Where to Study Photography?

[densimkh]

I'm not sure if this is the right forum to start this thread but I presume some of you(in the business) have studied photography.

I'm interested to do a degree in photography in a foreign university - preferably in continental Europe - my interest has always been fine art, portrait and street photography - I do not intend to pursue a career in photography after my course - this is purely for pursuit of a passion but am open to it.

Could you give me recommendations for a good photography school? Your own personal experience would be most helpful. Also how long is a typical degree course?

Thanks.

 

[Agetan]

Most universities would offer art degree and you can select photography as your major.

It's about choosing one uni that will accept you as student.

Do u have any preference in which uni?

To be entirely honest, art is something grow from within and most great artist in this world are self-taught.

Going to uni doesn't make you a better photoraphers or artist.

Art and photography generally is a self expression which fit in your voice that you want to share with the world.

I hope that make sense.

I didn't go to school nor any formal qualification on photography, I think I have done ok.

Regards,

Hart

 

[JacePhoto]

I think the right education (on top of interest, experience and ability) does help alot (i really mean alot). I have been out of touch with the education side, but if my memory still serves me, New York has some good institutes for photography. Cant remb the names though.

 

[slrp61]

http://www.brightoncollege.org.uk/senior-photography.asp
Photography at Brighton College

well if you have the skill go ahead and study it formally, i understand that for some photography jobs, a piece of cert is very important. =)

 

[densimkh]

Thanks guys.

I do feel that photography and the skills and style that you adopt must be fueled by your passion. Nevertheless, I also feel that some formal and technical training may be good to bring you to the next level - for example learning to be methodical in the technical aspects so that you can learn to express yourself better in your shots or learning techniques from great photographers and how they take their shots would also be beneficial.

The other reason of course it to be immersed in a different culture and learn photography and/or art from that different culture.

So Hart, i actually agree with your views but feel that even more could be learnt from a formal education.

Thanks. If there is anyone else who can share their personal experience from formal education in photography - that would be great.

 

[Agetan]

Thanks guys.

I do feel that photography and the skills and style that you adopt must be fueled by your passion. Nevertheless, I also feel that some formal and technical training may be good to bring you to the next level - for example learning to be methodical in the technical aspects so that you can learn to express yourself better in your shots or learning techniques from great photographers and how they take their shots would also be beneficial.

The other reason of course it to be immersed in a different culture and learn photography and/or art from that different culture.

So Hart, i actually agree with your views but feel that even more could be learnt from a formal education.

Thanks. If there is anyone else who can share their personal experience from formal education in photography - that would be great.

I remember talking to David Oliver, one of the great master photographer in the world.

He mentioned that her daughter wanted to go to formal education on photography while he didn't see much point.

What he did was, he ask her daughter to do a portfolio of her work before going to the school and one after have spend some time in the school.

She left the school after that....

David did mentioned that the work become so "Technically Correct" but loses all the fine elements that makes a great picture.

Sure, you will learn technique, but that is about it really. I am coming from a very technical background (engineering) and I did exactly that, I follow every technical aspect rigorously when I first started... if I look back on the images that I created when I first started 7 years ago... I am just laughing on myself on how naive I was....

Anyway... this is my experience, you are more then welcome to try and share your experiences after you finish years from now. I could be very wrong.

Regards,

Hart

Anyway... Its up to you.

Regards,

Hart

 

[allenleonhart]

a little from my personal experience...

i had a photographic coach from school. under him i often felt... squished. a lot of thing he teaches are really settings. shoot event? f5.6, iso 400, shutter speec 1/200 with flash. shoot studio? f8. iso 200. shutter speed 1/100. flash- he set. shoot sports? another set of settings.

i didnt learn a lot of things tbh. just how to operate a camera.

submitted a series of CBD shots for him to review. i show u the reply.

