Lia (Philippines) sent her question via Direct Message on Twitter:
Good day Ms. Evelyn. So i’ve read your blog about being a cruise ship photographer, i’m currently on senior high (12th) and graduating this May but i still don’t have a school and a course to take. may i know what you took? it’ll help a lot.
I had just woken up when I read her DM to me 😴 but, surprisingly, I typed out a rather long answer:
Pick a course that interests you. Don’t choose your course based on becoming a crew on ships unless you’re interested in the Marine/Deck department or in Tourism. If your goal is to work on ships and travel, better for you to get into Tourism. I wish I’d known that. My course had nothing to do with Photography. But looking back, I wish I knew about and considered the world of Tourism when choosing my course. You can, of course, get into Media if you really love Photography. But honestly, most photographers I know didn’t take up courses that had anything to do with Photography. Far better to pick your course based on a different profession that you want to do, and do Photography on the side or as a hobby… in my opinion. If you read my website then you know you’ll need professional experience before becoming a seafarer. There’s good money in working in the other departments. That’s the truth. If you have no idea yet which direction to take (like I was when I was picking my course) but are attracted to working in the travel industry, then I’d take Tourism if i were you.