Advice for Photography degree

Design Discussions students and schools
1

Hi all! I’m a Singaporean needing some advice.

I’m currently serving my mandatory national service, which would end September 2012. I currently hold onto a mass communications diploma with a gpa of 3.45 from a local polytechnic. I wish to further my studies in the field of photography once I’m out of the military.

I have been doing some research and am really intrigued by several carriculums offered by foreign art schools offering degrees, in particular, ACCD.

I wish to seek a degree course that offers 2-3 years of modules solely based on theoretical and practical photography lessons, rather than general fine arts courses that offer a major in photography. I have considered this as I do not wish to pick up modules that involve general drawing, painting and social/cultural studies modules. I would also provides at least a semester of internship along with the education, as I find my previous internships the periods I have really learnt as a greenhorn.

However, I realize that tuitions fees alone cost generally about USD 120k in total over 3 years for a foreign student, and I come from a humble middle class family. I might be able to afford the education, but it would definitely be quite a struggle for my family to fork out the sum of money.

Also, most art schools take huge consideration over applicants’ portfolios. The bulk of my portfolio consists of film/video works I have done as a student, freelancer and as producer of small television production companies in Singapore. I do have some photography works in my portfolio, but I worry about not having enough concrete photographic elements.

I seek advice on what I should do in my case, and whether there is another school that offers a slightly similar curriculum with more affordable tuition fees. And would my portfolio be of a disadvantage too?

Thank you for reading my lengthy post, and thank you a step further, in advance, for any advice given.

2

I wish to seek a degree course that offers 2-3 years of modules solely based on theoretical and practical photography lessons, rather than general fine arts courses that offer a major in photography

Do you want to pursue photography as a hobby or a career? If you want to pursue it as a career, you’ve got to start thinking completely differently. Because guess what, all these other professional photographers out there who are fighting, tooth and nail, will eat you for lunch without blinking if you don’t care to learn all of this absolutely critical practical knowledge first.

This is like wanting to be a competitive sprinter before learning to crawl.

This is like wanting to be an master furniture maker without wanting to learn anything about wood first.

A camera is simply a tool. Read the manual and you’ll learn everything you want about ISOs, apertures, light meters, etc. But that doesn’t make you good at using said tool. Just because you know how to use a calculator doesn’t mean you’re a physicist, or because you can use a keyboard doesn’t mean you’re going to win a Nobel prize for literature.

The fine art courses are a requirement to even have a chance at being good, from there it still lies on your shoulders to be an amazing talented photographer in a highly competitive field. These courses are easy to discredit for outsiders, but they provide you with the solid foundation of your knowledge and your career, hence why they’re called “foundation studies”. To be a photographer you must learn to see first. You must learn about 2D design (that is what photography really boils down to), 3D design, color theory (both types), art history (photographers, painters, sculptors, etc, who have lived before you), and all the other fine arts courses that come along with getting a respectable degree.

However, all that being said, this is an Industrial Design forum, so your question would likely be better suited in a dedicated Photography forum where professionals will very likely echo my above thoughts.

I wish you luck. Go for it, and take the fine arts courses… you’ll need them.

3

Incredible reply, Taylor. I agree.

Photography is more about doing than sitting in a class learning about theories. Practice really does make perfect for this. Get comfortable with your camera so it becomes a natural extension of your senses. Capture moments without being burdened by the incorrect ISO or WB.

Whatever you’re looking for, I can guarantee it doesn’t exist. If it does, it’s not very good. You can’t expect to become a good photographer without learning about basic fine arts principles like perspective, color, contrast, composition, etc…

Show us your portfolio that you’re so worried about!

4

I doubled-down on degrees while in school - Major = ID & minor = photography. I already knew how to use a camera before school, but the courses taught me about lights / shadow / composition / reflections / etc. That’s where I got my “eye”.

As a result of learning the essentials of photography I became a better renderer and now apply those skills to 3D computer rendering. I look back at my photo courses as a primer for 3D virtual photography. No regrets about the school major/minor choices.

I also use photography as a necessary skill in documenting design work. I’ll bet that a VERY high percentage of the designers on this board also count themselves as quasi-pro photographers with better than average gear.

As far as recommendations about career choices go, I agree with Taylor:
Because guess what, all these other professional photographers out there who are fighting, tooth and nail, will eat you for lunch without blinking if you don’t care to learn all of this absolutely critical practical knowledge first.

The starting pay in photography is extremely low and you’ll start as a grunt. You’ll need a killer portfolio and ninja skills to get a decent job. Of course that’s also true in ID, but there are a lot more photographers floating around than ID people.

Good luck with your choices.