Question for professionals

[Ampersand]

I got myself a digital camera a few months ago, and I found myself taking
shots of a lot of various things, some completely useless, some more
artistic, and I got to the point where I thought about studying photography.
If there are any professionals in here, how did you become a photographer?
Did you study it in college/university? If so, what was the program called?
Would you have any advice for me? (as this is not a definitive choice yet)
What can you do after your studies? Are there any other ways to become a
professional than studying? Or anything else you thing might be
relevant...Thanks a lot for any advice you might have!

[Paul Brecht]

I started in highschool & had a natural feel for it...

What you really need is the eye. The eye to see composition & not to
overlook distracting things in the background. If you don't ever get the
creative eye, you will not make a good photographer...

You will need to learn at least the basics of photography including f-stops
(aperture), shutter speed, film ratings, FOV (field of view), DOF (depth of
field), perspective & how these things affect the final image in the
particular photo you are taking...

I don't know if "studying" has a lot to do with it - some, I suppose, but
you'll need to put everything into practice...

Here's some related studies:

Art - (drawing or painting): this will help you understand light/shadow &
composition...
Business: this will help you with promotion & keeping it all in order. to be
a "professional" you'll need this...

There's Brooks Institute of Photography (west coast - USA) & NY Institute
of Photography (east coast - USA) - both highly respectable...

Paul
/////////////////





"Ampersand" <ampersand@yourbestfriend.com> wrote in message
news:ntN1b.43521$MG5.612678@wagner.videotron.net.. .

> I got myself a digital camera a few months ago, and I found myself taking
> shots of a lot of various things, some completely useless, some more
> artistic, and I got to the point where I thought about studying

photography.

> If there are any professionals in here, how did you become a photographer?
> Did you study it in college/university? If so, what was the program

called?

> Would you have any advice for me? (as this is not a definitive choice yet)
> What can you do after your studies? Are there any other ways to become a
> professional than studying? Or anything else you thing might be
> relevant...Thanks a lot for any advice you might have!
>
>

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[Randall Ainsworth]

Way back when I got into it, there weren't the specialized schools that
there are today. The closest I could get to a formal education was in
journalism.

So I worked on the college yearbook and newspaper. After college I
freelanced, eventually doing weddings.

When I had the studio I would attend every professional seminar I could
to learn from those who are successful in the business.

[Carole]

I agree. Community colleges are a great way to go. The one near me has
both SLR photography and digital photography oourses. I took an SLR
course during the summer and had a fantastic teacher. We had assignments
to do every week that were based on what he taught in class and they
really helped me think more about what I was photographing. It was well
worth the money, and I've signed up for another course this fall which
is two days a week. In the evening we have class, and on Saturday we
have field trips to go shooting. Keep at it :-)

Carole

[Ampersand]

That's what I thought about: studying it in college. However, I don't think
you can spend a whole...3 years studying photography. You'd have to choose
an art program, and you'll have some photography courses in it. I was not
specifically looking to study digital imagery, although this seems to be
what I'm leaning toward. What are the differences between digital and SLR
imagery? I know, for a fact, that a digital camera is not as "quick" as a
film camera, but besides, what are the differences in the manner the subject
is taught? Also, how did you get to become a news/magazine photographer?
'Cause what I thought about was becoming a magazine or sports photographer.
Thanks a lot for your advice!

"LyghtBynder" <lyght_bynder@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:2477c46a.0308241938.f4ae530@posting.google.co m...

> Most technical schools (or community colleges) that have an art
> curriculum have a photography course, and usually, one can take only
> the photo class by paying a small fee and buying a text book.
> Unfortunately, these courses are generally "how to load the camera,
> unload the camera and process the film" which is not what you are
> looking for (with a digital camera). Some tech schools and CC's are
> beginning to offer digital imaging, so call your local place of higher
> learning and ask.
>
> It would be a good idea to choose a specialty field (sports, nature
> and etc) and get *very* good at it. I've been in the business since
> 1963 and the most fun work (for me) is magazine or news shooting
> because they open up other areas of interest (and potential
> employment).
>
> There are no professional photographers outside the studio or
> advertising shooting (BORING!), just folks that are at the right place
> at the right time to get the shots. I have known hundreds of shooters
> that have absolutely no 'formal training' but can 'see' as no other
> people can, and they have the ability to transfer that vision to
> imagery.
>
>
>
> "Ampersand" <ampersand@yourbestfriend.com> wrote in message

news:<ntN1b.43521$MG5.612678@wagner.videotron.net> ...

