Why is it?
A lot of photographers think they can go to a $59.95 one niter and learn something that they can take home and use. But they find later that all they did was try and buy their way to success. That has never worked.
Now I am not adverse to these lectures, and sales pitches, but they sure are causing problems with those organizations who are trying to promote and maintain days or week long classes to help photographers get better by spending time along side of a highly successful photographer.
In the past few weeks I have been in contact with several of the schools in the Midwest and they all have said the same thing.
“Our number of enrollment is down this year.”
“Where are the students who want to learn?”
“We can’t pay the bills if we don’t get the students.”
“Some of the great classes we scheduled have no students.”
Let’s just look at the three that I am close to.
GLIP, Great Lakes Inst of Photography in Michigan, Illinois Workshop, and Winona School of Professional Photography in Indiana.
All three are scratching to get students to attend, and I think the reason, outside of the down economy, is the fact that every week there is another gypsy passing though town that promises the quick fix at a low price,
then spends hours soft selling his products. That is not to say these programs are bad, they are not. They will provide a teaspoon full of elixir to a raging fever, but what is needed in the technology of today is a major injection in the butt! You can’t get that in three hours. All you get is a sore butt.
There is no quick fix, or magic bullet, only sustained long term learning from someone who operates a successful photography business and who is willing ot share their experiance and knowledge.
And that creates a catch 22 effect by the fact that because they are successful it costs them a lot to leave their studio. To take time away from their studios is expensive to them, so they have to be compensated at least at a break even level. That compensation comes from the enrollment of the students. That is a no brainer. the schools must have students to pay the instructors.
For the life of me I cannot understand why someone would pay for a “one night stand”, when they could spend days with a well know professional photographer, and get totally inside his or her head as to what made them successful. It is more than Lighting, Posing, and Photoshop. It is experience on all fronts of the business.
I would suggest that those that read this that have only been in photography less than five years, start looking right now for a school and a class that will make them a better photographer, and business person.
It is damn hard to be in the photography business right now, and if you don’t have the high level skills, you will not survive.
The general consumer can create all the average images than they can shoot. Along with that is the interesting fact that they will be more understanding of the differences between a snapshot, and a professional photograph.
Don’t be fooled! They will know the difference faster now than before digital because, they are doing it themselves, and the results will be obvious to those of culture and taste, of what is great, compared to what is average or below. You as a professional MUST produce what the general consumer can’t. I see so much photography today that anyone can do with a $200. point and shoot. The profession must be about more that tricks and over-saturation.
If you do not understand the “rule of thirds” or the “rule of fifths” in composition.
If you do not know the difference between down light and its effects, or cross light and its effects on the face and body, then you should either stop and just have fun but not try to make a business. You will not get far.
But, if you want to have a future, and make a living doing what you love, then education is the key, and the best place to get it, and make it stick is at one of the regional professional schools.
They are not as costly as you might first think when you look at the value you gain. Insight, and abilities you would never have understood. Concepts that you can’t just read in a book and understand. Friendships and relationships that could have never happened. There is so much more for you to gain than the dollars that it will cost you. That is a promise and a dare.
Check out GLIP at http://www.glip.org/ , Winona at http://www.winonaschool.org/ , and Illinois Workshop at http://www.angelfire.com/il/ilworkshops/
Find a master photographer’s course to spend some multiple days and nights with, and I will bet you will return home revitalized, and a better photographer, and the cost will be made up in the next few months because of what you learned, and what you learned from classmates.
I dare you to give it a try.
“Advancing Knowledge is King” it always has been, and it always will be.
Have a great Memorial Day Holiday, and remember to pray for the troops.
BDR
