Want to pursue a career in photography? There are various options to learn, develop, and understand work ethics. Here are the list of photographer career options and its eligibility.
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Photography is one of the upcoming forms of art and is also one of the most well-paid professions. The profession helps to capture the once-in-a-lifetime moments, hence it is always dwelled in the business of glamour. Choosing a career in photography has its advantages. One can get to work on the assignments of their liking. Photographers are artists because they think about every aspect that affects the picture.
Career in Photography
A photography career involves a blend of technical and artistic insights. It is an art that implies that to excel in the field. The person needs a lot of practice and perseverance. Photographers produce pictures that tell a specific story, give an internal message, or record an event. With the rapid growth in the advertising and media sectors, the employment opportunities in photography have witnessed a tremendous boost.
The responsibility of a photographer while working with advertising agencies and magazines is to click the images on different themes. Though the photographers in various sectors have different motives, these professionals always work their expertise in particular styles that can help them to perfect ideas to related forms.
There are different beats in photography careers such as wildlife, news & events, sports, wildlife, politics, wedding, fashion, cultural events, politics, and much more. The lens has improved in the past few years. The demand for professional photographers has created a great demand from traditional media work to advanced mass media and e-commerce works.
Below are different ways to pursue a photography career.
- Enrol in a photography course to get candidate exposure.
- Develop the required skills and lay a strong foundation of basics.
- Take up internships, and do volunteer work.
- Build a portfolio highlighting your strengths and impressive works.
Photography Eligibility in India
To become a photographer, there aren't many restrictions. But there are some of the eligibility criteria to have a successful job as a professional photographer.
Below are the expected requirements for a photographer.
- A candidate needs to have the skills and talent required in photography.
- The candidate needs to clear class 12 from a recognized board with a minimum of 45% of marks.
- Candidates can pursue UG courses, certificate and diploma courses in photography irrespective of their stream chosen in Class 12.
- A candidate must have a professional camera.
Photography Job Roles
Photographers can have various job roles, depending on their style of photography. It is quite a comprehensive form of art, and it does not just mean clicking pictures. It considers many other aspects, like lighting, angle, focus, style, etc. A photographer needs to decide on which kind of photography to master. Making this decision can be quite challenging.
So, to help future photography aspirants in this decision-making process, here are the types of photography that one can pursue.
- Wedding Photography
- Event Photography
- Portrait Photography
- Product Photography
- Beautiful Art Photography
- Fashion Photography
- Architectural Photography
- Travel Photography
- Advertisement Photography
- Photo-Journalism
Wedding Photography
This job involves weddings and events. These are some of the most common photography styles, and there is quite a demand for this kind of photography as nearly everyone hires a photographer for their wedding.
A wedding photographer involves a mix of event photography and portraiture. They need to be quick on their feet, move around during the reception and ceremony, and be adaptable, ready to shoot outdoors on a sunny day and indoors for dimly lit receptions and dances. Couples will expect the photographer to give directions for posing shots to be confident and communicate well with the bride and groom.
Event Photography
This kind of photography is more dynamic and fast-paced. Event photographers work in a variety of settings such as corporate events, rock concerts, etc. This style often involves a mixture of photojournalistic documentary work and portraiture. Some organizations use their event photos for publicity purposes, while others use party photos as keepsakes.
Portrait Photography
Portraiture is one of the most common types of photographers. This kind of photography is used by retail customers who look for portrait photographs for every phase of life: maternity and newborns, school photos, senior photos, and general family photos.
Corporate portraits are commonly needed for employees to update their headshots for websites and publicity materials. Moreover, professional models use pictures to add to their portfolios to market themselves for agencies and jobs.
Product Photography
Advertising agencies use this style of photography for marketing product photographs in online and print catalogues, labels, and packaging. Product photography takes place in studios with careful control of backgrounds, shadows, and lighting.
Food photography is a specialized niche, and many high-profile restaurants need to advertise their meals and create their menus. Jewellery is another type of product photography.
Beautiful Art Photography
Fine art photographers create art and display their work in galleries and at art shows. In addition, they usually sell a finished, framed print product to their customers. Beautiful art photography can be of any subject and capture emotional responses and communicate them with the audience.
Fashion Photography
This style of photography is one of the most glamorous jobs, but it can be challenging to enter the industry. For example, a runway shoot requires an element of documentary photography, while posed shoots on location demand one-on-one work with the model.
Most of the time, fashion photographers focus on lighting elements while working closely with models and giving out directions. Fashion photography requires team effort as it involves stylists, wardrobe specialists, makeup artists, art directors, and others.
Architectural Photography
Professionals who specialize in architectural photography work as freelancers or for design agencies and magazines. Details captured in this style of photography include the exteriors and interiors and subtle features that make the building's design unique.
