To travel the world with a camera in hand is much in practice nowadays. A career in photography is something which many starts as a hobby to continue to be a full-fledged career. So, if you use your skills and talents as a part-time hobby, then it’s time you should realize your talent and turn it into your profession. To learn more about how to get into a photography career, keep reading.

But, before you buy a high-end camera and begin, here we share a few tips to start your career in Photography.

Why to take up photography as a career?

The art of photography changed a lot in the last few years. Photography was traditional, been restricted to weddings, events, and movies; but in the recent past, the rise of e-commerce, mass media, and related fields urged for a huge demand of professional photographers.

How to become a photographer in India?

To become a photographer in India, you should follow the below steps:

1. Take a Course

To build up a career in the world of digital photography, you must remain updated with new techniques and equipment. Earlier, people learned photography by themselves, but now there are several institutes are there which offer courses to train people in the skills and techniques. You can also earn a degree in photography (Bachelor’s or Master’s), or do some diploma courses, the course duration might be between 3 months to 1 year.

Some institutes which offer a UG diploma/degree in photography:

National Institute of Photography, Mumbai

Nation Institute of Design, Multiple Locations

Delhi College of Photography, Delhi

Mass Communication Centre, Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi

Symbiosis School of Photography, Pune

Raghu Rai Centre of Photography, Gurgaon

Indian Institute of Digital Arts & Animation, Kolkata

Some institutes which offer PG diploma/degree in photography

Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi

Sir J. J. Institute of Applied Art, Mumbai

The Indian Institute of Digital Art and Animation, Kolkata

Asian Academy of Film and Television (AAFT), Noida

The lists do not include all and do not indicate rankings either.

2. Know the basics

Get yourself enrolled to understand the basics of photography, like:

Framing (Close-up, Mid-shot, Aerial shot, etc.)

Rule of 3rd, which is an alignment of the subject in a way to get a more engaging image.

Shutter Speed or exposure time that helps to create dramatic effects by freezing the action or with blurred motion.

You must know and understand the basics.

3. Take part in competitions or take up internships

Career in photography after graduation

After learning the craft, the next step is to practice it and become proficient. You need to participate in photography competitions and events to get an opportunity to grow, know your strengths, and develop your skills. Competitions offer you a great platform to showcase your talent and the skills.

Apart from competitions, you can also go for internships, explore opportunities in freelance, engage in pro-bono work for cafes and products, or take up assignments in any genre of photography you like.

4. Create your own niche

After participating in several competitions and engage in lots of freelance work, you can work to take up your skills to a higher level.

To become a professional photographer, you need to experiment with different genres that permit you to gain knowledge and confidence.

5. Create a portfolio or blog or website

You need to exhibit your skills and your good work. A portfolio, a blog or website can anytime turn into your marketing brochure. Your portfolio speaks your views, skills, abilities, etc., and gives you a professional outlook. There are several websites and online communities, where you can create your own portfolio, like the Fabrik, FolioHD, Folio, SmugMug, format.com, 500px, Paulakluth, ASCD, 1X etc.

How important to have an equipment to pursue photography career?

Like a physician needs his surgical tools, photographers also need their device. Good equipment matters a lot. Legendary photographers like Ansel Adams, Daboo Ratnani, Raghu Rai or Steve McCurry, etc. Liked working with the world-class device, be it an IMAX Cameras or good DSLR cameras. It is undeniably true that a good equipment can make a huge difference in picture quality and angle images.

Even lens is an important piece of equipment because it provides diverse shot options. For instance, opt for a zoom lens for wildlife photography, wide-angle lens for landscape photography, etc. You can choose from various types of lenses, based on the genre of photography you like.

Points to remember:

If you are yet to start photography as a career, you don’t need to spend lots of money and buy an expensive camera. You could start with a point-and-shoot or a mobile camera and later shift to a DSLR, once you are sure of your talents and passion in the field. Purchase of a DSLR largely depends upon your budget.

As photography is an expensive profession, it is advised to sample out a few cameras and lenses before investing big.

Hope this information helps you on career guidance tips to pursue photography as a career. Stay connected with us for more career guidance in every field of profession. We keep sharing some of the best career-related solutions for you.

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