Expert: Don Wood - 8/12/2002

Question
Greetings Don,

I'm currently a student at the University of California Irvine, under the Computer Engineering Program. Let me tell you, I have found out after two years of being in this program that this isn't my cup of tea. I've tried looking into other majors, like psychology, economics, but none of these do it for me.

I have two key interests in life that I've discovered: automobiles and photography. I really love it when I get that "great shot." I'm not really sure how my interest in photography could pan into a career. I'm going to try to pursue a photography internship at the school newspaper this fall, and I was thinking about attempting to contact some local freelance photographers in the area, to see if they could use an assistant.

What would be your advice to me? I'm not terribly experienced in photography - I just know that I really love it. What do you like best about your job? Is it difficult to find work?

I really appreciate your time.

Thanks,
Michael S.

Answer
You have several good ideas there. The more training/classes you take in school, the better you'll be in your future career.
Photography for the most part is an evening/weekend job. Meaning that reunions, weddings, many newspaper assignments take place when people are enjoying themselves in leisure time. True, there are some photographic jobs that are more traditional in the 9-5, Mon-Fri genre.
Be prepared to spend the rest of your life looking at pictures, figuring how to duplicate them, figuring how to change them to make the image represent your vision not someone else's. You will study art in all its forms, in many genres, looking for your vision. You will learn to be selective in taking pictures so that your percentage of usable pictures will go up. You will continue to do this your entire professional life.
Bear in mind that many small-town newspapers have the idea that any reporter can also take pix, put a camera in their hands, tell them to point it at the subject and press the button. In the larger papers, they may have the budget to be able to send a photographer and a reporter to the same event.
You're proceeding in the right way, you might be able to get some experience with established studios as a part-time hod carrier. Be careful to let them know that you are not interested in staying in the area to give them competition after you've picked their brains for ideas. Don't just blurt this out, do it subtly.
There are some photographic schools out there offering various programs to make you a professional photographer. Brooks Institute and the New York School of Photography come to mind. There are mail-order schools who can offer a very basic curriculuum but will give you an idea of the many types of photography needs.
You must have a good appreciation of people and be able to work with them in a way that will achieve your goals and still not alienate them. It is difficult to do. People expect to hire photogs cheaply because cameras are so easy to use. It will be your job to convince them of your worth. I always suggest that you will probably not be able to fit into a job that will support you completely until after some time. IE, don't quit your day job.
Best of luck to you, keep me posted.