Hi I had view through these photos, no problem on basic exposures and composition skills, colours are vibrant, the use of editing techniques are well take care, Congratulation.

nothing else offered. i can show u the photos (they werent fantastic), and now i can nit pick at my own images. none of the images said anything, didnt mean a thing.

i was fed up of course. i wanted to learn more, but i am not being taught/guided more! no comment on mood, emotions, meaning, etc etc.

sometimes, i am desperate until just drop questions to photographers i respect and admire. some of them do take the time to give very well covered, indepth analysis for improvement.

one of them has kindly mentored me over the past 2-3 weeks for football photography, taken loads of time to run through my selection/edits of photos, gave me his opinions on the shots, how i could improve. best of all? i shot beside him at the lion city cup and he was guiding me all the way. and he did it out of goodwill really. never asked for any repayment.


i'm still learning, and i still have a very very long way to go in the future, still got a lot to learn. in fact u will be surprised! a few here has helped me before, guided me in one way or another.... very grateful to them for taking time out ...

soo.... dun restrict urself so much. sometimes having proper lessons isnt the only way to go. keep ur eyes out open, learn from anything around u... might be good to take a few starter courses? but do keep ur options open

 

[frederickykfoo]

NTU have degree course as well in photography
http://www.adm.ntu.edu.sg/CurrentADM/Undergraduate/UndergraduateDegree/AY2011onwards/Pages/Home.aspx:angel:

 

[foxtwo]

I studied in Australia for a TAFE (diploma) course in Applied Photography. Admittedly I didn't learn much, all my skills today is more from my fulltime assisting experience than while doing coursework. But the creativity / vision is a accumulation of everything I've seen & felt. Being elsewhere and a different environment does have a effect, I have become who I am. If given the chance to experience life outside Singapore, by all means go for it. And since earning from photography is not your final intention, the argument of whether proper photography schooling benefits doesn't really factor.

Base your college priority by their Fine Arts program first, since that's what's you're really interested in. How their photography dept runs may mostly mean how well equipped their studio is. Does having more equipment help in producing your artistic vision? Well it may or may not, but one certainly should not need to depend on it right?

Being methodical technically, well that mostly differs according to what you're using to shoot. When I was schooling, we used film with RB67s and large format cameras. We had no choice but to be methodical in both camera actions and compositions to avoid mistakes. If we had a bit more money, we could share a pack of Polaroids to improve our chances. Now with digital, actions are still methodical but the checklist is abbreviated and obviously with the ability to test & trial till heart's content we no longer suffer the anxiety of getting a 1 shot kill. If you're really intent in following in the footsteps of great photographers, their methodical techniques, large format film photography is waiting for you. Having the luxury to sit (hunch) and mull over compositions (alone under a black cloth) may actually benefit a fine arts photographer.

All the best!

 

[agape01]

I do have formal photography education and if you want to know more, PM me.

 

[agape01]

When I was schooling, we used film with RB67s and large format cameras. We had no choice but to be methodical in both camera actions and compositions to avoid mistakes. If we had a bit more money, we could share a pack of Polaroids to improve our chances. Now with digital, actions are still methodical but the checklist is abbreviated and obviously with the ability to test & trial till heart's content we no longer suffer the anxiety of getting a 1 shot kill. If you're really intent in following in the footsteps of great photographers, their methodical techniques, large format film photography is waiting for you. Having the luxury to sit (hunch) and mull over compositions (alone under a black cloth) may actually benefit a fine arts photographer.

All the best!

Well said. That was what I had to go through in my first 6 months of photography school and they also wanted to see the Polaroid as part of the submission.

 

[JacePhoto]

Ya. I miss those days of 1 shot 1 kill approach.

And also, I didn't know how valuable the 4 years of studying art history and looking at countless of painting was for, until you start to make money from photography. LoL

 

[yamcake]

Go US. Centre of photography in the world..

SVA, chicago art institute or Yale are good photo schools, but it's more on the fine art theory stuff, means they might not teach much technical stuff.

If you like stuff from Struth, Gursky, Germany is also a good place, but their photography us only of a certain style if you know what I mean...

Its good to go to arts school because of exposure and environment that is otherwise very difficult to get learning on your own. I have been learning myself until I went to an local arts school uni and I got so much more there..