Schools For Me» Photography

What’s the difference between fine art and commmercial art?

admin — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:05:52 +0000

The Oxford Dictionary describes art as,”The expression of creative skill through a visual medium such as painting or sculpture. The product of such a process; paintings, drawings, and sculpture collectively.” Some argue that the line between Fine Art and Commercial Art is very definite, but really, it is only the intentions that seem to separate the two.

In one example, that a lot of you will know of is by the now legendary artist, Michelangelo. Between 1508 and 1512, Michelangelo was commissioned by at that time one of, if not the most powerful, global organizations in the world, the Roman Catholic Church. Taking over four years to complete, this artwork was a commissioned job and therefore is actually Commercial Art, although it is considered one of the artists finest pieces of artwork and one of the world’s greatest and most famous fine art achievements!

Basically, any artist pursues their own conceptual goals and ambitions through expressing their creative skill in their own artwork. However a Commercial Artist is under commission to produce a creative fine art piece for a commercial art project. The Commercial Artist can still use their creative skills but to the clients needs and ambitions for the project. Some tend to see this as a hindrance to the artists creativity. This is not always the case as it only shifts the meaning of the artwork. The Artist still needs to employ their creativity, conceptual and compositional skills to create the artwork.

Sometimes a Commercial Artist’s creativity can be stifled by the client, in the instance of a client taking on certain aspects of the project. The client may be involved in or in complete control of the conceptualisation and direction of the project by supplying to the artist their own creativity and conceptual problem solving abilities. This can a lot of the time hinder the artist as the client may not actually be able to communicate their ideas easily or feel their own view is the correct view rather than that of the audience the project is aimed at. This can produce artwork, that when presented to the audience in the form of advertising, product packaging, etc, misses it’s target and seems to fail for the client.

However, on some occasions, the client has done the research and has a correct feel for their audience. The conceptual ideas they then discuss and present to the artist to follow work perfectly and gives the artist a firm foundation to apply their creative ability to the project at hand and hence producing a very successful piece of artwork.

How do I become a professional photographer?

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:08:12 +0000

A professional photographer is a person who derives his income from within the field of photography. If a person works a full time position in another profession and works at being a photographer on the side then that doesn’t constitute a true professional photographer but they are a semi-professional. Someone who has a passion for photography but only for personal interest or as a hobby is an amateur. Although these labels are accurate, there are some amateur photographers whose work is as good as or better than some professionals. Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.

Many professional photographers are self-taught. They invest in a camera that seems perfect for what they want to shoot. After learning about the camera, many people take courses in photographer to understand how to compose a shot and how to create different effects and moods with lighting.

As with many other professions, becoming a professional photographer is helped by who you know. Begin to speak with other professionals in your field. Perhaps work as an intern or apprentice for someone that you admire who works near where you live. Normally, most will give advice freely and even warn you of the ups and downs in the business. If they don’t need anyone to help them then perhaps they’ll allow you to “shadow” or follow them around for a day or two as they work within this industry.

If you are serious about becoming a professional photographer, you can also take courses in an art school to earn a certificate of completion or a degree. If you have not purchased a camera and lens at this point, the instructors will direct you as to what to get that is the best for your area of interest. Although you will be taught in a classroom and hands-on situation, reading how-to books on photography as well as going to galleries and viewing photos is one way of gleaning from others what to look for in a photo.

Another invaluable way to move toward becoming a professional photographer is practice, practice, practice. Then after you have shot many photos, get others who will be honest with you to critique your work. Divide your photos into two piles: those that are good and those that need improvement. Evaluate the reasons for each and learn from it. After you take time and realize what you did right in the ones everyone liked, take another round of shots. Compare them to the first ones and continue doing this. Practice truly does make perfect.

Finally, begin to enter photo contests. Many famous photographers began exactly that way and soon they were winning. This built their name so when they applied for a position with a magazine or wherever, they had accolades for their work. Combine that with offering your services to others for a small fee at first and you’re now on your way to becoming a professional photographer and getting paid to do what you love.

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How Do I Become a Professional Photographer?

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:02:06 +0000

How do I become a professional photographer?

This is a question many people ask when they are exploring the different careers within art. Many opt to become professional photographers because it can be an interesting a fulfilling job.

