Are you the one of those people who's famous for snapping pictures at parties or who enjoys capturing various shades of life through a lens? If you want to earn a living using your creative side then you've landed at the right place.

Career in Photography = Business and Technical knowledge + Creative eye

A creative eye with visual imagination is the basic trait required in a photographer. However, getting a decent technical background helps complement the creative side. We offer some diploma and certificate courses that you can pursue to add technical specialisation. You can also pursue these courses along with your college or do part-time courses.

A background in computers also helps in gaining the technical expertise. Such skills are required to get just the right look of your pictures as per the client needs. This involves camera and lighting skills, digital imaging skills and knowledge of the technical intricacies of the equipment.

Technical operational skills, visual eye and a distinguishing portfolio of your work will be required to help you stand out. Use it as a marketing tool for your skill.

Important Qualities for Photographers

Artistic ability. Photographers capture their subjects in images, and they must be able to evaluate the artistic quality of a photograph. Photographers need a "good eye"—the ability to use colors, shadows, shades, light, and distance to compose good photographs.

Computer skills. Most photographers do their own postproduction work and must be familiar with photo-editing software. They also use computers to maintain a digital portfolio.

Customer-service skills. Photographers must be able to understand the needs of their clients and propose solutions to any problems that arise.

Detail oriented. Photographers who do their own postproduction work must be careful not to overlook details and must be thorough when editing photographs. In addition, photographers accumulate many photographs and must maintain them in an orderly fashion.

Interpersonal skills. Photographers often photograph people. They must communicate effectively to achieve a certain composition in a photograph.

Career options

You can be self-employed and run your own studio or take up freelancing projects. You can also start as an assistant with a professional photographer or work with creative people like art directors, depending on your field of photography. You can also assist various news reporters. A career in photography offers the following options:

Photojournalism
It's a part of journalism in which images are used to tell news stories. It requires promptness and instinct to generate ideas to make a news story from pictures. You can create a news story from pictures taken during a war or riots in the city/country. Photojournalists should be prepared to take risks like going to war zones, disaster zones etc.
This also covers feature photography like capturing pictures for an entire theme or subject and telling a news story. You can work independently or work for a news agency.

Fashion and advertising photography
If glamour attracts you, then this is for you. It involves working with models and is quite a lucrative and creative field. The work could be used for advertising agencies, fashion houses and fashion magazines.

Nature and wildlife photography
If you're a nature freak and also have a passion to capture it, then go for it. You can work for travel and geographic magazines, calendars as you travel around capturing waterfalls, landscapes, wildlife and other interesting shades of nature.

Event photography
Event photographers work for weddings and other events like sports meets, family functions etc. This still has strong demand for film photography.

Still photography
This involves the capturing of inanimate natural or man-made objects. Portrait photography is one example of this, where you can capture pictures of children, pets etc. You can run your own studio or work for someone. Capturing pictures for cookbooks is another good opportunity.

Travel photography
If you love adventure and travelling then travel photography could be good option for you. Travel photographers can work for the hospitality industry, travel magazines and websites. It requires being able to capture the right shot at the right moment.

If you've a passion for photography, there's no reason why you can't make it your profession -- be wise and practical and go for it!