Photography as a Career?

Photography is quickly becoming a popular professional choice among people of all ages. Thinking of choosing photography as a career option here is what you need to know.

Photography as a Career?

Photography has emerged as a profitable and exciting professional option for many younger Indian populations, thanks to the development in advertising, media, and the fashion business. Until a few years ago, most people thought of photography as a pastime, but it has suddenly taken off in a significant manner. Photography is a science as well as an art. It's a kind of artistic expression, with the camera taking the place of a pen or a paintbrush. A photographer must be able to compose a nice image of any subject, whether it is a piece of technology, the beauty of the human body, landscape, or a child's smile.

A single image may often be far more expressive than a thousand words, as the saying goes. Photography is one of the few professions that offer such a wide range of opportunities. There are many different types of photography, each with its own set of work chances.

Eligibility Criteria for Photographers

A growing number of schools now offer photography as a vocational subject at the 10+2 level. There are no formal academic standards for full-time photography studies; however, diploma/certificate education programs in photography need students to have passed the 10+2 exam. A bachelor's degree in fine arts might also include photography as an elective course.

Photography - Job Prospects & Career Scope

A modern-day photographer can take on a variety of roles, the most noteworthy of which are:

Photojournalists/Press Photographers

Photojournalists provide images to the national and international press. For newspapers, journals, magazines, or television, this job requires the ability to shoot a wide range of important people, locations, sports, political, and community activities. To take a good news photograph, a photographer must have a journalistic sensibility.

Feature Photographers

Feature photography is telling the story via images and hence needs a deep understanding of the subject. Many photographers specialise in animals, sports, travel, and the environment, among other subjects.

Commercial Photographers

Photographers that specialise in commercial (industrial) photography take images of products, factory exteriors and interiors, and machinery both inside and outdoors for use in corporate brochures, annual reports, and advertising and selling.

Wedding and Portrait Photographers

Photographers that specialise in portraits and weddings photograph people and small groups, including pets, children, families, weddings, parties, and sporting, and social club activities.

Advertising Photographers

They work in advertising firms' photographic divisions and photographic studios. A significant number of them work as freelancers. Advertising photography is perhaps the highest-paying and most competitive of all the branches; success in this profession is totally dependent on skill, efficiency, and the proper personality.

Fashion Photographers

This field has just lately emerged in India. The majority of fashion photography is done in either Mumbai or Delhi, and it comprises freelancers working in very advanced and well-equipped studios contracted by designer brands or marketing companies.

Scientific Photographers

They usually have extra understanding in fields like engineering, medicine, biology, or chemistry, which helps them picture a variety of subject-related items or scientific events. In terms of assignments, this professional path provides a wide range of opportunities. Working with news reporters or as a freelancer on independent assignments in the domains of environment, wildlife, and other related subjects are also options.

Photographer Working as a Freelancer

Photographers' most popular profession choice has been freelancing. Photographers who wish to work for themselves must be able to manage a business. They can work as freelancers in any of the professions listed above.

Photographers who work for themselves or as freelancers can licence their images through stock photo companies or contract with customers or agencies to deliver photos as needed. To set one self apart from the competitors, they should build their own unique photographic style.

Personal Qualities

Apart from an intellectual, interested, and attentive mind, the topic needs a natural instinct, observation power, training, a high degree of discipline, practise, and an eye for detail. To capture a good image with his camera, a photographer must be able to combine his creative skill with his capacity to intermingle information.