Future Career in Photography

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yellowdragon

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Joey
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Hi,
So I am just starting my life outside of High School, and i don't know what I would like to do in life. I do have a few things that i have in mind.. I would really like to be a professional photographer, but then i kind of want to go into Criminal Justice. The options are endless. But photography is something that i have always been interested in.
I guess my main question is, has anyone been to photography school and like enjoyed it so much to make a career out of it? Also, what is the career that you made out of it, or heard that people have made a career out of?
My photography has gotten so much better over the years, but i think now my skills have kinda sucked, i would like to learn more about photography and get more involved in taking my skills and incorporating it into something that could be amazing. The pictures that i have taken are a wide variety. The best picture that i am most proud of is The Milky Way. That was the best picture that i had ever taken. I would like to take even more amazing pictures and learn more about it.
Sorry for rambling on, but i hope that some of you can give me some options that i may have in the future. Cause at this point i just have the base, and no where to go with it.
Thank you.
 
Hi Joey,
You don't say where you are, I am guessing the States. My answer is from a UK perspective, I entered the profession back in the 1970s when prospective employers normally expected qualifications so I spent three years at college studying for my City and Guilds 744 in general photography followed a couple of years later studying for my BA (hons), I have worked professionally since then till retirement in 2015, 35 years were spent employed as a Science Photographer at the Natural History Museum in London.
However things have changed over the years and qualifications in photography have largely become redundant, there has been a reduction in the number of employed photographers, my unit at the museum was 18 strong when I joined in 1980, when I retired that had reduced to three persons. One of the turning points was the introduction of digital imagery and there was a great increase in the number of self employed photographers, I won't say that was because it made good quality imagery easy but it made it more attractive for the enthusiast with suitable business knowledge to follow this career path even to the point of there being a glut of photographers in some areas (I was lucky as my field was very specialised).
Today we see what will probably be the greatest change to the profession one that has stopped many working and made some areas of photography impossible to carry out, these changes I can't see being short term and will involve many adjustments to they way people work.
Back in 1971 things were a whole lot different and I don't think, if it was today, I would consider entering the profession and would have followed my Uncle into Architecture. What I am saying really is to look at and consider the aspects of both career choices, I know which one I would choose if in your position.

Phil
 
My recommendation is that you get a good, well paying job, and work on your photography as a side-job. You'll be able to judge after a while if there is enough business in it for you to switch, at a time of your choosing.

The trick is to find a niche that you can become truly expert in. That's not about the use of a camera as such, its more about being able to produce the images people want (often without them being able to articulate what they want), consistently, every time. It means that you need to understand your chosen subject matter really well. It means being able to deal with the people you are working with and for in a manner that exudes skill and professionalism, and confidence that you'll get the job done.

The photography part of it is only 10% or so. You need the other 90% in order to make a business from it.

You've presented us with two possible career paths - photography and criminal justice. I suggest you go into criminal justice, and work on your photography as much as you can during your evenings/weekends/holidays.
 
Photography is a job for those who are so committed that they can not imagine doing anything else.
There are very few wealthy Photographers most run their businesses hand to mouth.
Very few that study photography at College or University end up working as Photographers.
Even fewer people stay working as photographers their entire lives.

I was smitten by Photography at age 10 and did little else my entire working life however I did add allied strings to my bow as I went along Including Lithographic printing, Design and management. Ending my last few years as a College print and Photographic manager.

There is no doubt at all that the most successful photographic businesses, are run by photographers who studied business, finance.and marketing, rather than Photography.

The technical side of photography is the easy bit. The difficult bit is making a decent living from it.


However I did enjoy studying photography. though I learned very little about the technical side of photography, as I already knew most of the syllabus. However I learnt a great deal about Art generally and even more about design and seeing. And visited just about every museum and art gallery in London.

Were I starting again with your options I would take the legal route. As when I started, the Photography world was full of opportunities and jobs were everywhere. My first proper job was as the senior photographer in a large new commercial/ advertising studio in Madrid in the late 50's.

Today everyone thinks they are a photographer and even Businesses think that anyone with a decent camera can do their commercial and industrial work for them. Advertising jobs are few and far between. opportunities for a skilled photographer are minimal. Even the wedding world is overflowing with wannabees. it has become a very difficult profession indeed. However just a few of the most skilled and dedicated will have what it takes to make it, and businesslike enough to make a good living.
 
