Professional Photographer Delhi, India

Photography as a Career:

Standing at the edge of a cliff and looking far way at the horizon, you see the vast stretch of the lush green ghats spread before you… Freezing frames on film. Taking a slice of life and putting it away well that’s photographer’s way of telling a story.

Photography is a unique and creative medium of self-expression. Photography, which is an art in itself, has a history of over 150 years. It is an artistic means, as a good photograph is worth 1000 words

If you want to be a part of this extremely creative profession, all you need is a keen eye for aesthetic detail and for what is "photo-worthy"; a thorough knowledge of cameras and the technicalities involved in taking pictures, of light, distance and perspective; a sensitive and introspective nature; and, most importantly, the guts to take up as a profession.

Photography as profession is no cakewalk, which is why, perhaps unfortunately, many talented photographers remain amateurs. The climb is hard and long, and the financial returns, not very satisfactory in the beginning. Only those with tenacity and a never-say-die attitude, coupled with a real love of the medium hold on.
 

Career Prospects

Opportunities in the field of photography are plenty.

• Freelancing is very popular amongst a large number of photographers. With the explosion of the communication network, photography has now become a profession with great commercial value. It has become a good source of income and a means to a comfortable life With the explosion in mass communication and media, photography has become an important medium of communication. It plays a major role in education, publicity, industries, and scientific and technical researches. Newspapers and magazines also provide an option to the professionals. Thus for a good photographer, the sky is the limit.

To Begin:

• Read Books - Best thing for anyone who doesn't know much about photography and camera basics is to read books, how the camera works, equipment, investments etc. The books can help you decide whether you need to do a course in photography. Regular scanning of books and magazines also gives you a fair idea about the different techniques, lighting, angles, and topics. A basic course in photography, where they teach you how to develop b/w photos, history and other basic stuff, can be a useful experience. It will also help you decide the kind of specialised photography you want to pursue. Unfortunately, there are not many institutes that offer photography as a full-fledged course or career option. You can take up photography after your 12th or graduation. There are many students who learn photography along with their college, doing a part-time course.

• Assist a Senior or Professional - Next best thing, to begin your career, would be to assist a senior or professional photographer. Assisting will help you grasp the finer points of photography, and will give you a better understanding of the kind of equipment you would require. You can simultaneously shoot pictures on your own. Shooting various subjects in the beginning will allow you to decide the field you enjoy the most. It also will reflect on your progress. Always aim for a better picture.

The Work
There are several areas in which photographers may specialize.

1. Portrait Work: Photographers in studios practice portraiture. Photographic studios prefer their subjects; say men, women children or pets to be brought to the studio for portraits so that they may get the benefit of proper lighting and background.

2. Press Photography: They tell story through their pictures. The work requires journalistic ability combined with technical skill. There are a great variety of subjects and locations and the timings may be irregular. They cover various subjects such as the life of prison inmates or drought conditions in a stare or schools at work in different places and so on.

3. Commercial Photography: In commercial photography, a photographer takes pictures of merchandise, exteriors and interiors, machinery both indoors and outdoors to be used in advertising and selling. Commercial photographers are also required to take pictures for company brochures and annual reports. These reports have pictures of the interiors of the factory, products etc.

4. Advertising Photography: It requires good technique and sophistication.. Originality within the bounds of instructions is the hallmark of a good advertising photographer. Advertising shoots are organized by the creative departments of advertising agencies which may be employing full time photographers or hiring them from studios or taking on freelancers. This is the best-paid and most competitive branch; success depends entirely on ability, efficiency and the right personality.

5. Fashion Photography: Fashion photography as a career developed recently in India. Specialist studios or freelancers who are commissioned by fashion houses of advertising agencies do most fashion photography; they usually work under the direction of a fashion expert.

6. Wildlife Photographer: Must have gone through National Geographic magazine. Ever wondered who they are responsible for such life like photographs. Well, they are what we call them wild life photographers

Personal Attributes
All photographers, irrespective of their area of specialization, should possess certain traits in varying degrees: perfect colour vision; artistic sensitivity; visual imagination; originality; an eye for detail and composition; good powers of observation; ability to work quickly the right look; creativeness; patience; aptitude and interest; alertness; good health; and the willpower to do sustained hard work.

Some of the places to go to for acquiring training in photography where a 6 months to One year course is ideal are :

- Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi
- University of Gorakhpur
- Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad
- J.J.Institue of Applied Art, Mumbai
- Photographic Society of India, MumbI
- Verve Visuals, Banglore
- India International Photographic Council, New Delhi
- St.Xavier’s Institute of Communication, Mumbai
 

Sushant

I have done my schooling from DAV, Delhi & Graduation from Jamia University Completed a part time course in photography under the expert guidance of Mr. O.P Sharma from Triveni Kala Sangam.

It all started, when I was working on a documentary as an assistant on Raghu Rai, While talking to him, I realized that each his picture is a story in itself. He could talk about his pictures for hours as a father can talk about his child. That was my first confrontation with the magic of photography.

I got so much inclined that soon I saw myself in Triveni Kala Sangam from where I did a part time course in photography under the expert guidance of Mr. O.P Sharma. Every 5th September i.e. teachers day, I thank god that I had privilege of being student of Sharma sir. Sharma sir is not only an exceptional photographer & a teacher but he is also a wonderful human being.

Every thing is beautiful. yes! Every thing … all you have to do is to hunt for that beautiful angle which is mostly hidden & then click…that is all you need to become a good photographer. This was the crux of his teaching.

My first professional assignment as a photographer was Black & white pictures for a book on tribes of Madhya Pradesh (now Chattisghar)

For this particular assignment I had to go for 3 weeks, around the same time I got a job offer from a reputed shoe company to work as marketing manager so I had to make a choice well the creative guy in me proved to be too strong for marketing professional. & Ever since then I have been doing photography…

Whether it’s food or interiors, tabletop or people photography not only refreshes me but also kind of make me feel complete… not that I feel incomplete otherwise but with my camera I feel much more secure. Everybody should try some thing creative anything whether its writing graffiti or painting or just cooking try it… develop it… & you’ll feel good about yourself.

In school there is too much of academic pressure on students, we all accept it…not all a students can be brilliant at studies so thus that means mediocre students are good for nothing… they should be given other options more options well photography can be one. Everyone should understand at least basic terms like shutter speed, aperture, film speed etc. These things should be taught at school level it will not necessarily make them a professional photographer but it will make them look for beauty in everything, it will make them a better human…

Email : onlinepower@rediffmail.com

You can reach him at : 9873165656 (Delhi)& 011 25496416

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