Looking For A Career in Photography? Here's All You Need To Know

Do you enjoy capturing and framing various shades of life through a lens? If you want to give a professional touch to a budding photographer inside you, this is the right story for you. We have added up every aspect for a career in photography.

 

What is Photography?

Photography is considered as one of the most creative forms of art. For many photography is a hobby, but to build a career as a photographer, one needs to have great amount of zeal and passion.

Photography as a career is not just clicking pictures. A photographer blends his technical expertise with high artistic side and inherent talent to capture images that tell a story, elicit emotions or record certain events.

Scope for a Photographer/ Photography as profession

With the exponential boom in visual media industry, which includes communication networks, advertising sector, print media,electronic media, fashion industry, films and television, a well-trained photographer is in demand. So choosing photography as a career option is definitely worth your while.

Photographers can work in various fields but most often choose a specific ground to specialize in. Photographers can work for a company or freelance, they can find assignments with networking, advertising, commercial or even non-commercial clients. Some photographers also choose to teach or conduct workshops in photography.

Career in Photography - All You Need To Know

Digital photography

Like everything else, photography has gone digital, most photographers use digital cameras instead of traditional film cameras. Digital photography helps photographers create a situation in the photograph which is unlike the original scenario. With the advancement in image editing software, photography has reached new heights.

Let us learn more about the different types of photography/ photographers

According to the specialisation, there are various types of photographers you come across today, here is a list of the different types of photographers as per their choice of photography:

Portrait photographers: are those who take pictures of people and events. They specialise in events like wedding and meetings along with religious ceremonies, school photographs or any other involving a person or group of people. They are likely to travel to the venue of the event for their job.

Photojournalists: They work for media channels, newspapers, magazines. They are hired on commission to provide photos of people, place, events, fit for media. They usually provide still photographs and also record video of dramatic action through their lens.

Commercial photographers: Such photography includes pictures of subjects like buildings, merchandise, models, artifacts, landscape and others. These photographs are taken on location which are used in advertising, engineering projects, and supplement analyses.

Scientific photographers: They shoot to prepare photographic content for scientific publications and research projects. They are usually seen covering areas of engineering, medicine, biology and chemistry.

Aerial photographers: As the name suggests, aerial photography involves taking pictures of places, building, landscapes, natural disasters, war or similar situations from aircrafts. Such photographers may find employment in news/media, industries, business, scientific or even military purposes.

Wildlife photographers: They capture the essence and life of nature, wildlife, birds, their habitats through their lens. Such photographers have patience, and keen observation skills.

Food photographers: They work alongside food manufacturers, restaurants, and others related to the food industry.

Fashion photographers: The clientèle of fashion photographers vary from designers, models, journals, newspapers, houses, clothes, shoes, and many more. They are aware of the fashion industry, their trends, moods and locations. They can find work anywhere from studio and on locations also.

Career in Photography - All You Need To Know

What are the educational requirements to become a professional photographer?

Formal education is not a necessity to become a photographer by profession, however, a technically trained photographer always has an upper hand and can demand a higher salary package.

The love for cameras, frames, lights and subject to picture along with slight technical skills can lead you to attain a lucrative career in photography.

One can always take formal education in photography at colleges/universities, this will fine tune your skills. Such courses will help you become exceptional.

There are many colleges that provide a degree in photography. Interested candidates can also take up online courses that offer courses and degrees/certificates in photography.

Some specialised careers may require additional coursework such as a fashion photographer may want to study fashion, an aspiring photojournalist need to take some classes in journalism and likewise.

Some of the institutes in India that offer courses in photography are:

  • Fergusson College, Pune University, Pune
  • Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad
  • Jiwaji University, Gwalior
  • Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith, Varanasi
  • Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur
  • Sri Venkateswara University, Andhra Pradesh
  • University of Allahabad, Allahabad
  • University of Gorakhpur, Gorakhpur

How much does a professional photographer earn?

A professional photographer earns anywhere in between 1.25 lakhs to 12.50 lakhs per annum. Salary depends on experience and choice of specialisation chosen in the field of photography. Salary also varies based on the place you are working in and the creativity you bring along with your experience.

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