Taking education in a profession that usually can be done just by practice can feel a bit weird at times. Why would anyone bother taking such a long education in becoming a photographer when it probably could be done with a few courses? well, I asked myself this question when I was looking to take photography to the next level and here is my reason.
In Denmark, you get a salary to take educations and that creates safety
The salary you get from the state is about 650 euro/month. In fact, you get even higher paid(a bit above 1100 euro/month when you are at an internship, which, by the way, is 80% of the whole education. This means, while I am gaining knowledge and experience in photography, I still can still have a roof over my head and food on the table. Giving me a lot of room to work with my skills without having to sacrifice my living standards. This straight up creates a much better frame for me to work within.
Sure I can save my precious time and pay for expensive courses to get my photography closer to an accepted standard when it comes to actual professional photography, but why would I rush? Don't get me wrong, I already think I do take some good pictures, but my technical knowledge is limited. I am only 26 years old, I still have my whole adulthood in front of me to work.
A natural way of getting connections
Within my education, I will naturally be spending most of my time in internships(that I have to find myself, of course). This means getting work connections and experience alike should come naturally if I do it right and I put effort into finding the best internships I can find that will match my own interests.
It just makes much more sense and is a good, but slow way to build me a strong fundament to build upon. Sometimes the direct way is not always the best.
Photography fits well with my passion
Outdoor adventures, travelling, and blogging is something I spend a lot of my time on. Something I enjoy the most is to take those really crispy photos that make even myself go "wow". So if this is how I feel now, it mostly feels amazing when I get even more knowledge on the field.
You might wonder why I am a bit late with this realization. But it is only within the last couple of years of my life where I started taking decisions that I truly wanted myself. Of course, this has meant my education as a social worker just ain't something I would ever go back to work as again. While the money is good, it would slowly be killing me.
Because of this, there's a good chance that I take this long road, to actually educate myself as a photographer. It is the first time I have been excited about going back to the school bench.
Hopefully, you steemians will gain some inside knowledge on this new path. :)
-holm