Photography Professor Career Information

A Photography Professor teaches students how to take photographs. Photography Professors’ love for art and photographs as well as their passion for teaching has brought them to a university or college, where they teach their favorite subject year round.

By the time students get to a university-level photography class, it’s very likely that they already have some experience creating photographic art. However, some will be total newbies. Either way, as a Photography Professor you teach your students how to choose their subjects, operate their professional cameras, compose photographs, use lighting and props, and even develop their film.

If you have a specialty within your field, such as strictly black and white photography, scenery, or portrait work, you could try teaching just that. Some students may just be passing through out of interest, but others may be planning on using this knowledge for their careers, so teaching them how to take photographs for magazines, for art, and for personal use helps them develop their skills.

Being a Professor at the college level involves quite a bit of administrative duties as well. You’re expected to hold office hours for your students, and help them with their projects and any questions they may have about photography and even other issues. You also have to go to meetings with other Teachers, respond to quite a bit of email, and constantly update your curriculum. During your down time, you probably do freelance photography projects-perhaps as a Wedding Photographer or an Artist, creating photographs that you intend to sell.