Becoming a Photographer....

[djs]

Hi all!

I'm after some advice from the Pro's here.

After completing a 2 year course in computing I've suddenly become interested in Photography and I'm now considering this as a future career. I reckon I would enjoy my job much more if it was Photography.

However, I would like some advice on how to get to the stage where you setup your own company as a pro.

I've been looking through previous posts on the forum about courses. Some people haven't done courses and some have.
I'm be interested in the studio Portraits + weddings side.

I have also looked at the courses in my area (Nottingham) with colleges and they all seem rather basic considering the amount of time you spend on the course (2-3 years).
Is there such a thing as an intensive course where you learn everything in a short amount of time?

Has anyone tried thisclaims to be the best course in the world lol)
http://www.inst.org/photography-courses/

Is it best just to learn via experience from some pro's by getting paid peanuts from working with them as a junior?

Do you have any advice on what to do?
Where did you all start? And how did you get to where you are now?

Thanks
djs

 

[inaneredstripe]

inst of photo.set up in 2007. loads of history then.suprised a college round your way cant do owt for you.
there are loads of studios in notts that maybe worth aproaching tho.
my mrs (the gaffer did all the courses years ago.a hobby realy , and did a few weddings for freinds , family , aquantances.
got asked to do a fair few more by proper paying customers .amased a lot of work for porfolio
eventualy decided to go pro when i bought her a load of digital kit for her birthday a while back.rocky start with most profits going back in while i paid the bills doing a "proper job"
were now doing well and learnt a lot on the way.
theres a hell of a lot more to doing weddings thasn a lot of people think.keep looking at what your doing and making sure the customer is happy , but your still making money/building a reputation.

 

[Gary Bagshawe]

Is it best just to learn via experience from some pro's by getting paid peanuts from working with them as a junior?

Do you have any advice on what to do?
Where did you all start? And how did you get to where you are now?

Thanks
djs

You would not be getting paid peanuts as the experience you would gain in a short time you could not put a price on. I feel that going down this route would be the best option for learning. I cant help feeling that you are after a quick fix to do something people have spent years learning, buying a course in a box would be bad imho. there is always great advice on this forum and tagging along with a pro a few times and maybe asking (if there is time after the shoot) if you can take some pics as well will help build a portfolio, this will be important as it matters not a bit what qualifications you tell a client you have they WILL want to see examples of your work.
HTH.

 

[bobtastic]

You would not be getting paid peanuts as the experience you would gain in a short time you could not put a price on. I feel that going down this route would be the best option for learning. I cant help feeling that you are after a quick fix to do something people have spent years learning, buying a course in a box would be bad imho. there is always great advice on this forum and tagging along with a pro a few times and maybe asking (if there is time after the shoot) if you can take some pics as well will help build a portfolio, this will be important as it matters not a bit what qualifications you tell a client you have they WILL want to see examples of your work.
HTH.

Thanks for the advice! I was hoping someone would tell me to tag along Seems much easier than doing a course. And cheaper!