 Kristin Faulk |
Education I have noticed that the majority of your instructors have degrees in photography. Do you have to have a degree to become a professional photographer/free-lance photographer?
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Debbie Del Tejo |
While I believe a degree in photography will help tremendously in the technical part of photography, I feel that as in any profession, unless it is in your heart and you have a total passion for photography along with a good eye-it just won't help. I sent a photographer once on an assignment to shoot for me. He had the state of the art equipment- a hasselblad and all the bells and whistles. I could not use one single photo and had to go reshoot myself the next day. He just did not have the eye for composition and just shot what was there with no thought whatsoever. There are many doctors but not all doctors are great as well as lawyers that are just no good. The same goes for photographers.........there are many self taught photographers out there that hands down are simple the best. I mentored under a wedding photographer when I was starting out and he had a degree in photography. He was very technical........the best, but he had no people skills and I wondered how he ever got a wedding. I learned so much from him......WHAT NOT TO DO. I developed my own style but most importantly sharpened my customer service and people skills. There are many online courses and BP offers some, that will strengthen your skills. Many people will have different opinions on this matter, but I thought I'd give you mine. Good luck!
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Kristin Faulk |
Thanks Debbie, I really appreciate your taking the time to answer my question. I don't have a degree and at my age I really don't want to go back to school...and study science and stuff I have no interest in, but if I must, then I will. Thanks again!
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Kerry Drager |
Hi Kristin, Thanks for your interest in BetterPhoto's courses! Actually, following up on what Debbie says, many of our instructors don't have university degrees in photography - but almost all learned from classes, workshops, etc. There are so many ways to get into professional photography, but however you do it, learning the techniques from experienced pros is the quickest way to go ... soooooo much easier than trying to do it totally on your own. Our online courses are taught by professionals with lots of teaching experience. Most have published books and write articles for the major photo magazines. Thanks again, Kristin!
Instructors ... a few examples: - Paul Gero is a photojournalist turned wedding photographer who wrote Documentary Wedding Photography and teaches Digital Wedding Photography. - Jay Dickman is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer who also has shot for years for National Geographic. He has tons of teaching experience, and we have him on board here for The Art of Creating the Photo Story course. - Vik Orenstein is an author, longtime studio owner and longtime BP instructor, and teaches Studio Portrait Lighting and Photographing Children. - Jim Zuckerman originally has aspirations of becoming a medical doctor, but switched gears and became a top stock shooter, book author, workshop leader, and online instructor here at BP! - Rob Sheppard was the longtime editor of Outdoor Photographer magazine and is a book author, workshop leader, and BP instructor. - William Neill has written the "On Landscape" column for Outdoor Photographer for many years. He has tons of experience in leading workshops and teaching here at BP. - Lewis Kemper is a top pro who is a contributing editor for Outdoor Photographer and PCPhoto also is a top Photoshop instructor. - George Schaub is the longtime Editorial Director of Shutterbug magazine, as well as being a longtime workshop leader and BP instructor. Those are only a few of the instructors who come to mind. In BP courses, you'll learn the photography and Photoshop techniques - and the marketing and selling techniques - used by successful pros. Of course, the true value of our classes can be determined by those students who have actually taken them! :-) Check out our testimonials page ... and for specific courses, there are reviews:
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John Rhodes |
Kristin, You will need education and training, no matter if it is formal or self-taught. The more you learn, the better you will be able to practice your craft. Now, there are things you can do immediately to show improvement in your photography. For instance, I see in several of your images, the horizon is very noticably not straight. Paying attention to the little details like this will improve your acceptance as a serious photographer. John
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Kristin Faulk |
Thank you Kerry & John. Your advice and tips are very important to me. I have taken several courses through BP & have learned a great deal & the horizon line will definitely be straight from now on! Thanks again.
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Kerry Drager |
You're welcome, Kristin!! Glad to hear about the horizon line :-) Kerry Hi John,
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