Professional photographers work with many different people on a daily basis, whether they be models our tourists that the photographer is trying to capture, knowing how to work with people is on the list of required skills to become a photographer.

There are many ways to become a professional photographer. Some work for large companies that send photographers out to take pictures of all sorts of different things. Some photographers work for themselves and make a name for themselves in the industry. Those who do art photography try and get gallery deals, those who decide fashion photography is their calling can ask to work with a model, and some people work for themselves and make their money by selling prints and doing portfolios for people.

What skills are required for this?

Anyone with a camera can think they are a professional photographer but only the truly skilled make it. Attending school for photography is another good way of answering the question, “how do I become a professional photographer?”

In school, students are taught photography from experts in the field, people who have working as professional photographers and art photographers and can tell you about the industry first hand.

Schools can also teach you all about the technical working of the camera, your main instrument. This is important to know as most people feel the best photographers know their cameras inside and out.

Photography school also teaches you to be the best photographer you can be by showing you all of the different lighting techniques that photographers use. That is an incredibly important skill and it is much more difficult than just turning on the light. There are many different formations you can make with the light and each will have a different outcome in the picture.

Becoming a professional photographer

To become a professional photographer, you must intern or work with a professional photographer. There are many mentoring programs out there that set students up with professionals in their field so they can learn first hand. This is the best way how I can become a professional photographer. Learning from a professional is a beneficial experience. They can teach you tips and tricks that your teachers might has missed out on.

You must also create a portfolio. Work with clients, models, or friends as much as possible to create a good portfolio, and keep it updated.

Life as an Architectural Photographer

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:00:22 +0000

Life as an architectural photographer is quite an interesting life indeed. If you love diversity in a vocation where every day holds something fresh and new and you enjoy photographing structures, unique lines and even archeological digs, this is the career choice for you. Of course what an architectural photographer does during his entire day depends upon what art they are called upon to produce: informational photographs, works of art or even magazine and promotional materials. Perhaps in the period of one week, all of those tasks are performed. This vocation varies one day to the next allowing for life as an architectural photographer to be very exciting.

Some people fail to realize that architecture is an art form. And especially with architectural photographers, they have to be especially concerned about light levels, textures and focusing because any varying in any of those aspects of photography can create an erroneous look and feel to the photograph. If a specific mood must be achieved for a specific client, then there are issues such as how to frame the image and creating the perfect lighting to accomplish the end result.

Another part of the day of an architectural photographer could be documenting photographically, an entire building project. Before and after pictures, step by step, are very important to those involved in the project. Aerial photography might be warranted in this situation as well. Many times with this type of project, the building contractor will use the photos taken in his portfolio so there is great pressure to produce exactly what the eye sees in real life.

Similar to photographically documenting a building project, this type of photographer might spend some of his day taking inside shots of residential as well as commercial renovations to be used as part of the contractor’s promotions and his portfolio. These types of images have to be very detailed so the photographer has to figure out how much to include in each frame for the exact outcome and effect needed.

Similarly, interior designers hire architectural photographers to exhibit to potential clients their before and after shots as well. A person’s business many times depends on how well the photographer can display, in one small photo, the work that is done by professionals in every field. Many times while shooting images, they end up in various books of art, locally at first, and then on a national level. These skills of the architectural photographer are honed and developed day after day as he works within his vocation.

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Life as a Portrait Photographer

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:44:07 +0000

Just about anyone who can aim a camera can make a portrait. It goes without saying that some do it better than others. Top portrait photographers do it all the time, reliably producing outstanding portraits with just about every subject they photograph. What do they know and what do they do that makes their portraits special? The answer to both these questions is “quite a bit,” because there is lots to know about a lot of things in order to produce a great portrait. The best way to start is by learning the basics and taking it one step at a time. You may not have the studio, the equipment and the technical resources that the best portrait photographers have, but you can still produce excellent portraits by following their basic techniques and by understanding what makes a good portrait.

