Picture Perfect
Unleash your creative urges with a career in photography

By The Career Choices Team
The explosive growth of the Internet - along with India’s booming media scene - has changed the landscape (if you’ll pardon the pun) for budding photographers. Gone are the days when photography was dismissed as merely an expensive hobby and parents regarded their kids’ fascination with cameras as a distraction keeping them away from their studies. With the rapid proliferation of media courses and photo sharing sites - and of course, the lower costs thanks to the advent of digital photography - photography is fast picking up as a lucrative career option.

Nowadays, photography has become a respected and sought after vocation - one that blends artistic talents and technical skills. And as for the all too familiar "it doesn't pay well" refrain parents have, that's in the past!

DREAMS COME TRUE
Think about it. In which other profession can you get paid to go on a trip to Ladakh or spend time at a luxury event? Of course, it takes a lot of hard work, perseverance - and artistic and technical skill - before you can reach that level, but it’s certainly an achievable and worthwhile aim. And thanks to the media boom in India, you now have access to photography courses that will train you in both the artistic and technical aspects of this field.

“My initial days were a lot of hard work. Assignments were few and far between, and payments were always delayed. Most clients also tried to bargain me down a lot,” says photographer Deepak Arora. “But over time, all this changed and now I have enough assignments coming in,” he adds. According to Deepak, perseverance is important. “That’s a trait you need for success in any career, anyway.”

What does a good photographer need? A good sense of visual aesthetics, a degree of love for adventure, patience (lots of it!), and a creative mindset are required.

Deepak also lets us on a secret - A lot of your success can depend on how you promote yourself. “Try and gain experience in a variety of niches. Get used to all kinds of photography. And then, find a niche for yourself. Choose a specialisation,” he says. “Word of mouth matters. Do good work and don’t hesitate to promote yourself.”

But what about the technical skills and expensive equipment? According to Deepak, a good course will help you build contacts in the industry and pick up the technical skills required. A well-designed course will also let you polish and expand your creative toolset and horizons. “Don’t worry about the equipment. That's one common mistake many photographers make. Avoid the temptation to splurge! I started off with my brother’s old film SLR. Slowly, I saved money, and bought the equipment I needed. You can also rent equipment for assignments." As for the whole 'getting noticed' aspect, Deepak says that by volunteering to take snaps at relatives' weddings or your college function, you'll build up not just the requisite skills, but also get noticed. "That's how it all started for me. As I said, I must have taken on maybe a dozen free or poorly-paid assignements, but then, people started taking notice of my skill."

THE JOURNEY
There are many ways to build a career in photography. Do keep in mind that a formal course may not be required. This leaves you free to study whatever subject you wish. “I’ve done my BA in History. Photography was something I kept up alongside my college studies. I then did a few short-term courses,” says Deepak. You can also opt in for several post-graduate diploma courses (choose a recognised one!) offered by many colleges and institutes, or even go in for short courses that will give you a certificate.

Now, while many photographers never really attend a proper course and build up their skills through sheer practice and working as apprentices with well-known professionals, a course can really come in handy. From taking care of your camera, to buying the right equipment, to camera settings, to the best ways of composition and artistic sensibilities involved, to selling your work, a photography course will really help you. “We all pride ourselves on our creative side. But no matter what, a course will definitely help you hone your compositional skills - the most important part of photography!”

And of course, there are many niches and specialisations you can choose from. You can slowly build up your experience (and fame!) as a wildlife photographer, a photojournalist, a fashion photographer, a product photographer, and many, many more.

So, just pick up your camera, and start clicking!

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