I bailed out!

Ricky91t

Well yeah,I'm sure a few of you knew I was planning to do photography,Some of my twitter followers would know :pac:

Well anyway after thinking long and hard,I've decided to put photography in the back seat and do Computer Science..

Here's some of my reasons why..

First I don't think I'd be up to scratch to get a job in photography afterwards

Second Jobs in this area are scarce and chances are not near me

Three I'd never be able to afford the lens etc that would give me a high quality.

Forth I actually got way better in the leaving than I expected(Mocks under 200[i was lazy though]..Leaving 325)

So now the questions,Anybody here a member of the UCC photographic society?I still want to keep active in it,And at some point I will chance my arm at a job in it

Anybody who's at/was at a different college course have you worked for the college as a photographer?

Thanks to Ancatdubh and Fajitas for the help over on twitter picking photography but it's not for me

Fajitas!

That's a shame Richard, but you know best

I know a chap involved in the UCC photo society - I haven't spoken to him in a few years, so he might be stepping down soon - I think this is his last year there - His name is Tim, I think he covers events in UCC too. Have a chat with him if you can. His online name is 'flipflip' if that's any use to you

I've worked for NCAD as a photographer for quite a few different shoots and events. It can be handy money and you can make some great contacts, along with getting some great references.

melekalikimaka

I did quite alot of photography for UCD over the years, just get onto ents and invloved with the club

ThOnda

You didn't bail out, you are going to enjoy photography because you will only want to. It is only going to provide you with more time to persuade different levels and branches of photography and if you keep your drive, you won't loose anything from studies.

deRanged

The student paper in UCC is looking for sports photogs, which should suit you very well.
The photo soc is active and will be holding meetings from the second or third week of term - you'll see their stand at the socs open day.
The guy fajitas mentioned was definitely in the photo soc as of last year.
There are a few people in CS that are into photography.

I work in Comp Sci in UCC - drop me a shout and I'll help out if I can.
oh - and congratulations on getting into college!

Ricky91t

deRanged wrote: »

The student paper in UCC is looking for sports photogs, which should suit you very well.
The photo soc is active and will be holding meetings from the second or third week of term - you'll see their stand at the socs open day.
The guy fajitas mentioned was definitely in the photo soc as of last year.
There are a few people in CS that are into photography.

I work in Comp Sci in UCC - drop me a shout and I'll help out if I can.
oh - and congratulations on getting into college!

Oh cool!Sounds right up my street

As for the computer science,
Thanks for that,If I have any questions I'll be sure to ask you

Mycroft H

Ricky91t wrote: »

Well yeah,I'm sure a few of you knew I was planning to do photography,Some of my twitter followers would know :pac:

Well anyway after thinking long and hard,I've decided to put photography in the back seat and do Computer Science..

Here's some of my reasons why..

First I don't think I'd be up to scratch to get a job in photography afterwards

Second Jobs in this area are scarce and chances are not near me

Three I'd never be able to afford the lens etc that would give me a high quality.

Forth I actually got way better in the leaving than I expected(Mocks under 200[i was lazy though]..Leaving 325)

So now the questions,Anybody here a member of the UCC photographic society?I still want to keep active in it,And at some point I will chance my arm at a job in it

Anybody who's at/was at a different college course have you worked for the college as a photographer?

Thanks to Ancatdubh and Fajitas for the help over on twitter picking photography but it's not for me

Dont forget you can always go back and do photography diploma later on, not the end of the world.......

I didnt get the 420 points for journalism, fifteen points short of the mark, but I will be doing a hons. degree in Archeology and Geology in UCD next year

No photojournalism but hey, im more or less happy.

Pigwidgeon

It wasn't just you Ricky, I bailed aswell, had more than enough points to do photgraphy in DIT but changed my mind last minute on the CAO deadline.

My main reasons were pretty much the same as yours for choosing not to go with it, I will always have photography as a hobby and I know that but I doubt it would ever progress into a career for me. I'm definately going to get involved in the photo society in UCD, well if there is one anyway, if not I'll get around to joining a club. In the meantime, it's arts for me! (unless social science drops 5 points in the next round)

Mycroft H

kateos2 wrote: »

It wasn't just you Ricky, I bailed aswell, had more than enough points to do photgraphy in DIT but changed my mind last minute on the CAO deadline.

My main reasons were pretty much the same as yours for choosing not to go with it, I will always have photography as a hobby and I know that but I doubt it would ever progress into a career for me. I'm definately going to get involved in the photo society in UCD, well if there is one anyway, if not I'll get around to joining a club. In the meantime, it's arts for me! (unless social science drops 5 points in the next round)

Theres a photo society? im interested now :pac:

Pigwidgeon

landyman wrote: »

Theres a photo society? im interested now :pac:

tbh i don't know if there is or not, all i know is if there is i'm joining...

melekalikimaka

landyman wrote: »

Theres a photo society? im interested now :pac:

molc was auditor last year, get onto him

Freddie59

Ricky, as everyone has said, you never bail. I've had an interest in photography for years, but always only shot in auto on P&Ss. I had a Konica SLR for a few years in the 80s.

However, it was only when I was 49 (last year) that I decided to take the plunge again. Glad I did now.:)

Best of luck with your chosen career.

Cabaal

Ricky, you never know how your life goes, 10 years from now you could start your own Photography business.

But for now do what you have an interest in and what your happy doing

ThOnda

Not to mention, that you really need a lot of IT knowledge to be independent in photography business, interweb communication with customers and so.
Take it as approach from a slightly different angle only. You are not selling your cameras yet!

