Photography is an art that can capture a moment, time, emotion and sense forever. A picture is worth a thousand words and a photographer
who clicks you the best is worth a world! How about being the one who clicks? If this is what you feel, you can hope to have a wonderful life ahead, because photography enables
you to capture new shades of life everyday.
You need more than just a camera
Before you become a shutterbug and then a professional
photographer; you will have to gather the tools and
techniques that could help you become what you aspire to be.
This does not mean stocking up on those costly Nikon or
Canon cameras. Well, a basic camera will be good enough to
start with. But, apart from the camera, you need sharp
eyesight, good aesthetic sense, innate artistry, good
hand-eye coordination, and of course, a specialized degree
in photography.
Options Galore!
Many schools,
colleges, vocational institutes, universities, community
colleges, and other private institutes offer programs
in photography. You can also choose to specialize in one or more areas such
as Commercial and Industrial Photography, Advertising
Photography, Fashion Photography, Documentary Photography,
Fine Art Photography, Still-Life and Product Photography,
Photo Illustration, and Architectural Photography.
This means that you have many options such as a Commercial and
Industrial photographer who specializes in photography
subjects such as buildings, artifacts, merchandise, and
landscapes; News photographer who specializes as a
photojournalist with print media or electronic media; a Fine
arts photographer who clicks whatever he wants and sells his
best works; a Fashion photographer who specializes in
fashion photography; a Scientific photographer who
specializes in scientific or medical photography; and so on!
Degree in Photography
You can choose from various degree
programs in photography such as bachelor’s degree programs, master’s degree
programs, diploma and advanced diploma courses. These
programs acquaint you with the
fundamentals that include choosing the right camera, the
parts of the camera and lenses for different assignments,
aperture, focusing, exposure, photography tips etc.
You are also taught the various other aspects of
photography that include lighting principles, composition
techniques, filters’ usage, color properties, darkroom
skills, film developing, digital photography techniques,
lighting techniques, equipment know-how, image editing,
digital imaging, printing, computer software programs and
applications, lighting techniques, and equipments’
technicalities.
Salaries
Photography enables you to give vent to your creativity.
But at the same time it can give your career the right direction. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average
starting salary for a photographer is $27,100, the average
salary after 5 years is $31,500, and the average salary
after 10-15 years is $41,500. Besides, it
is believed that till 2014, the employment opportunities for
photographers will keep on increasing at a consistent
rate.
