I am in 9th grade at Doane academy in NJ. I am looking to become a sports photographer and/or a PJ. I would like to go to college, both my parents did. Both for architecture. So the question I'm asking you guys (the pro photogs) is did you go to college for photography?

Thanks!
Nick

Edited by nick pro on May 05, 2008 at 02:17 AM GMT

Hey Nick, it's spelled college.

Spend some of your high school career shooting for the school paper and try to shoot for the college paper if you go to college.

Yeah, I shoot for my yearbook and newspaper, and will be the head yearbook photo next year. I also have a few dates lined up to assist other photographers.

IMO, you really don't need to go to school FOR photography. If you're the type that can learn the technical stuff on your own, a career in photography depends more on your marketing/business skills rather than any sort of degree you get. If you have a good portfolio and a good business sense, that's all you really need. I've never really understood some of the super overpriced photo schools.

Let's keep this topic going... I'm a junior, so this will be interesting for me too...
Zander

If you're interested in PJ work, then I'd suggest a good state school - not a private school.

What kind of restrictions do you have with regard to location of the school?

Well, my parents own their own Architectural firm, so I have a good model to look up to for business.

I am a sailor, and hope to get a scholarship for sailing. I would LOVE to go Australia or New Zealand for school. If not there, than Miami.

Thanks guys!

Nick, I wanted to go to college and study art. My mother had majored in art, and minored in education, so I thought that idea was a shoo-in. Wrong!
My mother had developed a lot of wisdom in her educational experience.
I came home from high school one day to be told they'd enrolled me in college for a course in business! "But I want to study art!" I protested.
Their answer: "That's ok. AFTER you learn business, you can study art. We're not having any starving artist in the family" And off to business college I went.
And I have thanked them ever since! They were absolutely right. Every artist, no matter the medium used, needs to know marketing and business! My Dad was a natural in business (he had a third grade elementary school education) and owned two businesses and was very successful, but he saw the times we lived in needed more education than he had.
So, listen to the above suggestions and learn about business while you learn about photography and PJ.

I'm a Junior at UW-Madison studying French. I shoot for our campus paper with about 10 other people NONE OF WHOM ARE ART/PHOTO/PJ majors. I didn't know anything about photography until I picked up a 30D last February. Now I'm shooting freelance sports at $100+ an hour just based on my experience of shooting. I'm shooting four or five days a week for myself and work to get better. Get yourself a nice DSLR or access to one (like at a paper) and shoot as much as you can. You won't get better unless you shoot, learn, and shoot to be different. Let us know what you end up doing.

CWBaker wrote:
I'm a Junior at UW-Madison studying French. I shoot for our campus paper with about 10 other people NONE OF WHOM ARE ART/PHOTO/PJ majors. I didn't know anything about photography until I picked up a 30D last February. Now I'm shooting freelance sports at $100+ an hour just based on my experience of shooting. I'm shooting four or five days a week for myself and work to get better. Get yourself a nice DSLR or access to one (like at a paper) and shoot as much as you can. You won't get better unless you shoot, learn, and shoot to be different. Let us know what you end up doing.


Thanks guys!
I have 1D/17-40/70-200 f4 and 580II so I should be good in the equipment area.

I also just found out that the head PJ from the NY times is coming to our school and is going to critique and talk to Me and 2 other photographers from my school. I cant wait!

Nick, You're lucky to have that sort of equipment as well as a chance to meet a NY Times photographer. Get as much out of those experiences as you can. Shoot a lot over the next three years, and you'll have a big head start over a lot of the competition.
Let me tell you my background (so you know to take my advice with a grain of salt ;-D) before I try to answer your question. I'm going to be a sophomore at Duke next year. I shoot a lot for the paper (and shot for my HS paper for all four years), and will be the news photography editor next year. I also write some for the paper (and if I can sneak some advice into this paragraph, it is: learn how to WRITE if you want to be a journalist/photojournalist) I'm probably majoring in history. I don't really know what I want to do, but I am strongly considering a career in journalism of some sort. Duke does not have majors in photography, journalism, or business.
Now for the advice:
1. Get a broad education. A business degree is one way to do this. I took a photography class this semester with a professor who worked 15 years for national geographic. Her undergrad degree was in business, and she then got a masters in photojournalism. It helps to take classes with photography professors to inspire you/push you, get good critiques, and learn from people with lots of experience. My personal thought is that unless you know exactly what you want to do, a degree in photojournalism is too narrow.
2. Learn to write. Whatever you study, the ability to write well will be crucial to almost any career you have. If you want to do long-term documentary projects, (ie. the sort of stuff that appears in Natl Geographic, TIME sometimes, etc) it is important to learn how to interview and interact with people and write about those encounters. Pick up some stories for your school paper and see how it goes.

