Photography: A Hobby Which Can Lead To Your Dream Job

Hobbies… Something everyone has. Photography one of them too?

How often have we heard someone say that what they do, their ‘hobby’, is something more than just a hobby?

What does that even mean?

It means this particular hobby that they indulge in, is something they maybe want to make a career out of. And, are passionate about it.

One hobby that can be said to be one of the most enjoyable ones, is photography. It is all about capturing the most precious moments in one’s life. They can be a way of expressing what is meaningful to someone.

Pursuing this hobby as a career can be challenging. There is only limited what one can do in this field. However, if successful, one will surely reap the benefits.

So, how does one pursue this hobby?

By, first of all starting with the basics. For example, buying a camera, lens to use, editing, and how to use a camera properly. Taking a course would be helpful.

One can find more info and recommendations at many online sources. Also, the required resources are available at many online stores like Amazon, Flipkart etc.

After the learning, one should participate in events. Followed by creating a portfolio or a platform that has all their work.

Once people start appreciating your work, it boosts one’s confidence. Also, it makes them want to improvise.

An adventure

Being a photographer is exciting.

You get to travel the world and meet different people. This brings in diversity. And, can also be a great learning experience. You explore other people, events, festivities, traditions and places.

You could be a freelance photographer. That means you would not be working under anyone. Rather, you would be working under contracts.

Or, you could be a photographer employed for a company like ‘National Geographic’.

You could specialize in advertising, corporate, fashion, art or general photography such as taking photos at weddings/events.

Photography in itself is a very diverse field. In fact, there are numerous types of photography you can do.

For example, folks fond of animals, can do animal photography. Then, there is travel photography for travel enthusiasts. Likewise, there is portrait photography, macro-photography, monochrome photography and more.

Photography is a medium through which you express your view of the world; And, what your perspective of it, is.

Learning Photography – The foundation

A degree in the field is the Bachelor of Arts in photography, and some good institutions are-

• The New York Institute of Photography.
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
• School of Visual Arts and Asian Academy of Film and Television (AAFT)

Check more info about education at this page:

Editing is an important part of photography. One should know how to manipulate photos according to one’s likes. Like, adjusting the lighting, colours, contrast, adding filters, and various other options to modify a picture.

If edited properly, one can change the whole look of a photograph.

If we add ‘black and white’ filter to a photo (monochrome photography), the look completely changes. It seems vintage. Similarly, for some pictures, it might add value which might have been missing before editing.

Some recommended books are –

‘Understanding Exposure’ by Bryan Peterson. It serves as a guide for amateur photographers on how to use exposure, the light in any photo to maximize impact.

‘The Photographer’s Eye’ by Michael Freeman talks about the design in a photograph.

‘The Moment It Clicks’ by one of the most renowned photographers in the world, Joe McNally. He shares his photography secrets in the book.

‘Studio Anywhere: A Photographer’s Guide to Shooting in Unconventional Locations’ by Nick Fancher. It talks about the different studios one can use while clicking pictures.

Lens on the Future of Photography

Why photography would be a potential career option is because it can never be replaced by AI. Sure robots and software would be quite competent.

The photographs would never have depth, emotion, or perspective, as they would when a human clicked.

Photos capture more than just what is visible.

Captures represent undying ‘memories’ of a bygone era too.

And, it is not as if people will stop having their pictures clicked, so the career option is unlikely to die out.

Creative options

Another reason why photography is a potential career option is because it brings out the creative side in a person.

So, even if you have a change in mind and want to leave photography, there is so much you can do with the creativity you picked up. For example, being an artist requires a lot of creativity. And, the experience of being a photographer, would really help one.

The decision though, should only be if…

One should choose photography only if they are passionate about it. It will be quite difficult to reach up to your potential, if it is something you do not want to do.

And, this is why through practice and learning, one can make their hobby of photography into their future dream job.

Photography : Career Institutes Books and More