Please advice me.

[Fl3wk]

I have a chance to develop my photography skills and image manipulation from this photos. Do you think this will aid my development to become a concept designer? The other alternative is Graphics, which I would choose as a back-up if illustration/concept design didn't work. If I did take up the chance to develop photography skills I may need to invest in an expensive camera, so I would hate to pick the wrong decision.

For further info, it is a module I must 'drop' for the second year of my course, and just thought if you guys had any advice on whether photography would help. My thoughts are that it will improve my compositional skills, lighting understanding, image manipulation through software, and also develops a certain quality control.

Thanks.

[Bhrazz]

I'm not sure if my answer will help you but this is from my experience.

So far I did everything ''wrong''. Meaning I started by doing photography, Then I went to a 3d school and worked 2 years into it. Recently I started drawing seriously on a daily basis , painting , reading and get some knowledge on it.

I think everything I did helped me in some ways. However I don't think you can get a true understanding of light, composition, proportion and perception until you ''know how to draw''.

Photography will teach you some things, 3d's program will do as well, but there is just too many automatisation overall. Start to draw, and you will see, you do everything, you think everything, you get the line flow of what you should let the spectator see in the image.

I can say that drawing will help you take better photography and make your 3d scene better, more than photography and 3d will do to your drawing skills.

This is from my experience, it might not be for you, you are the only judge. But I strongly believe drawing is the root of everything else related to art, it teach you everything.

Most concept designer I know don't take much photography, but it can help you. I don't know if you draw already, but if you do I think the key is there.

Hope it help you

[Seedling]

Bhrazz is exactly right. If you want a job that is based on drawing, then practice drawing. Everything else helps a little, but drawing will help you the most.

[Fl3wk]

Thanks guys. I will keep graphics as the safe plan and also the chance to keep to date with current software. Photography i will scrap. As for drawing, I draw on a daily basis and when i get the materials I will paint too. I almost made the mistake of jumping straight to digital, but realised it would hinder rather than improve efficiency (while still learning).

Thanks again.