Career Choices: Why Study Photography?

Monday, July 16, 2018

If you are creative, have been told you have a good eye and have a passion for taking photographs, then this could be the ideal career for you.

CAO Course Choice – Photography

It’s important to undertake a photography course at college or university to build the foundations of a successful career: technical skills, practical experience and a professional network of photography industry contacts. Studying photography will allow you to expand your skills as you immerse yourself in the subject whilst surrounded by peers with the same passion for imagery. You will gain confidence as a photographer, learn about all aspects of the medium and its pioneers all while building up a support network of like-minded people.

“Media can be a notoriously tough industry to succeed in, however, with the skills and footing our Griffith graduates receive and indeed the practical experience they gain, they are widely recognised within the industry as having the technical, conceptual and professional skills required to successfully find employment.

We pride ourselves on the broad range of modules on the Photographic Media course albeit with a commercial slant to all aspects. We provide our students with the structure necessary to expand their horizons. Our graduates leave Griffith with much more beyond the marks alone. They leave with real-world tangible assets to further their careers in the form of self-published books, a website, branding, business cards, a business plan, exhibition experience, the invaluable ability to speak in public and pitch ideas and much more besides.”

- Sinéad Murphy, BA in Photographic Media Programme Director

Photography Careers

Qualified and talented photographers are in demand in a variety of fields:

Press and Photojournalism – newspapers and other online news publications
Editorial and Advertising –magazines, adverts and photo libraries
Fashion – creative photography of models and clothing for magazines and catalogues
Social – family, wedding and celebrations photography
Corporate (industrial/commercial) – company promotional material
Scientific or Medical – recording scientific research, or medical conditions and treatments

You can explore careers in photography and photo imaging on UK website Creative Skillset where there are useful features on a variety of roles including Advertising and Editorial Photographer, Assistant Photographer, Digital Imaging Specialist (Photographic Laboratories), Fashion Photographer, Press Photographer or Photojournalist, Forensic Photographer, Medical Photographer, Picture Library Manager, Unit Stills Photographer and Scientific Photographer.

Award-winning Photography at Griffith College

© Urszula Nowak: ‘Collide’ by Griffith graduate Urszula Nowak was Inspirational Arts Awards winner 2013

Our photography graduates’ work has been featured in the Irish Independent Weekend Magazine, The Irish Times, Xposé magazine, Irish Tatler, Hotpress and RSVP magazine.

Griffith College Photographic Media graduates have gone on to work for Sportsfile, PhotoCall Ireland, Canon, the Daily Mail Online, Google and commercial fashion photographer Barry McCall. Some are also working with fashion photographers in New York and London, and others have chosen to set-up as sole traders and run their own photography studios.

Griffith media students have dominated the Student Media Awards (sMedias) for the last number of years. They have won News Photographer of the Year 2011, TV Production of the Year 2012 and 2014, Photographer of the Year 2012, Sports Photographer of the Year 2013, and SMedia Photographer of the Year 2013. In 2013, all five Photographer of the Year finalists were from Griffith College.

© Dylan Madden: Smedia Photographer of the Year 2011

Study a Photography Course at Griffith College

If you’re interested in finding out more why not come along to our next open day and meet our photography lecturers.

Useful Resources

Source Graduate Photography Online – view Griffith College Photography Graduates’ work

BA in Photographic Media

Faculty of Journalism and Media Communications

The Irish Professional Photographers Association (IPPA)

The Press Photographers Association of Ireland (PPAI)