Should you go to college for photography? I give you my opinion here! INSTAGRAM: / jessicakobeissi FACEBOOK: / jessicakphoto SNAPCHAT: jessicakobeissi WEBSITE: www.violetspell... TWITTER: / jessicakobeissi
I went to photography school and it helped me get access to equipment and learn how to properly use the lights, programs and the different types of cameras. I now know how to properly use strobe lighting, great ways to edit and manage my digital workflows, etc. I almost wish I hadn't gone, as it was expensive, but it was worth it.
jayshko it's more the practical parts of college that helps. I haven't learnt so much from RU-vid, but having that hands on experience from college is is nice. I'm super happy I went!
Nice! i learned most of that by just starting to work at a studio, learned a contemporary style and profitable business model and got paid. There are different paths
I went to college to for photography, and I have absolutely no regrets. And as Jessica stated, you have far more resources, networking and inspiration from like minded people. Trust me, watching RU-vid is one thing. But being In an actual darkroom and taking major electives like art, etc to help foster your creativity is another.
I got serious with photography 3 years ago and most of what I learned was self-taught...a lot of knowledge coming from RU-vid videos. For some people college works well, for others not so much. At the end of the day, do what works for you. College doesn't equal success, but not going to college doesn't equate to the best decision either.
pay for a good camera and a really good lense (which you can use later on a ff body) ,assist for 6 months for free a professional photographer, while learning Lr & Ps on your own (youtube,CL channel etc)....you have learnt more than anyone in a 4 year photography university/college (it is 4 years in my country) and you won't be broke for your rest of your life because of the students' loans. Also you'll be ready to start your own photography business in less than a year when others will study about abstract black and white photography....and have to wait 4 years to take a degree that proves how good they know the work of Ansel Adams. And if you feel that you miss the theoritical part or the history of photography that is why bookstores exist.
crazy how my story is exactly the same! I have a graphic design degree and only took film photography classes. Only after college I started getting interested in photography and i taught (am still teaching) myself everything. Now I do both, I just love being creative! (and yeah college is pretty cheap here compared to the US, everyone should be able to get an education!)
I think it's clearly a subject that will divide people. For you, it's clear that you see college as a means to an end; as a vocational tool. In that respect, it's probably not worth it for something like photography over something more practical (like marine biology etc.) For me, college was about becoming the person I wanted to be. They say education is what remains after what was learned has been forgotten, and I find that to be true for me personally.
No companies hire because of a degree/certificate anymore. They are scouting online for their future prospects. There is no excuse to spend $80,000 to go to college to learn photography when you have some of the best photographer/photo editors putting videos out on RU-vid.
Because they don’t explain to you the difference in shooting at f 2.8 at 85mm and f 2.8 at 180mm. Or why you should shoot in RAW vs JPEG , or different Abode color settings. If you’re not shooting on M all the time. Do you have the knowledge to shoot an eclipse, or a lunar shot?
My high school as a program through a technical college for photography and digital design. And just going through that class was the best thing ever. It really boosted my work and knowledge about photography. I recommend instead of going to college is learning how to copy people's work. It helps a lot in learning how to create a style!
wow, talk about spot on. there seems to exist this preconceived notion that a college degree is what will lead to a fulfilling, yet reality is much different. I've found quite a number of your videos to be inspirational, and this is definitely one of them.
It really depends, going to college for art and or creative is always a risky thing. The question is: Is it worth it? Is it something I can learn all by myself? Are there near by studios that can just teach me? I would also say it depends on your life style and location you are at. Some people have little to no resources and quite possibly college is there only resource. However, each and every college is different. While they may offer programs for photography it is not promise they will teach you what you really need or basic skills. I have read and heard some people who said they got there basics and some who had to teach themselves the basics because their college's program focused on something not relevant. I dont think a degree is necessary. But if you are going to an education in photography. Whether it is a certificate or associates, bachelor's. Whether you are going for community College or university. I would recommend, looking through the programs they offer. If the desired program is on there read though it on their website and quite email the instructor of said program for more information. I would also say visiting said college to actually see the classes and program itself in action. Maybe that can help you be more decisive.
I'm a senior in high school and am aspiring to be a wedding photographer. I knew it would be pricey, but that big number '$80,000' is seriously giving me crazy doubts. I thought it would be $20,000 at MAX... This is seriously stressing me out.
