Career Paths for Photographers
Being an amateur photographer and being a professional photographer has a major difference between the two(in fact the only difference in some ways) – an amateur (even an advanced hobbyist) doesn’t make money out of his or her photography but a professional does! Having said this, it makes things a little more obvious for the following statement – does professional photography really concern great imaging and nothing else? The answer is a NO! Professional photography has many aspects to it. The number one reason why people become photographers is the freedom and creativity that the life of a photographer (only a freelancer mind you) can give. Having said this, lets make things clear – being a freelancer – a writer, photographer or a freelance musician for that matter requires individual excellence in one’s art form, not only that, but to make a living out of it, also requires certain sales tactics.
Medical Photography
Let’s try and look at some of the other avenues in which one can make a living using the camera. Until a few years ago there was no such thing as medical photography. But, thanks to special gifted photographers like Mr. Lennart Nillson (you can check him out on a google search) and his followers, there is now a job niche in every research center (medical) for a photographer, for record purposes. Being a medical photographer can be just for record reasons, or for research, but it’s always a rewarding (and well paid) photographic profession for a new comer.
Photojournalism
The classic reason why a person becomes a photographer is photojournalism. Life magazine largely influenced the attitude of the everyday person towards this photography profession and this, although a rewarding profession may very well be misread in today’s’ world. The pro photographers of Life created an image of a Levi-clad, camera-around-the-neck kind of a photographer, living life as it comes and taking great photographs along the way. Remember though in today’s’ world photojournalism is a tough business, and you will face as much competition becoming a recognized photojournalist as you would becoming a recognized doctor!
Studio photography
How about becoming a freelance studio photographer? This is great business. You own yourself and you own your studio and you call the shots. But you also need to market yourself, be a people person and have great PR skills. And to be blunt about the whole thing, becoming a freelance advertising photographer involves getting your own equipment and setting up shop. This involves a certain amount of money, not affordable to all.
Sports & Wildlife photography
For those with an interest in sports photography – well, it’s an exciting avenue. You need to understand the sport to be a great sports photographer. Let’s try and club this topic with wildlife photography. Both sports and wildlife photography need for the photographer to have an in-depth, almost uncanny sixth sense of what is about to happen. Both these professions need long focal length telephoto lenses (not always easy for a beginner to get his or her hands on, considering the additional costs). Also, sports and wildlife photography demand a great deal of patience, more so in wildlife. At the end on the day these are photography professions that will keep you occupied every living moment – both the pro and the con in a way!