A portrait is defined as a likeness of a person, especially of the person’s face. Simply that. But, the word in general use has deeper connotations in life as a portrait photographer. A photographic portrait is understood to be a good quality image that not only captures a person’s physical likeness on film or on a digital camera’s sensor, but also something of the person’s character, generally in a manner that is attractive and pleasing to the subject. A good portrait will contain at least one element that reveals the subject’s personality, attitude, unique mannerisms or any of the other features or traits that form the individual nature of the person. It will tell us something about the subject. You may have heard someone remark that a particular photographer “really captured” their father or child, for example, in a picture. They are referring in part to the image being a true physical likeness, but what they are really saying is that the image also reveals a significant, identifiable part of the subject’s character. The portrait photographer who has never previously met the subject therefore has quite a challenge.

We all reveal our feelings and attitudes differently. Some of us may show our individual character with immediate transparency, while others may be more difficult to “read” at first. The portrait photographer must become proficient at studying people whom he or she doesn’t know in order to capture their essence. This means watching for signals in a subject’s mannerism, reactions, expressions, body language and so on, and then judging how best to have the subject’s character revealed for the camera during life as a portrait photographer.

Life as an Architectural Photographer

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:53:32 +0000

Living a life as an architectural photographer one first needs to understand what it is…Architectural photography is specialized photography of structures. It involves special lenses and techniques to portray the subjects in proper perspective and without photographic distortion. It is primarily concerned with accurate portrayal of the structure, rather than artistic merit.

Architectural Photography is a form of photography that focuses on capturing buildings, houses, bridges, sculptures, ruins, and other structures to highlight the beauty of the structure’s architectural form or elements. It may be done for commercial reasons. A structure may be photographed at different angles to create the desired impression. At its best, architectural photography communicates the ambiance of a manmade structure.

Life as an architectural photographer is a commitment of time, of resources and of funds. Creating high- quality images on location presents a complex series of challenges. Thorough planning and communication among the client, photographer, location owner and representatives at the site can help ensure maximum efficiency and productivity. The material in this checklist has been gathered from design firms and architectural photographers around the country.

While each assignment is unique, the information will be helpful in anticipating issues that may come up during the planning and actual production of a location photography project. It is a useful reference guide for the designer, the client, for others involved in the assignment and for the photographer as well. The photographer’s fee is predicated on the use of the images and the costs of production. Broader usage increases the value of the images and fees are adjusted proportionately. Client and photographer must understand if there is leeway in the budget for unexpected conditions, extra views, variables in time, materials and job costs.

If the budget is fixed, are the limitations clearly understood by all parties? If the client needs to negotiate a lower fee, what can be given up in return? This might involve restricted usage, few images, less elaborate lighting or styling, smaller format film for less formal photographs, more flexible schedule with longer lead time, more prominent credit line for the photographer, among other options.

Once all terms are understood and agreed upon, the client should be willing to sign a proposal or contract and to provide a purchase order along with advance payment to confirm the assignment during your life as an architectural photographer.

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Life as a Commercial Photographer

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:40:18 +0000

Are you interested in a career in photography? There are many different ways to earn a living as a photographer. However life as a commercial photographer offers many advantages over other areas of the photographic profession.

Commercial photography is a broad term. As a commercial photographer it’s possible to work in the fashion or commercial industries, as a photojournalist or even a portrait photographer.

To become a successful commercial photographer it’s important to have a base level of talent. However talent alone doesn’t always cut it. Commercial photographers need a high level of skill, creativity, excellent timing and the ability to adapt to a situation. Many people who become commercial photographers attend school and get a degree in photography, commercial or otherwise. It’s also usually very helpful to get an internship of some kind.

Mentorship programs can be particularly helpful to anyone interested in life as a commercial photographer. Mentoring programs offer students the opportunity to gain valuable first hand experience learning commercial photography in a professional environment under the tutelage of real, working commercial photographers.

They also provide students with the chance to make valuable contacts that can prove so important in breaking into the world of being a working commercial photographer.

Commercial photography can be an exciting, creative field. It can also be very lucrative. Commercial photographers frequently find work in the interesting fields of photojournalism and fashion. Many will work on staff for newspapers, magazines, or services that provide stock photos.

Photojournalism is a particularly exciting area of commercial photography. Photojournalists are often dispatched to the scene of local, national or international events. Their job is to be there to capture the pictures that will go out over wires to newspapers and web news pages all over the globe. Photojournalists have the unique opportunity to photograph history as it happens.

