SOP for photography college -- capturing a moment

I think there is something missing in this SOP but can't figure it out...500 words is the limit. I'm not from photography field so I need something that says that I'm the right candidate for this college & ofcourse my portfolio will speak for itself.

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I am a firm believer that impressions one carry can change the entire perception of ones life and, what else can convey an impression better than a photograph. Whether a childhood memory or be it an awe inspiring perfection of nature, there are infinitesimal details that happen every thousand of a second near you but fly away without notice. That's where a click comes in and preserves the moment forever. The sensation of capturing a moment forever has led me to a lifelong fascination with the magic of photography.

Although I always pursued photography as my first love but couldn't get a chance to study it earlier because of some family / financial constraints(Not sure about the line) so after finishing my Masters in software engineering from one the well acclaimed and premier university, [X], India, I started my career at T-mobile India operations as an analyst. During my experience at T-mobile, I got an opportunity to work independently and deliver my best. My work involved testing sophisticated software applications in its entirety. Yes, it may sound something not so remarkable, but it is one of those vertical within software engineering that requires out of box thinking, asks for innovation and continuous battle between man and machine, nurtures your analytical ability and imbibes self confidence. To sum up, this more than a year of my stay at T-mobile, I identified the creative and imaginative side of my skill set.

Once indentified, I started nurturing my love for photography as an independent and amateur enthusiast. Be it a portrait or landscape or else an abstract shot, I have been learning the nitty-gritty of a good exposure and some of my most appraised shots are presented in my portfolio. To satiate my hunger for this unmatched science and art of still photography, I have worked with some of the professional photographers in Hong Kong as a part of short workshop programs.

It is the same urge which has so motivated me to pursue a Master's Degree in photography at [X]. Opening of [X] in Hong Kong is giving me a chance to fulfill my life-long dream. I consider [X] as a top choice for my studies because of its well-established facilities and renowned faculty make it a very impressive place to complete my graduate studies. I believe that a Masters degree will help me to sharpen my skills as a photographer, gain the knowledge to start my career, and to work in the fields that I am interested in and absolutely love.

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It's unique and cool that you have such passion for photography coming from an IT engineering background. This should mean your left and right brain are superbly developed, right. How to get this across in the SOP?


Totally agree with your self-critique. Do you have any compelling examples of how you used photography as a software engineer at T-mobile? This would make the second paragraph work in your favor (it currently doesn't really strengthen the SOP as per your conclusion quoted above.)


Flesh this out with specifics, not generalities. What kind of photographer do you strive to be (portrait, landscape, abstract?) What are the fields you absolutely love? What specific specialized knowledge and skills do you want to acquire in HKU?

...because of some financial constraints, so after finishing my Masters in software engineering from one the well acclaimed and premier university, [X], India, I started my career at T-mobile India operations as an analyst. During my ...

Once identified , I started nurturing my love for photography as an independent and amateur enthusiast. Be it a portrait or landscape or else an abstract shot, I have been learning the nitty-gritty of a good exposure and some of my most appraised shots are presented in my portfolio.

To satiate my hunger for this unmatched the science and art of still photography, I have worked with some of the professional photographers in Hong Kong as a part of short workshop programs. ---unmatched made it "too much" .. too modified... too fancy of a sentence, hahah...

This is well written, but it is nothing extraordinary. It could be something that will blow the reader's mind. Don't settle for mediocrity. What are your most profound insights into photographic art? Choose one, and make it your theme. Let this essay be like a mental photograph that captures a moment of reflection.

Don't get me wrong; it is obviously impressive. However, it could be better if you find that spark of inspiration, that perfect word.