Sure. Everyone willing to venture in every field should consider taking a business course to "attach" to whatever they. At the end of the day, it´s all or also about having clients and making money, maintaining the business.
without schooling, I learned how to take some decent photos. Then i was making my way around to different local events. I had my first offer to use one of my photos on a music band's upcoming album. I think, you do have more resources in school, but you can also make it outside of school if you are driven and passionate. Like anything, there is not only one path to success.
i'm from germany and i study design at hfg offenbach, which is a really good college for arts and design. i feel very inspired by everything we do and it's just so much easier to learn and experience like this and it only costs like 500$ a year and we get a bus ticket for this part of germany, so it's really cheap. Also, ir you go to college in denmark, u dont have to pay any money! so just come over to germany!
this is the easiest way to answer if you need to go to college for something.... will not having the degree literally stop you from doing it? I.e. doctor, lawyer, pharmacist, etc. if not the answer is no. you need to be educated bit you don't need a degree , most of the time a degree is worthless. especially in business people only care about the product, is it good or not?
Thank you so much Jessica, every time I watch a your video my ideas and plans are more clear after that! Honestly now I know what to do so thanks a lot! ;)
I actually send you a instagram message asking this, didn't got a response :( but then you upload this today so thank you, your videos are really helpful!!
Here in Portugal it's totally worth going to college because it costs about 1,600€ a year in a public university. Even though it consumes your entire life it's worth it.
Hello, Jesicca, I just watched 2 of your videos and Iike them. I was hoping you could give me a few tips. I have a basic entry level dslr nikon camera and 2 prime lens. I want to start possibly doing small photo sessions etc to build a Portfolio for a photography business of the sort or even a job. I have some practice with my family. I get some beautiful shots, sometimes I get lucky and get an amazing shot. I just want your advise as to what I should focus on, what should I work on. is there a particular course that you took online that helped you? Thank you very much.
Germany might be free of study fees, but that makes getting into Uni or college way harder. For many things, if you didn't do well enough for whatever reason in school (nobody cares if your teachers hated you or if you were sick a lot or if you were just dumb or lazy - all students with less than elite-status grades are put into one box), there is no chance of getting into anything. Trust me, I'd rather work a loan off. :D
What if you're 33 and work in digital marketing within the corporate world (I did go to college for PR/ marketing). Would you still recommend going to photography school? I have been working on photography for years but feel like I still need that step up to actually start a career in it... would love to hear what you think! Thanks for your video :)
Lucie McAdams Here they start hounding you for 1000 a mo, immediately.... you can only put off starting to pay for so long and the interest grows constantly.... you are basically doomed before you start. Just out of curiosity how much would your degree cost in total?
Most degree's cost £3k a year that you pay directly to the university (odviously if youre doing a course thats 4 or 5 years then its more).....most people here move away for university so there is also finance issues in regards to housing too. Graduates have an average of £44,000 of debt upon leaving university in the UK.
Lucie McAdams ok, so that is half.... and do you get charges added on to the unpaid portion continually until it's paid off? By no means am I trying to minimize your situation, but please feel the difference here. And housing, we don't get any help with housing. one has nothing to do with the other.
Interest rates can be found here - www.studentloanrepayment.co.uk/portal/page?_pageid=93,6678642&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL The US does sound pretty tough in terms of re-payment, but the UK are facing other problems - like the fact UK students are finding it increasingly hard to actually get into university to study the course they want because of non-EU nationals in our country which is making employment at the end of graduation (and then repayment) increasingly harder.
Wow, thanks for that info, it is very interesting and I understand your dilemma. Here schools, are definitely for profit - We don't often have a problem getting in, but we too have problems with employment after graduation. It does seem that your country has, at least some compassion if you can't pay. Ours does not. It is all very sad. I am very disappointed in my country, now a days. Js Does Brexit have anything to do with this?
Well to be fair, all high school students are offered Oregon Promise once they graduate; which pays for most of the school tuition. On top of that, more grants gave me an extra two grand.
Oh wait, I think you are saying it's $44.000 to stay in a dorm and attend school? Because we are saying $88,000 (and it will accumulate to much more) without staying there.
Do not, absolutely DO NOT go to college for any type of art/design major unless you're well off enough to pay for it upfront. Major in STEM, which is proven to have a positive job outlook so you can build and invest in the future. If that's not your thing, self-educate yourself you takes classes at a low/minimal cost. Too many people are buying this 'follow your dreams' bullshit which is leaving them dead broke. If at least one person can resonate with what I'm saying then I did I good job, but a lot of you are probably gonna think I'm being an asshole.
