How long do photographers go to college

I think America's standard of education is much different then the rest of the world. There is a stigma here that college is the next logical step. So young adults are born with the conscious that you have to do it in order to succeed. I would never discount a formal education, there is nothing wrong with it, it definitely has its advantages.

My point with this article is simply the fact that you don't need the education to run a photography business. Just from what I've heard, professors don't cover how to shoot a wedding or build a reputation. After all, that's what Fstoppers is for! I'm all for people being educated. Education comes in many forms, and with the advent of the internet it's all changed.

Colleges are still important, especially for certain jobs requiring intense hand eye coordination brain surgery and high technology fields requiring the skill to run very technical equipment. But many careers, like photography and many types of writing, are hardly "degree dependent". I became a children's book author just as the big change hit in Email queries were banned then they now are the norm , google didn't exist, and online forums for writers were just emerging.

The days of the "New York Author" were slipping. The internet was closing distances dramatically. Enter me: First time computer owner and young, poor mom. But through the emerging internet and online communities, I studied, I networked, I joined chats with agents, I talked to other authors, I joined critique groups--and I learned as much as I would have learned in college, just quite a lot faster and more efficiently. Five NYTs best selling children's books later I can very honestly say that for me, college probably would have not been a good thing.

I now get paid to speak to librarians and teachers at colleges and libraries around the country, giving speeches on using children's literature in the classroom. I am educated, just not college educated. I hate the message that society sends to "drop outs" and people who don't have degrees, bandying about terms like "losers" "lazy" and "ignorant" with abandon.

Sometimes good people get in bad situations. Sometimes "bad" people change, and weren't really "bad" at all, just prone to making some bad mistakes. I always encourage everybody to get as much education as they can, but if failure occurs it doesn't have to be permanent. Education is just knowledge. Careers are applying that knowledge. College is the right way for some, and completely wrong for others.

Totally agree with what you are saying, I do believe that a lot of the people that promote not getting a degree do it because things worked out for them. But it does not mean it will work out for others. Education is important, education will allow you to organize your thoughts and ideas faster and more efficiently. Education could expose you to real world problems before they happen to you.

I do believe in trail and error, i learn something everyday, but i also avoid a lot of problems from being educated properly. Can someone make it without a degree, Sure they can. When we say "a successful photographer" what does that mean? I don't promote "not getting a degree" I simply point out the cases it's a wonderful, incredible journey in life, as full as college.

I see what you are saying. The fact is, there are a lot of fulfilling jobs that don't require a degree but do demand a good salary. The millennial are getting it. Bring an educated mind and work ethic to a job--if the skills don't require a degree, it won't be demanded by employers simply seeking the best. They will pick the problem solvers, regardless of background. That said, I know a lot of people who had fantastic experiences earning their degree and have a high reward for it.

It's a case by case situation in my opinion. Don't fear failure though. Don't think "oh, I missed my chance". Your chance is today.

I would just like to point out that college education doesn't have to cost a fortune and put you in debt for the next decade after graduation. Nobody needs to go to overpriced private institutions especially these days when job after graduation is less than certain. I graduated from a city university without any debt. I'm now working alongside those who paid ten times more for their education and do exactly what I do and earn probably about as much as I do.

I do consider some level of higher education important even in the field of photography simply to gain general knowledge, like writing skills, some history, mathematics and time to mature as an individual Then there are the specific classes that would have made my learning curve 30 years ago a lot simpler: Marketing, the one place that many of us fall flat on when we think that our "art" will carry us through.

There is great deal to be said for being well rounded as well, that really is a huge part of the college experience. I am going to say I sort of disagree, here. It depends on the career path.

I went the college route and it was very beneficial for me. Now I will say that, I majored in photojournalism minored in photography. College open many doors for me. I got access to to shooting college sports,and the first time I shot the NFL was from a college paper assignment which lead to a regular gig was when I was I was able to shoot every format of cameras including a 24 x 36 inch Polaroid Viewcamera. Most companies like Gannet, Reuters, Associate Press, and Lee Enterprises require a degree especially if want to work for a daily.

Now I am going to say this too, I was already a working photographer when I was in college. And as a side note shote my first wedding at 16 with a Canon F1. While at college I also started to work for a Scripps League daily paper full time, which was one of the opportunities that I got through school.

I sort of skipped the assisting thing. Now we did have a joke about untraining college interns at the papers I worked at.

Also I will not say that college is the only route, there are also places like Brooks. I also there was some practical benefits, I had a larger knowledge base than to draw from than a lot of local shooters. Today the company we have will not hire a shooter, unless they have some sort of certification, degree or a lot of experience, all the portfolio will do is get your foot in the door.

