# What kind of education do you have?



## marie1128 (Dec 26, 2013)

As far as photography classes/degrees are concerned, what do you have specifically relating to your business? Not really aspiring to become pro (yet), just taking a poll right now. Thanks!


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## imagemaker46 (Dec 27, 2013)

Grade 11 education. 40 years with a camera, it all depends on the generation each of us comes from. In this generation a business background, along with photography is the combination that will give you the best chance at success.  Mind you, if you are an average business person with above average photographic skills, and great with selling yourself, you have the possibilities for greater success.

Don't always assume that a great education will get you anywhere, it doesn't matter what you are doing. Luck and knowing the right people always come into play.


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## Steve5D (Dec 27, 2013)

I have almost zero formal photography education. I took a couple of classes in high school (I graduated in 1980).

To be honest, I don't know too many working photographers who have a formal education in photography...


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## Big Mike (Dec 27, 2013)

I've taken a handful of evening/weekend classes and I try to attend seminars when they come around.  

There certainly is a lot to learn in the field of photography, and education is almost always a good thing...but...the thing about a field like photography, is that you could have a Master's degree, and still loose a job to a 17 year old kid off the street...if the client likes their portfolio better.  

In terms of photographic education, I think that one really needs to look at what type of photography career they want to pursue.  It seems that for most, it would be running their own small business, which is why business education is often the recommend path.  

Plenty of great photographers have failed to make a living with it, because they can't run a successful business....and plenty of average photographers make a great living at it, because they are very good at the business side of things.


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## Designer (Dec 27, 2013)

As for formal education, nearly anything in the fine arts would help.  Help you see.  Help you understand composition.


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## wyogirl (Dec 27, 2013)

I'm not a pro-photog, but I have a BA in ad design/marketing with some additional college level photography courses and seminars.  I occasionally shoot for $$ and I have a business license but I am far too new to this to call myself a pro.


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## robbins.photo (Dec 27, 2013)

Education?

Well, I went to high school.  Well not regularly mind you, but I did go on occasion.. lol


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## rexbobcat (Dec 27, 2013)

I'm in my last year of college getting a useless degree (and not even when referring to the job market. It's a useless degree no matter how good the economy is). My parents want me to go to law school but, yeah, that's not happening.  I've pretty much followed the typical American progression. Not that I regret it, but You won't see me writing about how I'm successful despite not having formal education any time soon lol


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## sandraadamson (Dec 27, 2013)

I have a Bach of Commerce from Saint Mary's, and diploma from New York Institute of Photography which I didn't do until 5 years into having my photography business. And I take creative live seminars constantly on anything and everything. Personally I think education is over rated I only did the diploma cause I wanted a diploma for my studio wall I didn't learn much that I didn't already know honestly.


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## KmH (Dec 27, 2013)

I had no formal education for photography, but did have formal education in a couple of technical fields - chemistry and electrical engineering.

Like Mike, over the years I attended seminars and other photography industry related functions - like photographer association conventions.

Business skills are a key to starting and maintaining a retail photography business.


> If you fail to plan, plan to fail.


So you start with a well researched and written business and marketing plan. Free business advice - Starting a Business | SBA.gov
How to Start a Home-Based Photography Business, 6th (Home-Based Business Series)
Photography Business Secrets: The Savvy Photographer's Guide to Sales, Marketing, and More
Going Pro: How to Make the Leap from Aspiring to Professional Photographer

See the City Clerk where you live to find out what your city requires regarding business registration or licensing. It is very likely you will be required to provide proof that you have business liability insurance.
Where I live a retail business can not be run out of a home.

Your state likely would require you register with them and collect and forward to them any applicable sales taxes. You may also be required to pay state use taxes and state self-employed unemployment insurance. This is where a lot of illegal businesses get hammered - with bills for back sales taxes, plus penalties and fine.
You may be required to maintain a business bank account.
Most home owners and car insurance policies will not cover any thing you do as a business, legal or not.

For tax purposes (both sales taxes and income taxes) you will need to set up an accounting system (cash or accrual) so you can show what portion of your income is from your business.
You will need some legal documents, like a contract, model release, property release, invoices, etc.


marie1128 said:


> Would you still need a license if you charged less than 100 bucks per session?



