Scholarships?

In order to build my portfolio of photography in varying ability, show with skills across the board of different equipment, etc, well I am a long ways off from being able to financially come near it.
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Don't worry about "skills across the board" - pick a small amount of equipment and get really good with it.

I quit a state university photo program in 2003 (started questioning my desire to take part in the art world, etc.) - back then, my professors were pretty specialized. One was a studio/commercial photographer, one was a conceptual/installation artist in his own practice (I don't think I ever saw him use anything but a beat to hell Pentax 67), others had their own areas. They showed no inclination toward collecting gear and using it across broad domains.
 
If you want to get anywhere in 'art' photography (and teaching puts you in the art world), worry less about equipment and read every bit of art and photographic theory you can get your hands on. A conceptual practice is a lot more likely to get you into a MFA program and then into a teaching job.
 
Field said:
I did not start photography a long time ago and am now suffering through accomplishing "it" through school. Besides what does different decades with entirely different rules of societal time lines have to do with me? I know my mother thinks having a job means you can all your bills and sometimes accept the fact you do not have enough money to do a lot but you can eat... Today it means you live on food stamps, food bank, and barely pay rent - in no association with over spending as you only buy second hand clothes on occasion to keep yourself societally appropriate.

The idea of getting job to fund it is nice, but while in school I only have time for the amount of work I already do. I have a job at the lab here so... other than that my extra time is taken by things like Flagship (art program with kids).

There seems to be some confusion as to what I am asking. Well I am going to remind everyone that the title of this topic is Scholarships. They are defined by allotted money to be award to students that apply for them and meet criteria. There are some that have very specific rules but how would I know what they are? How would I know if any projects I want to go forward with would apply, if I know not what they are?

I think some of you are confusing scholarships with artists grants. Scholarships are awarded to people for making progress, or for even just being in particular areas of study and applying at all.

This appears to be a mistake to post this here. The scrutiny is not friendly. People ask questions when they don't know.
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Well, so do you. I'm asking a simple, if harsh, question. What arguments can YOU advance to persuade people to give money to YOU? Because you're going to be trying to get that money out of people like ME. Go on: prepare a case. Anything I can do to help you (which probably won't be much), I will.

I did on fact think of bringing up your excellent point about scholarships versus grants, but I thought it was too harsh. Why are you not applying for grants to advance your photography? What is the attraction of a scholarship over a grant?

@Tim: I completely agree that this is a bloody awful time to be 25 (though I doubt it was ever a wonderful age, when you're struggling to establish yourself as an adult), and that's why I said it was a long time since I was 25 and that I could easily be wrong. Sure, when I was 25 there was no shortage of jobs, though as I recall, I as working as a supply teacher. But equally (and again, it may simply be age talking) I'm inclined to see certain aspects of the student life as a cop-out.

I was accepted to do an LL.M. in legal history, but couldn't get a grant. The thing was, borderline candidates were normally accepted on the condition that they did their Master's by examination, not dissertation. I was accepted on the condition that I did it by dissertation, not examination. After your first degree, whatever you do should be done for the love of the subject (like Chris's history studies), not as a 'qualification'.

But as I say, this may just be age talking.

Cheers,

R.
 
Field said:
Funding is just to go towards accomplishing my undergrad degree. I could sign up independent study credits to bolster this.
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Money for an undergrad degree is a bit different and possibly easier. Depending on the institution you go to, you might want to check out the Financial Aid office. They should hopefully have plenty of resources for you to look at. Either ones for general undergraduate education, or for more art specific awards. Again, depending on the institution you go to, the art department might have some ideas too. Presumably you've already looked into Stafford loans and the like.

A lot of my friends in college had a bunch of small prizes that they picked up here and there, most having nothing to do with their area of study. A $3k award for community service from some organization from their hometown, that kind of thing.
 
Roger: Yes I think this is a particularly hard time for young people. Unemployment in the US is around 15% I think for the original poster's age group, averaged over all education levels. It's obviously much worse for those without a college degree. Never mind the fact that many of the jobs you CAN get don't really pay enough to pay the bills.

Field: the confusion over what you were asking partially arose from the fact that your original post was a bit vague. That's all cleared up now. I work at a college - I might be able to find out some information for you about financial aid if your school doesn't have an office that can help you. PM me if you want.
 
After your first degree, whatever you do should be done for the love of the subject (like Chris's history studies), not as a 'qualification'.
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Heartily agree... in theory. In practice these days, where even entry-level survival jobs require a bachelor's of some kind, further degrees are often seen as a necessity for people who want to advance.
 
