Comment: What Price Your Dream?

I have come across a very interesting article written by Neil Turner about the job perpect for photography student. The article can be viewed in this link:

http://www.epuk.org/Opinion/989/what-price-your-dream


Anyway, time has changed. In the past there are only few people going into university. If you have the talent and effort to get it, the chance is you will be standing above the crowd in getting a job. Now anyone can get into university, get a degree, and they expect the same thing. I wonder if somebody bother to explain to young people that while university is a good life experience, they have better chance to get into debt than getting a job? It is great that young people want to spend three years for something they fascinated about, but does that worth getting £30k debt with no job perspective? What is the point of higher education for students from poorer background if all it only gets you overdraft and headache further down the line? In that perspective, isn't getting higher education the same doing drugs? It does give you pleasure for a moment then trouble later on.

It is true that I did this course as a hobby, but I have never forgot about my fellow students who hope/dream/wish they can one day go into this field as a professional. It is funny to note that layman/women called me and my fellow students a "professional photographer" because I have a DSLR and a telezoom, while all of them expect this "professional" works for free. So by the word "professional", it is actually volunteer. As always, I am spoiled and totally uninterested in behave professionally given that I don't think I want to be a pro. In fact, I feel insulted to be called a pro, given what those people are expecting from me.

In reality, I really don't have to photograph anyone or anything I don't like, regardless you pay me or not. This is totally unprofessional, but I am not a professional photographer from start to finish. I am not sure if one compensate their artistic vision by accepting money. One cannot survive in this world without money, but will your work skew toward how to please a client, instead of something that truly inspired?

Anyway, there is a quote from an article I have seen somewhere. I think I will use it as a yard stick for my work going future.

"Either your work is good enough to command a proper fee, or it’s not worth publishing."