You Don't Need a Photography Degree

When I was in high school, I planned on getting a photography degree. It was all I thought about. I even narrowed my options down to two schools.

Brooks Institute, which sadly closed last year after 70 years of education was at the top of my list. That's because I spent time interviewing photographers and it came highly recommended. One of them told me to get a photography degree from Brooks and I could write my own ticket anywhere. Probably an exaggeration, but it worked on me.

The other was Daytona Beach Community College (now Daytona State). It had the advantage of being much closer to home and has a reputation that was nearly as good as Brooks.

Either college would've been a fine choice, but I got distracted by a new invention: personal computers. That lead me into a rewarding career in IT. I'll never know how life would've turned out had I gone the other route with a photography degree.  The nice thing about my IT career is that I learned most of it on my own, and a former employer paid for my complete college education. No debt.

I didn't need an IT degree to know how to do my job. The only reason I got it is because corporate IT jobs were becoming impossible to get without a degree.

What You Get With a Photography Degree

Please don't misconstrue this as an anti-education post. It's not. I've worked in the education field (as IT) for a couple of colleges. As a result, I know that some people truly benefit from a structured, educational program for their career. I also know that some people really don't need to learn their craft at a school.

Both paths take time, and the lessons are remarkably similar.

If you go to a photography school, you should expect to receive some of the following benefits:

* Learn how to build a portfolio

* Get professional feedback on your photography

* Work with gear that you probably can't afford to buy

* Get job placement assistance

When you think about it, a photography school is a trade school. It's on par with schools that teach you how to be a chef, a welder or a medical assistant. You'll learn the basics of your field, and you'll very likely have school debt to pay off.

It's up to you to decide whether the benefits are worth the cost, and if a structured education is the best way for you to learn.

Based upon my years in education, I can tell you two things about going this route.

1: If you pay attention and do the work, you will emerge as a functional practitioner of your subject.

2: A photography degree does not guarantee success.

The Fatal Flaw of Education

I live in Central Florida and we have a school called Full Sail University. It's a very popular school that teaches music & recording, art & design, film & television, video game development and more. One of the things I like about this school is its Hall of Fame – alumni who are very successful.

I know people who graduated from Full Sail. Some I met at my gym years ago. It was right across the street from the EA Sports offices where they create Madden NFL Football. Those folks had decent jobs.

Far more of the Full Sail graduates I met are cashiers at photography and musical instrument stores. They got the same education, but they never lived up to it. They're always looking out for their big break.

The problem is that big breaks don't just land at your feet. You have to go out and make them happen.

No matter how well educated you are, it doesn't mean a thing if you don't have the drive to make things happen for yourself. The same thing is true of a photography degree. It's basic preparation. You still have to take that basic knowledge and amplify it with your own creativit...