Study abroad photography offers an invaluable opportunity for academic credit and experience in creative fields. Additionally, it’s an effective way of building up your portfolio and demonstrating perseverance, independence and motivation to future employers.
While taking photos during your study abroad experience is great fun, remember that captions give the picture context and can have an enormous impact on how others view its subject matter. Be conscious of this when taking pictures to ensure the best experience.
One way of doing this is by understanding what constitutes culturally appropriate photos. This may involve knowing what’s appropriate in your host country and considering how others will interpret your work when sharing it. For instance, study abroad participants often post images from their travels online as a way of celebrating how it has changed them or showing the impact their organization is making – all valid reasons to share! However, it’s also important to ask whether any stereotypes or false generalizations about people or places depicted may be created through sharing these photographs online.
If you’re thinking of studying photography abroad, we advise exploring various programs with various durations to find one that’s the right fit for you. Gap year programs are an excellent way to start exploring photography while expanding your horizons while gap year programs provide an ideal way to break in while building up skills – while an undergraduate or graduate degree program allows for deeper immersion into culture and language of your host country.