How many photography students?

For the degree it was made clear from the very start that you had to already have a good understanding of equipment and software. We had to make an application and attend an interview with a portfolio of work. It clearly was not for beginners or even the faint-hearted which I think is why we are down to a low number.
 
Odysseus said:
After a year and a half in my class theres still a couple who dont know what an f/stop is, its shocking.
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Reminds me of a girl I used to work with in technical support. She had a CISCO qualification & didn't know what a subnet mask was. I'm not sure if she even knew what an IP address was, either.:bang:
 
I don't get why you all expect the course to hand everything to you on a plate- universities are not school classrooms- you are expected to go out and research and learn for yourselves as well as spending time critiquing work and in discussion with tutors. Google/forums/flickr can teach the technical side easily, while the course concentrates on the theory and feedback the internet can't give.
 
The other thing is, quite strangely, I showed this website to the german teacher i spoke of eairlyer, and he said that there is some amazing stuff on here technically, but that there was a huge lack of anything artistic lol :-D I disagreed, but it does show the varied views within photography!
 
Grant said:
Don't blame the University for the lack of technical knowledge.

And don't blame the University for producing theory based photographers. That's what going to Uni is for, for putting some ideas behind your work, and doing so in a manner that doesn't constitute shallowness and lack of insight.

Our University is very technical based, with a very in depth theory aspect that is hard to keep up with.

The only thing is, the fundementals are lost. The film side isn't important anymore in industry.

But in my opinion, the process of film, the enjoyment of using it, and printing it, are paramount to the photographic field, and without that as a base of your knowledge, you're....kinda missing out.

Which is why I had to teach myself.

But yeah, it's a per student basis - the Uni's will offer as much or as little as you wish to take from them, so the idea that the most competent and strong will rise to the top rings very, very true.
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I do all that and more at college, at my college, the emphasis is on film - producing a good quality image and getting people into the industry doing what they want. thats why its the best photographic school in the country. They arent all rubbish trust me :) my college has produced some of the best photographers of this decade...
 
out of interest feeb, what is your colledge? or anyones for that matter! alma marter fight!
 
photographerian said:
Over the last 4 years I have had 5 students work part time for me. Only 2 of the 5 had any clue of what Aperture is or how it is controlled. They had no idea that you can control your shutter speed by changing F. stops.
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That's absurd!
That would be like a mechanical engineer not knowing what a Newton is or how to calculate the 2nd moment of area of a beam. They are absolute fundamentals of the profession.

I'd be tempted by doing a qualification in photography if it was mostly technical and business based but I'm really not good at the "soft" more arty side of things. I can appreciate that photographers of the past made some absolutely stunning photos but I wouldn't have the first clue of what to write in an essay where I couldn't include diagrams and calculations. But that's probably me, I have a degree in engineering and am working as an analyst, numbers I can deal with but I can't do waffle ;)
 
I've never formally studied photography, although I'm considering doing an A level in it now I've graduated... but the few photography students I know report the same things, that it started with loads of people and a year or so down the line, there are very few left... but they seem to be fairly happy with their courses and what they're learning... they certainly know a lot more than self-taught me about how to use their cameras to their fullest extent :lol:
 
Col_M said:
I'd be tempted by doing a qualification in photography if it was mostly technical and business based but I'm really not good at the "soft" more arty side of things.
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I might be tempted also. I was never any good at creating 'art' either - it seems if you're good at logic, then artistic creativity is very difficult. The inverse would logically be true also...... ;)

I enjoy looking at artworks of many different types. I see some buildings as works of art for example, as well as landscapes. I don't always understand what I'm looking at though.
 
I am thinking of going back and getting a higher-level qualification.... But i don't want to do studio stuff. I would want to try and make it as a photojournalist getting shot at in some little godforsaken hell-hole. But I'm looking at it through rose tinted glasses me thinks. The truth is unless your the best of the best at that kinda thing, you end up not having your pics published or getting much pay.
 
I'd like to do studio stuff because I've never tried it, and I think a course at a local college/uni would have facilities to use :) and it would be nice to have some sort of qualification I could list instead of just having photography under "hobbies & interests" on my CV... :lol:
 
AleksanderLoesch said:
out of interest feeb, what is your colledge? or anyones for that matter! alma marter fight!
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Salisbury School of photography. We have 30 years at the top of the art schools. very veyr good course i enjoy it immensely and it is very analogue based.
 
Hmm, sounds good (analogue *drools* :lol:) i must look it up! since I am thinking of doing such a course!
 
Hey Alek, you would like it, they have sponsership from Hasselblad so we go from 35m film, to medium format film, to large format film and then finally we get to explore large format digital. We also learn about history and different styles, we do massive lighting workshops and can borrow any of the outdoor ranger kits or indoor studio kits for as long as we need to get used to it. Ian is interviewing now for next year, if you want to come on down please PM me and i am happy to get you intouch with him and then maybe you can come down and see us for a bit. :) I cant compare with any other unis but we have a very well stocked, functioning and active photographic department here. Its a well of creativity and a joy to be a part of :) let me know if you need more details x
 
iammartin said:
I don't get why you all expect the course to hand everything to you on a plate- universities are not school classrooms- you are expected to go out and research and learn for yourselves as well as spending time critiquing work and in discussion with tutors. Google/forums/flickr can teach the technical side easily, while the course concentrates on the theory and feedback the internet can't give.
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Good post :)
 
hey feeb! that would be fab! I couldn't find the department on the web though :( it sounds really fun actually! digital large format, I have to say that ive heard of it, but only in writing, I have never seen or have been told about it! is it a super heafty box with some bellows attached and a massivley oversized sensor? or am I just immagining something out of a mad scientists workshop? its cool that you get to take cameras out, our department doesn't have any for us to use (we get 6-10 people a year, at least half drop out, so there isn't enough cash for stuff like that) the teacher brings in his equipment for us to use sometimes though, thats fun! I will send a pm!
 
aww mate, for some reason they have got NOTHING up at the moment, had this chat the other day with one of the new students, took them HOURS to find the college online!! not good for us really but still have an overwhelming amount of new students so i guess reputation keeps us afloat! Definatly going to talk to Ian about sorting out the website soon... Anyway, i will email you Ians direct number, you can have a chat with him, arrange a day to come down and then tell me coz it would be lovely to meet you and show you around :) I am away as of next week until May 1st which might make things difficult but Ian is very amineable and i am sure you will enjoy the college :) Pm'g you now xx
 
we have seven hasselblads, two digital backs for them and a number of other various small and large format cameras. its very very cool :) i actually meant medium format digital not large, sorry but it just strikes me as so big anyway that i get confused! :p
 
cheers!

actually, the hasselblad backs almost are lf one company is developing some HUUUGE! 60 or 80 megapixel one apparently..... still to date ive only used ilford 400 in hassy's so its still exiting lol :D
 
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