree." You can learn this stuff just by going to the library and checking some books out or buying some books on amazon.

 

[Lawliet]

II figure (in my logic) that there's really no point spending thousands of $$$$ and yrs of your life going to uni to studying photography when you can learn a lot off stuff from the internet?

The web can teach you the basics about most topics, for the advanced stuff good books and practice get you quite far. If its a photography school that would be most of the curriculum. If its an art school the focus should be more on a content level instead of the technical execution - thats where inet fails. Also you get the opportunity to network with people aspiring to enter related industries.

 

[awinphoto]

II figure (in my logic) that there's really no point spending thousands of $$$$ and yrs of your life going to uni to studying photography when you can learn a lot off stuff from the internet?

The web can teach you the basics about most topics, for the advanced stuff good books and practice get you quite far. If its a photography school that would be most of the curriculum. If its an art school the focus should be more on a content level instead of the technical execution - thats where inet fails. Also you get the opportunity to network with people aspiring to enter related industries.

If I may offer a suggestion to the OP and any other students in his situation... The one thing I have mentioned several times but the OP has not mentioned once that i'm aware of... PORTFOLIO... This is crucial... Do you have your portfolio online? Can people find you online? Why not post your portfolio whether it be an actual website or facebook or smugmug, etc... Show us what you got so we can best guide you in your pursuits... There have been people suggesting education isn't worth it and he can go to a library or online... mmmmokay... At a college/university, if you shoot an assignment and it doesn't turn out... your camera fails, your lights burn out, etc... you get a bad grade but get to reshoot it... If you shoot a wedding and screw up, you dont get to redo that, and on top of that, you become liable for those images, plus on top of that, you might as well move because your reputation is tarnished... You can shoot freebies, even though I would never recommend that, but your reputation changes and once again, if you screw up, your reputation is that you are incompetent... Trust me you want to have a change to shoot something rather than jumping in the deep end unprepared.

Secondly, for what it's worth, I had a classmate who was a 3rd assistant for a famous photographer... they were on set and the photographer decided in a split second to add polarizer and some additional filters and without thinking twice, she was able to spout off the exposure compensation (stops less light) by adding those filters... The photographer looked at her and said "your now the first assistant" basically doubling her pay... what's that worth? Having the hands on experience to shoot in any situation, any condition, any camera, any strobe/light/modifier where other photographers would call it a day... what's that worth? I'm not saying that I enjoy paying my monthly student loan payments or that its worth upwards to $100,000 and the years spent doing it. I'm also not saying it's for everyone... some people require structured environments and things in black and white and someone kicking them in the rear and lighting a fire under their butt... some people dont. I'm just saying dont drop out just for the heck of it unless you're 100% sure your ready or you can very easily burn out. Let us see your portfolio.

 

[CanineCandidsByL]

sry if this bursts your bubble. everything that is worth doing is hard, takes alot of time, and generally will cost lots of money.

....suddenly I feel very depressed

 

[agierke]

awinphoto is correct...in the end portfolio and reputation trump all.

i do not ever regret going to school and getting the education i got. i dont like paying my loans but i dont regret them either. the knowledge, experience, and connections i obtained while i was in school were well worth what i paid in tuition. but that was over 10 years ago....

if i were in the same situation with today's tuition costs i would not be able to get the same education i did just 10 years ago. i was, compared to the rest of my class, very successful in finding work with commercial photographers after i graduated but financially it was very difficult and stressful. it has only been in the last 2 or 3 years that i have been able to acquire much of the pro gear i need and bring in enough money that i actually have some breathing room.

there is alot of what i learned in school and through assisting that just cannot be learned on the internet or in books. everything i know can be learned through experience though. again, awinphoto accurately points out that school offers the safety of trying and failing without severe consequences. the real world is unforgiving, if you screw up with a client then doors close quickly and permanently. it takes alot of effort to open new doors to financially sustain a career so there are only so many mistakes you can make before your business fails.

unfortunately i have seen far many more of my students and colleagues fail than succeed.