Reasoning

There are a number of reasons for me embarking on the degree course. The main one is that while I enjoy photography as a hobby I can be a bit lazy in terms of actually getting out there and taking photographs. I can also be a bit lazy in my choice of subject matter - I'm kind of like a fisherman who finds out where the biggest fish are, finds out what they like to eat, speaks to half a dozen other people who have caught them previously, determines precisely when they're likely to be hungry and only then turns up at the pond.

Which is kind of crazy because a lot of the photographs that I really like are of the every day fragments of life that I walk/drive past a dozen times a week. i.e. the small fish, in the pond that only the most perceptive of fisherman know about.

So I'm hoping that following this course will give me a sense of direction, structure and purpose that will break me out of my comfort zone and force me to be bolder and more courageous in my approach to photography.

I also tend to work quite well with deadlines. And where I have  feedback from someone I respect. But I hate slow paced, repetitive classroom study. An online, self-paced course should suit my preferred learning style quite well.

The degree qualification aspect also appeals - I have a BA Hons in Philosophy and Sociology and an MSc in Software Engineering - if a Photography degree was added to the list it would be a rather intriguingly random kind of mix of subjects which would reflect my life interests reasonably well.

The shear size and duration of the course (likely to be 8 years or more), is also quite exciting and liberating (I have a pretty demanding job in addition to a family to tend to and so it will be good to be involved in something which in relative terms will be very self indulgent and "escaping"). It's also nice to think that at the end of it, it may be possible to start earning some money from photography - though I appreciate that may not be realistic.

Anyway - here goes....!