We spoke recently to Acting Sergeant Craig Farrell who is studying part time at PSC and wanted to share his experience of what it was like to undertake study as an older student, in a skill completely different to his day job.

Hi Craig, how did you become interested in doing a course at PSC and are you glad you joined?

Yes. 100%. I couldn’t be happier. I have really enjoyed the experience. No regrets whatsoever! I was at a careers expo and got talking to a PSC staff member. She told me about the college and that got me curious as I've always been interested in photography, but for many reasons never pursued it. I decided it was time to stop making excuses, and take my interest further. I was a complete photography novice, but I thought “why not?”, so I threw myself in.

What did you get out of it? 

A lot. From a camera skills perspective, a huge amount of

"Photography nourishes your soul. That’s essentially what it has done for me. You can’t place a monetary value on your creative soul. I am so glad to see Melbourne grow as a creative hub and really happy to be on my creative journey at PSC."

PSC student Stavros Messinis was recently awarded the Ilford CCP Salon Best Photobook Design Award for his title "Dream State".
We recently caught up with Stavros to ask him about his recent success and his love of creating photobooks.

Congratulations Stavros. You must be very pleased with the outcome.

How did “Dream State “come about?

Thank you. Yes, the award was a wonderful surprise which I did not expect. I was just happy to present my work at such a great photography exhibition.
The "Dream State" started as a personal style development project at PSC. Working on this project, doing research, shooting, editing and presenting photos in the class and with the feedback I was getting, I believe I finally found a new way to express myself poetically through photography. This project is inspired by Surrealism, like my poetry. So, working on this project was an exciting experience.

Q. How is it that people can photograph an ordinary scene and make it look extraordinary?

A. Well it's not about having the most expensive gear. It's about having the skills, knowledge and creativity to see things differently and produce eye catching and expressive images that make people stop and take notice!

Joining a Part Time Photography Course at PSC is a great way to improve your camera skills. You will learn to create images you can be proud of and impress everyone around you whether family, friends or potential employers! (We won't tell your boss you are looking for a career change)

You'll get mountains of useful feedback from your tutors who are expert industry professionals. 

You will feel really supported in a fun and friendly learning environment welcoming all ages and skill levels.

Join an upcoming informal and fun

Part Time Course Info Sessions

and enjoy:

# EARLY BIRD FEE DISCOUNTS including great savings at the event

# A special Info Session Door Prize to inspire your creativity

# Meet staff and students and ask them the tough questions

# View our student work and take a tour of the college

# Take home goody bag

Spring is in the air and that means sunshine, blue skies and fun activities and now is the perfect time to get organised for 2019. If you have always been interested in photography (whether as a hobby or potential career change) but not sure where to start, join us at our upcoming

Stephanie Tuite started her Part Time photography course this year and when we asked her about her experiences at PSC, she was only too willing to fill us in on what it's like as an older student with a busy lifestyle, deciding to take a leap into the creative world of photography.

"Studying part-time at PSC has given me a great platform to develop my photography skills and meet a range of wonderful people."

Hanh Boatman is enjoying her newfound knowledge and friendships she has formed while studying. We catch her for a quick chat...

What led you to enrol in a photography course?

As an Interior Designer who has worked in London, I found myself wanting to expand my artistic flare. I am a creative individual who has always adored the visual arts, therefore it was only natural for me to pursue my other passion, which is photography. As an expatriate who’s had the privilege to live throughout Asia, Europe and Australia, I found myself wanting to 

 "I never thought I would be a photographer. I came to PSC thinking I wanted to understand photographers. I wanted to see what language they speak and what training they go through- what drives them."

Judging by your accent you have done some travelling. What brought you to Australia?

