Expert: Don Wood - 2/21/2005

Question
Hi, I'm doing a report on photography and i need an interview, so I was wondering if you could answer these ten questions for me:
1. What type of education is needed to become a photographer? Art School? College?

2. On average, what is the salary of a photographer?

3. What role does creativity play in this career?

4. What equipment is used?

5. Are there specific brands that give better results (cameras, film, etc.)?

6. How difficult is it to be successful in photography?

7. Is there competition between photographers?

8. Is it difficult to find jobs, or places to sell photographs?

9. Does it seem better to create your own studio, or be hired by a company?

10. Last, are there certain locations in the world where photography is more important, or easier to find a job in?

That's all, thanks for your time, and answering these questions.

Answer
1. 3. The more education you can get the better. There are many schools of photography out there, when I first started there were only 2-3 non-journalism schools. You will be developing your skills over the rest of your life. This is called photographic eyes. That is the ability to see the picture in the scene that best tells the story of that scene, whether it's of people or scenery.
2. Salary will depend upon what you are doing. Each field of photography will vary as to the wage you will command. If you have your own studio you will have to weather the ups and downs of this business of making memories. Feast or famine, one week you're so busy that you can't get the work done in timely fashion. The next week you'll be wondering if you will be able to pay your bills before you're hounded by bill collectors.
Creativity plays a major role, the cameras of today are so sophisticated that you can easily achieve the perfectly exposed negative the difference is in your eyes, the ability to see THE BIG PICTURE.
Equipment will vary with the type of photography you're doing, obviously, people photography uses a smaller camera than the product photographer who want a large negative to work with. If you don't need a strobe in the field you're in, you won't get one.
Photography is a business, you're selling nostalgia, memories of incidents, it is very competitive with many part-timers in the field. Why go to the pro who charges $500-1000 when you can get almost the same for $200 from the part-time weekend warriors.
9. There are benefits to both sides, if you're part of a company, you get paid whether there is work or not,(if you don't get laid off because of lack of work). If you are your own studio than what you earn is what you have less your bills, rent, food, lodging, etc.
10. Obviously, a larger town will offer more prospects that will pay your price. A small town might not let you have this luxury because you will need to do anything that brings in the cash.  A country that is poor would not be a place to start a photo studio, they don't have enough income to afford you no matter how good you are. U.S., Canada, Japan, U.K., France, Germany, Europe. Africa would not be a good choice unless you are being hired by a company to document that particular county.
Jobs are difficult to find, it's such a specialized industry. You will probably have to move to a different location where the work is.
In general, your education should include developing your skills in the business world, the art of working with people is a definite asset. Education is formal, ie, college, trade school or informal, observation of proven masters of the trade.
Thanks, if I can help further, let me know.
Don