Photography Learning Pathways: Should I Go Back to School?
Question: Should I pursue formal photography education or learn through YouTube tutorials?
Backstory
Deciding whether to invest in a formal education program is one of those crossroads moments many of us face when a creative passion begins to take hold. For me, this question has been a constant companion over the past twelve months as I've balanced career demands with capturing street scenes during daily photo walks to work and weekend shoots.
The seed for enrolling in a program was planted after I treated myself to what some might call an "aspirational purchase": a beautiful Leica M11 that honestly has spent most of its short life with its dials set to Auto. Those rare ventures beyond the safety of automatic settings typically resulted in images that failed to capture what my eye had seen, leaving me both frustrated and determined.
My camera splurge (and later, the addition of a Q3, thanks to a long-service leave payout and some side-hustle gigs) could be justified with the knowledge that Leica holds its value remarkably well. However, investing in education doesn't come with the same reassurance.
I purposely gave myself roughly a year between falling in love with photography (again, it was something I'd enjoyed decades earlier, but had lost along the way as ‘adulting’ increasingly prioritised my time) and considering formal training. Like many of us juggling multiple responsibilities, I needed to be certain this wasn't just another short-lived enthusiasm—one of those passion projects I dive into before life's demands pull me back to shore, or I loose interest. If I was going to carve out precious time for classes and allocate resources, I needed evidence that my relationship with photography had staying power beyond the initial romance.
Once I'd clocked up twelve months on the calendar, my new challenge became finding the right education program to move my untrained adventures with photography forward. Like choosing the perfect camera bag (one that doesn't scream "expensive equipment inside" but still protects your gear), selecting the right educational path requires navigating a plethora of decisions.
Below, I share some considerations that shaped my final decision.
Why YouTube Photography Tutorials Weren’t Enough (For Me)
Ah, YouTube—the modern-day university of everything.
It's free, accessible, and packed with tutorials on every possible aspect of photography.
But let me share a confession: during my "year of consideration," I probably spent more evenings lost in the algorithm-fueled wilderness of photography content (coupled with side tangents to discover Lady Gaga’s latest fashion choices) than actually adding to my limited photography skills.
What starts as "I'll just watch one quick tutorial on aperture settings" inevitably transforms into a three-hour journey through gear reviews, editing workflows, and passionate debates about the ethics of photographing strangers. Before you know it, it's midnight, your camera sits untouched, and somehow you've been convinced you need five new lenses despite barely understanding how to use the one you have.
For me, YouTube is somewhat of an algorithmic dopamine dance party.
The challenge I faced—one I suspect resonates with many of us diving into new creative pursuits—is not knowing what I didn't know. Which YouTube couldn’t really provide meaningful direction on.
When you're new to a field, you lack the knowledge and learning frameworks makes it challenging to curate your own learning pathway.
What I craved was structure—someone to say, "Master this concept first, then move to this one," rather than bouncing between advanced techniques and beginner concepts based on whatever the algorithm served up next.
This disorganized approach to learning left me with fragments of knowledge, like puzzle pieces from different sets—interesting individually but impossible to assemble into a coherent picture. I found myself collecting information rather than building skills, something that felt productive in the moment but ultimately delayed my progress.
For those of us who approach our careers with strategic intentionality, applying that same disciplined thinking to our creative pursuits makes sense.
The outcome was that YouTube had fallen short for me. I needed a learning journey that respected both my newbie status—something curated, sequential, and designed with a clear progression in mind
The Benefits of Formal Learning
One major advantage of structured learning is that it provides a curated journey through photography fundamentals.
Instead of jumping from one random tutorial to another, the thought of being part of a well-designed program that offered a thoughtfully sequenced path that builds key skills in a logical order... that sounded amazing.
I wanted something that eliminated the frustrating guesswork of "what should I learn next?" I wanted someone to tell me what to do!
There's also the community aspect. Learning by youself can be lonely, while being surrounded by fellow learners and experienced instructors creates energy and opportunities for meaningful feedback and growth. I craved that.
As a women balancing multiple responsibilities, the structure of formal learning also held the promise to provide something equally valuable: permission to prioritize my creative development. Setting aside dedicated time for something I’m passionate about becomes easier when it's connected to a class schedule or assignment deadline. This built-in accountability helps protect those precious creative hours from being sacrificed to the endless demands that compete for our attention.
With this in mind, it was decision time: what sort of photography program should I opt into?
Finding the Right Photography Education Provider
After acknowledging that signing up to some form of structured learning was the way forward, I found myself facing a variety of educational options, ranging from formal credentials at universities all the way to online LinkedIn Learning courses. Considerations for each are outlined below.