Except if you're good enough and work hard enough, in which case you'll become successful. I'm currently a graphic design major in college, and I can assure you that I'll be making pretty good money in the future. Even if I were only making like 35,000 a year, not everything is about money. Money is not the root of all happiness. Sure, it helps, but I love art, so I'm going to be happy for the rest of my life because I'm going to be doing it for a living.
Not sure the best way to go about it is telling other people what not to do, especially when it comes to something as individual as choosing a major. STEM is not for everybody. There are no blanket statements. What works for some doesn't work for others. I've met with many students majoring in STEM because they were told the same thing you just said and end up with poor grades and lack of passion.
I think college is much more (especially in a creative field) about the experience and the preparation it gives you in the "real world". However image what you could do with $80,000+ where you could travel the world and have styled shoots and buy the best equipment its definitely something to think about, thank you so much for this video Jessica!
I am in my last semester in college. I was annoyed and frustrated with the school system until I found Jessica's videos. LITERALLY watching them was were I would have rather learned from then 'professors' who only cared about getting things in on time and ignored the effort we put into something.
I studied photography in college but it wasn't what I thought it would be. They taught fine art photography which is basically watching documentaries about old photographers rather than actual photography. I didn't learn lighting or commercial photography until after college and when I took a photography course at a community college. I've learned more about photogra6on RU-vid than in my university lol
I love this Jessica. Everyone should do what's right for them. I started out in college doing digital art and design with a concentration in photography. I took film classes + digital photography classes and a photoshop class. I learned a lot but I literally only took 3 classes. I ended up completely dropping out because school just wasn't for me. I was spending money on something I wasn't good at. I started my own business shortly after and I mean, it's been an uphill trek but it's been the best thing I've ever done. Thanks for this video.
also finding a great affordable school is an option. I went to the University of Wyoming and it was $100-150 per credit hour or $1,500 a semester. and they had a great art department...I think prices have gone up recently but it is waaayyyy cheaper than an art school and just as good. I haven't made an art school video in ages but I can do a new one with more info...yes, absolutely do not spend a ton or go into massive debt.
I'm currently a senior getting my bachelors in Digital Photography. After this I'm going for my Masters, but that's because I want to be a Digital Media teacher. Although art school is expensive, it has helped me get hands on learning experience with equipment I would never have been able to afford. I now have access to an amazing printing lab where I only have to pay for my paper (that is if I'm not using the big printers that already haves rolls of paper in them), and I've also been able to meet hundreds of other photographers who can guide me and ultimately use as a lifeline at any point in time. Having these connections has made such a huge impact on my career. However, this is not ideal for everyone. It really just depends on what you're going for and what you want to get out of it.
I would've went to college for photography but I read somewhere that it's about $40,000 a year or maybe thats for an associates degree? I feel like you can teach yourself a lot and actually learn as you go.
I went to college the first time around for a degree that I'm not using but like yourself, it taught me a lot of skills that I can apply to real and professional world. I don't regret my journey. I did things I would've never done. As for photography, I went back to a community college and was being taught by amazing professors with amazing experience. so looking into community college is a good idea!
I have to pay only 115€ per semester to be able to study law in one of the best universities in Germany. US government really needs to work on education system. Can't imagine where you can get all this money from 🙀 It's horrible if young people can't study what they want to study only because university/college is so damn expensive.
Considering how much you have to pay for college\university in the US If I were living there I would not go to school just for photography. Especially nowadays, when you can buy really good ebooks for a couple of bucks with videos and everything, and also here is youtube as well. So If you are talented and not afraid to learn educate yourself. Save time and money. Maybe I am totally wrong on this one, but when you are marketing yourself as a photographer people will judge you by your photos, your personality, your professionalism. Nobody will give a crap if you have degree or not. I know a lot of successful people around me having great investments and running a business without any diploma or degree. Personally what I see is having the essential social skills are much more welcomed than having a paper and being dumb or having lack of common sense.
