Photographer - How to become a Photographer

A Photographer is an artist who is an expert in manipulating the effects of lights and shadows to capture the various moments of life to cherish in the future. Once used as a hobby only, photography in its various “Avatars” has acquired the status of the multimillion-dollar industry. The advent of mass media has open floodgates of job opportunities for the Professional photographers and wings have been provided to it by digitalization of the images and equipment used in it.

Though one can say that the originality of the work and that classic touch has lost some ground but still it has not lost its ground as one of the most admired art forms. 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. This involves camera and lighting skills, digital imaging skills and knowledge of the technical intricacies of the equipment.

With the wide expansion in the communication network, the growth of advertising and media and the fashion boom and digital photography, it has now become a profession with great commercial value. Photos are an essential part of both print and electronic media.

So this is an area offering great scope for those who have an interest and attributes needed for becoming a Professional Photographer. There are some diploma and certificate courses that an aspiring can pursue to add a technical specialization. You can also pursue these courses along with your college or do part-time courses.

Photographer Eligibility

Photography is an acquired art. As such, Photographer Profession, doesn't require any specific academic requirements; however, candidates who have cleared the 10+2 exam are eligible for the diploma/certificate courses in photography.

Institutes offering Courses for Photographer

• National Institute of Photography (NIP), Mumbai
• Bharti Vidyapeeth's School of Photography, Pune
• Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi

How to become a Photographer?

 The following are the steps one has to follow for becoming a Photographer:

Step 1
Some of the Professional Photography Courses are given below. After having passed these courses they can go for this career. 

1. Certificate course in Photography

• Duration of course  - 6 Months to 1 year.
• Fees and other Charges - 2 to 5 Thousand Rs however this varies from institute to institute.

2. Diploma in Photography

• Duration of course  - 1 year 6months.
• Fees and other Charges - 5 to 10 Thousand Rs. However, this varies from institute to institute.

3. B.A in Photography

• Duration of course - 3 years degree course offered by art colleges.
• Fees and other Charges - 10 to 30 Thousand Rs. However, this varies from institute to institute.

With above-given qualifications and more than that his own aptitude and passion for the photography can help a prospective photographer to join any one or more of the following fields of photography.

Photographer Job Description

Generally, a photographer runs his own business and sometimes he is hired for the specific events. It is on the interest of the photographer in which stream he wants to work. Like there are numerous options for the photographer, he may work in the film industry, wedding shoot or many other special occasions. Though one can say that the originality of the work and that classic touch has lost some ground but still it has not lost its ground as one of the most admired art forms. 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. This involves camera and lighting skills, digital imaging skills and knowledge of the technical intricacies of the equipment.

Photographer Career Prospects

Photography is a very vast field with a wide range of Career Prospects. Some of them are enlisted below:

• 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 or any other spontaneous events where one gets no other chance to retake his position. For this kind of photography a Photojournalists should be prepared to take risks like going to war zones, disaster zones etc. You can work independently or work for a news agency.
• Fashion and Advertising Photographer: If glamour and tinsel world attracts you, then this is the option best suited to you. It involves working with models and fashion world personalities and is quite a lucrative and creative field. The work could be used for advertising agencies, fashion houses and fashion magazines.
• Nature and Wildlife Photographer: This is the most promoted option now a day’s even by the government. It is a common slogan that shoots without harming the precious wildlife. 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 Photographer: This is the commonest form of photography which the general public is aware of ie. Work for weddings and other events like sports meets, family functions etc. 
• Still Photographer: This involves the capturing of 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 
• Travel Photographer: If you love adventure and travelling then travel photography could be a 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.
  With so many options there is a lot of scope for the professional photographer. One can opt for any field of its liking and still can find enough work to make it as his potential learning profession.
• Sports Photographer: Wide media coverage of almost every sports event on national or international has created a lot of job opportunities for  Sports Photographer. There is no stopping of this trend in the near future. Which makes Sports photography the most sort after option to adopt in present times.

Besides these, there are so many other emerging fields in the photography like architectural photography, child photography, pet photography, microphotography to name a few.

Photographer Salary

In spite of having so many options in this field it’s bit hard to make a living in this field initially because one has to really prove itself before getting any commercial value of his work but if you're extremely creative and prepared to put in the hard work along with getting equipped with good business skills, it could become a rewarding profession for you.

To start with as an assistant photographer you can earn something like Rs. 8,000 to Rs.10,000 per month but if continued with dedication for some time till you acquired the essential recognition for your work this can go up to Rs.25,000 to Rs.30,000 per month. Your salary varies based on the place you're working in and the creativity you bring to your work along with your experience in the field.

In your own business, you can go anywhere near Rs.10,000 to Rs.50,000 per day which largely depends upon the assignment you are working on as well as your business acumen. So once established as a renowned photographer sky is a limit for your works monetary value.