University Photography Programs
Comprehensive curriculum covering theory, history, and practice
Access to professional-grade equipment and facilities
Structured feedback from educators
Time commitment: significant (often full-time or extensive part-time) and multi-year
Financial investment: substantial
Credential benefits: formal qualification
Schedule flexibility: limited
Smaller Private Providers
Specialized courses focused on specific skills or styles
Smaller class sizes with more personal attention
Varying levels of equipment access
Time commitment: moderate (evening/weekend options)
Financial investment: moderate-high
Credential benefits: certificates/portfolio development (which, for me was arguably far more important than a formal university qualificiation)
Schedule flexibility: moderate (some evening/weekend options)
Asynchronous Online Learning Platforms
Self-paced structured online courses
Accessibility: from anywhere
Varying quality of instruction and feedback
Time commitment: flexible (fit around existing schedule)
Financial investment: lowest of the formal options
Credential benefits: minimal
Schedule flexibility: maximum
Likelihood that I would keep myself on track given lack of external accountability: close to zero!
Checklist
After weighing options against my unique circumstances, I created a checklist to guide my final decision—one I'm sharing here for those standing at similar crossroads:
Time Honesty: Have I realistically assessed my available time, not just my aspirations?
Financial Boundaries: What investment makes sense for my current skill level and goals?
Learning Style: Do I thrive with structured deadlines or prefer flexibility?
Specific Goals: Am I seeking joy and creativity, or building toward a potential side business?
Community Importance: How much do I value in-person feedback and connection?
Equipment Access: Do I need access to gear beyond what I currently own?
Portfolio Development: How important is building a cohesive body of work?
Creative Commitment: Which option will I most likely stick with when work pressure intensifies?
Location: How far am I willing to travel to attend classes?
Choosing to Study at PSC
After much deliberation (and countless pros and cons lists), I ended up enrolling in a program at Photography Studies College in Melbourne.
Classes start next Thursday, so I can't yet tell you if it's the right decision, but fingers crossed it is.
Photography Studies College
Disclaimer: Please remember that my experience with PSC is personal and what suited my needs might not be ideal for everyone. Consider your own priorities and circumstances when choosing your photography education path. This post is not sponsored and reflects my independent opinion.
Here's why I decided to choose PSC to steer my photography learning journey forward:
Schedule: The evening class schedule spoke directly to my reality. I also liked that they held two evening sessions per week. Seven days between classes is too long for me, whereas their Tuesday (online for digital skills development) and Thursdays (classroom time) felt like it was enough to keep me in the rhythm while not overwhelming my schedule. 2 x weekly sessions mean I'll have regular deadlines to keep me moving forward, but not so demanding that I'll feel overwhelmed when work inevitably intensifies during certain seasons. There's room to breathe here, but also enough structure to prevent me from drifting.
Progression: The program breaks down the learning journey into digestible 18-week modules (I’ve enrolled in the first). I like how they've structured it as a clear pathway where each completed segment builds toward formal qualifications. Instead of committing to years upfront (when I wasn't even sure if formal education was right for me), this approach lets me take one step at a time while still moving toward something substantial and receiving recognition at the end of each module (assuming I do the work and pass!). Her’s an overview of their part-time courses.
Cost: PSC isn't cheap, but it's also not very expensive when you break down the fees into an hourly rate, and what you get. When I enrolled, they were offering a discount for enrolling on the evening of the program's information session (although I've no idea if this is something they always do). At the time of writing, their 18-week course was priced at approximately 4k, with discounts for extended study options when you sign up to multiple sequential modules.
Quality of Student Work: During an on-campus orientation/information session, attendees received a tour of the building and the walls are covered with student work. Impressive student work. I've always thought that if I was going to sign up to a gym, I'd want to go to one where the instructors had my dream body, as a kind of proof that what they are preaching actually works. The same for an education provider - from a reputational standpoint, they are really only as good as the quality of work their students and graduates produce. View alumni work here.
Industry-based Faculty: The program is taught by photographers. Which might sound silly, but having come from a background in the university education sector, it's not uncommon for academics to teach courses owing to having a PhD yet have never actually worked in the field. Not so at PSC. The College and the educators all appear highly connected to industry and work as practicing photographers.
External Validation: I asked a trusted sage at the Leica Store in Melbourne what they thought of PSC, and was told that it was hands down the best photography education I could ask for.
Size: I wanted to join a community, where, like Cheers, everyone knows your name. While PSC's reputation is huge, its class sizes are small.
The Print Shop: PSC has a photographic print shop located on campus, run by Nathan, whose enthusiasm and knowledge for printing was impressive. On enrollment I was fortunate to win a voucher to spend time to learn from him and get some bonus free print credits!
Location: The city-based campus location was a huge bonus for me—just a fifteen-minute walk from my home (although I suspect it will take me 45 minutes as I tend to get lost in little details and stop to take photos). Located at 37-47 Thistlethwaite St, South Melbourne VIC.
Next Steps
As I prepare for my new adventure as a student of photography, I'm reminding myself that growth isn't always comfortable—and that's exactly the point.
There will likely be moments of frustration, images that don't match my vision, and weeks when finding time to complete assignments feels impossible. Within that discomfort lies the potential for something beautiful to emerge. And, if my camera could talk it would no doubt be signing with joy that it can finally twist some dials beyond the ‘A’ mode.
I'll update you after my first class at PSC!
Wish me luck!
Thanks for being part of my journey,
Bron x
Follow the evolution of my photography practice on Instagram @bron_eager
