Photography Jobs - Careers Explained

Photography jobs are perfect for creative people who have artistic vision and the skills to see it through. There are many different career options for photographers ranging from freelance artists to wedding photographers to portrait studio associates and beyond. You may photograph people or you may photograph nature, or even gritty urban settings for an artistic piece. The career information and degrees needed for the job will depend on what kind of photography you want to pursue and whether you want to work for yourself or for someone else.

The salary is an important consideration for those looking into photography jobs. Many freelance photographers start out doing photography work on the side since it is very competitive, and the jobs can be plentiful in some seasons and scarce in others. Photographers can earn anywhere from $15,000 a year while doing it on the side as a beginner to $50,000+ a year once you have built a solid clientele. It will also depend on the type of photography-there is a greater demand for wedding photographers than many others, for example. Fine art photographers have the most unpredictable salary because it all depends on whether other people want to buy your work.

Most photographers go to some sort of formal training program, but it doesn't have to be a four-year university. There are many art and design schools as well as community college programs that can prepare you for photography jobs. The degrees needed are not nearly as important as the equipment needed, as you can't do the job without the right tools. The various cameras, lenses, lighting equipment and accessories that are necessary to take beautiful and artistic photos with different types of effects can get very expensive.

Photography jobs are not for everyone. You need to have the creative spirit and technical ability earned either through school or self-training, and you need all the right equipment. You also need to have a competitive spirit and a sense of perseverance in order to continue on when things get discouraging. If you have these traits, this could be the ideal creative career for you.