Paddy@CIRL

Think you'll find a lot of people who are the most passionate about photography don't work in photography. Just because its not your field of work doesn't mean your going to be anyway less capable as a photographer.

gary82

I don't think you need to do a course to progress your photography. I'd say join the photosoc, sign up to a load of club mailing lists and when they're having events contact them and offer to photograph it. Maybe put a very small watermark name on the corner of the photos when giving them back and build up your name. Offer your services to the college paper, they're always open to submissions.

TelePaul

Listen, studying computer science isn't gonna stop you taking excellent photos. Definetely keep the photo thing ticking over.

sineadw

I started off in UCD in psychology for gods sake! Only getting around to a photography degree now.. I think you made the right decision

democrates

Plus it may not be so either/or if you specialise in something around digital imaging - the whole field is exploding so there may well be a 4th yr project of interest. Best of luck with your studies :-)

Its your call Ricky, and really, there are no right or wrongs in a decision like that!

One thing though, don't go in to a CS degree expecting to know how to code properly (and by properly, I mean in a way that will attract the attention of employers). If you want to work as a programmer, you will need to get experience during you college years in work outside of college. Its like photography in way - CS teaches you the theory, but its your ability to implement that theory which will get you a job.

Disclaimer: I did economics, I'm just relaying comments from people I know in the industry and whose opinion I would trust.

Anouilh

Any degree course is a formation is many skills related to self education. Here's hoping your computer course is varied and keep in mind that the other people you will meet will bring many new ideas... there will probably be other photographers there too.

From personal experience, taking photos is the only way to improve, once the basics are understood. Temperament also counts for a lot. The extraverts will recommend group activities... I like to wander round without other peoples' ideas influencing what I see, but really enjoy bringing recent photos to the forum here.

Anouilh

landyman wrote: »

Dont forget you can always go back and do photography diploma later on, not the end of the world.......

I didnt get the 420 points for journalism, fifteen points short of the mark, but I will be doing a hons. degree in Archeology and Geology in UCD next year

No photojournalism but hey, im more or less happy.

There should be no problem in directing your energies towards journalism once you graduate. Things are so strangely changed. Many journalists working today went straight from secondary school to a newspaper job. Perhaps students should start to question a system that is based on exam results and not on what they actually want to learn?

I don't think I have ever recovered from the shock of discovering that an English degree course included reading dreary volumes in Anglo-Saxon.

Fajitas!

Anouilh wrote: »

Perhaps students should start to question a system that is based on exam results and not on what they actually want to learn?

Absolutely.

melekalikimaka

I dunno bout that, I find the points system pretty fair and logical... the points genereally reflect the amount of work in the course.if ya cant do the work to get it, you wont do the the work when ya got it

melekalikimaka

melekalikimaka wrote: »

I dunno bout that, I find the points system pretty fair and logical... the points genereally reflect the amount of work in the course.if ya cant do the work to get it, you wont do the the work when ya got it

Not for those above 460 or so. There was a report out that a couple of years ago that a student who could get that mark would be capable of doing well in any degree course, assuming they had sufficient interest and any prerequisite skills. Ie, I got over 460 but I'd never last on a science course!

Anouilh

melekalikimaka wrote: »

I dunno bout that, I find the points system pretty fair and logical... the points genereally reflect the amount of work in the course.if ya cant do the work to get it, you wont do the the work when ya got it

Rather than discuss this here and go off topic, I'll post to the off topic thread.

More to the point, are degree courses in photography really good? What aspects are emphasised? Is there much study regarding the science of light, which would be very interesting?

Dodgykeeper

Anouilh wrote: »

Rather than discuss this here and go off topic, I'll post to the off topic thread.

More to the point, are degree courses in photography really good? What aspects are emphasised? Is there much study regarding the science of light, which would be very interesting?

Well done Anouilh, I was wondering when one of you was going to realise that this is a photography forum and the discussion of Ricky's future, while facinating, and the Education system in general is off Topic!

melekalikimaka

Anouilh wrote: »

Rather than discuss this here and go off topic, I'll post to the off topic thread.

More to the point, are degree courses in photography really good? What aspects are emphasised? Is there much study regarding the science of light, which would be very interesting?

i enjoy it. they dabble in a bit of everything, lots of days can end up going off in tagents all over the place on strange topics, theres nothing that they wont discuss

Anouilh

Keeping in mind that my idea of rigourous intellectual activity is trying to tell the difference between a 35mm and a 50mm prime lens, perhaps you could give some guidelines to posters here on topics that recur and are particularly up to date, please?

melekalikimaka

well the 35 -50mm thing gets done... theyd go through the theory of it(it would randomly pop up in convo during a slideshow of some images), the question ould be asked and then the lecturers would go through images a diff focal lenghts and point out the variations resulting in the different focal lengths, distortion, possible vignetting etc, then if pushed the maths behind it. We'd lookinto dynamic range and different formats and their ability to cope with it. eh lots of analysing imges and trends and styles of photographers and trends of time periods in different ypes of photography, fashion, editorial, portrait etc. camera development oer the years, any quirky issues assosiated with it, sometimes, printing techniques like lith and the like we'd eperiement with, went through a pinhile phase, where we all made pinhole cameras and printed on photo paper.

when you say up to dte? what do you mean? like current technolgical or modern styles?

CabanSail

As pointed out, this thread has the potential to drift off topic very easily.

Please try to keep this thread for the discussion raised by the OP.

There is the Out of Fucus thread to use if you want to have a broader debate on educational matter.

Thanks

dakar

CabanSail wrote: »

Out of Fucus

There's no seaweed left? Oh no!:eek:

CabanSail

I miss it when the Spell Checker goes on holidays!

"Out of Focus" then.