You should go to photo school if you want structured learning. Groundwork from the fundamentals to the bigger concepts. It will move too slowly for many of you, too fast for others. There are lots of great programs, worldwide.
If you don’t do better with structured learning and you are highly motivated and prefer real world experience, don’t go. Instead, teach yourself, take workshops, get mentors, read books, build your support network, work for other people. And most importantly take a helluva lot of photographs. Dig the long ditch that it takes to learn to make a living with photographs.
If this is too simple a post for you, then go to photo school.
I think it depends in what country you’re in.
You can’t just say all photo schools are the same, as far as I know photo schools in USA are extremely overpriced and overrated.
They teach you everything you could learn on your own.
But, an Art Academy is something totally different.
I’m currently attending the Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague and what I’m learning here I would not have learned anywhere else. It’s not just about the technical aspects of photography, it’s about everything else, and photography is so much more than just taking pictures.
Ofcourse you can learn to take beautiful pictures on your own, you can spend a year on Youtube learning everything about shutterspeed and f stops, but in the end, you don’t have a clue how to tell a story with your images.
Well said 🙂
I am nineteen years old and am currently enrolled in college for Digital Photography.
I think there are many perks going to college, one you are taught by professional photographers (most of the time) who know what they are talking about, second they become your contact thirdly if you get close enough to your instructors they become someone you can pull contacts from.
Not only do you learn photography but at most colleges you also take communications, business and other very useful courses. I was very lucky and am part of the first class of Digital Photography at my college. This made for small classes (15-20 students) and also the teachers weren’t worn out, they want us to succeed as the first graduates of the program.
Lastly, many college programs are no more than 2 years, in reality that is not a lot of time.
Well, thats my story!
I go to school for photography. I think this post is half right. I think the one thing school allows for is fostering relationships with peers and networking with the future of the industry. Not just in photography. I have met so many ppl in other fields with connections and that alone has been worth it. also taking classes like English, history ans such that is geared for an artist really teaches you how to speak and write about your work. I might not be as good as someone who didn’t go to school but I can sling my bullshit better and most the time I close clients because of it. Also when a client needs other work done I know 50 ppl in all different fields that can do the work, and that keeps my name in the digital Rolodex.
Great discussion! I am a believer in the route of self teaching as well as interning and assisting. I taught myself photography via books and photo related jobs for a few years. That being said, I know that my images and my thinking about them shifted dramatically when I went to graduate school to get my MFA in Photography. Being somewhere where my focus was to learn and take my photography to the next level (rather than focusing on paying my rent) was essential to my own evolution. I would not be where I am had I not afforded myself the time to focus on learning. Now I am the Director of Education at an awesome photography school in Missoula, Montana called Rocky Mountain School of Photography (aka RMSP). We offer an intensive program for photographers who would like to immerse themselves in the craft and pursue a profession. Our program is 5 months long and I can guarantee that you will eat, sleep, breathe photography (which is important for those of you who want to survive and thrive as professionals. Photography school isn’t for everyone but there are great options in the world these days. Feel free to email me anytime. I love to help people think about what’s possible. Thanks Chase for a great article to let people know that there is no right or wrong answer in this debate.
Marcy James
Rocky Mountain School of Photography
marcyj@rmsp.com