career in photography

Career in Photography | Know Everything from Scope to Salary

For many decades, photography was looked at as just a hobby. However, with the surge in the advertising, media and fashion industry, people have started to consider a career in photography. In the past couple of years, photography jobs have emerged as a fruitful and popular career choice among the youth.

Photography is known to be a universal language. It is an artistic means of expression and tends to bring out the inner creativity of a person. In recent years, photography has gained massive popularity in India as well.

Mumbai is famous as the fashion capital of India. Its beautiful skylines and thriving film industry have opened up diverse photography jobs in MumbaiSimilarly, Delhi is the capital of India. With its many monuments and one of the biggest wedding destinations of India, photography jobs in Delhi have seen a steady and quick rise.

Photography cannot be defined as one thing. It is essentially capturing a moment or a memory in a photo. A memory or a moment can be anything from walking down the street, surfing on the beach to even watching a sunset or sunrise. And just like any other form of art, there are many genres of photography that one can practice.

Before you consider photography as a career option, it is important to be aware of everything that is out there.

So here is a list of a bunch of genres available in photography:

Fashion Photography

Fashion photography is one of the most glamorous genres. And it is by far one of the most sought after professions in Mumbai. As mentioned earlier, Mumbai is the fashion capital of the country. As a result, there are tremendous opportunities for young aspirants to enter the fashion photography industry.

The fashion industry is booming across the globe. There is a significant rise in fashion contest both at local, national & international level, Fashion photography is practiced to display fashion items for different brands. A fashion photographer organizes photo-shoots mainly for fashion magazines. This career line provides a wonderful opportunity to travel the world.

Event Photography

One of the most popular and widely known genres of photography is event photography. If you are new in the photography industry, this is the genre that you want to practice. Mainly because choosing event photography as a career option will provide you tremendous exposure.

Event photographers get to cover everything from corporate events, concerts, weddings to meet and greets, and sports events. An event photographer also requires you to cover events for newspaper journals, magazines, or television. Most of these event organizers use the photographs to advertise their event which helps you in promoting your brand.

Wedding Photography

Even though wedding photography is a part of event photography only, this field of photography deserves a special mention on this list. That is because India is known for its big fat weddings and the beauty that these weddings have all over. And what place other than the capital of the country conveys the message better? Delhi is amongst one of the most popular locations for destination weddings.

As a result, there is a vast collection of photography jobs in Delhi. As a beginner in the industry, most photographers tend to take this route because wedding photographers earn well. While this might be true, practicing this genre only because of money will not get you far in your career.

Photojournalism

Photojournalists cover the breaking news of every magazine, newspaper as well as online publications. Be it at a natural disaster, a war-zone, or a political rally. The purpose of a photojournalist is to document the events of the world right as they unfold.

There is a bright career in photojournalism. And you do not need a degree in mass communication necessarily to start your career as a photojournalist.

Travel Photography

If you have the travel bug and crave to explore far off distant lands then choosing travel photography as a career option is the right call. Travel photography jobs let you travel the world and get paid for it. As a travel photographer, it is your job to document various destinations of the world. This genre is essentially a blend of all other genres.

For example, one destination can be about the people and their lifestyles. On the other hand, another destination can be all about its landscapes and wildlife.

Find the list of travel jobs in India here.

Commercial Photography

Commercial photographers, also known as industrial photographers click pictures for various magazines, book or other media. The photography for them is not bound to just one theme or product. It varies from landscape photography to photography of models or even buildings.

Scientific Photography

With the use of microscopes, scientific photographers capture scientific images that are medically related. They also capture phenomena that are too small to be seen by a naked eye. This work requires the photographer to be very precise and accurate.

Apart from the above-mentioned areas of specialty, there are various other types of professional photographers as well. Depending on your skills and interest you can also choose to work as, a portrait photographer, aerial photographers, news photographers, etc.

Responsibilities

A career in photography is not just about clicking pictures from different good eye angles. It has a lot more responsibilities attached to it.

  • Expertise with different models of digital cameras, lighting equipment as well as editing software.
  • They need to be able to advertise for clients.
  • Maintain a proper digital portfolio for their work.

Salary

The average annual salary of a photographer is usually around $42,770. However, this figure keeps going up and up with exceptional talent. Because a career in photography can be judged instantly by the pictures you produce and the portfolios you maintain. In fact, the job prospects and salary for photographers who are self-employed is expected to rise by 12% in the coming years.

You do not compulsorily need a special bachelor’s degree in fine art or any degree in photography to start a career in the field. If you have the skills and talent, you can start a full time or a part-time career in digital photography and capture images.

Scope

To sum up, photography is a career that provides endless opportunities for job growth and learning. Your pictures could be purchased by clients or they could be a part of an art exhibition. Photography is a highly creative field and presents lots of possibilities to try out new things.

In terms of genre, it can be difficult to find your specialty instantly but don’t stress over it. Give it some time, try your hands at multiple genres till you find what you are best at and what area you can work the best in. Most importantly just remember to have fun while you capture the beauty around you and create the best out of it!

You should have the utmost interest in pursuing a career in photography. Unless you have the enthusiasm to explore the beauty of mother earth, you can’t grow in this profession. If you are interested in the heart and look to add value to the art and convey a message on various issues through pictures, photography is the right profession for you.

Find the list of top 100 photography jobs in India here and be a successful photographer with your skills and talent.

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