 Heather |
Portrait Photographer Hey, Im new to Photography and I was wondering to be a Portrait Photographer and have you own studio, Do you have to have a College degree? Thanks for any info.
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Mark Feldstein |
No, Jen. And if you believed a lot of the ads around here, you can make thousands as a professional photographer in the "comfort and safety of your own livingroom". The truth is, as with any other profession, having at least a four-year college degree, generally and substantially improves your chances for surviving in business generally. It should also give you something to fall back on if your photo biz doesn't take off or goes under. If you plan your course load and degree program well, you'll get a well-rounded education in business and business law, marketing, psychology, accounting, economics, art, art history AND photography. While all these things contribute to you as a person, they will also make you a more competent, well-rounded photographer although I'm sure there are a couple of folks around here who would disagree with me. Not to discourage you, but know going in that this is a fiercely competitive industry. It's getting more so each day because (and no offense to anyone here or elsewhere), a lot of people running around with digital point and shoot cameras envision themselves working as Richard Avedons and globe trotting for Vogue magazine because they misperceive themselves as being "photographers" when in the true sense of the word, they're not. Being a photographer is quite a bit more than using a camera. I've been a working photojournalist for over 30. A lot of your time is spent on marketing, writing agreements, meeting with prospective clients, working on a business plan, sometimes collecting debt, and all the while, trying to be creative and improving your photographic vision. College doesn't give you all those things, but it helps get you started in the right direction toward a career that provides lifelong learning. So, no, you don't need a degree to open your own studio, but IMHO, it really helps you in all aspects of your life. Good luck, take it light, and I hope to see you here again.
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Debby A. Tabb |
Welcome Heather, Mat I also suggest taking a look at the Studio Photography Threads #1-#23 These may help and you can see as many others got started thier and sharing info on Business and day to day Operations. I hope this will help, debby
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