Still other commercial photographers work as portrait photographers. These sorts of photographers are often hired to shoot weddings, graduations and other special events. They also may do promotional headshots for actors, models and other people who work in entertainment. This aspect of commercial photography is attractive as it allows one to essentially be their own boss and work on their own terms.

Commercial photography is a profession that attracts many talented people. Because of this it can be extremely competitive. If you feel that life, as a commercial photographer is for you then you need to do whatever you can to give yourself an edge over the competition.

A photography degree is a good start, but it may not be enough. A mentoring program can give you an advantage that potential employers will take notice of.

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Photography School

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:27:53 +0000

If you decide that you want to attend photography school then your next step is to find a very good school that is perfect for you. Although there are many to choose from, there are areas that need to be covered in order to be trained correctly. The photography school should focus on development, theories of photography as well as “hands on” practical instruction. Of course, each student will apply their own artistic style, but there are basics that need to be taught as a basis to build on.

There are many areas of this career choice that can be studied such as: advertising, fashion and photojournalism. A good photography school will incorporate both artistic and commercial projects to give the budding photographer the education to encompass all types of photography and be skilled in many areas.

The best photography school will always offer very practical applications on many topics to provide each student with tools to become a professional photographer. The photography school’s program should include courses on lighting, theories of color, black and white photography, Photoshop, location as well as studio photography, landscape and nightscape photography as well as dark room techniques.

The best case scenario is that every teacher is either now or has been a professional photographer so that they have extensive knowledge as well as being aware of the latest digital techniques. There are many demands, more than ever before, in visual technology. Therefore it’s imperative that the teaching staff understand the newest equipment and technological advances.

Within this career choice, there are photography schools that offer bachelor’s degree in visual arts as well as graduate degrees. Of course, there are also fast-track schools that teach and train new photographers within months and they earn a certificate upon completion. Whichever photography school is chosen, it’s very important to thoroughly investigate them to discover what degree or certificate is offered, how long to complete the curriculum and the cost of the school.

Finally, it’s imperative that you look at the portfolio of the school you are considering as well as possible job placement. After investigating, you will know the reputation of the schools as well as possible online reviews of the teachers and courses. If possible, tour the campus area of the photography school and spend time speaking with those that can give you a more in-depth understanding of what it has to offer. In that interview, you will discover the equipment you will learn on as well as being given course catalogs and other resources to aid you in your decision.

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Picking Out a Good Photography School

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:59:52 +0000

If you think that photography is your calling, it’s about time that you look into attending a photography school. Too many people assume that photography is just about pointing a camera at something. In reality, it’s an art form and one that can only truly be mastered after a bit of education.

Photographers spend their day working with clients in various settings. Graduates can find employment for large photography firms all the way down to simple freelance work. There are also different specializations that a student could go into, such as digital photography, scenic photography or portrait photography. Each has a unique science behind it that can be learned through education and personal experimentation.

One of the big debates you might find out there is whether or not to attend a two year or four year program. The four year program probably seems like a logical solution because it provides an extended education, but most students don’t find that necessary. Getting a higher degree isn’t going to influence the chances of getting a job, so the extra two years just result in unnecessary costs, if anything.

By attending a simple, two year photography school, students get immersed in the hands-on training they need to really understand the career. Lighting, camera angles, lens adjustments and the like are all covered through classes specific to photography. Some curriculum may also require basics like math or English, but that is only intended to make for a well rounded education.

Something great about technical schools is that they focus on giving students the biggest education for the least amount of money. The semesters are short and to the point so that every dollar spent is used for a good reason. The educators at these schools are trained professionals who have actual experience in the field. They can share said experiences with their pupils.

Once the program is complete, a photography student should be able to seek help from the school to gain employment. Since there are so many different career opportunities for photographers, most students do not find difficulty getting a job once they get out of school.

Almost every photography school one would look into will have some sort of financial aid available. This allows students to get help paying for the already affordable programs found with technical schools. In a dour economy and on a tight student budget, every cent counts. Shortened programs available through technical schools allow students to get into the work force quicker so that they may begin to establish a substantial income. Then it’s just a matter of motivation.

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