CLICK CLICK CLICK. We click photos almost every single minute. Is there a party click, a meeting click, eating food click, feeling sick, click. Clicking has become a part of life but what about have to click for a living? How does that sound? What happens and how to make a career in photography? What are we waiting for let’s dive in? and see how you can pursue a Career in Photography!
So what does being a photographer mean? For some people, it means clicking pictures but for some, it is a way to express themselves. Ever heard the phrase a picture is worth a thousand words? Well if you feel like a picture is much more than a picture it is a way to express a way to remember and cherish photography might be for you!
Let’s see what a photographer has to say to why does he do photography:
“Why do I do photography?
It is always said that the things which call you from the innermost are the things you do it for passion. Passion is something that has no boundaries and you can jump heaps over it and time feels like as if it flowed or is just steady. The thing that gives me inner joy and makes my soul bright is doing photography capturing things in between a time frame or lapse of time and making a moment memorable and cherish it for the rest of my life. Photography is a part of who I am and what I reflect on myself.”
Note: you can find courses on photography that you can do on page number: 8
Career in Photography: So now if you feel like photography is for you let’s talk about the skills you will need to be a photographer (Apart from being able to take great pictures):
● Editing: While clicking pictures is what the job is about, learning how to edit the shot is equally important from the light to the contour it has to be perfect.
● Marketing skills: Well most of the photographers work as freelancers and its not always affordable to have a manager especially when you are just starting out. So learn to market yourself. Well, word of mouth can only go to some extent and you need an online presence.
● Financing: well, equipment is expensive and so are the operating expenses you need to be able to pitch and get some funding and also you need to know how to change your gigs into money and then eventually into a career.
● Strong Networking skills: while I said online presence is a must you need to have a network that can get you gigs directly and so it becomes important that you learn to network before starting a career in photography
● Team skills: While these points sound cliched and boring a good team is the best thing that can happen to you. You need to start building a team after a point of time and you need to learn how to work in a team to turn your photography passion into a career.
Going forward let’s discuss what types of photography there are and what specific skills are needed for the same.
1. Career in Photography – Landscape Photography
If you love photography and have the tendency to stop and look at the beautiful scenery around you and freeze nature in one picture, you are definitely a type of photographer interested in the type of photography called landscape photography. Ever watched those destination videos and photos oh god from Bali to fuji shibazakura festival with those pink flowers in japan it looks so stunning but well it much more hard work to bring those places to life so if you aspire to capture such places on your camera here is what you will need.
Skills that you need:
● Research: “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder”. Well, this is certainly true when it comes to landscape photography. You need to have a vision about what the world looks like before you go forward with it and research my friend will take up at least half of your time. Searching the perfect spot is what it is all about.
● Patience: It takes a lot of work to reach your spot. From working on your computer searching for a place to waiting hours for the sky to turn just the right color patience is the key.
● Survival skills: Well do long tracks and camping in the jungles sound very safe? No right? So yes survival skills are a must when you are out there finding your perfect paradise.
● Stability: Well even when we have a camera stands with us all the time some places and some shots are not really accessible with a stand and you might have to learn to hold still for at least some time to get the perfect picture.
2. Career in Photography – Wildlife photography
Why do you want to face the lion and risk your life? Ouch! Well but if it gives you trill and you want to do it there is no harm in looking at the cute koala or the ferocious tiger and the least I can do for you is to tell you what you will need, so without further ado:
● Active Listening: Giving full attention to what happens in your surrounding is extremely important. Well, some beautifully rare animals and birds are real subtle at there game you know.
● Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one. Well especially when your life is at stake you know error in judgment can well take your life. Just the other day while watching ‘Never Have I Ever’ (on Netflix. Its a must watch) The girl thought the Coyote was her dead father and it bit her! So much for judgment huh?
● Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions. Well, you certainly aren’t planning to take the trip without a team are you? So yes coordinating with your team making sure everything is fine is extremely important to survive the wild.
● Passion: While it does apply to every kind of photography but when it comes to wildlife photography it becomes all the more important. You need to have a love for animals and the heart for the risk.
3. Career in Photography – Ariel photography
Aerial photography is that kind of photography where pictures are captures from a higher altitude such as planes, air balloons, parachutes, and skyscrapers. These pictures provide a larger view of the subject and its background. Well, and you certainly cannot have Acrophobia. It looks so beautiful to see the places as a whole in a single frame and ariel photography makes it possible. So without further ado:
● Aviation knowledge: Well while in the air know all about it. Make sure to know and follow all the instructions and safety measures while taking pictures of the beautiful scenes around. ● The ability to visualize the finished product before its completion: When you might be usually on a moving plane or a helicopter while you take your photos and therefore it is extremely important to have the vision clear. You might not get another chance for the exact same frame you know. Which brings us to our next skill…
● Planning skills: Well yes planning is important in every type of photography actually everywhere in life but when it comes to ariel photography you need to plan the shot on the ground visualize and then go up that is if you are not using drones.
● Speed as well as stability: Well while you are in the air the surface is not really stable and so you will have to train your hands to create that missing stability for the perfect shot. On the other hand, speed is equally important, Remember how we talked about having only one chance?
4. Career in Photography – Sports/Action photography
This genre of photography specializes in capturing a decisive moment in an event of sports. Sports photography is one of the difficult types of photography. It requires practice along with the various equipment. It also needs passion and an eye for moments.
