18 Facts of Life for Photography Students

[Damaso]

An interesting article: http://www.petapixel.com/2012/10/29/18-facts-of-life-for-photography-students/#more-84036

6. Most of You Will Not Be Commercial Photographer in 10 Years
It’s really hard to survive as a freelance photographer. It is harder and harder every day to break into the business, and just as hard to stay in the business. You really need to love running a photography business. Of the people I graduated school with, maybe 20 percent of them support themselves entirely by taking photographs, and it’s been 10 years.

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[Roger Hicks]

Thanks for the link, which I found interesting but extremely irritating. It was a magnificent conflation of self-congratulation and statements of the bleedin' obvious. Maybe when he's older his views will change some more, and he can tell everyone once again how the world 'really is'.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Damaso]

I think for students who haven't been out there in the world there are some nuggets of interest there.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

I don't know many deep thoughts about succeeding as a pro photographer. I know the only way I've seen it work in the newspaper shooter game is what I've done for over 40 years.

Get up everyday and go to work!

It's amazing how many people don't understand that concept. 🙂

 

[gavinlg]

For me, sitting in an office or working for an evil corporation is much, much harder.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I think for students who haven't been out there in the world there are some nuggets of interest there.

You are of course absolutely right, and I was being too self-centred when I made the previous comment. Even so, he does come across as a pompous little prick. Probably as we all did at his age.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I don't know many deep thoughts about succeeding as a pro photographer. I know the only way I've seen it work in the newspaper shooter game is what I've done for over 40 years.

Get up everyday and go to work!

It's amazing how many people don't understand that concept. 🙂

Gave up on that one when I was 31 (half my lifetime ago). Get up and go to work when you have to. And try to arrange things so that you don't have to get up too early, too often.

This morning: up at 8:15 (quite early for me), 20 second commute to office. Mind you, my office is nearly 30 seconds from my studio (depends on how much I'm carrying and how many doors I've left open).

Then again, there've been the days when I've had to be up before dawn, to take pictures. On the Ganges, for example. Beats commuting, any day.

This ties in quite well to Damaso's other thread, about diversity, to which I am about to add a reply.

Cheers,

R.

 

[tunalegs]

They still have commercial photographers these days?

 

[pvdhaar]

For me, sitting in an office or working for an evil corporation is much, much harder.

Maybe true, but it probably pays better 😀

 

[gavinlg]

Vaguely directed question: Does anyone really think any job is easy? I have friends who have Bachelors in medicine, biology, geology etc who work as ticketing staff at an aquarium because they can't find suitable work in their studied fields - and I know the US is - if anything - worse than Australia in that regard.

No job is easy. If you want to be the best at something you have to sacrifice everything and work yourself to death. I'd rather do that in a field I love.

 

[ottluuk]

he does come across as a pompous little prick.

Indeed. I could probably throw in my own data point about school and real life being separated (field biology, not photography, though). But this guy's tone... I can almost picture a guy in a Crocodile Dundee costume narrating his manly exploits concerning wild beasts, complete with comments about how his weakling audience would no doubt be torn to bits in such dire situations.

Patronizing 3rd year photography students is not the way to talk sense into them, I'm afraid. Hopefully this is just a bit of an internet vent and his actual lectures contain something more useful than "everything is so hard and you sissies are not going to make it" 😀.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

I have been thinking lately, as I look at the continuous flow of fabulous PJ photographs, and great photography of all kinds...

We should all express our appreciation for those photography students who hung in there and got good enough to produce this terrific work. Thank you! I'm inspired every day by your work!

 

[MartinP]

Were more than half of those famous PJ's (always makes me think of pyjamas?) actually photography students? It is/was not a pre-requisite! Maybe not being a photography student is an advantage??? (Didn't help me though).

 

[Damaso]

I think going to school in photography has become more institutionalized just as it has in written journalism. That said not having the debt could be an advantage. I know for myself I learned a lot in photo school so to me it was worth it....

 

[Roger Hicks]

I think going to school in photography has become more institutionalized just as it has in written journalism. That said not having the debt could be an advantage. I know for myself I learned a lot in photo school so to me it was worth it....

Very true. How many self-funded projects could you put together for the cost of a degree that no-one 30 or 40 years ago would seriously have contemplated? And how impressed are editors by a degree versus a bloody good portfolio and a good idea? (And if your portfolio and ideas aren't good, you aren't in with a chance anyway).

Cheers,

R.

 

[Damaso]

I don't think editors give a damn about a degree myself. But I think there is a lot to learn in school, and I'm not just talking about photography. In fact I think to be a great photographer you need to understand a lot more about the world than a pure photographic education can give you.

To get back the the first post, as a student and young photographer I had little idea about the business side of photography, something I think the link stresses well no matter how you feel about the attitude of the author....

 

[Richard G]

A very senior Swedish physician was asked in The Lancet's 'Lifeline' column one of the standard questions, what would be his advice to a newly graduated doctor. His answer: "I would not presume."

 

[batey_1020]

I would be intersted in the people who have some photographic training if you thinkit was worth it?

I often wonder if learning business would be a good alternative and a lot chaper in some cases.

I have wanted to study photography for a while now but can't justify the money. I mean $20000 (for a bisic diploma) is a lot of gear and short course i could do with other professionals. I always end at this quote
"make your hobby your carreer then what is it you day dream about while your working?"

 

[KM-25]

Agree 100%....

But I am not seeing anything pompous or a rough tone...it's literally the way it is out there.

"You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!!!"......

 

[Roger Hicks]

Agree 100%....

But I am not seeing anything pompous or a rough tone...it's literally the way it is out there.

"You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!!!"......

Which is precisely the kind of arrogant phrase that puts people's backs up. If you start out by insulting people by saying "You're stupid! You're gonna be failures! You won't be able to handle this!" then in my book you're asking for a knuckle sandwich. Why not phrase it as, "Yeah. It's difficult. So what you do is..."

You DON'T say, "I'm clever. You're stupid." Of if you do, you're marking yourself out as a fool, because there is ALWAYS someone out there who is brighter, harder working or more knowledgeable than you are. I say this as someone who is reasonably bright, hardworking and knowledgeable. I just don't pretend that I know it all.

Cheers,

R.