Unique Situation; To Add Photography As 2nd Major Or To Not Add?

[PirateEyes]

Hi everyone! So, I'm currently a game design major, freshman in college, which I love, but I also have a huge growing passion for fine art photography (submitting to galleries, magazines, etc as an independent artist) and I think I would love to do wedding or even fashion photography for a local fashion mag... eventually. (not really interested in photojournalism as much) These two mediums are my heart and soul pretty much careerwise and lifestylewise and I have experience with both, and I've been into planning/shooting things for a new 52 weeks project on my own flickr to get better, and though game design would be my first choice of income if I can get a good job out of college) which I am very confident in because I'm not horrible at it) there is still this passion for photography I'm trying to sort out as well. I want that to be a big part of my life too, because telling stories through these mediums is something I genuinely love doing. (oh and I'm talking about making it ART, not some black and white bench or flower stuff...My biggest inspirations are Brooke Shaden, Rosie Hardy, Karrah Kobus, Alex Stoddard... all those wonderful artists from flickr, to give you a sense of what I want to do!) I just don't know if it's worth adding a photography major on, mostly because of the extra year and a half of tuition... (around 22k/yr) Also, the degree for photography at my school is basically half photography classes and half graphic design classes which, who knows may be useful, but I feel like they'll be boring maybe and I don't really want to waste my time or stress levels on because I can kinda teach myself that too...maybe. (the minor only has two basic photography classes too... so I'm not sure if it's worth it there either.) I'm not in it just for the "oh look I have a photography degree woo", I just am not as familiar with the technicalities, and sometimes I need that little extra push or motivation every now and then, which being in a classroom full of students to compare work with could give. I also thought about a marketing or art history minor with my game design major only, so I can at least learn how to market myself better as a photographer, but even then I wasn't sure because you can learn that in books etc. I know I haven't been shooting very long, but I know a lot about the creativity it takes to be an artist as well as a photographer, but I don't know a lot about studio lighting etc etc... which would be needed for a couple photography positions in my college's local fashion magazine I looked into recently. I know I can learn that on the internet, but I could get access to and experience with studio stuff at school, even if the photography classes may be just the basics or not be as art-orientated. I would easily try to incorporate my own style with assignments etc. Hope that makes sense! I want to eventually get a masters for game design which with a double major would equal about 7.5 years of school..... and lots of $$ in tuition... I love school and learning, don't get me wrong, it's just paying for it that scares me the most. Pros of adding photography; experience, internship, (I'm already possibly interning under a wedding photographer soon, also so I may learn the technicalities from her) more knowledge and utilization of equipment, networking Cons of adding photography; extra year and a half, possible two years tuition, wasting time on not-as-fun-or-possibly-helpful graphic design classes, 50/50 chance the photo classes may be redundant, and the time spent in school when I could be shooting fine art pieces or extra time photographing others or apprenticing etc. ANYWAY, long story short, I know it's up to me to weigh these but I have been doing that a lot for the past few months at least, (I'm awful at decision-making :\) I do not have the biggest, bestest portfolio right now, but I have been continuing to shoot a lot on my own to improve, and I just wondered what the pros have to say! Thanks in advanced for any help, just wondered what some of the experienced's thoughts were on this.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Welcome to the forum

 

[PirateEyes]

Thanks!

 

[Mike_E]

Get all of your core classes out of your way first and after you've done that take a long walk and think about it again.

You should also think about minoring in it. Having a degree isn't going to help your gallery sales.

 

[DiskoJoe]

They have a game design major? What? for real?

 

[PirateEyes]

yeppers! a bunch of colleges offer 'em