Hey folks, some of you may remember my thread "young photographer seeks wisdom". This essentially is a more refined sequel. I apologize if this is the wrong forum or website to be asking these questions.
Recently I have taken a mounting interest in fashion photography, and in my research about steps for my future, I've come to a few large conclusions that I want to bounce off of someone-- preferably who knows what they're talking about.
Until a few months ago, I was planning on double-majoring at my university, a business/finance and 'photography' degree after finishing my first year of being undecided. I submitted a portfolio and was able to get into the graduate level photography class as a freshman. Upon accessing the equipment and "studio space" (a handful of strobes and a single reflector in front of essentially a tarp), it was apparent my photography dreams would not, and could not flourish here... I had more equipment in my old high school !
I guess I had planned on pursing the photography thing to eventually drop it for a "real job" in finance or something, but after a career fair and some research into what the business/finance world actually looks like, I think I would actually rather die. It's the kind of thing where I hit my head and realized that I have a dream that I need to pursue, and doing anything else would feel like throwing my life away, which is scary.
Luckily, I feel as though, at least, I have the discretion to cut through all of the social media "pop culture photography" BS and produce a portfolio that will come across as refined, cohesive, and intentional to the trained eye.
For the portfolio aspect, I've been able to solve the problem of studio space. A friend of mine who is an old local fashion (and eventually airplane/commercial advertising) photographer has a capacious studio and is willing to rent it out to me monthly if I can provide him with a decent proposal in terms of portfolio style and planned entry into the industry (partly why I'm writing this). It's an incredible opportunity for someone of my age and background, and it would be stupid of me to not try my darnedest.
After a small amount of research it became abundantly apparent that where you live (and go to school) matters hugely in terms of making connections into the fashion/glamor/figure industry, with major cities being LA, Chicago, and NYC, of course.
Which brings me to my first question: The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York offers a (supposedly) damn good fashion photography education in 2 and 4 year options, and out of state tuition is almost the same as my in-state tuition at my current school, even before financial aid (which I thankfully am not short of). Is it stupid to knock out gen-ed and pre-requisites at my state school, shoot a whole bunch, save, and then transfer to FIT in NYC to pursue this dream of being a fashion photographer???
Additionally, what does the industry look like for a young post-graduate photographer in NYC? Obviously there are many more opportunities than where I'm from, but if it's a hugely saturated market with little opportunity for growth, is it even worth it? What about on the senior level? What does working with creative directors and editorial teams look like? How hard is it to land something with a salary? What is the turnover like? Is it seasonal? How hard is it to survive?
I fortunately have enough money to attempt this for at least my junior and senior year. I would be working and living with roommates and commuting to school. What do you think? Can anyone who's more knowledgable about the industry in this area provide some clarification? Thank you!
And to anyone who took the time to read through this whole essay: thank you! It really actually means a lot to me.
Recently I have taken a mounting interest in fashion photography, and in my research about steps for my future, I've come to a few large conclusions that I want to bounce off of someone-- preferably who knows what they're talking about.
Until a few months ago, I was planning on double-majoring at my university, a business/finance and 'photography' degree after finishing my first year of being undecided. I submitted a portfolio and was able to get into the graduate level photography class as a freshman. Upon accessing the equipment and "studio space" (a handful of strobes and a single reflector in front of essentially a tarp), it was apparent my photography dreams would not, and could not flourish here... I had more equipment in my old high school !
I guess I had planned on pursing the photography thing to eventually drop it for a "real job" in finance or something, but after a career fair and some research into what the business/finance world actually looks like, I think I would actually rather die. It's the kind of thing where I hit my head and realized that I have a dream that I need to pursue, and doing anything else would feel like throwing my life away, which is scary.
Luckily, I feel as though, at least, I have the discretion to cut through all of the social media "pop culture photography" BS and produce a portfolio that will come across as refined, cohesive, and intentional to the trained eye.
For the portfolio aspect, I've been able to solve the problem of studio space. A friend of mine who is an old local fashion (and eventually airplane/commercial advertising) photographer has a capacious studio and is willing to rent it out to me monthly if I can provide him with a decent proposal in terms of portfolio style and planned entry into the industry (partly why I'm writing this). It's an incredible opportunity for someone of my age and background, and it would be stupid of me to not try my darnedest.
After a small amount of research it became abundantly apparent that where you live (and go to school) matters hugely in terms of making connections into the fashion/glamor/figure industry, with major cities being LA, Chicago, and NYC, of course.
Which brings me to my first question: The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York offers a (supposedly) damn good fashion photography education in 2 and 4 year options, and out of state tuition is almost the same as my in-state tuition at my current school, even before financial aid (which I thankfully am not short of). Is it stupid to knock out gen-ed and pre-requisites at my state school, shoot a whole bunch, save, and then transfer to FIT in NYC to pursue this dream of being a fashion photographer???
Additionally, what does the industry look like for a young post-graduate photographer in NYC? Obviously there are many more opportunities than where I'm from, but if it's a hugely saturated market with little opportunity for growth, is it even worth it? What about on the senior level? What does working with creative directors and editorial teams look like? How hard is it to land something with a salary? What is the turnover like? Is it seasonal? How hard is it to survive?
I fortunately have enough money to attempt this for at least my junior and senior year. I would be working and living with roommates and commuting to school. What do you think? Can anyone who's more knowledgable about the industry in this area provide some clarification? Thank you!
And to anyone who took the time to read through this whole essay: thank you! It really actually means a lot to me.
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