Photography has emerged as a lucrative and exciting career option for many Indian youth with the boom in advertising, media and the fashion industry. The masses had only looked at photography as a hobby profession until a few years ago, but now it has emerged in a big way. Photography is rapidly emerging among all age groups as a popular career choice these days. Photography is a science as well as an art. It’s an artistic means of expression, the pen or paintbrush replacing camera.
A photographer must be able to create a good composition of any subject, piece of machinery, human body beauty, scenery or smile of a child.
It is right to say that sometimes a single picture can be much more eloquent than a thousand words. Few vocations offer a wider range of possibilities than photography does. Photography is divided into several streams, each creating numerous timely jobs
Eligibility criteria for photography course
As new career options are coming up these days photography has also gathered a lot of students who are ready to pursue it as a full time career.
There are no fixed rules of eligibility for this course but the candidates must have completed their 10+2 examinations. Photography is also offered as an optional subject in fine arts as a graduation subject.
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Career and job prospects in photography
A modern day photographer can choose from a lot of options in this course and enjoy his career:
Press Photographers / Photojournalists: Photojournalists supply the national and global press with photographs. This career role requires an ability for newspapers, newspapers, magazines, or television to photograph all kinds of newsworthy people, places, sports, political, and community events. A photojournalist must have a journalistic sense to shoot a good news picture.
Commercial photographers: these photographers are required to take pictures of different merchandise, exteriors and interiors of factories, and machinery both indoors and outdoors hich are to be used for advertisements of different companies on their brochures etc
Feature Photographers: Feature photography essentially involves describing a story through images and therefore requires thorough subject knowledge. Many photographers are specialized in wildlife photography, sport travel, environment, etc. This type of photography focuses on a particular subject that a photographer has excelled in.
Portrait and wedding photographers: with are weddings going grand this profession is coming up as the most budding up profession. They take pictures of individuals or small groups and it is their creativity that shows their way of handling subjects like pets, children, families, weddings, functions and activities of sports and social clubs.
Advertising photographers: They are connected to advertising agencies ‘ photographic departments, photographic studios. Advertising photography may be the best-paid and most competitive branch of all; it depends entirely on ability, efficiency and the right personality to succeed in this field.
Fashion photographers: the most creative and difficult form of photography is done in the fashion industry where you have to have a keen look on your subject and must focus and come out with best expressions of the models. This photography must depict the whole idea behind the ramp way and the thought of the designer that he wants to depict with his creation.
Scientific photographer: They typically have additional knowledge in areas such as engineering, medicine, biology, or chemistry that help them photograph a range of objects or scientific phenomena related to the subject. In terms of assignments, this career role offers a variety of work. One can either work with news reporters or work on independent environmental, wildlife and other related fields as free-lancers.
Top colleges and institutes that offer photography as a subject
| No. | College/Institute | City |
| 1 | Film and Television Institute of India | Pune |
| 2 | Mass Communication Research Centre (MCRC), Jamia University | New Delhi |
| 3 | University of Delhi | New Delhi |
| 4 | YMCA Centre for Mass Media | New Delhi |
| 5 | Academy for photographic excellence (Apex) | New Delhi |
| 6 | Asian Academy of Film & Television | Noida |
| 7 | Sir Aurobindo Institute Of Mass Communication | New Delhi |
| 8 | International Institute of Mass Media | New Delhi |
| 9 | Institute of Mass Communication | Manipal |
Skills required to pursue the course
In addition to an intelligent, curious and perceptive mind, the subject requires a natural instinct, observational power, training, a great degree of discipline, practice and an eye for detail. A photographer must be able to mix the details with his creative ability to capture a picture in his camera well.
Duties of a good photographer
To capture moments in still frames, photographers use cameras and other photo equipment. Most of a photographer’s time in computer applications such as Adobe Photoshop can be spent editing pictures. In a darkroom, photographers still using film often develop their own images. For work, many photographers have to travel. Photojournalists, for example, often go to the site to cover news events. So you need to be well prepared to take up any obstacle and challenge if you opt for this course.
How to get noticed as a photographer?
It’s as important to showcase your skills as doing good work. You can easily turn a portfolio, blog or website into your marketing brochure. Making a portfolio communicates your views, skills, abilities, etc. and provides you with a professional perspective. You can showcase your work when you have your own blog / website to increase your chances of being noticed. You can learn how to create your own portfolio, such as Fabrik, Folio, FolioHD, Portfoliobox, SmugMug, format.com, 500px, Paulakluth, ASCD, 1X etc.
Some additional tips to keep in mind
You don’t have to spend a fortune buying an expensive camera if you still have to take the professional dive. Start with a point-and-shoot or mobile camera, and then move to a DSLR once you’re sure of your field talents and passion.
The purchase of a DSLR will depend largely on your budget. You can try cameras from popular brands like Canon, Nikon or Sony that will allow you to play around with different manual settings and deliver intricate, high-definition images.
The price of these cameras for entry-level cameras begins at around INR 25,00-30,000, and can even rise to 80,000-90,000 INR for high-end cameras.
Conclusion
It’s not wrong to say photography is a vision, a vision that you show to the world, and a vision that meets your client’s needs. Photography is one of the sectors that provide flexibility in working as an independent freelancer with corporations, e-commerce websites, and magazines. It is a highly technical field requiring precision, a good eye for lighting and detail, and patience. Photography is definitely the way to go if you think you have such skills!