It is highly unlikely you could cover your business expenses at $100 per shoot. To make money you'll likely need an average sale of at least $300 per shoot.
Many new to doing business don't take into account all the pre and post shoot time involved. A rule of thumb is to figure that with pre and post production a 1 hour shoot takes up 3 to 4 hours of the photographers time.
Business costs are another area many new to business don't account for accurately enough and grossly under estimate what their cost of doing business (CODB) is. 
Here is an online CODB calculator -  https://nppa.org/calculator


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## nmoody (Dec 27, 2013)

Most of the time if you are looking to start your own photography business its much more important to have a business degree than anything in photography. Although you do need some skill to be a photographer the quality of your work is rarely the reason a photography business fails. Its the failure of managing their business itself that eventually puts them under.

Now that being said I am not a professional and never will be due to the above reasons. I don't have enough business knowledge or background to start anything properly. My degree is in computer science and that is where I will make my money and I practice photography very enthusiastically outside of work.


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## skieur (Dec 27, 2013)

My degree in languages and literatures helped me to produce and script write photographic and television productions in several languages, my tech/television degree program taught me how to handle all aspects of television production and led to production, direction, and television camera work, and my teaching certificate gave me and "in" to photographic and television work in the education system.   Formal education made the difference between "technician" status and "consultant" status which ultimately meant a higher pay grade and more respect from business execs that I was often working with.


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## tirediron (Dec 27, 2013)

I'm a graduate of the School of Hard Knocks and the Kindergarten of Getting the S**t Kicked Out of Me!


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## CCericola (Dec 28, 2013)

I have a BFA in studio art. I took all three photography classes the school offered. I would not trade my college experience for the world  but I learned the nitty gritty of photography working for a traditional studio. The owner told me one day "I've been in the business 30 years and made every mistake in the book. You get to reap the benefits of that so pay attention!"

Then I went and worked for a few big ad agencies and a marketing company before deciding to be the man instead of working for the man. Now I'm happy, well off and successful. But it didn't happen overnight.


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## TammyCampbell (Dec 28, 2013)

Sounds very familiar.lol.


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## skieur (Dec 28, 2013)

CCericola said:


> I have a BFA in studio art. I took all three photography classes the school offered. I would not trade my college experience for the world but I learned the nitty gritty of photography working for a traditional studio. The owner told me one day "I've been in the business 30 years and made every mistake in the book. You get to reap the benefits of that so pay attention!"
> 
> Then I went and worked for a few big ad agencies and a marketing company before deciding to be the man instead of working for the man. Now I'm happy, well off and successful. But it didn't happen overnight.



In contrast, my photographic work was always on location but my television work was often in studio interviews mixed with on-location footage which I also shot.


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## soret (Jan 1, 2014)

I took a program a couple of years ago to get my certification and now I'm working on my B.Des in Photography and possibly my masters in a few years.


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## Scoody (Feb 17, 2014)

Formal education consists of a Geology degree from Angelo State University, thanks to blazing speed and quick reflexes in football.  As far as photography, I have none save some online courses over the last few years.  I have carried a camera everywhere since high school.  Got to take alot of great photos of exotic places in the Army for six years.  Have been using photography to augment my income for the last six years but am now having to do it full time.  I was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident and my days doing what I used to do for a living are over.


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## Coasty (Feb 17, 2014)

Two years in high school (1980&#8217;s) with film and Mayama DTL 500/1000&#8217;s, nothing for 23 years, then a two week digital course in the Coast Guard with Nikon D700&#8217;s. The rest was on the job learning, talking to other photographers, and books.


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## snowbear (Feb 17, 2014)

BS in Geography/Computer Cartography;  9 credits in photography (three classes)

Nowhere near being a pro photographer


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## pixmedic (Feb 17, 2014)

eduwhatsit?


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## Nevermore1 (Feb 17, 2014)

I would agree with the majority of posters that a business degree is more than a photography degree.  I'm not a pro and only have one photography class which was Forensic Photography in college years ago (it was lots of fun having to call my Prof to explain to the Sheriff's Deputy that that was not really a dead body in the pics I just had printed at Costco...).


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## DSRay (Feb 17, 2014)

I have an associates degree in philosophy circa 1973, an associates degree in photography circa 1979, an associates degree in engineering tech and a bachelor degree in land surveying, circa 1983.  I am also a commercial pilot which was more fun and challenging than any degree.


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## bribrius (Feb 17, 2014)

photo in highschool (I was in yearbook to so they kind of went hand in hand shooting for the yearbooks) and a short correspondence type course twenty plus years ago. Never occurred to me to have a photography business I didn't think I could make money in it. watched a older sibling give up on sports shooting before me to find more money elsewhere which kind of reinforced the idea in my head there wasn't good income in photography.   I signed up for economics in college and let photography go and just recently started dabbling in it again. I don't have a business and only know a fraction of what the pros on this site know about photography


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