Are you self-taught or formally educated?

[MarcusM]

I had one photography class at tech school in 1997, which really sparked my interest in photography. I learned a few things, other than that, mostly self taught by experience, trial and error, reading books and internet research, especially now with this forum and some other really good photography tips/tutorial sites.

 

[Sarah23]

self-taught through internet/books, and some help from a friend who is a pro.

 

[JerryPH]

Alright, and how many of you can make a living from your photography, And has your training/non-training helped?

With the exception of one beginner level course taken early this year, I am completely self taught. Not only that... though I used cameras a lot, my first attempt at getting serious was after I got my D200 (first time I was ever off P-mode or Automatic mode too!), and that was in June of this year past... thats a DAMN short time, but very intense in terms of hours and intensity and enthusiasm devoted to a hobby.

Can I make a living from it? Yes, I sincerely think I could. I have had offers of weddings, portrature sessions and special events contracts but I turn them down for 3 reasons...

1 - I love what I do for a living (run my own computer consulting and training business)

2 - I could never make the same amount of money as easily as I do now in my business (the 28 years experience makes a difference), and going back to a $40-50G a year job as a "starting photographer" is just not attractive to me at all. I often work 18 hours days for 7-10 days straight, and paid my dues when I first started my business. I definately have no desire to go through those growing pains again.

3 - I reall y feel that if I went pro, I would lose the passion that I have now.

How could I know that I could turn pro without trying? Good question. I have (tried that is... lol). I did a friend's parent's 50th anniversary, successfully (I turned down 3 jobs there alone), so well, that I was coerced into doing his daughter's Sweet 16 (was supposed to be her Batmitzvah, but apprently she wanted a Sweet 16... so what she wants, she gets... lol). I do that this summer. My friend paid me well for the anniversary and shall pay me again for the Sweet 16 party.

I've also ghosted on 3 weddings as a 2nd shooter (all 3 times fo NO charge, I just wanted the experience), and been heavily complimented by both the main photographer and B&G/the family (awesome experience, but freaking HARD work! Give me a classroom of 20 demanding professional IT people ANY day of the week!)

 

[Double H]

I learned how to use a K1000 very young. Art was always my strong point, went to our local Vo-Tech school which had a commercial art program, so I spent my senior year of high school learning the trade, old school pre-digital stuff. Got to use a stat camera a lot and cut mechanicals and create marker-comps. After that I went to art school and got a degree in Graphic Design, still shooting with my K1000. Had a fun career in advertising/freelancing. Got into teaching when a new program started at my old Vo-Tech high-school, visual communications. Curriculum included photography and video along with design, press operations, you name it. It's a blast. I get to play around with decent equipment, learn something new everyday, turn some eager kids on to visual communications, and perfect my skills by doing promotional stuff for the school.

 

[Miaow]

Self taught at present but one day I'd like to do a more advanced course - a lot of the cheaper short courses round here are pretty much very basic so I don't know if i'd get a lot out of one.

I tend to get most of my info from on here and from a few friends

 

[Socrates]

I'm a disabled Viet Nam vet.

You have my greatest respect, sir. I was not there.

 

[skipper34]

Both. I started out in photography in college with the yearbook staff. Back then we were using Honeywell Pentax that the school furnished. We got into darkroom, book layouts, all that stuff. I was lucky I followed the basketball team and did game and team photo's. Then I switched to an OM system after school, did a few weddings, dabbled with some nature and wildlife, and shot theater for several years. I switched to a Canon DSLR system 5 years ago and it seems like I am learning all over again.

 

[soylentgreen]

Self-taught in photograpghy. Went to art school for illustration/design which helps me immensly in composing my shots, etc. I learned everything through trial and error. But what I learned stuck since I had the experience. The teacher is probably going to give you a bunch of assignments to let you figure things out anyway.

 

[kundalini]

Self taught, but I do have an engineering background (electrical) that makes things easier.

The success of an actual photography business has as much to do with your salesmanship, networking, and business skills as it does with your photography. I like to think that my photography is half decent, but my business/sales/networking skills are probably pretty lousy.

If I ditto'd Socrates's ditto it would have been choppy not make as much sense. Although my background was a bit more diverse with the addition of architectural, plumbing and structural design and logistics planning..

 

[Tayfun]

Thanks to forums and websites like this,I am trying to learn myself. Of course there are very usable books which help to understand photography.

 

[Alex_B]

self-taught when it comes to photography.

a tiny bit of formal education when it comes to arts.

 

[LaFoto]

Exclusively self-taught here and also being very far from anything resembling engineering (other than once having married an engineer, but I doubt that counts).

 

[Chris of Arabia]

For the first 26 years, entirely self taught with the aid of books and magazines. Last year I did my only photo course which was a 10 week long distance learning thing through the OU that helped me out learning how to use PS (Elements actually).

 

[Tiberius47]

I am self taught. I got a point and shoot which taught me a fair bit about composition, and gave me a fair bit of freedom (Yay! My first zoom lens!). After that, I got a very old film SLR which is older than me (Konica T3N), which forced me to learn the heart of photography (loath would I be to trust that camera's light meter - I don't know how long it's been since the battery was changed in it, but they stopped making the batteries some years ago), so when I finally got my first dSLR I was ready to jump in with the semi-automatic and manual modes. I've never used a preset mode (like portrait) unless the camera didn't have the semi-auto or manual modes. And in a few weeks getting a Canon 40D.

 

[Arch]

Formal Art school educated 5 years to Degree level... mostly self taught in photography tho.... mostly.