 Kathleen E. Williams |
Getting Started in the Business
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Christopher A. Walrath |
Your best friends will invariably be you user's manual, lots of practice and a few very good instructional books. I would start out with Ansel Adams The Negative, in stores like Barnes and Noble or Borders for about $25. This book will give you excellent information on exposure from a master that can be applied to either analog or digital photography. Get information and practice now. Learn what your camera and equipment can do so that the creativity can flow without hinderances of a technical nature.
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Mark Feldstein |
Greetings Kathleen: I certainly don't want to dissuade you from your career goals, however going in, you should know that this is one of the most highly competitive fields there is. Many try, few truly succeed at it. In addition, while it used to be that magazines hired their own in-house photographers, that has been the exception, rather than the rule for many many years. If you're looking to obtain work as a "freelancer", of course those types of assignments are available, but essentially commercial photographers, unless you're working for say a catalog house (that photographs products for catalogs) you're likely going to be self-employed. Moreover, when I started in photojournalism (back when Moses was in short pants), there were more editors at more publications willing to mentor a photographer who showed promise. I was lucky in that regard, being in the right place at the right time. Nowadays, however, there are far fewer publications around and editors just don't seem to have enough time to be mentoring anyone. Unfortunately, these are the realities of the profession you want to enter. Certainly there's nothing wrong with that. . . as long as you prepare for it. For that I recommend that you attend a 4 year university program and major in photography and fine arts. Take classes in design and graphic arts. Minor in something like business administration and get a background in some courses like accounting practices, business law, get some additional courses in the basic sciences, english, and psychology. Maybe even consider taking a 5th year in college and get a Masters in Fine Arts. It'd probably serve you well to talk to a college prep. counselor at your high school. As for prep work that might get you a leg up on the competition, get the handbooks for the colleges you're interested in, read the portfolio requirements for each program you're interested in, and start compiling your best work. Take it light.
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Mark Feldstein |
One other point I forgot to mention, Kathleen: If you get started in this biz, make sure you have a career you can fall back on. For example, I'm degreed in architecture but I minored in journalism and photojournalism back before photojournalism was really taught on a formal level at universities. Seewhatimean?
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
This an architect in the way George Costansa is an architect? Just saw that rerun tonight. Any way, looking at the school route, you have possibilities of better access/info on contacting art directors, maybe internships(although I don't think there'd be internships for a magazine, but studios.) Or art schools, known to have end of year shows, think like a disertation, where it may be attended by an art director. That's what I read about somebody had a favorable showing at the thing when it was time to graduate. It was attended by art directors and it led to her getting her first job. That's one way.
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Kathleen E. Williams |
Thank you so much for your help. I appreciate the advice.
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Mark Feldstein |
Hey, I thought George Costanza was a marine biologist specializing in whales. What houses did HE build?? LOL !!! M.
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