I have a Master's degree in photography, but I wouldn't recommend it

Today is World Photography Day, but instead of celebrating this creative medium, I've actually been thinking pretty deeply about my career in this industry. I love photography, I have a Master's degree in photography, and I do still consider myself a photographer by trade – but realistically, I haven't shot anything on a freelance or paid basis for well over two years.

If it weren't for my full-time job as a tech journalist, I'm not really sure where I'd be right now. In today's digital landscape, there's a sharper focus (pun fully intended) on the best iPhones for photography, plus how to make the highest quality social media videos, and the best ways to use ChatGPT for generative AI. To me, it begs the question of who would want to pay for photography (or any artistic outlet for that matter) when AI is more affordable and more accessible.

Now, I'm not going to write a lengthy rager about how "there are no jobs or money in photography", and the very last thing that I want to do is discourage any students from pursuing creative courses. But I also think it's important to be transparent about the necessity for a photography degree in 2025, and for anyone interested in photography as a potential source of income to know what they're letting themselves in for.

In other words, photography can be very rewarding, but think carefully about your options and learn from my mistakes as a creative who's still paying off a loan for a Master's degree that's essentially collecting dust.

I get asked a lot as a photographer if I think AI could ever replace me, and the answer I give isn't very black and white. In my opinion, it depends on the genre and subject matter. You can't get AI to generate your wedding photos, or capture a sentimental moment such as your child graduating, or perhaps a loved one's birthday.

Things like landscape photography, macro imagery, architecture shots, or general product stills are more generic and can all be accessed with a few clicks, but to document reality, you need to hire a photographer.

The problem is that reality is becoming increasingly difficult to define, given how much of an influence AI is having on our culture. Not to mention, almost everybody is walking around with a high-quality camera phone and industry-leading photo editing software in their pocket nowadays, and it's hard to offer your services when people often prefer filtered selfies over professional portraiture.

When reflecting on my photography career, I like to think that my Master's degree got me where I am today, but I don't think that's true at all anymore. If I were to hire a photographer myself, I don't care one bit if they have a formal education in photo taking, so long as their images and skillset can speak for themselves.

With that said, having a Master’s degree in photography could be what helped my resumé stand out, and what consequently kickstarted my career as a staff writer for our sister site, Digital Camera World (although this technically was a journalism role and didn’t require me to take photos, just a ton of product shots).

While I don't mean to put a damper on World Photography Day, times are getting increasingly harder for freelance photographers. Personally, I only shoot on very rare occasions - if you exclude the annual birthday shoots for my niece and nephews - but I'm lucky not to rely on photography as my singular source of income.

It's important not to let photography be "just a hobby" either, as more often than not, it means that you're not only giving away your time and talent for free on the promise of exposure – but consumers will also come to expect all photographers to be more lenient with rates, when the local market is saturated with amateur photographers who will shoot for nothing (but that's a whole other topic for another day).

I guess the point of this article is to express that you really don't need a background in photography to be considered a photographer. You just need the drive and passion to make a career out of this medium in a draining digital age that seems to be fighting against you and the concept of authenticity. My advice? Know your worth, charge for your time, but also shoot for yourself more than anyone else. Happy World Photography Day from an extremely burnt-out photographer.