# Amateur wanting to apply to a Photography program: Waste of time? Seeking critique!



## tragedy_x (Nov 5, 2010)

I've been interested in photography for a few years now and I've now decided that I really want to go to school for it. I pretty much have my heart set on the Bachelor of Applied Arts (Photography) program at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario. My family has always supported and pushed me to pursue photography, saying that I have an 'eye' for it. A professional photographer even told my mom that its something I should seriously considered! Despite this, I'm worried that I'm not quite good enough to pursue this career. I don't want to waste my time applying to a photography course when I should be applying to something else. Admittedly, I'm an *extreme* amateur with very, very little technical knowledge. Thankfully, the document outlining Sheridan's portfolio requirements say, "We are not looking for technical perfection. We are looking for artistic potential and the ability to take on a variety of subjects (i.e., portraits, landscapes, still life etc.)." So I'm here to get some opinions on my work. What do you guys think? Do I have the artistic potential to pursue photography?


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## chito beach (Nov 5, 2010)

I think you need to follow your heart.  Some of these show some brilliance an some are basic snapshots.........I think you have posted way to many here to really critique


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## Pubb (Nov 5, 2010)

Do you truly love photography. If so go for it, screw it don't ask permission, don't apologize and never stop taking pictures. Never let anyone, school or an person stop you from dreaming and attempting to achieve and pursue something that you truly love. Regardless of whether the school likes your work or anyone else for that matter, if you pick up a camera and capture images then in my opinion your an artist be true to yourself and see where it takes you.


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## ChevyBaby (Nov 5, 2010)

Sooooo many photos... some of them are really great ideas, just poorly executed - like the heart in the clouds.  The ambition and the creativity is definitely there, no one walks into a Bachelors degree with perfect pictures. I'm coming to the end of mine and my work has changed so much. You'll learn so much about yourself and what you actually want to photograph as well.


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## vtf (Nov 5, 2010)

Be sure its an accredited college and the credits can transfer to other colleges so if you change your major you still have those. Just saying. 
If you are interested in it then go for it. You will come out on the other end a changed person and who knows you may decide to go into an associated field instead midway though, either way if you have the opportunity take it. I think you have a good start.
Good Luck and keep us updated.:thumbup:


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## sobolik (Nov 6, 2010)

Forget it. A young lady that just graduated with a 4 year degree in accounting is still looking 6 months later.  The lesson being that if a degree in a common everybody needs an accountant degree does not guarantee you a job then certainly a degree in photography will not.

You are not going to be a successful artist because you draw a copy of the line drawing in the magazine and then sign up for their school. You are not going to get a job as a movie director by getting a U.W. (Wisconsin Madison) degree.  As the guy I know that now works as a prison guard demonstrates He tried 3 different times in L.A. sleeping in his van etc before giving up.  You are not going get a job as a chef by getting a degree in cooking..... Point made.

Forget the schooling. Master the very basics and do weddings very cheap or free to start. You success or failure will be because of your compositions not from experienced mastery of deep hidden secrets. You either have an eye or you don't.  No need to got to school. After a couple weddings and honest feed back you may proceed to make money right away rather than pay money that gets you nowhere.

Did I miss something?
"So I'm here to get some opinions on my work. What do you guys think? Do I have the artistic potential to pursue photography?"


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## vtf (Nov 7, 2010)

sobolik said:


> Forget it. A young lady that just graduated with a 4 year degree in accounting is still looking 6 months later. The lesson being that if a degree in a common everybody needs an accountant degree does not guarantee you a job then certainly a degree in photography will not.
> 
> You are not going to be a successful artist because you draw a copy of the line drawing in the magazine and then sign up for their school. You are not going to get a job as a movie director by getting a U.W. (Wisconsin Madison) degree. As the guy I know that now works as a prison guard demonstrates He tried 3 different times in L.A. sleeping in his van etc before giving up. You are not going get a job as a chef by getting a degree in cooking..... Point made.
> 
> ...


 
I'd clear up my writing skills before I'd claim school is a waste of time. Writing skills help us to determine whether the writer actually can be trusted in the facts he states.


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## Carson38 (Nov 7, 2010)

Well I sort of agree with sobolik (but to a point!) just thought I'd clarify. I was in your same position. My family told me I have an eye for it and I had a professional photographer come up to me and told me to pursue this.... I decided to go for it.  But instead of getting deep into this with expensive schooling... I just found classes at my local collage they are affordable and I am learning at an advanced pace! This way you can learn the basics and get into it and decide if this is even the route to go. That way you don't spend a lot of money and time. =) hope this helps... just my little opinion =)


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## white (Nov 7, 2010)

You can learn alot about photography online, and you can spend that tuition money on gear. It all depends on how motivated you are to learn by yourself. 

