Comments on: The Top 11 Things Photographers Wish They Learned in Photo School

By: Steve Coleman

Steve Coleman — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 01:48:21 +0000

Very good. I was trying to pick one point that really stood out. Problem is they all do. Priceless. I must share this. Cheers Steve

By: Fotograf Poznań

Fotograf Poznań — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:31:51 +0000

i think that point “You don’t have to be perfect” is very important

By: Lucky 17 Photography

Lucky 17 Photography — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:25:48 +0000

The thing that I’m learning now after years of doing this on my own is that although many of the industry’s best went to a specialized school or technical program for photography, going to a formal school is not necessarily a requirement for success. I am very much a self-taught photographer, and my ability grew from my curiosity and years and years and years of practice. I eventually sought some technical training in a part-time night school environment and continued to learn and experiment on my own. You have to have the WANT but you can definitely achieve your goals. The important thing to remember is it’s NEVER TOO LATE TO LEARN! Though I believe I’m beyond my full-time college days, I still actively seek out training sessions, seminars, books, online classes, webinars, tutorials… the works. So although we may have missed some things in “photo school,” it’s never too late to learn new skills. Ultimately we need to always continue to learn because in order to succeed in an increasingly digital age, we must adapt to a rapidly changing industry. Anyway, great post!! Really enjoying the Bootcamp!

By: serious2020

serious2020 — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 23:55:26 +0000

Mostly everyone here has said everything…I’m just starting out and trying to learn web design, pricing, marketing, more about my craft, etc by the seat of my pants. This is because a major public university has decided that its more cost effective to have only undergrads in their journalism department, so they kicked all the grad students out of the department. I’d like to know more about pricing – and what to say to people who insist that photographers should only be paid when they put their photographs up on their web sites – but not for their time / labor on a shoot…

By: Avonia Photography

Avonia Photography — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:46:12 +0000

This perfectly links to a series of articles I am writing for aspiring photographers here in the Chicago area about “how to become a professional photographer”. On a weekly basis I receive dozens of inquires about “how to become a photographer”. Some from recent photography school students and some from individuals seeking a career change. Your article addresses much of the first and parallels many of my own experiences. Thank you for writing up something so detailed and in depth. In case you are interested my article series in on our studio site: http://www.avoniaphotography.com/article/how-become-professional-photographer

By: Glenn Stokes

Glenn Stokes — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 14:20:48 +0000

I learn a lot about photography when I take a trip for a day, weekend, or even a week, and do NOT take a camera with me. I see, hear, smell, interact, learn. Being behind the lens all the time, or in front of the computer screen doing editing, can create a dividing line between me and the “outside world”. Just taking the time to live and enjoy helps me to gain a better appreciation for what images to record and how to go about recording them.

By: Guy Reynolds

Guy Reynolds — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 23:11:57 +0000

3) It’s not the camera, it’s the photographer. Cameras and lenses, computer hardware and software, are required tools for photographers. But too often, photographers expect too much from their tools, and not enough from themselves. It’s important to remember that the equipment doesn’t make a photographer. Don’t expect the gear to do the heavy lifting. this may be off point but an above entry lauds someone in NYC for shooting with an iPhone. Then I found this #3 most important thing not learned in school. So Whoopdedoo! Why even bother telling anyone something was shot with an iPhone? Is it not about the image anymore? Did you say whether it was an F3 or an F2 in 1980? Or quite possibly someone was using a Minolta SRT-102 or a Pentax K1000 still. I guess we’re expected to lower the bar of expectation when told it’s an iPhone? Or what? Strip away the window dressing the the (un)Hipstamatic app slaps on there and get down to the essential content. It’s either good or it isn’t and imho it doesn’t matter one whit what it was shot with.

By: brookland

brookland — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 02:36:35 +0000

Amen to pricing, marketing, and running a business. I’m just starting out and all those photo classes AND marketing classes are still leaving me stumbling. I’m glad I’ve got web design as a backup to pay the bills while I figure out these other things.

By: Maddison

Maddison — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 14:24:24 +0000

Thank you for this! I’m in my junior year at my university, and between photography classes and marketing classes, I think this article may have taught me more than I’ve learned the past few years.

By: Photogether

Photogether — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 11:03:34 +0000

Self confidence and a belief in your own ability is key to success. Not arrogance as this means that you will not be willing to learn from others. If you have talent the important thing is to learn how to apply it to achieve your goals whether these are financial or not.