Degreed Professional?

[Smitty91]

I wasn't sure how to search for my question so please forgive me if it's been asked before. Please point me to the right thread if it's been asked before.

I know there are pros out there that have degrees and others that don't.

Just curious if a professional photographer is better overall (business/abilities/etc) if they have a formal education and photography degree?

There is something to be said about trial and error learning, but learning how to do things the right way is also important. I would think that if a degree had courses on the business mgmt side, a business would be better off.

Thoughts?

 

[imagemaker46]

It all depends on what you plan on doing in the way of photography. If going into portraits, fashion, etc having a soild understanding of studio lighting is very important, and something better taught than self learned. Having a degree in photography just means that you went to school for it, and should have learned all the basics you'll need to become a decent photographer, but it doesn't mean that you have all the skills to be successful as a photographer. There are many excellent photographers that are self taught, or worked with other photographers that taken the time to teach them. A degree is just a piece of paper that says you completed something.

The more knowledge and experience you can aquire by whatever means will put you on the right track. The business side is probably the biggest weakness that a lot of professional find themselves dealing with, the next would be self promotion. Some very average photographers are very good at selling themselves and it translates into being more sucessful. Taking courses in business management is always a good idea, especially if you're planing on being the one man show. Like I said the more knowledge the better. Then all that has to happen is really learning how to shoot.

 

[adversus]

If you want to turn your photography into an income, and want more education, get a degree in business.

 

[FavillePhoto]

I don't necessarily think the degree is that important, but an education definitely is. Even if you think you know everything you could possibly know about photography, trust me, you will still learn a lot. And with photography degrees today, you will study Photoshop extensively, and with Photoshop, you will never stop learning new things about it and new ways to do things. It is such a complex program. Even my Photoshop professor said that he still learns something new every day!

Taking a few business courses would also be helpful, although I never took any. You do learn business by trial and error, and some people are just naturally better at running a business than others. Photography, in my opinion, is one of the few professions where you can be very successful without having a degree in the subject.

 

[simpy]

I was studying my degree and did for one year. I was offered a full time job as a photographers assistant and i left school to take this job. It was the best thing i ever did. Learning on the job gave me hands on experience rather than spending my time writing papers.

I would say that experince is worth 10 times what any degree can give you. I have seen many graduates who simply do not have a clue about photography in a commercial environment and end up starting at the bottom anyway.

 

[iNick]

your photos will speak for themselves. if people like what they see they will hire you. if you're looking to start up your own business i would go for a degree in business management (be sure to take an accounting class or 2!) also a business law class would help with making sure everything is on the up and up!

 

[mikehaugen]

Most of the technical side of photography can be read in books and found on the internet fairly easily. Experience is what teaches you the logistics side- the best way to carry your gear, what gear you will need for certain situations, how practical it is to try certain things at certain times, and just getting used to the gear so you can be quicker are all learned through experience.

...If only I could figure all of this stuff out.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Schooling teaches more than just a "profession".
It also provides well rounded knowledge in more areas, that can prove usefull in life, when you least expect it.
It also teaches critical thinking skills, problem solving abilities, and how to do research.

 

[mishele]

Agreed.....if you have the opportunity to go to college.......go!! Just choose business as a major....=) That degree will be able to help outside of photography.

 

[manaheim]

Degrees, knowledge and capability are not tied together.

I know people with more capability in a variety of things than I could ever hope to have who have not even graduated high school. I know people with doctorates that I'm frankly amazed are able to get out of bed in the morning.

That said, you can learn things from academic programs. It's "a" way to do something. Not "the" way. "A" way. Do whatever works best for you.

 

[mishele]

I have no degree in anything......all I wish at this point is that I would of finished school in something.

 

[adversus]

Degrees, knowledge and capability are not tied together.

I know people with more capability in a variety of things than I could ever hope to have who have not even graduated high school. I know people with doctorates that I'm frankly amazed are able to get out of bed in the morning.

That said, you can learn things from academic programs. It's "a" way to do something. Not "the" way. "A" way. Do whatever works best for you.

Not having a college education can hurt, a lot.
Having a college education rarely, if ever, will hurt you.

 

[manaheim]

Degrees, knowledge and capability are not tied together.

I know people with more capability in a variety of things than I could ever hope to have who have not even graduated high school. I know people with doctorates that I'm frankly amazed are able to get out of bed in the morning.

That said, you can learn things from academic programs. It's "a" way to do something. Not "the" way. "A" way. Do whatever works best for you.

Not having a college education can hurt, a lot.
Having a college education rarely, if ever, will hurt you.

The question was whether or not the degree made you more qualified, not whether or not the degree is going to help you in job interviews. And this was a question specifically about photogaphy... not about physics. There are differences.

 

[adversus]

Degrees, knowledge and capability are not tied together.

I know people with more capability in a variety of things than I could ever hope to have who have not even graduated high school. I know people with doctorates that I'm frankly amazed are able to get out of bed in the morning.

That said, you can learn things from academic programs. It's "a" way to do something. Not "the" way. "A" way. Do whatever works best for you.

Not having a college education can hurt, a lot.
Having a college education rarely, if ever, will hurt you.

The question was whether or not the degree made you more qualified, not whether or not the degree is going to help you in job interviews. And this was a question specifically about photogaphy... not about physics. There are differences.

Making money at photography goes a long way from knowing your gear and the technical aspect of photography. It requires a good understanding of business, and while a lot of people are successful in business, having a formal education in areas like Accounting, Finance, Law, HR, etc. is advantageous.

By nearly all measures, I was very successful in the IT field without having any formal training. As a technical exercise (much like photography), I was able to learn on my own to gain the skills and insights that landed me good employment. But just like photography, raw technical talent without a solid business background will hamper you, and ultimately you may hit that earnings ceiling. My personal earning power went up dramatically when I got an advanced degree in business to compliment my raw technical background.

There are many ways to get that business knowledge, and for most people, formal education is the best.

 

[manaheim]

Your ability went up because you got the degree? Or you had fewer roadblocks to certain jobs because you had the piece of paper?

Again... you do not HAVE to have the degree to have the business knowledge... in fact, I would argue that in most cases practical business knowledge is not learned in an academic setting. Very few degree programs will teach you things like "Why it makes sense to deliberately not install encryption software on laptops, violating a regulation requirement that can cost you upwards of $10,000 per offense". Most clear-thinking well-educated human beings would say "Go install that software! Are you insane?!" ... but there are good business cases not to.

Am I saying a degree has no value? No, absolutely not. But you appear to be pretty strongly asserting that you need to have one to have the knowledge to be a good business person, and that's really just not true.