Overall, I'd say, especially given the decreasing availability of jobs in journalism, that going to college is a good way to give yourself some extra options. Hopefully the photojournalists prowling these boards can give you some insight into their paths to the profession.

wzictrace wrote:
Overall, I'd say, especially given the decreasing availability of jobs in journalism, that going to college is a good way to give yourself some extra options.

Well said.

wzictrace wrote:
Nick, ..... Hopefully the photojournalists prowling these boards can give you some insight into their paths to the profession.




Thanks alot man! I am in my schools publications class, and have written/given quite a few interviews. I also was a product tester for a clothing company called Ibex wool. I wrote a review for that as well.

Here's my flickr for you guys to check out. I dont post many things from school though...
www.flickr.com/mistral938

Looking forwards to more advice!
Nick

Just finishing a 3 year BA Hons in Photojournalism and to be honest i've learnt not much more than what i could of done with good experience and just getting out and doing it. If i could change it now i would have done a degree in an academic subject and concentrated on my photos in my spare time.

My advice, go with another strong subject but shoot shoot shoot and then shoot some more throughout college, build up a good portfolio, shoot for college newspaper and magazine, work for local papers if you can, assist local togs, shoot college sports, shoot anything you can.

Chris

hey bro i am a senior graduating to pursue a career in PhotoJ and Graphic Design (double major) i wilkl be attending the university of Missouri - Columbia (Mizzou)

it is one of the most competitive journalism schools in the country.

IM me ... we'll talk - Jellodan65
Add me on Flickr - we'll do some C&C

www.flickr.com/photos/dannwunderlich

another thing...dont spend too much $$$ on equipment your school can totally do that for you ... then when you go away to college you drop the dime (but even at that the papers usually hve staff equipment

Go to a good school that can give you a broad education. I've never understood going to some of these private, overpriced, way over hyped *cough* *cough* Brooks Institute *cough* when they teach you very little about photography and doesn't really get you ahead of anyone else when you are applying for jobs before you graduate.

(from a post a few weeks ago) It applies pretty well to your situation and most everyone's situation.

Anyway, I suggest people look into things more than just "the education." Missouri has very strong publications but at the same time, with so many photographers the experience gained, as far as I can see with talking to a few people at the Mizzou/KSU game a few weeks ago, isn't what it's all cracked up to be. As a freshman and sophomore you are really struggling to get anything published and (this may be a little off) you are only taking assignments from a 3 hour block in which you are supposed to be in the Photo Office. Now, by your junior and senior year these things may change. Also, the two Mizzou/KSU games I have traveled to, I have seen about 7 MU photographers on the floor. (Regardless of the absolutely ridiculous nature of that and thinking about all the spots they are taking away from working professionals) it seems like that would be a situation as a freshman or sophomore I wouldn't want to be in. Yes, competition is good, but at the same time, I would rather have a fairly good shot at getting a shot published and feeling a little less "pressure" than knowing 7 of my counterparts are getting the same exact shots and the Editor may as well end up playing favorites in the final edit.

Let's look at another situation: I currently am a freshman at Kansas State University. Known in the past for having very strong student publications and a photo staff , I looked at going to a school that I knew I would love attending no matter where my major ended up landing. (7 relatives have gone to Kansas State including my mom, dad, brother, sister. I have been to K-State probably 500 times before I ever stepped foot on campus as a student). I have worked as a Staff Photographer since September after a 6 week "Freelance" process (it varies, though. The quickest in recent history has been 3 weeks and one person made it on staff after 2 years....). The freelance process is a proving ground for all photographers. You must get 10 photos published in 2 weeks in order to make it on staff (between the Yearbook and Newspaper). Seems easy, but it's really very challenging and when you make it on staff you know you are a proven photographer. Anyway, I made on staff after being a freelancer for about about 6 weeks and have since had about 15 photo assignments per week including shooting D1 basketball (and Michael Beasley) every game since December, including 4 away games. The best thing about being at K-State for me, is that (to take a quote from a co-worker): You get what you put into it. No matter what year you are, what major you are, what kind of gear you have, if you go out there and make good photos everyday, you will be rewarded with experience, knowledge and the satisfaction of seeing your work in the paper.

