Photography Studies College - Blog

"Every day I get up and do something I love which is pretty amazing."

Sean McDonald decided to study photography part time just to learn the basics. 10 years on he now runs a rocking portrait /wedding/commercial /documentary photography business in Melbourne ! 

Did you have a career change? If so what were you doing prior to photography?

Sure did! I went from working in a marketing team at a big corporate company, doing 10 hour days while sitting at the same desk every day. Now I work all sorts of strange hours but it’s for myself and I love it. Very different lifestyle! 

"The sense of community is just awesome. Everyone knows everyone and they are all really supportive and encouraging. It’s unlike anything I've ever experienced elsewhere"

We sat down with Final Year Bachelor student Kaitlyn Church, to ask her why she chose to study Photography over Law?

Was photography the only thing you were considering to study? Or did you have other things in mind?

It was a toss up between law and photography for me. Although I'm still very interested in law and politics, I decided to follow my passion for photography. I don’t regret my decision, I think it’s the best decision I’ve made.

What made you decide to choose photography?

 For as long as I can remember I have enjoyed taking photos. I used to always ‘borrow' my Dad's cameras. It was just something I always did. When I was in high school I used photography as a means of relaxation. But in my later years of high school I became  more and more passionate about the medium. I don’t remember exactly what the reason was that made me change from Law to Photography . But I’m glad I did.

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.

"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 liked that it  was a small community and photography focused, that was a huge plus. Most of all knowing it was not ATAR score based really took the pressure off me. It suited my way of learning and achieving."

Monica Wilmott is full of passion and enthusiam for photography. We checked in to see how she is doing and reflect on the past few years as a student at PSC.

Had you always wanted to study photography?
I’ve always had a keen interest in photography.  When I was 5 years old I got my very first camera and loved experimenting. At 16 I had an awesome opportunity with my Scouts Club to document a 3-week long trip to Adelaide.  It was a fun paparazzi project, we had to meet an assignment brief that was given to us by the club and the results were eventually published in the Scouts Newsletter. The big buzz was seeing my images featured in the newsletter with my name on it! I really enjoyed the entire experience and most of all having my work out there for all to see. From then on, I knew what I wanted to study photography.

So was photography all you were considering in year 12?
Well my school wasn't as supportive as I hoped. I knew I wanted to do photography regardless of the lack of encouragement from my careers teacher who was guiding me into more academic areas of study and that just wasn't me.

There were times I just looked at what was happening on the PSC website and I just wanted to go there. I applied through VTAC and the relief was knowing it wasn't  ATAR score based and that took the pressure off me.