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Creative courses have always been in demand. One of the most popular creative courses is of Photography. Those who are keenly interested in creativity, aesthetics and technical expertise, can always opt for photography. One interesting fact about photography career is that, more than half photographers are self employed and no other profession has this much of self-employment ratio. Photography as a career can prove to be very lucrative if the person has a passion for photography along with professional training. Commercial and digital photography has always been in demand.
The way print and electronic media has moved up, opportunities for photographers have also increased. Add to that, increasing number of fashion and celebrity shows, events and functions and we have a whole new paradigm of professional photography. Some of the basic things that a professional photographer is supposed to know are; colours, visual effect, light, nature, human expressions and shades etc. The job will involve taking quality pictures of people or things for commercial use or aesthetic enjoyment. These photographs are regular features of magazines, newspapers and websites.
There are different areas of specialisations in photography. The major ones are;
Fashion
Journalism
Corporate/commercial
Portrait
Wedding
Documentary
Scientific photography and
Fine Arts
Talking about eligibility and qualification, in USA, an applicant needs to possess college degree in photography for entry level positions in photojournalism. Many universities, vocational technical institutes, private school and junior colleges offer photography courses. The course content apart from focussing on technical proficiency also emphasises upon good business and marketing skills. Some of the basic photography courses cover subjects like processes, equipment and photography techniques. If one is doing the course from an Art school then, photographic design and composition are covered in details. Along with the degree, employment opportunities will also depend upon candidate’s imagination, creative efficiency and obviously, ‘good eye’.
In India, some of major institutes offering courses in photography are;
JJ School of Art, Mumbai
Academy of Photography, Rabindra Bharati University, Kola
National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad
Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi
Film and Television Institute of India, Pune
College Of Art, University of Delhi, Tilak Marg, New Delhi
Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad
National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi
To enrol in the degree and diploma course in photography offered by above mentioned institutes, a candidate is required to pass his Higher Secondary or 10+2 examination.
Major courses offered in UK are as follows,
BTEC HNDs
Full university degree
Foundation Degree and courses
City & Guild certificates
Requirements for these courses differ from institute to institute. Some may require relevant A-levels or a prior foundation course. However, those who are seriously interested in photography from UK should check ‘The British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP)’ which commands a phenomenal reputation. If the applicant has interest in joining newspaper or magazine as a photojournalist then he will require to obtain specific qualification from National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ).
There is abundance of job opportunities for qualified photographers in newspapers, magazines, advertising agencies, industrial houses, fashion and design houses, and entertainment industry. Working as a freelance photographer is another attractive option. One can also choose specifically to work in wildlife photography, travel, sports or environmental photography.
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