I guess it really depends on what you want to do with photography. You can learn alot about the history of photography, and maybe have some exposure to alternative processes and the myriad of ways to make an image on emulsion, but it depends on the college. I think that would be worth going to school for, because you might not have access to these things otherwise, or it may look so challenging that you simply don't ever try.

But if you think buying a dSLR and shooting weddings is the pinnacle of photography, then quite honestly you're better off honing your business and people skills, and investing in good equipment.


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## kami (Nov 7, 2010)

I know a lot of professional photographers that do superb work and they never took a photography class! Here's a website some friends of mine have put up for their business. 

And they are all full time nurses! 

http://flipartimages.com/index2.php

And here's a website of another friend. 

http://www.davidpezzat.com/main.php

Although I wouldn't sway you from taking photography classes, your success would depend on your perseverance and dedication to the art. A class is never a waste of money if you put it to good use.

Don't listen to what other people have to say, a professional photographer will never say, "You don't have what it takes, I suggest you take another route." Being said, it depends on what YOU think. You feel it, you breath it, you know if you want to pursue a career in photography.

Right now I'm in nursing school and going to proceed to an MD degree later on. Hopefully in the future I can afford all the good toys coz I know I have this soft spot for photography.


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## burgo (Nov 7, 2010)

Regardless of what you do there will always be naysayers who say it'll never work, you wont get work, the market is saturated. But if you believe in your dream then perseverance and courage can take you a long way. While the negative nellies sit on the behinds stuck in their own ruts you can sail past them.  Hey I know a guy who did a 4 year photography degree for $25,000 and is working as a labourer now.  I also know a guy who taught himself and is now a busy and successful photographer because he worked his but off in good times and bad and built his business and reputation.

Which one are you?


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## D-B-J (Nov 7, 2010)

what will a future client care about more? A fancy photography degree, or a portfolio full of breath-taking images.  Maybe not breathtaking, but a portfolio nonetheless.  The fact is, a client wants to see your work.  Sure, knowing EVERY aspect of photography might help in properly exposing or editing a photo, but lacking the actual eye for photography, makes the degree worthless.  A future client will care more about your portfolio than your degree.  Knowing every technical aspect about photography doesnt mean you're good at it. 

Goodluck!


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## ChevyBaby (Nov 7, 2010)

sobolik said:


> Forget it. A young lady that just graduated with a 4 year degree in accounting is still looking 6 months later.  The lesson being that if a degree in a common everybody needs an accountant degree does not guarantee you a job then certainly a degree in photography will not.
> 
> You are not going to be a successful artist because you draw a copy of the line drawing in the magazine and then sign up for their school. You are not going to get a job as a movie director by getting a U.W. (Wisconsin Madison) degree.  As the guy I know that now works as a prison guard demonstrates He tried 3 different times in L.A. sleeping in his van etc before giving up.  You are not going get a job as a chef by getting a degree in cooking..... Point made.
> 
> ...



Got to this post and stopped reading so sorry if anyone has said this but since doing my Bachelors, looking for work experience has been a lot easier when you introduce yourself with a BA Honors Degree. Paid or unpaid, experience is great and studying at a uni has helped me a lot more than looking at a computer screen to learn.

End of.


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## chito beach (Nov 7, 2010)

One of my favorite movie lines from sister act II: (modified for this instance)

If in the morning you wake up and think of nothing but photography, see things and think about how that would look in a Photo, If no matter what you do you imagine the play of light in your camera then you are a photographer.   Go with it what we say or do should not impact you one Iota


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## ChevyBaby (Nov 7, 2010)

chito beach said:


> One of my favorite movie lines from sister act II: (modified for this instance)
> 
> If in the morning you wake up and think of nothing but photography, see things and think about how that would look in a Photo, If no matter what you do you imagine the play of light in your camera then you are a photographer.   Go with it what we say or do should not impact you one Iota



LOL i love that! :thumbup:


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## sobolik (Nov 7, 2010)

I'd clear up my writing skills before I'd claim school is a waste of time. Writing skills help us to determine whether the writer actually can be trusted in the facts he states.[/QUOTE]

==

Very weak because you got nothing.  You said "school a waste of time", I didn't.  Perhaps reading skills "help us to determine whether the writer actually can be trusted in the facts he states"

Again, a degree in photography is no guarantee of a career in photography. In fact a photography degree is very much not like a degree in nursing for example that actually delivers a likely nursing job.

But I really don't care if yet another student gets a degree and then never works in that field.  It neither benefits nor harms me.


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## Derrel (Nov 7, 2010)

kami said:


> I know a lot of professional photographers that do superb work and they never took a photography class! Here's a website some friends of mine have put up for their business.
> 
> And they are all full time nurses!
> 
> ...



Those do not look like professional photographs...those look like the output from a totally, 100% self-taught shooter with zero training in the arts....bad,blown exposures, bad posing, clearly MWAC-level stuff. NOT very good.

