Gregory Beams does what he loves for a living. He’s confident in his artistic abilities, and is enjoying success in his dream career as a professional photographer.

For many, doing what you love everyday and being accomplished in your profession is a tall order. According to Beams, this enviable position in life can be attributed to something he learned from his instructors at Academy of Art University.

Beams says his School of Photography instructors taught him a number of useful skills. But more than anything, they helped him find his voice.

And once he found his voice, his photographs and his career changed for the better. Watch the video below to learn how the Academy’s online programs helped him start his dream career.

The Obvious Choice

When Beams decided to go back to school to earn his MFA in Photography he searched for programs that he could complete online while living in the Seattle area.

“Academy of Art University consistently came up as one of the top programs,” he said. “It became the obvious choice,”

Beams creates carefully staged large-scale cinematic images of surreal urban scenes and isolated characters, and seeks to raise people’s awareness about the isolation that occurs when we use technology. See a sampling of his work here.

“For me, pursuing a graduate degree really became about finding my voice,” he said. “None of my photographs would be what they are today if it wasn’t for the instructors at the Academy.”

A Robust Online Opportunity

Academy of Art University’s Online Education Department has helped thousands of online art students from all over the world realize their professional and creative ambitions—on their terms.

Since 2002, the Academy has built over 1,300 online courses and produced over 15,000 instructional videos. We offer more than 950 online courses per semester, and help countless students from 50+ countries enjoy the quality and versatility of an online education at the Academy.

Study the topics you want online; on your time, at your pace. Take full- or part-time classes. Your education is literally in your hands. Learn more. 

Our Faculty

School of Photography Graduate Associate Director Adrienne Pao‘s work has been featured in fashion and pop culture magazines, including a feature on Slate for her dress tent photographs, as well as art journals around the world.

Her work has been shown in the Museum of African Diaspora in San Francisco, Caixa Cultural in Rio de Janeiro, and Recoleta Cultural Center in Buenos Aires.

Pao received her MFA in Photography from San Jose State University and is committed to educating aspiring photographers.

To learn more about the online degree programs offered at the Academy, visit the Online Education page.