(for anyone reading the comments) i understand why financial aspect of going to college is a big deal, however that applies to ANY post-secondary education choice. an $80,000 debt is not exclusive to a photography program. I go to on of the top colleges in Canada for photography and I wouldn't have been the shooter I am today if it weren't for my college education. if you can find the means to go to college for photography (and it is something you're passionate about), then do it! (find a great school, with great facilities, and profs that WORK in the industry) if you can't get there, that doesn't mean you won't be a successful shooter just means you have to learn the ropes a different way. (reply to me if you're curious about my college in Ontario, to start its $10k/school year and is a DEGREE program)
DOn't go to college. You'll end up with heaps of debt! You could watch RU-vid to learn to use the equipment - or subscribe to CreativeLive or Kelbyone at a fraction of your tuition fee. As to access to equipment - again, but a camera and a couple of lenses, then rent the rest.
I'm currently at RIT the number 2 school for photography right now and the program is amazing. I definitely believe this is a great decision especially with the co-op opportunities
Nowadays, it's all about skills and with your skills you can generate high income without working for someone. We are in the information age. I don't need to sell my time to a company and get paid for my skills when i know i can do better.
I was graduated from School of Creative Media, CityU of HK. It is famous in HK but tbh lecturers are not very good at teaching. In total I took over 30 courses but only 3-4 courses are useful. So the fact is exact the students who got admitted are really talented but not teachers inside transforming them to become talented. Self effort and learning is fatal. Never expect you will become a completely different or talented after getting admitted to a famous media school.
I live in England and can get most, if not all of the fees paid for college. The only thing I'd need to save money for are basic things like living expenses, travel and equipment. I've always wanted to go to college but I feel like I missed my chance which sounds silly as I'm only 25 but like you said the qualification doesn't actually mean much to employers or clients so you spend all that time and money to work for something you won't use. So the question is; is it better to go to college to learn everything or just read books, watch RU-vid and possibly even get private tuition?
Here's a tip: there's a thing called electives in college, which are classes you can take for credit outside of your major (at my university we had to take 8 of these). There are also minors. If you take 8 classes in photography/art, or minor in it, I promise you you won't be behind people who majored in those fields. Plus, you'll have majored in something that actually guarantees a career like Computer Science and have a fallback option in case your glamorous photography gig doesn't work out (which it doesn't for 99% of people). Doing photography as your main thing is bad bad advice unless you have rich parents to support you or already have big magazines lining up to hire you.
I think not needing to go school for whatever art discipline is a common misconception... college gives you access to resources, the opportunity to network, and a community of talented people whom you can study with/under and even observe, these people will critique you and challenge you to find new perspectives... if you can go... GO
Depends where you live. In the US it might not be worth it, in other countries where education is much cheaper and often better, it might be. There is no right answer for every person, different people have different needs
You know what, i admire you a lot, and I want to work as a photographer. After 3 years of practicing and learning by myself, I think that if someone wants to enter this industry, he has to go to college just for that. He will learn some good things about photoshop, he will work with some magazines maybe, he will meet with other people who have the same dream. Colleges in Europe are very expensive BUT they work very well on photography. If someone practices by himself i think that he will become a good photographer BUT it will be very difficult for him to enter the industry. :/ ( Love you Jessicaaaaaaa
Thanks for touching base on financial issues. I myself am in college for graphic design & I feel like the only one without a Mac. It's a shitty feeling, but I know I have to wait patiently & work extra hard and those things will come with time. Thanks for the vid Jessica!
University (college) in the UK is getting just as expensive now, I did photography, but it was so worth it for me even if I'll be paying my loans for the next 30 years! It's definitely not for anyone and a personal decision, I'm the only one in my family to ever go to university but I did it for me not because people were telling me to/not to go! Definitely a journey, I'm starting my business next year, so excited ✨
@@TheSlipknot666iowa I’m not sure how your schooling system works but we finish high school at 16 and then have college for 2-3years which is free (everyone has to do this or an apprenticeship now) at age 16-18 and then after this you can choose to go to university where you can get your honours degree and further education. You can do other types of courses such as open university and some vocational college courses but you still have to pay for them and there usually isn’t as much choice 😊
I live in UK, and thinking of HND. University is more academic writing instead of being creative. Edit: It’s also affecting my mental and overall health.
i went to photography shool for 2 years and it was the worst waste of time ever. I had to learn so many thing on myone, because neither the shool or my photography job helped me steping my game up. Just go on, learn for yourself. GO OUT & ACTAULLY PHOTOGRAPH STUFF U LIKE and you will improve.i promise
