Photography Career Options, Salary, Course and Colleges
Candidates generally pursue a course in photo-journalism, fine arts or a full-fledged bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication. However, other than theory, it is the practical work that candidates should improve upon as theory in this course is basically a manual to the camera. Shiksha lists the reasons why choosing photography as a career will turn out great for aspirants.
Photography Highlights
There are various courses offered in the field of photography. candidates can check the space below to know about some of the major highlights of the course such as course structure, course level, examination type, average starting salary, top recruiters and top job profiles:
| Particulars |
Details |
|---|---|
| Name of Degrees |
BA in Visual Arts and Photography, MA Commercial Photography and Cinematography, Certificate in Photography, Diploma in Photography |
| Commonly known as |
BVA / MVA |
| Degree level |
Undergraduate/Postgraduate/Certificate/Diploma |
| Course Duration |
6 months/1 year/2 years/3 years |
| Entrance Exam |
|
| Top Colleges |
Amity School of Communications, National Institute of Photography , NIFT Delhi, Nagpur University |
| Annual course fee |
INR 2 lakh to INR 5 lakh |
| Top Recruiters |
National Geographic, Discovery, Architectural Digest, UTV Motion Pictures, ESPN Sports, Star Sports |
| Specialisations |
Wildlife Photography, Nature Photography, Wedding Photography, Sports Photography, Journalism |
How to become a photographer
Photography starts as a passion, becomes a hobby and eventually learn and grow along the way. With the booming media industry, it is not the degree but the hours spent behind the camera which makes a great photographer. From getting the technique right to learning the angles, vision and the light, photography is what an image a person sees before capturing the vision.
During colleges, candidates will be provided with assignments which can help the aspirant understand the working of a camera better. From outdoor shooting to indoor, the working of the aperture in a camera, to portrait shots and the list is endless. The assignments can add great value to the candidates’ portfolio which can help aspirants in search of a job in the field.
Here are the following ways how you can pursue photography as a career:
Enrol for a photography course
To pursue a photography career, the first step is taking a photography course. With technology growing rapidly, the working of a camera is also steadily improving. Candidates need to understand the working of a camera, the theoretical and practical part of photography as the course trains candidates in the required skills and techniques. You can apply for admission in various colleges which offer photography or pursue a diploma course as well.
Get the basics right
Once the candidate has enrolled in a college/university/institute, if the candidate has knowledge on the working of a camera, the theoretical part will be simpler for the aspirant to understand. However, if aspirants are new to the camera, the candidate will have to understand the basics first:
- Rule of Thirds: The frame is divided into nine equal rectangles, three horizontal and three vertical across the frame. The general idea of the rule of third is to understand the framing of a photograph that is being clicked. The grid can help the aspirant to get all the important features in a frame and nail the composition.
- Shutter speed: The shutter speed is the unit of measurement which determines how long the shutter of the camera remains open while the picture is being clicked. Shutter speed goes hand in hand with the aperture. The shutter speed is all based on motion.
- Aperture: The aperture is the unit of measurement that defines the opening of a lens to control the amount of light entering the digital sensor of a camera. The aperture is measured in F-stop.
Understanding the basics can immensely assist the photographer take balanced and interesting clicks.
Do an internship
After understanding the basics and the working of a camera, candidates are advised to take up internships. This can allow the aspirants to explore the outside world and gain knowledge from professionals in the field. The internship can not only help the aspirant grow, but also meet people who can come handy in the future.
Other than internships, aspirants can also sign up for competitions held around as it can be a platform for you to showcase your talent and skills. The work is eventually evaluated and can give the candidate an idea on what to work on. And if you win competitions, there are great opportunities to work with professionals let alone a certificate and prize.
Build a portfolio
With the work done over the years, the main backup is making a portfolio, blog or website as it displays your work done over the years. The portfolio is your USP (unique selling point) which can add immense value in the market as the need to professional photographers is rapidly growing. The blog/website/portfolio online gives you a chance to get noticed and thus build a healthy photography career.
Skills to pursue a career in Photography
There are certain skills which a candidate needs to perfect, which will eventually develop over time. From the composition of the photography to its USP to what the click represents, a photographer needs to master these skills:
- Vision: The first skill a photographer must have is vision. A vision as to what exactly a photographer is clicking. One will have to find ways to make their images creative. Through a vision which one sees, is imprinted through a photograph. The photograph clicked helps you communicate and inform others as to what you have envisioned.
- Communication: What you have clicked, the image should speak for itself. As the saying goes, ‘a picture says a thousand words’, the image needs to stand out and represent itself rather than the photographer having to explain what it is about. The photographer also needs to enhance his communication skills as it is quite essential in relationships with clients. A client and a photographer need to be on the same page as to what is required and what is exactly needed to be done.
