I am so close to accomplishing one of what used to be a long-term goal and I couldn’t be more excited!

As many of you know, I began my portrait photography business in October 2019. The next year, my parents paid my tuition to complete the professional photography course as well as a videography course through the New York Institute of Photography. This institution is America’s oldest and first accredited schools for photography.

I was so excited for this opportunity because not only could I continue to pursue my agricultural interest while at Penn State, but I could also engage in photography education at the same time, on my own terms. These photography programs are hosted entirely online and remote with numerous lessons containing text, lectures, exams, videos, projects, and more. What I wasn’t prepared for, though, was the immense time commitment that would come with juggling Penn State coursework, my jobs, the farm, having a social life, and trying to make time for these photography courses. Students have 18 months to complete the program, so I thought I had plenty of time.

Fast forward to December 2021. I had “NYIP Course” on my planner for the past year and had only made it to module 2 out of 6 on just one of my courses. I was very behind, especially with the looming deadline of April 30, 2022 coming quickly. While I had a full plate over winter break, I set a goal that I would plan out my weeks till April 30 with a plan to complete the two NYIP courses by that date. To my surprise, once I got past the introductory course information and all of the history of photography, I found the lessons getting easier and more interesting. I looked forward to working on the next module each day.

Just this past week, I am proud to say that I have completed the professional photography course. All I have left to do is to submit 4 out of my 6 photography projects. This weekend I composed the photographs for all but one of the photo projects and I had to just order a new lens for the final project. With that being said, I should be able to submit all coursework for the professional course by the second week of February. Once I complete the coursework, I apply for graduation and will receive my certificate of graduation for the course. In addition, I can then apply for my professional certification from the Professional Photographers of America (PPA).

As for my videography course, I am almost finished with the first module, so I am right on track to have no issues finishing this course by the end of April either!

Not only am I proud of myself and excited for nearly accomplishing this goal, but this experience has only taught me to revisit the importance of planning ahead. I have always been a planner, but I tend to put off tasks that will require a lot of time and attention. With this task, it was much easier to split up into more manageable parts. Because of this, I felt like I finished the course in no time!