Photography as major for college../

[thetater]

So i have a friend who is going to transfer to another college for photography but is a little confused. Every school shes been contacting has told her something different about what degree she needs to get and everything. So my question is what are some good colleges you guys recommend and what degree should she look to obtain? thanks..../

[PlaiDub]

best in the country are RISD and RIT. Otherwise, you're looking for a BS in whatever, as a BFA won't get you into other business jobs if you cant get work as a photog.

be careful of certificate programs...while they generally work out, i find it hard to pallet paying a bunch of money for no real degree.

[azul]

First, you don't really need a degree to be a photographer. Most people will probably recommend a business degree while minoring in photography.

Second, there are many different genres of photography and each school will teach something different. Most schools seem to have their photography programs wrapped up in either the art department or journalism department (or both). So for most, you would get a BA in art or journalism with an emphasis in photography. Only a few schools seem to have a commercial photography program and those tend to be private schools (from what I have seen). Some schools might offer a BFA. A BFA means that you have taken additional studio classes over a BA. That is the only difference.

What I would suggest is for you friend to be more specific about the kind of photography they are interested in. What kind of career do they want? Do they want to shoot weddings, or advertising campaigns?

Also, the best way to really learn the business, is to assist other photographers. Even after going to a highly regarded school, I still assisted. You learn a lot from people who are out there working (both what to do and not to do).

Lastly, remind your friend that most photographers are freelance/self employed. You rarely get a job as a photographer. You have to hustle and be ready to deal with having and unstable income.

[Infranippies]

Quote, originally posted by PlaiDub »

best in the country are RISD and RIT.

Hey, I went to RIT...for statistics.
It's cold there.

Quote, originally posted by azul »

Lastly, remind your friend that most photographers are freelance/self employed. You rarely get a job as a photographer. You have to hustle and be ready to deal with having and unstable income.

This is definitely an important piece of advice!


Modified by Infranippies at 11:20 AM 11-12-2008

[sbblackvr6]

hands down its http://www.brooks.edu
I was going to go but didnt have the 80k for 3 years. That dose not include room or board nor camera and equipment.

[Notkool59]

Infranippies your time lapse videos on vimeo are brilliant, at least I think they are your based on your flikr album.

[03gli401k]

Quote, originally posted by PlaiDub »

best in the country are RISD and RIT. Otherwise, you're looking for a BS in whatever, as a BFA won't get you into other business jobs if you cant get work as a photog. be careful of certificate programs...while they generally work out, i find it hard to pallet paying a bunch of money for no real degree.

x2 and i hope to be at RISD soon

[Infranippies]

Quote, originally posted by Notkool59 »

Infranippies your time lapse videos on vimeo are brilliant, at least I think they are your based on your flikr album.

Thanks! Yeah, they're mine. Way fun but take a long time to make and I just haven't had the time to make any more yet.

[azul]

There are a number of good schools:

Art Center College of Design, Brooks, Academy of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, RIT, School of Visual Arts, Pratt, California College of Art. Saying one is better than the other is arguable, but in the end, it depends on one's goals.

One thing to consider is photography is a very expensive major and the schools listed above are very expensive on top of that.

[Chris taylor]

Are you looking for colleges with photography majors to attend? Consult the schools' website to check out their academic photography courses and their notable alumni.