Being honest now isn't the time to be starting a photography career. The social distancing and effect on the economy is going to make social/studio photography pretty much dead in the water for the next few months or more likely years. Even if lifted the long term effect of lockdown means many will be unable to afford luxury items like photos, weddings, etc with millions laid off.
Some commercial photography will continue but with many experienced photographers chasing jobs it's going to get harder to get those few jobs going.
Criminal law on the other hand is always going to be around, and you'll make a LOT more money if your any good.
Yes by all means keep at your photography and who knows what the future will bring, I may be 100% wrong (I doubt it though) but either way a Lawyer will make you richer, looking at the going rate your looking at over 50k a year wages raising, not many photographers are trousering that I suspect.
 
It would be easy to make a good career in criminal justice with a nice sideline / hobby as a photographer.

It would be harder to make a good career in photography, with criminal justice as a hobby / sideline.

To succeed in criminal justice you'll need to get all the qualifications.

To succeed in photography, you don't need to go to school. You can learn on the go as you develop <pun intended>
 
Why not look at combining the two and look at something like criminal forensics.
 
I would say go for it, however you need a lot of business knowledge and it depends on the area of photography you go into as to the cash you make. Its not all fun and games and does become ground hog day pretty quick, 25% photography 75% business.

My advice is if you love and have a real passion for photography, don't do it as a business, you could make a living and that may surfice, but you have to be distanced from it enough to make it pay.

I am one of the very fortunate business owners who make a lot of money from photography, but it is made through the business skills primarily, photography is just what we do as a business if that makes sense.
 
Tobers said:
My recommendation is that you get a good, well paying job, and work on your photography as a side-job. You'll be able to judge after a while if there is enough business in it for you to switch, at a time of your choosing.
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This is the best advice you will get here. Just this.
 
swanseamale47 said:
Being honest now isn't the time to be starting a photography career. The social distancing and effect on the economy is going to make social/studio photography pretty much dead in the water for the next few months or more likely years. Even if lifted the long term effect of lockdown means many will be unable to afford luxury items like photos, weddings, etc with millions laid off.
Some commercial photography will continue but with many experienced photographers chasing jobs it's going to get harder to get those few jobs going.
Criminal law on the other hand is always going to be around, and you'll make a LOT more money if your any good.
Yes by all means keep at your photography and who knows what the future will bring, I may be 100% wrong (I doubt it though) but either way a Lawyer will make you richer, looking at the going rate your looking at over 50k a year wages raising, not many photographers are trousering that I suspect.
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Where do you get 50k for a newly qualified lawyer? A good photographer should be doing lawyer money should they not?

https://www.payscale.com/research/UK/Job=Criminal_Defense_Lawyer/Salary
 
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munch said:
Why not look at combining the two and look at something like criminal forensics.
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The role of forensic photographer has all but disappeared and investigators are expected to multitask now.
 
andrewc said:
To succeed in criminal justice you'll need to get all the qualifications.
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I think a few people are making some incorrect assumptions.

In the UK that phrase might mean study law to become a barrister/solicitor.

In the US it firmly implies working as a police officer, prison officer or a Federal agency. Whereas you'd almost certainly need a degree for the latter, not so for the other two.
 
DemiLion said:
The role of forensic photographer has all but disappeared and investigators are expected to multitask now.
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I did some work for what was then scenes of crime, they used to do the forces PR photos as well. The standing joke being before they could take the chief Constable handing over a cheque (or whatever) they had to chalk around him first. :)
 
swanseamale47 said:
I did some work for what was then scenes of crime, they used to do the forces PR photos as well. The standing joke being before they could take the chief Constable handing over a cheque (or whatever) they had to chalk around him first. :)
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Those two roles were separated out years ago. The former is now part of forensics, the latter barely exists apart from a tiny number of forces. The hire of external photographers is pretty much non-existant now as well.
 
DemiLion said:
I think a few people are making some incorrect assumptions.

In the UK that phrase might mean study law to become a barrister/solicitor.

In the US it firmly implies working as a police officer, prison officer or a Federal agency. Whereas you'd almost certainly need a degree for the latter, not so for the other two.
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You're right. Thanks for clarification. The poster's writing suggests America.
 
DemiLion said:
The role of forensic photographer has all but disappeared and investigators are expected to multitask now.
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Did I say anything about forensic photographer?
 
Unless the OP returns and tells us what country he is in then it's a hard question to answer IMHO ... At least much easier with more info :)
 
Thank you for all of the comments, I do think that i want to keep photography as a big thing in my career. Like someone that commented said, that now during these times aren't the best for business.. since well there is not business that is open now. I think that i will try the Criminal Justice for now and use photography as a hobby.. but keep it relevant in my life for now.
 
MartynK said:
Indeed, but you did ask 'Where do you get 50k for a newly qualified lawyer?'. That's been answered.
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Well it was answered incorrectly, if you actually read that article at no point does it state 50K, more importantly it fails to mention specifically criminal law solicitors. :)
 
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