Field
You need to take a parallel view to this along with your desire (need) for advanced education.
In any art you will need a great body of work to show your worth. The education alone will not advance you. This is true for photographers, carpenters, painters, Make up artist and stylist, clothing designers.... etc
Proving you can and have worked in the field you are studying is critical in 2011. Every year that expires it will be even more important.
If you want to teach. Take a job as a TA, put together a Boys and Girls club photography class, work in a print shop. Do something in this regard.
If you think you don't have time. You will need to find it. I live and work in 2011 also.
 
For the sake of being helpful, small organizations like the rotary club, or your local credit union, or church groups often have bursaries and scholarships available.

Somebody mentioned that you should be going after photography grants instead... not a bad idea - but be aware that many grants are not available to students. In Canada, the arts council grants require a time of 3 years from your graduation to pass before you can even apply.
 
This is scholarship and award season for undergrads.
If you're in an accredited photo or journalism program, you have a department or sequence director at your school who can guide you towards getting your work out there and possibly getting an award or two.
If you want it, you have to go get it and you have to work harder than those competing against you to get it. Your work has to be better than theirs as well.
The problem you face this academic year is that you have maybe a week to get entries in for some of the most prominent awards. Hearst photojournalism, multimedia, broadcast, photo story, news writing, all are due really soon. There is a good amount of money in the Hearst award but more than that, if you win the award you've proven to a lot of people that your work can stand up for itself and with it on your resume, it just might help you get paid to do this. That's just one. I'm in my last semester of undergrad journalism and over the last 2 years I've won some minor awards which amounted to a few thousand dollars but that's a few thousand dollars. It can go pretty far.
Really, the photography world is not for the weak of stomach. People have to be able to take the criticism of art directors or editors at best. HR directors and the door at their backside at worst. If you only find criticism in posts like Roger's then a field that is so incredibly competitive is just not for you.
You may do fantastic work with younger students teaching them photography which is great but don't shoehorn yourself into just one thing. Teach English in a third world country for some excellent experience and a good bullet on your resume.
Just go out, produce your best work, submit for awards and keep doing it; but just get it done is what it comes down to.
This is the last place in the worst craft to ask that your hand be held.

Phil Forrest
 
Vince Lupo said:
Just Googled 'Photography Scholarships' and a bunch came up -- I suspect you've already done that???
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Unfortunately different people, different computers, get different google results... I got next to nothing.

Thank you for everyone else who has been providing information.

Roger do you mean you want to critique a proposal? I would need a prompt, to start.
 
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Phil_F_NM said:
If I may interject.
No one should need to prompt you. Just write exactly and concisely what you want to do. Be a self-starter.

Phil Forrest
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Alright... I just thought he meant in the same way I would approach grants and scholarships. With no information on how much the grant/scholarship is or what it gets awarded for, it is a little ambiguous to write a letter too.
 
This is some of what I found....don't know if any of it is of value or not. Some of it seems to be geared to specific schools/geographic locations.....

http://www.mycollegeoptions.org/54/...arch-results-scholarship-search-by-major.aspx

http://www.fastweb.com/college-search/articles/2675-photography-scholarships

http://scholarshipsorgrants.com/photography-scholarships/1713/

http://scholarships.goabroad.com/search/photography/scholarships-1

http://www.aaronsiskind.org/grant.html


Here is the link to the Maine Photographic Workshops (They're now called the Maine Media Workshop): http://www.mainemedia.edu/
 
Several of those I am very interested in (non-location ones). Will review in the next few days (tired, busy, been at lab all night).

Thank you!
 
Field said:
Unfortunately different people, different computers, get different google results... I got next to nothing.

Thank you for everyone else who has been providing information.

Roger do you mean you want to critique a proposal? I would need a prompt, to start.
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Yes, willingly. I may have seemed harsh, but honestly, that was not my intention. Photography is, as others have said, hellishly competitive. Why don't you imagine that the people on RFF could give you a grant; draft a letter saying why YOU should receive it; and post it here?

I can understand if you don't want to reveal quite that much of yourself, but I suspect that there are quite a few people here who could make quite a few suggestions: how to present yourself in the most attractive light, the most useful things to add to your CV, explaining what you want to do and why, etc. Even about what to keep quiet about: I received a job application once with three pages of information about a guy's mental health problems, because it said in the box, "Continue on another sheet of paper if there is not enough room here." We interviewed him anyway, but he didn't get the job because of a complete and utter lack of sense of humour, which would have made it impossible for any of his bosses to deal with him: he was strictly, technically, a mild paranoid schizophrenic. Not my diagnosis -- remember the three sheets of paper...

Finally, a little anecdote about why why photography so competitive. A goof few years ago, a bunch of us were sitting around on the Shutterbug stand at The Show Formerly Known As Viscomm in New York, and talking about the worst things that could happen in a professional photographic career. The usual stuff came up: re-shoots, cock-ups, lawsuits. But we all agreed when Monte Zucker said, "It's being found out, and having to go back to a real job."

Cheers,

R.
 
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