● Increased Shutter Speed: When the players are running so fast completely engulfed in the game you need to keep your shutter speed high so maybe practice doing that
● Marketing: Well when it comes to sports you really also need to think about what people want to see and what will sell. What might seem important to you from the perspective of the game may not work well with the audiences,
● Love for sports: Well I am always going to favor passion over everything else so in your words it has to be your ‘G.O.A.T’ (Go find out the meaning if you don’t know)
● Calmness under pressure: “Ice water in their veins” Heard of the phrase? Well in sports it means you need to have the ability to keep calm under pressure. And as a photographer, you need to manage the raging crowds as well.
5. Career in Photography – Wedding photography
Do you love the over the top weddings and believe in Karan johar endings? Do you want to capture the beautiful moments and portray them through your pictures? When then this is for you!. Wedding photography is more than just photography you know you are responsible to make them memorable and make the most beautiful day of the bride and groom extremely special. Before I tell you skills you will need for wedding photography let me just say this as personal advice. Wedding shoots today have become more and more like work, and while it is work for you it is not for them and they put up to all of these in peer pressure or to make sure they make there picture-perfect wedding come true so maybe what can make you stand out in such a situation is when you make it fun for them. Maybe have a couple of games between which you can capture the true moments of love in their eyes and they will appreciate you a little more you know, who doesn’t want to feel special as well on a wedding with the pictures being perfect? So enough of management tips you can find them on our website or social media lets get straight to the skills you need:
● Peoples skills: Well this is the type of photography where you might want to learn how to speak well and mix with people. It sometimes takes days to shoot a pre-wedding at far off places and being friendly can make your clients feel better and appreciate but don’t overdo it see what works with them and act accordingly.
● Patience: Well weddings can be a bit too much especially with some people trying to act they know it all or just not being satisfied with the frame and the picture no matter what and patience is very much needed when you have to deal with such scenarios
● Ability to think on your feet: while weddings are extremely beautiful they are also a home for chaos. Many a time things just go wrong the light or flowers or a pimple on the bride’s face! You will just have to be ready to think on your feet and find solutions.
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Career in Photography: COURSES YOU CAN PURSUE
● Creative Hut Institute of photography, Kerela
One year Diploma In Photography:
The professional photography course program focuses on developing your skills in various photography genres.
Especially you get hands-on practice, technical knowledge, and study tours. As a matter of fact, you don’t need to invest separately for each photography category.
Creative classes and outdoor photo study tours will explore and express your creativity.
Eligibility: Candidate with minimum qualification of 10th from any state or central Board is eligible for the course.
They also offer specialized diploma courses in wildlife, wedding, and fashion, travel photography, etc. Same Eligibility and time frame. Check them out: https://www.creativehut.org/
● Pixel Institute of photography, New Delhi
2-month course: This is given on the site
Step Into the Heaven of Photography with Our Foundation 2 Month Certificate Course!
Photography is a passion that attracts lots of people. Photography is learned for enhancing one’s creativity as well as give rise to one’s unique ideas. Photography will change your outlook and will add more life to one’s talent.
Are you looking forward to trying your hands in photography? Or are you inquisitive enough to step into the world and know more about it? All your questions will be solved, with the specialized 2-month foundation course provided by the Pixel Institute of Photography.
No eligibility is given on the site.
4-month course: The advanced 4-month technical course at Pixel Institute of Photography covers each and every detail related to the usage and working of the equipment. It also includes polishing one’s photography skills with the help of practical and live assignments. The course provides in-depth knowledge about various aspects of photography like the product, moving objects, fruit, and vegetable, fashion, tour, and travel, real-life, pose shoot, etc. One skilled in every aspect through assignments, the mentors will now move onto teaching the technicalities like photo editing, PowerPoint presentation, composition
1-year course:
More detailed and includes the professional side of photography as well. It teaches in-depth knowledge and provides projects to get you started. Link: https://www.pixelphotography.info/
● National Institute of photography, Mumbai
Photography as a hobby: Crash Course: A practical-oriented course, specially designed for beginners who want to learn photography practically on weekdays. This course is similar to Foundation course and is completed in 8 weekdays It is quite suitable for outstation students and people who wish to finish it in shorter duration
Foundation Course: A practical oriented course, specially designed for beginners who want to learn photography practically on weekends. The course is designed to impart more practical knowledge both indoors outdoors to the students Even if you don’t possess your own camera, you can still learn professional photography as we provide our own camera during the practical sessions on a sharing basis. 1 Month 4 weekends 8 Saturday Sundays.
Career in Photography: Photography professionally
Basic Course: A theory-cum practical based course conducted on weekdays/weekends designed for beginners who wish to learn at a professional level. This course builds a basic foundation to select any branch of photography namely function and studio photography, pictorial and hobby photography, nature/wildlife/bird photography, commercial/industrial and fashion photography, etc. Duration: 5 Weeks.
Advanced Course: The advanced course is a 2-month course which includes the Basic course in it. It lays an additional emphasis on handling the challenging light situations, including color casts in light. This course further builds a technical base for different genres of photography.
Notes are provided in the printed form and also much more is provided during the lectures for students to note down in their own books. The students who do not have their own camera can use the institute’s camera on a staring basis during the indoor and outdoor sessions
Link: http://www.focusnip.com/
We hope this is going to be helpful if you are planning to pursue a career in photography. For more guidance, feel free to connect with us and provide your feedback as well, so that we can also improve in the future.
