Unsure About My Future

[kopiosatu]

heya guys,

just want to spill some personal issues here.

I'll be quitting my job in september, and if everything goes as planned, i will be studying photography in the states for 2 years.

but the sad part for me is that, i've been in and out of thailand for the past 2 years plus.

now i just feel this emptiness if i don't get the chance to visit this country again.

which has set me off on this hopeful search for overseas employment.

i don't really know what to do now.

study and maybe work in the states? or try to find something to do in thailand.

i just want to stay away from aviation, which is my current full-time job.

i wish to do photography in thailand.

dang i'm confused.

[deathstardan]

Forget photo's mate, teach English. B30,000 a month....... fantastic:D

[Ciaphas]

Forget photo's mate, teach English. B30,000 a month....... fantastic:D

Why can't you study and still visit Thailand?

[OxfordWill]

Maybe your course will let you choose a module where you can choose to go to Thailand to take photos? Some UK universities do this kind of thing.

[tolsti]

Forget photo's mate, teach English. B30,000 a month....... fantastic:D

He can't even manage capital letters... how can you expect him to teach English??

Why are you quitting aviation??.... seems like a decent job to me with decent perks if you are with an airline?

If you are bent on photography then a local course will teach you to deal with tropical light conditions and vibrant colours. There are some amazing subjects, both fauna and flora, here; you only need to see some of the Thailand blogs that are available.

If you can master some of the local conditions then your photos will amaze. Then go back to the States and you will have a distinct advantage.

Best regards

[seagull]

heya guys,

just want to spill some personal issues here.

I'll be quitting my job in september, and if everything goes as planned, i will be studying photography in the states for 2 years.

but the sad part for me is that, i've been in and out of thailand for the past 2 years plus.

now i just feel this emptiness if i don't get the chance to visit this country again.

which has set me off on this hopeful search for overseas employment.

i don't really know what to do now.

study and maybe work in the states? or try to find something to do in thailand.

i just want to stay away from aviation, which is my current full-time job.

i wish to do photography in thailand.

dang i'm confused.

Another lost soul, eh? Can't find yourself? Not to worry, suggestions are on the way, fast and furious! I can't give you much advise, except, do not burned the bridges that you have crossed!

[solent01]

Hey Kop, don't listen to the negative vibes You mention aviation, what is your role within the industry? The world is your oyster, don't worry too much.

[isabelle17]

Agreed. Don't listen to the negative people.

I have had similar issues too (though I have never worked in Aviation.) I also need to find a job as well....and sometimes it seems like teaching is one of the only things you can do in Thailand! I wouldn't mind teaching...but I would rather do something else...

You will figure it out though. If photography is something you enjoy, go for it. I am sure after the two years, you will be able to come back to Thailand. I had to stay away from Thailand for a couple years as well. I missed it a lot...but...had to go to college! We all have to make some sacrifices to get what we want in the end...good luck!

[kopiosatu]

thanks for the answers. haha~

i didn't figure that i had to type properly here.

i usually reserve that for official letters.

anyway, i honestly think that i can't teach.

besides, i probably think the thais would pick a caucasian over an asian when it comes to teaching english

solent01 - i'm currently a helicopter technician with the republic of singapore airforce.

so its aviation, with lousy perks and almost no benefits.

i am just unhappy being in this country (sg)

regarding photography, i am actually very interested in fashion, conceptual shoots.

that is why i decided to go to the states to see and learn how it is like over there.

but if i have the chance to work in thailand, i would certainly jump at the chance.

my friends tell me, "its just 2 years, u can come back after that"

but i'm putting most of my savings into this "gamble". i'm just afraid to lose it all.

i guess my fear of failure is making me confused.

Ciaphas - because i'm throwing my money into school, i don't think i can afford to get a ticket to thailand from the states. haha~

i'm prepared to start my life as a penniless student.

tolsti - why am i quitting aviation? i figured that somehow in life, happiness matters more to me than a stable income (although it is kinda low).

isabelle17 - are you still in college now or have you made your move to thailand?

[Ciaphas]

If you really passionately want to do fashion/ conceptual photography I would go for it. But be aware it's a very long hard road you travel. In my personal experience of working it a similar field after you complete the course you will then have to spend four or five years as an assistant being paid very little money, gaining the professional experience and building a decent portfolio before people will give you a full job. It is hard work and a daunting prospect but one you will not regret, I wake up every morning for work with a smile on my face knowing I'm going to a job I love that has afforded me the life style I now have.

Why do you have to go to America? Are there not good colleges in Singapore that do Photography? What you are taught in America I would have thought would be the same as you are taught in Singapore, it's what you do with the technical knowledge after the course that counts.

[tolsti]

Stick with the day job.... get yourself type certified on as many makes/variants as you can and take evening classes in your local college for the photography. Then you will find out whether you are any good at it without risking too much. Then you can happily make the decision with the knowledge that you have a good trade (and one that is never going to go away) to fall back on.