Architectural photography requires some special techniques and equipment to minimize distortion and can capture certain awkward angles. A subdivision of this style is real estate photography.
Travel Photography
Travel photography blends many different types of photography into one. It includes various assignments like, for instance, the photographer may capture the culture, people, food of that one place, or revolve around the lines of winning the most beautiful beaches of the world where you may need to travel to different places. A travel photographer aims to transport their audience to that place without them having to leave home.
Advertisement Photography
This type of photography includes various subjects, like street photography, lifestyle photography, fashion photography, or product photography. Professionals in this field can work as freelancers, selling images on a project-by-project basis, or they might work directly for major ad agencies.
Photo-Journalism
Photo-journalism is a photography type that involves covering assignments in war zones, political rallies, natural disasters, community celebrations, etc. Newspapers, magazines, and online publications are employment industries for these photographers. It is one of the documentary types of photography, and its goal is to document the events as they unfold. While there may be some portraiture, the majority of work completes candidly.
Photographer Salary in India
The average photographer salary in India is INR 4.56 Lakh per annum, including the average bonus of up to INR 8000. The equivalent hourly rate to photographers is INR 219. An entry-level photographer with 1 to 3 years of experience can earn an average salary of INR 3 Lakh per annum. With more than 8 years of experience, a photographer can earn above INR 5 Lakh per annum.
The average base salaries offered to Photographers are tabulated below.
| Photographer | Salary (Per Annum) |
| Base Salary | INR 1.22 Lakh |
| Average Salary | INR 3.91 Lakh |
| Maximum Salary | INR 10 Lakh |
| Bonus | INR 4000 to INR 1.99 Lakh |
The average base salaries offered to various Photographer job roles are tabulated below.
| Photographer Job Roles | Average Salary (Per Annum) |
| Wedding Photography | INR 4.25 Lakh Per Annum |
| Event Photography | INR 3.91 Lakh Per Annum |
| Portrait Photography | INR 3.48 Lakh |
| Product Photography | INR 4 Lakh Per Annum |
| Beautiful Art Photography | INR 4.50 Lakh Per Annum |
| Fashion Photography | INR 5 Lakh Per Annum |
| Architectural Photography | INR 4.80 Lakh Per Annum |
| Travel Photography | INR 6.90 Lakh Per Annum |
| Advertisement Photography | INR 3.49 Lakh |
| Photo-Journalism | INR 3.50 Lakh Per Annum |
Note: The salary details are taken from Payscale India.
Photography Employment Opportunities
Some of the photographers have their studio by providing a varied range of services in photography. And various sectors hire photographers and provide them with employment opportunities.
Below are some of the popular employment opportunities for photographers.
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Advertising Agencies
- Studios
- Press and Publishing Houses
- NGOs
- Industries and Medical Institutes
- Event Management Organisations
- Freelancers
Photography Skills and Personality Traits
Photography is an art. To become an expert in the field of art, you need to have the required skills. The area of study you choose should also match your personality. A photographer needs to have the appropriate personality traits to match their job profile.
The skills and personality traits of a photographer are listed below.
Personality Traits
- Artistic
- Creative
- Computer knowledge of application software is essential.
- Detail Oriented
- Excellent Soft Skills
- Independent Organized
Skills
- Originality
- Schedule Flexibility
- Business & Marketing Skills
- Communication Skills
- Technology & Visual Skills
Courses to Become Photographers
There is no mandatory requirement to apply for postgraduate Photography courses. Still, some candidates are interested in pursuing a bachelor's degree in a related field to get the fundamental rights and improve their skills and employment prospects.
Below are some of the photography courses offered in India.
- BA in Visual Arts and Photography
- Diploma in Photography
- BA (Hons) Communication Design - Photography
- BFA in Photography and Digital Imaging
- Professional Certificate in Wedding & Events Photography (EEMA)
Top Colleges to Pursue Career as Photographers
Candidates interested in pursuing a photography career can join some of the top photography colleges. In addition, many colleges, institutes, and universities offer photography classes. The classes include processes and photography techniques.
Below are the top photography colleges in India.
- World University of Design (WUD), Sonepat
- Pearl Academy, Mumbai
- UPES, Dehradun
- Mahatma Jyoti Rao Phoole University - (MJRP), Jaipur
- Koshys Animation & Media School (KAMS), Bangalore
- Delhi College of Photography, New Delhi
Books on Photography
These are some of the top photography books for enhancing the skills and knowledge in photography.
Below are the best books to enhance photography skills.
- Complete Digital Photography by Ben Long
- Langford's Basic Photography
- Life Guide to Digital Photography by Joe McNally
- Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson
- The Photographer's Eye by Michael Freeman
- The Photographer's Mind by Michel Freeman
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