Photography Studies College - Blog

PSC Lecturer Hoda Afshar has won the $30,000 William & Winifred Bowness Photography Prize for her photograph ‘Portrait of Behrouz Boochani, Manus Island’ (2018). Hoda’s winning image was printed at PSC’s Print Shop by Peter Hatzipavlis.

We sat down with current first-year student Jacob Pattison to have a chat about why he decided to transfer universities to study something he loves. 

Did you study photography or media at school?

I didn’t actually study art or media subjects at Secondary school. I always enjoyed photography especially photojournalism. I took up photography on my own initiative, learning bit by bit and experimenting.
 

What were you hoping to study when you left school?

After leaving school I actually went and studied a Bachelor of Politics and Philosophy at a public university. I wasn’t completely satisfied and always loved photography. So after 6 months I decided to follow my passion and was looking into PSC and another University that offers photography.

Why did you choose to study PSC?

I was drawn to PSC from a friend who was a graduate and had since had a successful career as a commercial photographer, which I was really inspired by. He strongly suggested that I apply to PSC, which I did online. It was within seconds that the Future Students officer rang me after she had just received the application and before I knew it I had an interview scheduled. I was so surprised how quickly it all happened!

We caught up with  final year BA student, Sally Kaack in between preparing for her final folio and getting the wheels in motion for the end of year graduate year exhibition, "INLIGHT" scheduled for November! We asked Sally a few questions about her journey to date.

Since graduating from Photography Studies College in 2005 Tom’s career has spanned art, portraiture, documentary and commercial projects. In 2014 Tom founded The Fox Darkroom to share his love for film photography and darkroom printing. Rather than focusing on nostalgia or trends, Tom’s practice explores the relevance of traditional processes in the contemporary landscape of photography. In 2016 Fox was extended to include a gallery which has become an outpost for photographers and the broader public to engage with photographic works. 

PSC is proud to present Leigh Henningham, former Pictorial Editor for The Age newspaper. Leigh has worked as a professional photographer  in and around Melbourne for over 30 years. From 1978 in the darkroom at the Melbourne Herald to then more recently the Age (as Pictorial Editor) and now as  a  freelancer. Over that period he has photographed  Melbourne, its seasons, characters, and changing  landscape, while riding the changes in technology.  See his photos and hear  some of his experiences about how photography has also changed so much over that  time.

Amnesty International Australia is a section of the Amnesty International network, the global movement promoting and defending human rights and dignity, undertaking advocacy and mobilising people to put pressure on governments and others to end rights violations.

This week our Higher Education Course Director Daniel Boetker-Smith heads off to Europe and Asia, during his trip he will be attending events in Germany, the Netherlands and Singapore.

 This week saw the special opening of the Faces Of Melbourne Faces of Osaka student, photography exhibition in Osaka and in Melbourne. The exhibition features 20 photographs by PSC students and 20 photographs by students of Shasen (the Japan Institute of Photography and Film) in Osaka, making a total of 40 photographs to celebrate the 40 year alliance of the two sister cities!

PSC has been very proud to have taken part in this exhibition and we wish to congratulate the Shasen and PSC students on their wonderful photography.  The Melbourne opening at the 'Library at the Dock’ in Docklands was a testimony to the special relationship we have with Shasen, the City of Osaka and the City of Melbourne.

'HOME - WHERE THE HEART IS' 

We would like to focus on a phrase that we at PSC have all heard before. You may have been told this from an influencer in your life or you may have even said it yourself, “there are no jobs in photography”. Or, “there is no stability in a career as a creative.” So, we thought it was about time that we bust this myth wide open...

The cold hard facts…

Australia’s creative and digital industries – of which photography is an integral part – are two of the fastest growing sectors of our economy. Creative and digital industries represent $90 billion to the economy and employ over 6.2% of the Australian workforce, which is more than mining and agriculture (source: joboutlook.gov.au). 

In 2017, 15 700 people were employed in the photography industry alone. Of those, 57.8% of those jobs were in a full-time capacity. This does not include freelance photographers that may have also received the equivalent of a full-time workload. The job outlook website states that the photography industry as a growing sector and predicts there to be significant job growth in the next 5 years.