EMA747 From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2006, 1163 posts, RR: 2 Posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 17 hours ago) and read 1643 times:
Hi,
I am wondering if anyone here can give a little help. I am getting increasingly bored and frustrated with my current quantity surveying degree and was thinking about maybe swapping to a photography degree. I find that all we do on the QS course is look at contracts and thats not my idea of fun I want something a bit more creative. It may seem like a strange change of course but I did photography A-Leve (and got an A grade ) and always thought about doing it at degree level to start with.
Has anyone here done a photography degree? I would like to know what it is like and what sort of stuff you do. One of my worries is that I am not really an "arty" type, I cant even draw! Would I find it hard to get on with the course if my only knowledge of arty things is my photography A-Level?
Thanks for any comments
Andy S
Failing doesn’t make you a failure. Giving up and refusing to try again does!
Knighty From Australia, joined Dec 2004, 207 posts, RR: 4 Reply 1, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 14 hours ago) and read 1600 times:
G'day Andy,
I did a 2 year diploma course at Photographic Imaging College here in Melbourne. It was ok and I did learn a lot of stuff but to me it was a wasted couple of years. It was a very art and studio based course so for me who is a very action based photographer it didn't do much for me. I guess if it's something you really want to do then shop around the different courses, see what they offer and then see if any of them line up with what you want to do.
Flyfisher1976 From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 802 posts, RR: 2 Reply 2, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 14 hours ago) and read 1600 times:
Silver1SWA From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 4536 posts, RR: 26 Reply 3, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 1586 times:
Quoting Flyfisher1976 (Reply 2): Maybe you should work on your English degree first
Viv From Ireland, joined May 2005, 3106 posts, RR: 32 Reply 4, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 1551 times:
If you want to do it for personal satisfaction and pleasure, by all means go ahead.
If you want to do it with a view to a career in photography, think carefully. Photography is an open profession (anyone can set up as a photographer, with or without a degree).
Most professional photographers have a boring time - and don't earn lots of money. There are exceptions.
Nikon D700, Nikkor 80-400, Fuji X Pro 1, Fujinon 35 f/1.4, Fujinon 18 f/2
Dendrobatid From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2004, 1605 posts, RR: 65 Reply 5, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 1546 times:
Andy,
By a weird coincidence, I did do a photography course, in Nottingham at what is now New College Nottingham (I live near there too)
It was not a degree Course but it was simply called Advanced Photography. It was great and made me do things I neither wanted to or had dreamed of doing such as studio work. I learned a heck of a lot and met some great people.
It was rather like a photographic club actually with formalised learning thrown in. A good camera club will actually push you and your boundaries and Nottingham and Notts takes some beating.
Nottingham Trent Uni does a good photography degree and I have seen a lot of their work due to my daughter doing a similar degree. The work, to my eye was very arty-farty and I doubt it would suit me. Go and see them !
Mick Bajcar
Flyfisher1976 From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 802 posts, RR: 2 Reply 6, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 5 hours ago) and read 1519 times:
Silver1SWA From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 4536 posts, RR: 26 Reply 7, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 5 hours ago) and read 1515 times:
CalgaryBill From Canada, joined May 2006, 686 posts, RR: 6 Reply 8, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks ago) and read 1477 times:
Quoting Knighty (Reply 1): I guess if it's something you really want to do then shop around the different courses, see what they offer and then see if any of them line up with what you want to do.
There are a lot of programs that offer photography combined with something else. A local college, Alberta College of Art and Design, offers a Design Degree with a major in photography. The main thrust of the program is graphic design such as layup and illustration, but you'd also get lots of practical photo experience. It's also a very practical course, so a lot of the study is hands-on work for real companies. Exposure to the industry during training usually = job after grad.
EMA747 From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2006, 1163 posts, RR: 2 Reply 9, posted (6 years 3 months 2 weeks 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 1473 times:
Thanks for the replies.
Quoting Viv (Reply 4):
If you want to do it with a view to a career in photography, think carefully. Photography is an open profession (anyone can set up as a photographer, with or without a degree).
I dont really see it as a career but that it would get me a degree and would maybe be better than the degree I am doing at the moment, which I hate.
Or maybe I should go and get a job on the ramp at EMA and work my way up from there?
Quoting Dendrobatid (Reply 5): It was not a degree Course but it was simply called Advanced Photography. It was great and made me do things I neither wanted to or had dreamed of doing such as studio work. I learned a heck of a lot and met some great people.
It was rather like a photographic club actually with formalised learning thrown in. A good camera club will actually push you and your boundaries and Nottingham and Notts takes some beating.
That sounds like a good idea. Was it a full time course or an evening class type of thing? How much did it cost? Did you get a certificate/qualification of any kind at the end?
Quoting Dendrobatid (Reply 5): Nottingham Trent Uni does a good photography degree and I have seen a lot of their work due to my daughter doing a similar degree. The work, to my eye was very arty-farty and I doubt it would suit me. Go and see them !
My current QS course it at Nottingham Trent! its that arty-farty stuff that might put my off. The photography I like doing is aviation (of course) and buildings/city scapes and that sort of thing, not arty stuff really.
Failing doesn’t make you a failure. Giving up and refusing to try again does!
Linco22 From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2005, 1379 posts, RR: 18 Reply 10, posted (6 years 3 months 2 weeks 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 1472 times:
Andy,
If all you are interested in is aviation I'd think you'd be wasting your time signing up for a course. If however you are looking to broaden your photography horizons then by all means consider it.
Personally I've taught myself technically. When I think about what I knew this time 2 years ago, even one year, I would have known an aperture if it hit me in the face. I can't say how valueable practice practice and more practice is. It sounds old school these days but reading will help too and that includes the manual.
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From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2006, 1163 posts, 
I want something a bit more creative. It may seem like a strange change of course but I did photography A-Leve (and got an A grade 
) and always thought about doing it at degree level to start with. 
From Australia, joined Dec 2004, 207 posts, 
From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 802 posts, 
From Ireland, joined May 2005, 3106 posts, 
From Canada, joined May 2006, 686 posts, 
Bring on the summer! 
Cant wait to go down to EMA and shoot the LH MD-11 in the sunshine.
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