To me, as a freshman or sophomore at Mizzou it seems that it would be very easy to get discouraged only have a few select assignments a week and getting published only a few times a week. At other schools (like Kansas State) it's what YOU put into it and how much YOU decide to get out of it. No rules, no Editors, or anything else has dictated where and when you get that first "big" assignment. If you prove your worth, you get the assignment.

I would suggest that you look into schools that allow you to work and do what you want to do at this point in your life. For me, I knew I was ready to enter a college campus and jump right into taking big responsibilities (like having the lead package 6 weeks after going to college) in Photojournalism.

I am by no means saying Mizzou is a bad school or a bad place to go to college, but I think many times "younger" people (okay...Im a year older than you) think that, "Oh, it's Mizzou Photo J school, I want to go there." Without really evaluating WHAT they want: A piece of paper that says "I received an education from Mizzou PhotoJ school"? Or a portfolio built over 4 years of making photos at 100s of assignments all over the campus and the state?

(I freelance for multiple publications in the area, too...so something else to keep in mind when looking at schools. What other work opportunities in the area are there for me?)

So I guess to answer your question: Yes, I initially went to school for Photography....but NOT a photography degree of any kind. I have sense moved into Landscape Architecture (for a number of reasons).

Knight is always hating on mizzou


7 photographers really? there are only 2 court passes for basketball so i dont know how that is possible

DannWunderlich wrote:
Knight is always hating on mizzou


7 photographers really? there are only 2 court passes for basketball so i dont know how that is possible



I'm not hating on Mizzou. In fact, I thought I was going to Mizzou most of my way through HS, but decided my senior year that K-State would be a better fit.

And I think between your newspapers, and yearbook you could easily have that many photogs. I know it was more than two and I have heard the same complaints from the Star photogs, our older photogs who have traveled there way more than I have, and others that it is totally crowded with college kids. I'm not hating at all, just seems a bit excessive to me. =)

mkweaver wrote:
Nick, I wanted to go to college and study art. My mother had majored in art, and minored in education, so I thought that idea was a shoo-in. Wrong!
My mother had developed a lot of wisdom in her educational experience.
I came home from high school one day to be told they'd enrolled me in college for a course in business! "But I want to study art!" I protested.
Their answer: "That's ok. AFTER you learn business, you can study art. We're not having any starving artist in the family" And off to business college I went.
And I have thanked them ever since! They were absolutely right. Every artist, no matter the medium used, needs to know marketing and business! My Dad was a natural in business (he had a third grade elementary school education) and owned two businesses and was very successful, but he saw the times we lived in needed more education than he had.
So, listen to the above suggestions and learn about business while you learn about photography and PJ.
Sound advice.... I second this

Nick,

I vote for a good business education, as some have mentioned. You obviously have a passion for photography, and will most likely do everything in your power to keep getting better. However, many great photographers fail because they cannot run a business. I know mom and dad own a business, but you still need a good broad education with a business concentration.

Let me give you an example. I am a beginner photog with little experience taking quality photos. However, I am a good businessman with a lot of experience in many different fields. I have sold quite a few prints - not because I am a great photographer, but because I can run a business and I know how to market a product.

Learn how to manage the business side well and keep photography the passionate pursuit of your business. My two cents, anyway.

Good luck!

Be Blesed!

Rich

I was in your exact position, (i am currently a freshmen in college) and I have decided to go the business route as many have suggested here already. I work for my school's newspaper and I am fortunate to be able to be the unofficial lead photographer so I get to shoot A LOT of things and get published quite a bit. my school doesn't have a photo major either, so it wasn't an option for me and I am actually glad they didn't have that option for me to jump at. You can always learn on your own and through others if it is something you truly love and want to do.

Hey Nick,
My advice would be for you to start looking at what the best in the world are doing now and start using that equipment to try and do as good or better shots. Try this page http://www.sportsshooter.com/ it will give you an Idea of what the competition will be. Find the people you like the most and ask them what they would recommend for an education path.
Dennis