I’m from Chicago originally and have a Masters in Business Systems and Engineering. I spent time doing the back-pack thing in Europe, was in the Peace Corps and did research in Central America and the Caribbean, so yes, it is fair to say I have a bit of a travel bug. In 2005 my husband and I decided to leave the states and come check out Australia for a year… that was in 2005! Initially, I got a job working for an environmental company. I was their sales manager for NSW and NT which was a great opportunity, as I can say I have been to parts of Australia that most Australians haven’t been to. During this time, I moonlighted as a travel writer for ‘Australiablog’, which (at the time) was one of the premier blogs about all things Australia (I wrote a ripper article focused on Aussie Slang!). I had a little digital camera and would take a shot in whatever town my environmental work sent me to and write about something in the town- a great restaurant or maybe something cool to see. I was always one to multitask.

Clearly that job sparked your creative side. How did photography fit into the puzzle as something more than a side project?

During my Environmental research and Peace Corps years I produced botanical photos of the species we were working with. This was in the days of film and manual focus! (gasp!) I had a Minolta 707… I still have it. Other than that, I was always just the family paparazzi. As my 20 years in corporate life wore on- I started looking for...

Part Time PSC student, Luke David has made it into the latest issue of Capture Magazine’s Top 20 Emerging, Australian Photographers, 2018 in the Travel Category! Luke is currently in his first year at PSC and is studying the 40 week Pro Photography Certificate. 

We sat down with Luke to ask him what has helped contribute to his success.

Congratulations Luke! You are fairly new to photography so what inspired you to take it up?

"Thanks. What inspired me to take up photography was actually travelling. I try to go overseas every year and was taking hundreds of the usual tourist point and shoot, snap shots. I work in retail and there was a really great camera on sale a few years ago that I bought with the idea to take some “proper shots”. I went to the USA the next year and shot everything on auto. Some images worked, some didn’t, but I was getting really inspired just the same. Then before a trip to Japan, I decided “RIGHT! I am going to learn how to use this camera" So I downloaded all the info, read all the blogs and watched all the videos and when I started taking shots in Japan, I started to really love it. I put some images into a few competitions and they did well. I got really excited about creating images and wanted to learn more and more."

Agata Mayes, is currently finishing her Advanced Diploma of Photography at Photography Studies College. She recently was awarded AIPP Victorian Emerging Photographer of the Year 2018. She took some time out of her busy day to answer some questions about her journey so far:

Were you surprised by your win?

Yes, I didn’t expect it. Before I started at PSC, I used to shoot newborn but found it to be not creative enough and decided to take one year off to find a joy in my creative process again. I decided to be 100% honest with myself and create what is in my head; no boundaries, no expectations. I didn’t want to enter competitions at this stage and to be fair, I wouldn’t have entered if not for PSC. Entry to the awards was necessary as part of my course and I’m very grateful for the process and outcome

When did you decide you wanted to do photography?

Photography has been my passion since a very early age. As a child I watched my dad develop films in our bathroom and I was fascinated with this process. I had not considered photography as a profession at this stage. I graduated in Informatics in 2003 and started my career in the Aviation Sector. After a few years in a highly stressful environment I decided to completely change my life direction. I went back to my passions and photography has been my life ever since. 

What inspires your images and ideas?

Concepts for my series comes from my huge interest in psychology and philosophy. My first series “Inside The Mind” was created to explore the sensation of unexplained, severe fear. My second series called ’Sleeping Humanity” was inspired by a book by Colin P.Sisson which portrays people being in a hypnotic state though their lives.

I read a lot and have music playing while I create. Having a written concept and visual diary is very important, along with music and no expectations. These all create a lovely creative flow. In being creative, its very important to figure out the “what” and “why”. The “how” is the last one and you will figure it out in the end. I tend to avoid looking at other artists for inspiration in concepts, other than things like tone, texture and colour.

Do you have a top “go to” if you have creative block?

Stop trying! Stop putting pressure on yourself! In my case blocks come from unresolved emotions and my perfectionism. I take a day off and calm myself if I need to. 

How has studying helped you with your goals and image making?

The tutors at PSC are incredible. Neil Stanyer especially, helped me with the conceptual side of photography. I understood that creating beautiful images is not enough and he taught us to use photography as a medium to communicate.  The tutors bring the best out of you instead of imposing you to do something. They embrace and encourage your style.