Don't burn your bridges.... the world employment situation is pretty dire

Good luck in whatever you decide.

[Sir Burr]

Why don't you try and get a job as a helicopter technician here in Thailand?

Lots of helicopters belonging to private Thai companies fly out of Songkhla to perform crew changes on the oil-field platforms.

[xerostar]

You can stay in Thailand if you're learning the Thai Language.

So maybe do two things at once and improve your chances of a great future in LOS.

[Dustoff]

An interesting thread since I have both done a photograpy college in the States and been a helicopter pilot for four decades.

If I were you, I would take a realisitc look at my individual talents and go from there. While a photography college instills a wealth of basic knowledge, it does not create real talent. And real talent will get you so much more than an education in such an artistic field.

The problem with spending all of your savings in an American photography college is that you will find that true artists are everywhere and the field is incredibly competitive, especially with such inexpensive equipment available. A truly talented photographer can take Nat Geo quality shots with a cardboard throw-away camera and very frequently do.

If you have experience in the helicopter field, you may be better off getting your Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) license through a quality school such as Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. As a foreigner, it may be worth contacting them and exploring the possibility of a partial scholarship which may take past experience into consideration. While you seem to be in a dead-end job with the military, the field of aviation is huge and growing by the minute worldwide. Once you have a good-paying career, you will have the resources to explore your artistic talents at your convenience.

Don't fall into the lure that draws would-be actors to Hollywood where they attend some little acting school then spend the rest of their lives waiting tables in a Burgers-n-Fries restaurant...

[kopiosatu]

Ciaphas - that's the problem. there are no photography courses here. i have to admit that i want to go back to basics and see if i have missed anything.

i don't know why but i always feel that... its not enough. clients like it, but when i look at it, i always think "it can be better"

the thing is, i'm already doing photography in singapore and i have my own business.

i get support from clients and friends but i personally feel that its not good enough and there are many things i'm lacking.

that's why i decided to go overseas and "see more of the world".

dustoff - i'm not there really there for the paper, i want to be an assistant or an intern to professionals elsewhere.

to gain experience and to learn how things work out of this country.

i've had enough with aviation, i know it pays well and i can leave the force and join a commercial airline anytime with a CAAS certification.

but i'm not happy.

ever since i finished my secondary school (high school), i haven't been going down the path that i want.

everyone is surprised that i picked the "logical" choice, mechanical engineering, when they are all expecting me to enroll in an art school.

so i think i've had enough of going down a path i've never been comfortable with and pursue my dreams.

yeah i figured that i'll have to flip burgers to make ends meet.

but i feel let down by a stable income job.

i think the biggest problem for me, is networking. in america i have minor networks but i'm dry in thailand.

[naka]

Dont give up on your career ol son ... remember ... poverty sucks !

Naka.

[Crash999]

Hi Kopiosatu,

I suggest you have a chat with some photographers in Thailand to get a sense for the market there and opportunity. Investing so much time and money into overseas education may not make sense if it only improves your technical skills and gives you a degree that may ultimately not add value.

-Crash

[Ciaphas]

All the work I do I always walk away feeling it could be better, I think that's just the perfectionist artistic nature of the work we do. But if the clients keep on coming back and paying you money that is what counts. If you are running a reasonable business now out of the photography my gut instinct would be is that you would not benefit from doing a course in the US. I think what might benefit you more is using some of the money you have saved to take some time of work and get work experience with photographers you admire and see how they achieve their photographs and rack their brains about your work and how you can achieve the results you want.

[thaimate]

Forget photo's mate, teach English. B30,000 a month....... fantastic:D

teach english 30000 bhat a month,well thats my rent sorted now-----

[kopiosatu]

All the work I do I always walk away feeling it could be better, I think that's just the perfectionist artistic nature of the work we do. But if the clients keep on coming back and paying you money that is what counts. If you are running a reasonable business now out of the photography my gut instinct would be is that you would not benefit from doing a course in the US. I think what might benefit you more is using some of the money you have saved to take some time of work and get work experience with photographers you admire and see how they achieve their photographs and rack their brains about your work and how you can achieve the results you want.

well, i admire david lachapelle, dave hill and lionel deluy, hahaha~

i'm not sure if i can work under them!

like one forumite who replied, maybe i should talk to photographers in thailand to see how its like over there.

so its either i start fresh in USA (maybe under a photographer i like) or Thailand (under other photographers then move on by myself)

money wise, thailand is easier.

question is... would going to the states benefit me more? maybe... stronger/better credibility?

[tmd5855]

solent01 - i'm currently a helicopter technician with the republic of singapore airforce.

so its aviation, with lousy perks and almost no benefits.

i am just unhappy being in this country (sg)

tolsti - why am i quitting aviation? i figured that somehow in life, happiness matters more to me than a stable income (although it is kinda low).

If your sing salary is too low? Why not apply to the helicopter firms serving the offshore oil and gas industry. The Far East is booming at the moment. Wages are usually set at an international level.

[astral]

Isn't photography on the list of jobs reserved for Thais?