Meet Our Alumni

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  Nicole Simila

  Digital Photography , 2016

  "[My education] helped me to learn ways to use my camera that I had never thought of, or couldn't seem to teach myself."

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  Nicole Simila

  Self-employed Business Owner and Photographer at EvelynJo Photography

  Nicole Simila is a self-employed business owner and photographer at EvelynJo Photography. She runs her business on nights and weekends, after she completes her full time job. This determination, and her passion for photography, keeps her motivated. “There are going to be times where you feel like you may have failed but keep your head high and you will succeed.”

  She discusses a time when she was shooting weddings—only to realize that it wasn’t what she wanted to be doing. “The stress and worrying that came a long with it wasn't worth the time and effort. I figured out through [my education] that I wanted to mainly focus on working with children.” Today, she says that her studio work with children provides smiles and creates joy for the children’s parents, friends, and family.

  Nicole adds that since she’s completed her education, her photography workload has increased. She attributes this to the confidence she’s gained as a photographer.

  “My hard work and determination throughout school helped me to succeed and learn so much more than I had known before.” She says that she always has room to grow and seeks out tips and tricks to add to her repertoire.

  Nicole, who in 2016 earned an Associate of Science in Photography from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh—Online Division, says that her education helped her to learn about studio lighting and camera operations. “It helped me to learn ways to use my camera that I had never thought of, or couldn't seem to teach myself.”

  See aiprograms.info for program duration, tuition, fees and other costs, median debt, salary data, alumni success, and other important info.

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  William Douglas

  Digital Photography , 2015

  "I try to encourage others to express their creativity and think outside the box."

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  William Douglas

  Spent 10 years in the United States Army as an 11B/4 sniper

  William Douglas spent 10 years in United States Army as an 11B/4 sniper. “I served during Operation Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Operation Just Cause and was honorably discharged as Staff Sargent,” he says. Today, he is the owner of Liam Photography in Atlanta, Georgia. He takes professional, editorial, portrait, and drone photos. And recently he was honored to have one of his my photos selected by National Geographic to be the on the cover of its newest book on “Big Cats.”

  William says that one of the biggest challenges he faced as a photographer was giving models instructions for poses. “I was able to overcome this by shooting friends and family members and working with some of the members of my photography club. I learned to be more of a leader when directing shoots. I try to encourage others to express their creativity and think outside the box.”

  He recommends that current students build their professional connections and experience through networking and reading photography blogs and articles. “I spend a lot of time on sites like SLR Lounge reading articles and blog posts,” he adds.

  William, who in 2015 earned an Associate of Science in Photography from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh—Online Division, says that his education provided a strong foundation for his career. But he adds that being a photographer requires constant learning. “You cannot just graduate and think you will immediately make money as a photographer. It takes, time, patience, and networking—a lot.”

  See http://aiprograms.info for program duration, tuition, fees and other costs, median debt, salary data, alumni success, and other important info.

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