After years of mastering the art of Photoshop and spending your pin money on latest photo magazines and gadgets, you are looking forward to turning this passion into your studies. Get ready that your mom will say that you are totally crazy, and you will end up as a birthday party photographer for children “capturing sweet memories” while wearing a clown suit. Forget about that! The professional path in photography is better than an average person thinks.
What you will be doing
Photography students have a great opportunity to learn the deepest layers of artistic expression with a range of creative practices. You will have to learn how to illustrate your ideas and examine the ideas of other people, and you will be assigned to do projects that develop your imagination and allow you to discover a diversity of photographic possibilities. Just imagine that you sit on a magic carpet and fly to a brand new reality.
Pros
- You will be able to analyze how specific photographers in the world are functioning, and this is a skill that you will not gain anywhere else. You will start to learn everything about the artists, the way they take their photos, their techniques and the way they use them, etc. It is great to create an understanding and seeing.
- If you are serious about your career as a photograph, you are recommended to do it with a BFA program instead of the certified This path is longer and more challenging, but it is a kind of a long term investment into your practice and future craft. Yes, it is much more than learning how to take nice Instagram photos!
- You will have an opportunity to express your creative and brilliant ideas in new ways. You will be able to do the craziest stuff for your photography projects with a perfect excuse – you are a photography student!
Cons
- You will have to master different other fields like printing, equipment management, processing and more. Sometimes programs are not geared towards your specific interest, and you will have to do a lot of studying on your own.
- The worst thing about photography major is that great job opportunities are rare. You’ll have to spend time to find a conventional job. If you are ready to work hard, then you will be OK.
- If you are looking forward to being a real artist and get millions of dollars because you have genius ideas – get ready that your job-finding process will be pretty long.
Career opportunities
- Photojournalist
You will be able to take worldwide travel as a photojournalist working for a magazine or a newspaper. The only challenge is to convey the image objectively. - Sports photographer
If you love sports, then being a sport photographer is exactly what you need. You will get paid for attending sports events and capturing the action. - Fashion photographer
If you want to stay in the pulse of the latest trends in music, art, makeup and clothing, your best choice is becoming a fashion photographer. - Portrait photographer
If you are a real professional in taking a bathroom selfie, then your next step is a professional portrait photographer. People always want to have their photo taken, and your skills in nice shooting and Photoshop will bring you dozens of customers.
