Keep this in mind the next time you are tempted to think that your creative output would be doubled if you just spent the rent money on a better camera. Better you should spend a fraction of that total on a few more photography books so you can study the images therein to better use the camera you already have. - Frank Van Riper
I've been searching for a next step with my photography and I have found an interesting online degree (http://www.idesigni.co.uk/courses/ba-hons/photography). I've read up on it, researched the tutors with some googling detective work, made some phone calls to ask about boring money things and I'm still on the fence.
Assuming the application steps are fine and I get a place... should I sign up for a 4 year Photography Degree or not?
On the one hand the degree would teach me everything I want to know; handed to me in bite size modules via online message-like things. It would give me qualifications to make me feel like a 'real' photographer, I could study along side making money from my photos and it could open some serious doors for me in the future. On the other hand, it's a hell of a commitment if I find that distance learning isn't for me, student loans are not exactly the funnest things in the world to have hanging over you, and at the end of the day, do I need a degree in photography?
hmmm...
got some thinking to do. it could be great.
Anyway, if I apply I need to choose 10 photos to show as a mini portfolio of my best work. I've whittled it down to some of my favourites but can't decide on a final 10, so I thought I would post them here and try and get some feedback. If you have a sec and want to leave me a comment about which photos stand out to you or which 10 you would choose, it would be greatly appreciated!!
thanks ;-)
_2_2.jpg)
Assuming the application steps are fine and I get a place... should I sign up for a 4 year Photography Degree or not?
On the one hand the degree would teach me everything I want to know; handed to me in bite size modules via online message-like things. It would give me qualifications to make me feel like a 'real' photographer, I could study along side making money from my photos and it could open some serious doors for me in the future. On the other hand, it's a hell of a commitment if I find that distance learning isn't for me, student loans are not exactly the funnest things in the world to have hanging over you, and at the end of the day, do I need a degree in photography?
hmmm...
got some thinking to do. it could be great.
Anyway, if I apply I need to choose 10 photos to show as a mini portfolio of my best work. I've whittled it down to some of my favourites but can't decide on a final 10, so I thought I would post them here and try and get some feedback. If you have a sec and want to leave me a comment about which photos stand out to you or which 10 you would choose, it would be greatly appreciated!!
thanks ;-)
_2_2.jpg)
I like the ones best of James watching a match, the one of you at the bottom and the girl smiling. Wow! Such talent!
ReplyDeletethanks for feedback :-)
DeleteHi Charlie I like 2 3 5 13 15 16 7 9 10 14. The faces are particularly good and I like the colours and the dynanism of the children running. Good luck! Paul Cody x
ReplyDeleteThanks Paul x
Delete2, 7, 8 & 13 are my favs (13 & 2 are haunting and FULL of stories). They're all good tho!
ReplyDeleteGood luck :)
Hen
thank you!
Delete3, 7 ,8, 9, 16
ReplyDeletethanks :-)
DeleteI love them all, but especially 2, 7, 8, 10 & 11 x
ReplyDeleteThanks mum ;-) x
Delete2, 3, 4, 5, 10 & 14 are the ones that caught my eye - difficult choice though.
ReplyDeleteHi Charlotte,
ReplyDeleteMy top ten are 2 3 5 6 7 9 10 11 13 15.
My top three are 2 5 and 10
Good luck x x
Gail
oh crumbs, they are all brilliant! Lots if decisions to made....
ReplyDeleteHi Charlotte,
ReplyDeleteJust thought I would chip in to give my tuppence worth on the degree thing. Given what you do (which is great, by the way), I think that you could learn everything that you could learn on a degree by finding a professional photographer that you really really like and want to learn from and 'apprenticing' yourself to them. Offer to work for free or for not very much - if you did this, you'd still be in a better financial position than if you were paying to do a degree.
Where do you want to end up eventually? This would really make a difference to who you approached. Working in a fairly lowly position for someone who has achieved what you would like to achieve is more likely to open doors for you than a degree, in my opinion.
There's a blogger called Penelope Trunk who has some interesting things to say on this - http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/05/15/five-situations-when-you-shouldnt-go-to-graduate-school/
I do think it's worth taking classes though. Do you know what you want to improve on, specifically? If so, take classes (or pay someone good) to teach you about those things. Get feedback from a mentor, and by building up a group of peers who can comment on your work. Maybe one of the best things to take classes in is business skills. Are you aiming to take portraits commercially? If so, learning how to market your skills and business is really important.
Anyway, hope this helps and doesn't make you even more confused... ;-)
Beth
x