Considering a digital photography degree

[clarityat3am]

I'm going to be checking out a design school that has a digital photography degree. I'm excited because this is actually something creative that I might be able to make a living at. I know there are several ace photographers here, so I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on the industry for me? If I really like it and can fund my way through it, I'm going to, but I don't want to be stuck with a degree in something that I can't find my own niche in. Here's a link to the school and the program.

http://www.interiordesign.edu/degree_programs/digital_photography/definition.asp

 

[Justin24]

Thanks for the link. Were is this school located?

 

[clarityat3am]

It's in Chicago.

 

[Justin24]

Dammit.

 

[Liesje]

I'm into digital photography as a hobby, so I don't have personal experience in the industry except that a good friend of my family is going out of business soon. He's an award winning photographer and has been successful for ages, but made most of his money shooting head shots for school pictures and doing senior photos, engagements, weddings, family portraits, etc. He made the transition to digital very well. However, he told us now that everyone and their grandma has a digital camera, no one has been hiring him for school photos, weddings, etc. Doing the elementary school photos alone is not enough income to keep up with the changing technology, so he's being force to bail out.

The digital photographers I contacted about my wedding were all studio photographers who did weddings and other events on the side. They had their own offices and were somehow still getting enough clients for professional portraits and weddings on the side to stay out of the red.

It seems like weddings are a great way to get started because even people like me who no longer need to hire a pro for portraits, obviously I could not photograph my own wedding and value photos enough to pay a fair amount for the service. If you do a good job, the bride will recommend you to her friends and your client base will expand.

 

[anitram]

I know somebody who went into this business with her husband. They started out doing weddings - she was a photographer and he would do the video part of it. Most people getting married want to hire the same people to do both, rather than separately. They made excellent money doing it, but not enough to quit their daytime jobs for about 2-3 years until they got established.

 

[ntalwar]

I do concert photography as a hobby. A friend of mine was considered the best motocross photographer in the country (he's taking a break from the travel now). He was published weekly in motocross magazines and sites like motocross.com, and he has clients who buy photos from his web site. Despite all of that, he still maintains his full-time IT job. In other words, he does it mainly for the additional income.

 

[Carek1230]

I say go for it Nicole!