A Part Time Future: Adjunct Teaching Dynamics in Three Parts

March 07, 2013 - Any number of anecdotes point to a sharp rise in the number of adjunct faculty currently teaching in photographic education. The 2012 Mac-on-Campus Photography Survey goes further and helps us understand the depth of this trend. While such data can tell us some things, practical examples can offer a clearer view to both advantages and limits of adjunct positions.

Consider the following three case studies as a guide to successful approaches in pursuing a photographic education career. For a broad view, we have chosen a young adjunct at the start of her career, a mid-career individual selected for a faculty post because of his dedication as an adjunct and a successful artist who seeks to give back by teaching part-time in different venues.

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Special Report: Positive Role Models

May 01, 2012 -  Three photography programs staffed by dedicated educators who balance teaching with successful photography careers

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
— Benjamin Franklin

At a time when photo education is increasingly influenced by trends such as online learning and systems to economize time and minimize contact, stories about personal guidance by educators who combine teaching expertise with high level, practical knowledge and professional clout offer a breath of fresh air. For students seeking to navigate the rocky terrain from classroom learning to success in the real world, direct contact with instructors offering this level of perspective on the field can be an invaluable educational asset. Here, we investigate three photo programs in varied educational settings, each staffed by distinguished teachers who serve as positive role models to their students while simultaneously pursuing flourishing photography careers of their own.

Is It Legal? Educational Course Content and Work-for-Hire Contracts

April 30, 2012 - Q: During a recent panel discussion, an educator raised a question about a new contract his school is preparing that seeks to claim ownership of intellectual property developed by teachers as part of a school curriculum. If a teacher creates content, who owns it, the school or the teacher? For example, can the school syndicate an online program created by a teacher? More »

Business Smarts: Learning From Legends

April 27, 2012 - Three photography masters reveal secrets to surviving the business
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What Does It Cost ... To Study, Live and Work in San Francisco?

April 18, 2012 - Perched an hour from Napa Valley and offering a host of stunning cityscapes at its feet and water all around, San Francisco is one of the most desirable locations in the United States. On the downside, it’s the second most densely populated city in the country and the third most expensive place to live (according to Klipinger Real Estate). But, along with the picturesque landscape, great schools abound, and San Francisco is also a principal center for banking and finance—in fact, it’s the ninth top producing city nationwide. A year-round mild climate makes this city hard to beat. With these things in mind, PDNedu takes a look at what it costs to study, live and work in the City by the Bay. More »

Is It Legal? Oral Understandings Versus Written Usage Agreements

October 17, 2011 - Q: “I was hired by a large, online retail Web site to shoot one of its look books. I’ve worked with this company many times and have never signed anything or agreed on specific usage details with the client. They paid me to shoot the book, I got the check—all was good. A couple of months passed, when I noticed one of my photos on a major billboard in the middle of Sunset Boulevard. It was huge and looked like a very expensive ad. Is this considered kosher in the photography business? I couldn’t help but feel that I should be getting paid for the thousands of hits their Web site will receive based on my picture. Am I wrong?”

—Gregory Minasian, via e-mail

What Does It Cost...? To Study, Live and Work in Atlanta, Georgia

March 29, 2011 - Atlanta, Georgia—the heart of the South—is an attractive place to live. As a top business city, it has a growing job market and a number of excellent schools, and its airport is the busiest in the world— not that you’ll want to leave too often once you’ve settled in the sun belt. PDNedu takes a look at how much it costs to study, live and work in Atlanta. More »

Special Report: Going Global

March 28, 2011 - Wide-Ranging Study-Abroad Programs Offer Photography Students an International Reach
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Business Smarts: An Open Book

March 21, 2011 - Positioning Your Work Within the Complex World of Photo Book Publishing.

Whether you see it as a calling card, a supplemental portfolio, a stand-alone work of art or a mirror to the photographer’s identity, publishing a book of one’s photographs can be a profound accomplishment and, if done well, is even more important as a career boost. In recent years, multiple forces have converged to help place this achievement well within reach, even for those who are just starting out. Public interest in photography books is on the rise, and simultaneously, online publishing services like Blurb.com have made designing and publishing a photography book simpler and more affordable than ever before.

Is It Legal? Assigning a Value to Intangible Image Files

March 15, 2011 - Q: “My hard drives were stolen while under the watch of a major hotel chain. I was working on my Web site/portfolio, and these were my backup drives, containing my only copies of many years’ worth of images. Now all the images are gone, and I am working with the hotel’s insurance to try to figure out how all this is going to pan out! How do you put a value on something that is not ‘tangible’?”

—Sarah Kerver, via e-mail More »

What Does it Cost...? To Study, Live and Work in Portland, Oregon

October 30, 2010 - Known as the greenest city in the united states, Portland, Oregon, is equally renowned as a mecca for beer and coffee drinkers. Photographically speaking, it’s popular as the destination for Photo Lucida, which features a biannual festival with international portfolio reviews, as well as the annual online program Critical Mass, a curated photography resource that aims to create connections within the photography community. Here, PDNedu takes a look at how much it costs to study, live and work in Portland. More »

Is It Legal? Model Release Requirements for iPhone App Image Slideshow

October 27, 2010 - "I’ve recently been contacted about providing images for an iPhone slide show app, and I’m wondering if I need to obtain model releases for that purpose?" More »

Special Report: How Did You Spend Your Summer Vacation?

October 25, 2010 - Art schools offer rewarding summer programs—and often three college credits—to motivated high school students.

Nothing beats an adventure in the arts as a summer stimulant for young minds. While economic forces continue to threaten the arts on many fronts, the increasing popularity of Pre-College summer art programs make a contrasting positive impact on the high school students who attend. Beside the chance to get creative and have fun, Pre-College programs offer fledgling artists a valuable bridge to collegiate life, often with three college credits to pad the bank. A quick Google search yields many great programs nationwide, and we profile three of them here.

Business Smarts: A Little Help from Your Friends

October 06, 2010 - Community support for large-scale photo projects can be rewarding in more ways than one. More »

Business Smarts: From Student to Intern to Photographer

April 15, 2010 - How and Why to Land a Fabulous Internship Next Year
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