I know some will say Fab isn't the place for this type of thread, but as we are from all walks of life I thought I would give it a go!
My eldest is about to finish in education and is interested in photography. I've searched online for apprenticeships and come up with nothing in South Wales.
Can anyone point me in the right direction of anything to do with photography, jobs, trainees etc etc.
Message me privately if you don't want the information on the thread.
Thanks in advance  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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A most valid question, one that got me thinking. As a qualified profession this used to be one where there was either further education or "on the job training".  It's still available as a City & Guilds course. But has the statistic that everyone now takes pix . . with their phone  . . killed off that "step onto the ladder"?
You're correct, nothing really Wales based, just postal courses or short training course, where you pay through the nose for a useless certificate. 
Wonder how this will impact upon the future?  |
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By *ost SockMan
over a year ago
West Wales and Cardiff |
Hi WL
I'm just a keen amateur, but here's some thoughts.
Firstly, regardless of the employment possibilities, please do encourage him with photography. It's a lovely thing to get into and I find it rewarding and actually very calming!
The other poster is right in that it's a tricky game now everyone is a photographer. I don't think employment is easy, but if your son wants to put a positive spin on it, his attitude should be "in a world deluged with crap photos, it's even more important the good guys stand out.
I've heard varying reports about the effictiveness of doing courses. What I would say is there is plenty of great photography forums online. I've had superb advice from. experts on them. You might look at one specific to the make of camera he has - I'm a Pentax shooter, so I go on a forum for those cameras.
There's also more general ones like Photography Talk. Flickr and 500pix are photo sharing/storage sites, but have loads of communities on them. I'm sure if he or you posts for advice, some old guys will gladly pass on their thoughts.
If you are looking at courses,it might be worth considering whether a more practical course is better than an "artistic" degree ones. FE colleges certainly do them - why not have a cut to them.
There's also lots of evening classes around if he wants to dip his toe in. I did one in Cardifd a few years back and there was a young schoolgirl in it. She enjoyed it.
Carving a career could be tricky, but I think being proactive will help. There are photogalleries in Cardiff and elsewhere too - maybe ask if you can get some experience there.
Also - Cardiff has a month long international photography festival called Diffusion. It's only every other year, so won't be back for a while. Why not try to get involved there? He'd meet some real experts and they probably plan it for a long time in advance.
There's also the Photomarathon event in Cardiff. Didn't happen this year as they had a year off I believe, but it's a nice event apparently and it's possible the organisers will want help.
Lots of guys and gals start out by taking photos in a club or music venue etc. Can be a good way to get a feel for doing it as a job and it's good discipline as its a hard environment to shoot in.
If he enjoys it, it's worth getting known on a site like Flickr. It's easy to build up a following of you post and tag decent photos.
Bit of a ramble, but hope that helps.
D |
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"Oh bollocks - I am sorry. I thought I saw it say "he". To busy rambling
I'm not sexist - some of the best photographers are women e.g. Diane Arbus.
"
Not a problem babe  and thank you once again x |
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I remember seeing a documentary about photographers, specifically the outdoorsy, climber, andventurer type ones, and one guy said he'd started out doing the usual, weddings etc, but found there was a lot of competition, and then when he started to combine his other hobby of climbing and taking pics, very soon he was getting paid big bucks to go on expeditions as the official photographer.
His point was that, if you can find a niche, something different from the "standard", you can soon carve out a decent career.
I have noticed recently that a lot of photos are being taken from drones, maybe that's one angle to look into? |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I had a professional studio and did weddings portraits etc.
but its a waste of time now as people copy your photos(illegally) so no reprints.
the best way is event photography, rugby football in fact most sports.
also school proms and presentations.
you have to have help with organising and taking names etc. but a lot of money can be made.
other than that specialise in close up product photography.
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I run my own photography business part time in a unique market but even there it is so difficult to make any money.
As the poster above said - people will copy your work illegally, under cut you and even work for free for 'exposure'. I'd highly recommend advising your daughter against a full time career in photography, its a great hobby to have but she will need to spend thousands of pounds on the equipment and will likely never see a return.
Sorry to put a downer on things, I wish I was told the same a few years ago. Credit cards, consumer goods and camera phones have killed off the photography market. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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". . . Sorry to put a downer on things, I wish I was told the same a few years ago. Credit cards, consumer goods and camera phones have killed off the photography market. "
Not so much killed off pro photography as it's everywhere in our digital world BUT, as others have clearly stated, the means of getting into this trade have virtually withered away.
So the answer is : what then goes with digital photography? Image editing! 
So anybody wanting a career in photography these days had best be genuinely trained in image editing and, as an "IT skill", it may be easier to find the courses and qualifications too.
Learn first what comes afterwards and then maybe one day make the career out of both? |
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Hi Newport University has one of the best documentary photography degrees in the UK. I was thinking about doing it myself once. Here's the link x
http://courses.southwales.ac.uk/courses/1354-ba-hons-documentary-photography |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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". . . Sorry to put a downer on things, I wish I was told the same a few years ago. Credit cards, consumer goods and camera phones have killed off the photography market.
Not so much killed off pro photography as it's everywhere in our digital world BUT, as others have clearly stated, the means of getting into this trade have virtually withered away.
So the answer is : what then goes with digital photography? Image editing!
So anybody wanting a career in photography these days had best be genuinely trained in image editing and, as an "IT skill", it may be easier to find the courses and qualifications too.
Learn first what comes afterwards and then maybe one day make the career out of both?"
yes i was trained in adobe photoshop and it was a good way of making new images. but its more a graphic design skill.graphic designers will take the raw image then work their magic on it
but graphic designers need to be very competent in english A level standard and also be able to use illistrator and other software to be employed . |
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