Going full time teaching....?

[Kirk Gittings]

I've freelanced successfully full time since 1978. During that time I have also taught about 1-2 university credit classes a year in NM and/or Chicago because I love teaching and appreciate the break. I have also shown my B&W regularly with nearly 100 solo and group exhibits since 1972. That also generates some income-print sales have been good in the recession but not enough to live on. The recession basically has made me into one of the working poor and my architectural photography/editorial commercial business is recovering slowly but may never be back to where it was in 2006 for a variety of reasons. It also wiped out my retirement and will keep me working well into my 70's. I am 63 now. So I am considering teaching full time. This is not a dream but comes from a tentative offer from a university and if it happened would start next fall.

The problem is that I have not worked a regular "job" since 1978.........To a large degree I have been in control of my time for the last 35 years and would lose that, but the financial security is very very tempting for me at this age.

Just thinking out loud.......

[Peter De Smidt]

It's a great opportunity, as long as the people you'll be working with are good people. You should have quite a bit of leeway as to when the classes are taught. As a result, you can arrange your schedule to your liking. It's not like a standard 9 to 5 type job.

[Jac@stafford.net]

The problem is that I have not worked a regular "job" since 1978.........To a large degree I have been in control of my time for the last 35 years and would lose that, but the financial security is very very tempting for me at this age.

Two of my associates teach photography and news writing at a university. Each has found plenty of time to work on their own projects. One has several books published by another university press. I wish you the same good luck they have.

Is this an adjunct or fixed-term position? Tenure-track?

[AJ Edmondson]

Go for it Kirk... sure it would be a big change from "managing your own time - on your own time" but, if you enjoy teaching and the interaction with a group, then why not? I don't see any kind of miraculous recovery in our economy in the foreseeable future and the move toward financial security (of any kind) is certainly a worthwhile goal!
I wish you the best in making your decision.

Joel

[Kirk Gittings]

Two of my associates teach photography and news writing at a university. Each has found plenty of time to work on their own projects. One has several books published by another university press. I wish you the same good luck they have.

Is this an adjunct or fixed-term position? Tenure-track?

Fixed term associate professorship-year to year contract but stable with little turnover.

[Tin Can]

Do it Kirk.

The interaction with young people will keep you dancing, so to speak.

I am in a very similar boat financially and the same age.

I now know I must continue in a trade, I am getting up to date on HVAC and realize I have a captive market right in my building. I will need some stronger helpers, and I see myself needing additional income, badly.

[Walter Calahan]

sounds a lot better then my adjunct status as a college instructor

think of your class time as simply a regularly scheduled photo assignment

what sort of classes will you teach?

a new adventure

[Andrew O'Neill]

Go for it! There is nothing more rewarding than teaching... especially when you teach what you love and the students are keen!

[Otto Seaman]

But teaching more kids to become architectural photographers doesn't make any sense if you, a competent and experienced professional, can not make a decent living from doing it yourself....

So, while your immediate needs may be met, aren't your actions and those of the university detrimental to the photography profession - as well as the young students paying tuition and your salary - by creating dozens, if not hundreds, of hopeful but ultimately doomed for failure photographers? If we keep creating photographers then we crowd the market and further depress rates, making it harder and harder to make a living from photography.

Or are these classes aimed at hobbyists... business, technology, and law majors looking for a fun and creative recreational outlet? That's nice, showing them how their Canon Rebels work and whatnot. Maybe Canon or Nikon could fund the elective program, or maybe the University could offer classes on some cruise ships or vacation resorts?

[Kirk Gittings]

Otto, I do much more than AP and this actually has little to do with architectural photography perse. This is teaching full time in a university BFA and MFA art program. I have an MFA. Over the years I have taught landscape photography, architectural photography, the zone system, lighting, large format, fine traditional and digital printing both digital and analogue over some 30 years at universities and workshops.

Professional photography of any kind has always been very difficult to accomplish. It seemed utterly unreachable when I started out in 1970. The odds are totally against you. So I did other things for 10 or so years and kept it as a hobby. Then I made a commitment to doing it in 78 and fought my way to a career. It is harder now but as they say "there is always room for somebody good".