Thanks for sharing Ralph! You're right, everyone has their own path and there are many roads to travel. I do think if you want to have a career in photojournalism a formal education might be the way to go.

Many of my friends who work at a paper went down that road. But, I'm freelance and will always be freelance, so I needed to know business first.

My clients don't care about a certification or degree they care about my work and confidence in my work. A formal education can't teach you confidence, you teach yourself that through experience. Just my path! Don't think It's like a finger, pointing away to the moon. Don't concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory. I known several people who, have gone through Brooks and they also got a degree. To me College like anything is what you make of it.

College or any school is not about teaching confidence or talent it is about teaching the skill sets, techniques. I will say this all the knowledge in the world will make no difference if you don't put it to use. I also known some awesome self taught photographers. Of course these days I am an independent contractor.

One does not live on journalism alone. I'm an fine arts academy educated visual artist painter,sculptor,print maker I i thank my education everyday!!!!!!! As you should, there is nothing wrong with that!

Cherish it, as you have something many people don't! This article just happens to be my path and recommendation. Clay Clark is "Legend" for this one!

I could not agree more. My artistic eye and style came from my mom who is a life long artist and from digesting art through out my whole life. On top of all that I have seen so many great artists and photographers get there careers start in high school and just go full throttle from there.

Collage is a great experience but it will not make or break you. Can you talk about history of fine art without googling or wikipedia and what's important and characteristic about certain periods of fine art ancient greek,roman art,gothic art,renaissance,mannerism,pointillism,dada,etc ,characteristic types of lighting in different periods of painting,architectural styles,etc.?

To play devil's advocate here, as I have taken college level art history None of that is a requirement to running a successful business OR creating gorgeous photography. In fact, I would argue that the vast majority of people I've come across who focus on and discuss art history regularly come off sounding quite pedantic. The only portions of learning this history that actually matter to a photographer is the recreation of light, composition, color, etc I can talk about that stuff because Ive read books, traveled, been to lots of museums and galleries around the world.

But now because of google and wikipedia people who do not have access to that stuff or a fine arts education can learn about art history. Its great! You do not have to be an elitist to be an artist. So you educated your self on the same way the art academy educates students! Some of it. I can talk about Fibonacci's ratio and it's relevance to photography. I can talk about light, and how painters have been influenced by photography and photography by painters.

I understand the joke, "If it ain't Baroque, don't fix it. Now, can you have a conversation about how rhyme influences vocabulary and it's usefulness in helping Autistic children vocalize words?

Can you tick me off a list of 5 modern picture books written in rhyme that have been shown to be very successful in helping lay a foundation for improved literacy?

Can you have a relevant conversation with me about boys reading levels and their dramatic fall in reading comprehension tests in recent years, and how trends in curriculum, modern literature, and classroom have influenced this trend? It's fine if you can't, I hardly expect you to since it's my field of expertise and not yours. But I wouldn't just count you out as I have no clue what you know about those topics.

Photography programs encourage students to develop their own personal style through which they convey ideas, emotions, and information.

When pursuing an undergraduate photography degree the aim is to gain a broad range of knowledge about photography. Many schools also offer the choice of focusing on a particular photography track like fashion , fine arts , or photojournalism. Each track presents different opportunities and you should choose the one you are most passionate about. If you love fashion, for example, consider studying fashion photography; you may have the chance to intern at professional studios and work with models, makeup artists, and clothing designers who can teach you a lot about the industry.

If you prefer to explore your own creative photographic ability then look for schools that offer classes on fine arts photography. Studying photojournalism or documentary photography are other tracks to consider as well; they enable you to tell stories through photographs and share thought-provoking images with the world. Most schools will offer you the chance to learn about many types of photography and equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in whichever photography field you choose to pursue after graduation.

Graduates with degrees in photography might go on to have careers as photo editors, museum and gallery staff, multimedia specialists, photographer archivists, photo lab technicians, advertising photographers, portrait photographers, photojournalists, or travel photographers.

This should help you decide on your focus. As an undergraduate studying photography, you will likely take part in an internship. Do you want to pursue an advanced degree?

Consider a bachelor's program. Are you interested in teaching? Look into programs with an art education component. If you don't want to move, then you've successfully narrowed your search to local community colleges and universities.

Or you might consider looking into schools that offer online photography programs. If you are willing to move to get your photography degree, you may want to consider schools in major cities where there are more job and internship opportunities. Find out if the professors are people you'd be excited to learn from.

If they're working professionals, research the kind of work they've done or currently do. Find out if instructors are mostly full time or part time and what the typical student-faculty ratio is. This will give you some idea of how much time, attention and access you have.