Contemplating changing my Photography major

[loveDSLR]

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[Big Mike]

Photography is one of those things where someone with all the education & skills, might not be as successful (however you define it), as someone with no education...with or even without a lot of photographic skill.

At one seminar I attended, the speaker asked around "how many of you have your own photography business (or plan to start on)?" Most raised their hands. He then asked "How many of you have taken business courses?"....and there were only a few hands.

The point is that in many cases, but certainly not all, photography is a gateway to running a small business. And as such, your success or failure will largely depend on your skills in business, as much or more than your skills in photography.

So, while it would probably depend on the type of photography you want to do...it might be a good idea to concentrate on the business side of things for your education. And on the plus side, business education is a lot more universal, and could help you to succeed in almost any field, not just photography.

 

[willsmom]

I agree. You need to know business to succeed in business. You have the skills to make it as a photographer, now you need to have the knowlage to make it as a business owner. This is coming from someone who has had a family in business. Plus, if you are in need of more cash, to get more of your photography business off to a start, you have better odds of getting a job with a business degree. Good luck!

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

I have seen this come up a lot. What magic stuff do they teach you to run a business in school?

 

[lyonsroar]

We had a guy come talk to us in one of my Architecture classes last year. He was a freelance photographer who took pictures of companies buildings for brochures, trade publications, advertising, etc. He had no training beyond a few community college courses and he was maked six figures easy. He seemed very well off and knowledgeable. His pictures were very good as is to be expected of someone who maked that kind of money. He was probably mid 40's, early 50's and considering retirement.

He said he has hard drives full of stock pictures that he was planning to sell for living money in retirement. To me that sounds like a great job, but I'm sure his case is exceptional.

 

[Ronaldo]

I have seen this come up a lot. What magic stuff do they teach you to run a business in school?

Oh:

> strategy: how to assess your business environment, and what you need to do to be successful in it

> marketing: how to position and differentiate yourself, and create demand for you product/service

> finance: the time value of money (and how to really understand this - - many people don't have a clue); how to evaluate and make good investments, etc.

> accounting: how to track and truly understand how you are doing

> operations: how to organize and efficiently run a business; what should you do yourself vs. outsource vs. partner, etc.

> personnel: how to better understand, motivate, interest, excite and reward people - - including clients and employees

> legal: how to make sure you stay in-bounds, plus taking advantage of all your options

I could go on. . .

 

[RauschPhotography]

Change your major. Even graphic design is going to help you more than a photography degree. If you have skills, you have skills... If you don't... (which I'm sure isn't the case!) well then, a degree wouldn't help put money on the table anyways. The owner of the photography studio I work for even told me that it's pretty much a waste to go to school for photography... I never did, but I'm going for mass communication with a minor in marketing.

 

[LearnMyShot]

I feel your pain. I began in commercial photography 30 years doing ads, catalog,and direct mail. My expertise was view camera work until digital came to town. I have always been freelance. I got my education through working with a well known advertising photographer in NYC. I have had $50,000 years, although not many, up to $300,000.00 years at my top end. That was only one year. You get a really good client or two or three for a couple years and then they're gone and you need to replace them. Not for the faint of heart. You can go the route of a staff photographer, the money will be steady but not too high. Then shoot weddings on the weekends...but then forget about time off. I recommend to get an assisting job, which pays little, to get the real experience you need and make contacts for future work. You need to do that in a major venue like NYC, Boston,L.A. Chicago etc. Whew! I'm giving a lot of information and I hope I am not confusing you more.

 

[g-fi]

The point is that in many cases, but certainly not all, photography is a gateway to running a small business. And as such, your success or failure will largely depend on your skills in business, as much or more than your skills in photography.

So, while it would probably depend on the type of photography you want to do...it might be a good idea to concentrate on the business side of things for your education. And on the plus side, business education is a lot more universal, and could help you to succeed in almost any field, not just photography.

ALL OF THIS. x5000.


Photography is like anything else, you can be a brilliant chef and still fail miserably at opening a restaurant.

 

[loveDSLR]

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[IlSan]

Have to agree +1

Photography is something that can be learned, to a certain extend. But not further.
I like to compare it to drawing. You can study Art all you want, if you don't have what it takes, your pictures shall forever remain in the lower segment. Now - photography is the same. If you don't have an eye for it, leave it alone (not saying that is you - just in general).

Business on the other hand - well, that can be learned. Best practise here, a few tips and tricks here, etc... and once you understand the grease that keeps the business machinery running smoothly, well, then you will most likely be successfull at running your own photography business.

I had met a fellow colleague not long ago at a networking event in Singapore. He told me, that he was doing really great, cashing in some good money (his daughter is attending a college in the UK which I am sure is not cheap). I asked him, how he was doing it - from a business point of view, and he said, he had hired a manager to run the company.
So there - there is another option - but one that really only could be considered after you have successfully launched the business, otherwise you could not really afford the guy running it.

All the best to you!

 

[loveDSLR]

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[DennyCrane]

As long as you're at a good school, with a good program, you're never worse off in having an education in your chosen field. And given 2 otherwise equal candidates, and one has a degree in the field, he's the one I hire. No question. I just shake my head at people who claim you are wasting time going to college for photography or anything else... if that's the field you plan to enter.

 

[Yownhouse]

I go to school full time for Microbiology and Biochemistry and I do photography as one of my hobbies. I feel like if I was amazing at photography then it will eventually come to me with time since I don't dedicate much of my time to my camera the way it is. IMO making photography a job can take away from the artistic nature of what you are doing and just add more stress than anything for something that you should enjoy doing. I think it should be one of those things that if you "love" it then don't make a job out of it. Look at it like this, you love your girlfriend/wife and wouldn't want anything else but imagine if you followed that person around for 10 hours a day every week of every year, it would lose its value.

Start with something broad to kick start yourself. It is much easier to get a job in business or whatever you desire than it is starting off with photography. If you don't make it in photography you could hit rock bottom very quick. If you had a steady job that brought in a steady amount of money there is always that opportunity to try and go for it without losing everything. Good luck my friend, school is pretty ridiculous for the amount of emotional strain it puts you under... Trust me, I know how you feel.

 

[white]

Yes, portfolio matters, so just because you have a photography degree doesn't guarantee you a job, compared to an associate's or bachelor's in a specialized health care field.

Yeah you can learn photography on line and be a bigdick on websites like flickr and deviantart and TPF, but real-world galleries, real-world contacts, real-world exposure matters most, and if you are active in school and make the most of your education, then I think going to school for photography can be worthwhile.