- Technical Skills: One needs to fully understand the technical parts of a camera in order to operate smoothly. All the settings, modes need to be fully understood before working. Other than the camera, a photographer needs to understand the working of different lenses, a tripod, covering videos and more. Other than clicking the photograph, one also needs to know how to edit the picture If need be.
Top colleges to study photography courses after 12th
Candidates who wish to pursue a course in photography after 12th can consider joining any of the below-mentioned photography colleges to fulfil their dream.
Photography Career in India
While some photographers freelance, some after gaining years of experience run their own studios or work for companies as salaried employees. There are different beats in photography career as well as it could be related to news, events, sports, wildlife, cultural events, political and much more. The list is long and the need for professional photographers is in demand at the moment.
As exciting the job sounds, the arduous it can get at the same time. But where's the fun if there is no hard work involved? The field of working behind the lens are improved immensely in the last couple of years as from to just being restricted to traditional media-related work, the expansion in e-commerce, advertising, mass media has created a large demand for professional photographers.
Photography as a career can include work such as:
- Working in marketing and networking through social media
- Updating and managing digital portfolio and website
- Archiving images
- Staying up to date of trends in market/news
- Use Photoshop to edit pictures for commercial purposes
List of Photography Careers
Passion in photography can take a person to great heights (literally as well). The field is growing vastly and now it is pictures which speak louder than words. The job requires dedication as photography requires one to invest time, effort and money towards achieving their dream. Here are a list of modernized photography based career options.
Sports: From a fast-paced football match to a middle-stump being bowled off in cricket, sports photography is no child’s play as photography in this beat is all about speed and timing, which means the proper use of shutter speed. Sports has always been thrilling and exciting, where many emotions are captured through the eyes of the lens in a matter of seconds.
Travel: Love travelling? Whenever you discover someplace new, you do tend to take out your phone or camera to click a picture, so why not make it a career? Travel the world, explore new places, capture what you see through the eyes. From picturesque landscapes to beaches and mountains, to the culture and tradition, travelling is generally an option one doesn’t simply turn down.
Environment: Nature, wildlife? Sounds risky, but the thrills is what keeps a photographer going. To exploring jungles, forests to clicking a variety of shots in any type of weather, nature is simply exquisite. And wildlife on the other hand, that can get your heart racing. Wildlife photography requires intensive training as other than your photography skills, your survival skills are pretty much needed as well.
Product photography: From jewellery to food items, all which comes under advertising and promotion, is known as product photography. For restaurants to make their dishes more appetizing or for a jeweller to make his products more appealing, professional photographers are hired. The range is never-ending.
Photojournalist: The photographer is on the run in this beat as a photojournalist is at the forefront of news. The range in the media is never-ending as it can go from culture to international issues to sports or events, a photographer in this field need to perseverant.
Fashion: Fashion photography is all about the gilt and glamour, but its one industry which is quite tough to make it into. From cover shots of top magazines to keeping up with the latest styles to trends on the runway, fashion photographers need to have a reputed portfolio if they want to join the fashion industry. To shoots from all around the world like Paris, Milan, New York, photography is all about getting the lighting and angles right.
Science photography: The new beat which has come into play is science photography. To extreme close-ups of cells to ariel photography of a jungle, the need of photography is now in demand in modern science. From capturing solar eclipses to using photographic imaging technology to capture an image of DNA molecules, photography is required to gather data which can’t be processed to seen by the human eye.
Wedding photography: Weddings are all about emotions and first chances. You may get one shot to capture a moment which may never be repeated again. From a mixture of portraits to culture, wedding photography is the element of getting the best shots that you can. From a couples dance to happiness all round, to the lighting, a photographer needs to be at his best.
Photography Career: Salaries Offered
Photography as a job profile may sound dreamy, but one point that should be taken into consideration is the cut-throat competition. However, it is the fierce competitiveness which can make you stand out from the rest. A career in photography is highly demanding which can take up time. To get the perfect shot, for photographers, it has taken hours, sometimes up to days to get the desired click. Here are some factors which influence salary in photography careers:
- The more the experience, the higher one goes in the chain. Be it salary employed, freelance or self-employed, it’s the level of experience which matters at the end of the day in a photography career.
- One’s portfolio speaks for itself. From the amount of assignments which you have worked on to handling different projects, your portfolio should define what the photographer is all about.
- If you are self-employed, you can charge the client accordingly.
The average salary offered in India, according to PayScale, is as follows:
| Per annum | Rs 353,619-Rs 1,087,000 |
| Monthly | Rs 21,000-23,000 |
The average salary offered on a yearly basis is Rs 353,619 per annum, which can go upto Rs 1,087,000. On a monthly basis in a photography career, an average employed salaries begin at INR 21K-23K and the sky is the limit. Salaries also vary on the designation you are working as or in a particular department such as:
- Video Editing
- Film Production
- Product photography
- Editing
- Photojournalism
Salaries may vary based on the job profile. However, in photography, it is the experience and the portfolio which matters the most.
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