Education versus experience

A frequent topic of discussion among small business owners is the value of formal education versus experience. Clearly there are jobs which require a college degree or years of formal training. No one would want to be treated by a doctor who had not gone to medical school or have their wiring done by a self-taught electrician. But small business owners are of an entrepreneurial bent and many of them feel that college is a poor preparation for the real world. Often, the most outspoken on the subject are those who have not gone to college or had much formal education.

I have a four year college degree, which took me ten years to acquire, going part time while raising a family. It is in a subject unrelated to my job as a photographer, and yet, I don't see it as a waste of effort. I am the first in my family to get a college education. The fact that it took me ten years is just part of the value; it taught me perseverance and exposed me to people and ideas that I would not have encountered elsewhere. Finishing my degree gave me a feeling of pride and accomplishment and my mother was able to be there, along with my husband and children, to see me graduate at the age of 39. 

Photography is one of those career choices that do not require a degree or certification. The entry bar is low: a digital camera with a kit lens. A good number of photography businesses start as side hustles, offering natural light shots in the park and all the digitals on a flash drive. You can see them by the dozen on Facebook and they serve a market niche: the price sensitive customer. It is not a sustainable business model. If you want to grow as a photographer, if you want to get your camera off of automatic and make a career of photography, you need to do more. Dare I say, you need some education?

Photography education is widely available these days, much more so than when I started my journey. I have taken online classes and in person workshops. I have learned about business and marketing as well as f-stops and shutter speeds, lighting and posing. But what good is education without practice, experimentation and, yes, experience. Experience is doing, failing and learning from your mistakes. 

Learning is a lifelong journey.  Photography, like many other fields, changes daily. Today's cell phone camera fills the place of yesterday's point and shoot. For those who want a more sophisticated camera, there are a plethora of choices and price points. A competent photographer can take a decent picture with any of them, but continuing education is a must. Where a film photographer learned darkroom skills, a digital photographer must keep up to date on software, AI and image editing.  Education and experience are really two sides of the same coin; both are important if you want to grow as a photographer.  Experience allows you to do the same thing better; education will help you to try things you never imagined!