Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/03/19

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Subject: [Leica] Crazy idea? Getting a photography degree
From: dalmy at comcast.net (David W. Almy)
Date: Sat Mar 19 05:05:42 2005
References: <6.1.0.6.2.20050319024127.05e10d70@192.168.100.42>

Richard,

You're not entirely crazy. Almost 30 years ago, I wanted to be a 
photographer, so I wrote a letter to the then-director of National 
Geographic's photo division asking where I should go to school for 
photography. He wrote back that the Nat Geo photographers of the day had 
degrees in english, architecture, history, etc., but none had photography 
degrees. Of course, I concluded from this that a photography degree would 
give me a leg up in that crowd, and so went out and got a B.S. in 
professional photography (i.e. commercial vs. "fine art" -- which REALLY 
meant unemployment at that time) from RIT, class of '82. And also, of 
course, I have never worked as a full-time photographer since. I have worked 
as a part time photographer ever since, however, and it's been a skill set, 
like writing, that's always come in handy. It is true that learning with 
like-minded people in a focused (sorry) way is more efficient and more fun. 
Depends on what your goals are. Like any itch, perhaps it would be best to 
scratch it a few times and see if it goes away. Why not take a few courses 
and see how it goes?

Best of luck,

David W. Almy
Annapolis
B.S. photo, M.S. journalism
46, married 16 years, 2 kidz, multiple Leica mortgages

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard" <richard-lists@imagecraft.com>
To: <lug@leica-users.org>
Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2005 5:47 AM
Subject: [Leica] Crazy idea? Getting a photography degree


> This is pretty crazy. I am almost 43, married for 21 years, have 2 kidz, 
> silicon valley mortgage, runs a small business, and... I am thinking about 
> getting a photography degree...
>
> I already have a Bachelor degree in EE and a Master degree in Comp. Sci. 
> May be it would be easier if I spend the money and just buys lots of film 
> and travel around and takes tons of pictures and learn to enjoy Xtol in 
> the morning. Yet somehow there is a yearning. The Academy of Art 
> (www.academyart.edu) is almost local enough, right in SF, and I can even 
> take online courses. I suppose I am more interested in the "Fine Arts," 
> Documentary type of work, but I don't know.
>
> I don't know, may be the feeling will disappear tomorrow.
>
> // richard (This email is for mailing lists. To reach me directly, please 
> use richard at imagecraft.com)
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> 



In reply to: Message from richard-lists at imagecraft.com (Richard) ([Leica] Crazy idea? Getting a photography degree)