I'd love a self-trained nurse who had never studied or gone to school, but just picked up the profession from the web and people who blog. Yeah...


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## chito beach (Nov 7, 2010)

Derrel said:


> kami said:
> 
> 
> > I know a lot of professional photographers that do superb work and they never took a photography class! Here's a website some friends of mine have put up for their business.
> ...




HMMMM I see a school snob here, I can show you hundreds of self taught photographers, many of the best and famous photographers the world has ever seen do not have any formal training.  

Oh like 
Ansel Adams, 
Jim Zukerman,  
Ajay Rajgarhia, 
Herb Ritts, 
Anne Geddes,  
Al Paglione, 
Arthur Fellig (aka Weegee),  
Brett, Pelletier.

The list goes on and on

matter of fact as far as artists and photographers go it is easier to find self taught famous people than ones with formal education. schools do not make photographers.

As for the link some of the shots suck and some are brilliant. Better than many I've seen



*
*


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## Bitter Jeweler (Nov 7, 2010)




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## chito beach (Nov 7, 2010)

Bitter Jeweler said:


>


\\

Hey pass me some of that


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## Bitter Jeweler (Nov 7, 2010)

You're starring in the show. You can't be in the audience eating popcorn.


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## Derrel (Nov 7, 2010)

No, chito beach, you see an "education snob" here, not a school snob. Nice try at a put-down though. The woman's portfolio shows that she's self-taught. LOADS of technical and artistic incompetence. For a new guy, you're trying pretty hard. Clearly, the nurse/photographer lady is self-taught...that's pretty obvious by the blunders she makes. As the OP said, it is CLEAR that the lady shooter has NEVER taken a single class...

Anne Geddes??? LMFAO....the queen of kitsch! Hilarious!

The guy is better, but the first portfolio speaks volumes. Being able to differentiate between a studied photographer and a MWAC is pretty easy for me.


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## Opher (Nov 7, 2010)

Hey so im just going to ignore the who education debate and just say what i know...   My righting has no baring on what i say as art and writing (well in terms of structure) are to very different things 

So here is go.  I am in my first year of Photography at Fansawe (London ON) and i have people in my class that know nothing and i mean NOTHING!!!   It is kinda sad but i just said that so you would not think everyone will be amazing, They are not.  I also have some people like me (and im assuming like you) that kinda know what we are doing but are still "new".  This is where most of the people in my program are.  We also have the people that we all wounder why they are there because they are freaking amazing.

But back the the argument.  You can self teach or go to school for it.  But dont limit yourself to that.  I was self taught up to this point and think its a great way to learn.  In my opinion a combination of both structured and unstructured education is important.  If you are not sure what you want to do you can always hold off a year and just work and teach yourself maybe go to a few seminars/shows and see what happens.

Hope that helps and its not just random babbling(cause i do that sometimes)


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## chito beach (Nov 7, 2010)

Derrel said:


> No, chito beach, you see an "education snob" here, not a school snob. Nice try at a put-down though. The woman's portfolio shows that she's self-taught. LOADS of technical and artistic incompetence. For a new guy, you're trying pretty hard. Clearly, the nurse/photographer lady is self-taught...that's pretty obvious by the blunders she makes. As the OP said, it is CLEAR that the lady shooter has NEVER taken a single class...
> 
> Anne Geddes??? LMFAO....the queen of kitsch! Hilarious!



Well she is a bit over the top in many of her  presentations but her lighting and composition are among the best.  Her simple portraits are stellar


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## kami (Nov 7, 2010)

Derrel said:


> kami said:
> 
> 
> > I know a lot of professional photographers that do superb work and they never took a photography class! Here's a website some friends of mine have put up for their business.
> ...


 
Ok, if not professional, then maybe just highly paid amateur photographers that do a lot of weddings out of state and around the world. With very satisfied clients. 

The OP was asking about a career in photography and the importance of entering a program to be successful. You have to read my post in it's entirety to get what I meant.

In Photography, you can get away being successful without a degree or having taken any classes. In Nursing, I would love to meet a nurse who is self taught. They just don't exist.. legally that is.


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## burgo (Nov 8, 2010)

To say that self taught people have no "education" is a stretch. Many photographers I know have been self taught and they have done loads of short courses and read loads of books and got out here and experimented until they have got it right.  Many have studied the photos of the masters and other good ones to learn about composition and styles. 

I am a professional Nurse too actually and while I agree that a self taught nurse is a ridiculous concept, I have met many St John ambulance first aiders who could put more than a few nurses to shame with their knowledge.

The point is their is room for both. Regardless of your personal preferences and subjective opinions of their images. In the end if the client loves your work then that is all that matters, not what another photographer thinks of it. (unless you are going in some competition, then it counts)


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