> > I got myself a digital camera a few months ago, and I found myself

taking

> > shots of a lot of various things, some completely useless, some more
> > artistic, and I got to the point where I thought about studying

photography.

> > If there are any professionals in here, how did you become a

photographer?

> > Did you study it in college/university? If so, what was the program

called?

> > Would you have any advice for me? (as this is not a definitive choice

yet)

> > What can you do after your studies? Are there any other ways to become

a

> > professional than studying? Or anything else you thing might be
> > relevant...Thanks a lot for any advice you might have!

[RSD99]

Re: "...
However, I don't think
you can spend a whole...3 years studying photography.
...."

Wrong ... please see

[url]http://www.brooks.edu/[/url]
[url]http://www.brooks.edu/degrees.asp[/url]

or any of the other "high end" photo schools, such as The Art Institute of Los Angeles,
etcetera ...

[PSD - Brooks is *highly* recommended.]

[LyghtBynder]

I'm probably going to 'catch h***' for saying this. One does not
'learn' photography at any school. They (the school/professors) can
show you the components of a camera, show you what depth of field does
in relation to the f/stop, show you the relationship between f/stops
and shutter speed, tell you the (most recent) properties of film,
what's available (currently) in film speed and show you the grain
properties of film in relation to film speed. Digitally, ditto.
Constants (almost) remain the same, there are slight differences in
lens focal lengths, and the 'film' (or memory card) is not actually
'film' and has no effect on grain. The speed of the image being shot
is set within the camera itself and (as with film) lower speeds
produce the cleanest images and higher speeds produces 'gain' in the
form of what is called noise. (which can usually be compensated for in
Photoshop.) My point being, go take a basic photo course, get your
butt outside and put the basics you learn there to work. No one can
teach you to paint with light, you must find your own technique.

With all due respect, I don't know where you got your facts concerning
digital cameras being 'not as quick' as film based. A shutter speed of
1/500 on a Nikon D1 is the same as a shutter speed of 1/500 on a film
based camera. There are 'point and shoot', pro-sumer and professional
level digital cameras as there are in film based units. I personally
use a D-1H, a Nikon Coolpix 950 and an old Nikon FM2. Each has it's
use. I've shot NASCAR, NHRA and IHRA drag racing, and day time
college and professional sports with the Coolpix, it weighs very
little and the shots on the 'Fine' setting will go 11x14. (there are
very few publications that use that large an image and the smaller the
image needed, the sharper it appears in print.) If starting lines or
sidelines are crowded, I will use the D1 or FM2 with a long lens...but
I can usually get my shots with a little pre-planning and positioning
using the Coolpix.

I 'got to become' a news/magazine shooter by being in the right place
at the right time. San Francisco, 1965-70. Jimi Hendrix, Janis
Joplin, the Dead, the Airplane were my neighbors and played free in
the parks. I loved the challenge of capturing their performances
filled with light and electricity and there were several 'underground'
rags that bought my stuff. I went to Monterey, Woodstock, the Isle of
Wright....wherever the music was. I won't bore you with the ensuing
years, and if you have any more questions, please email me directly, I
hate to take up the board's space with something the other folks here
don't want to see. :-)


"Ampersand" <ampersand@yourbestfriend.com> wrote in message news:<ntN1b.43521$MG5.612678@wagner.videotron.net> ...

> I got myself a digital camera a few months ago, and I found myself taking
> shots of a lot of various things, some completely useless, some more
> artistic, and I got to the point where I thought about studying photography.
> If there are any professionals in here, how did you become a photographer?
> Did you study it in college/university? If so, what was the program called?
> Would you have any advice for me? (as this is not a definitive choice yet)
> What can you do after your studies? Are there any other ways to become a
> professional than studying? Or anything else you thing might be
> relevant...Thanks a lot for any advice you might have!

[Michael Stevens]

On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 13:42:56 -0400, "Ampersand"
<ampersand@yourbestfriend.com> wrote:

> I know, for a fact, that a digital camera is not as "quick" as a film camera

There are quite a few digital cameras that are as quick as film
cameras. I wouldn't be shooting digiatl if my bodies were slower than
my film bodies.

They all are relatively expensive digital SLRs, though.

Mike


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