Choosing arts as your profession is a dream come true. This is particularly accurate for the Middle East, where the kids are forced to become engineers or doctors to have stable career opportunities. However, this thought process is now gradually evolving, thankfully.
Photographers are highly skillful personnel capable of explaining a whole story by not uttering a single word, but just with their camera shots. Are you thinking of becoming one? Great! It has become a widely chosen career for many youngsters these days.
Although working as a photographer seems so glamorous, yet it has both strengths and weaknesses. Make sure to look into all the pros and cons of being a photographer before taking your final call in this regard. It is always advisable to research well about an occupation before you pursue it.
Pros
1. Photography Can Be an Excellent Part Time Activity
Most photographers work as a freelancer rather than being employed for a particular organization. This awards them with freedom and enough diversity to choose between the various projects and the daily working hours as per their availability.
A person working a routine 9-5 job can barely take a leave for socializing with family or friends. On the other hand, a photographer working part-time along with studies doesn’t necessarily have such limitations. You guessed it right, a photographer is his own boss.
A documentary photographer, Soumya Sankar Bose, narrated that he is pleased with the lifestyle he owns because he chooses his topics, does research on his own, and there’s no one to follow or order instructions.
2. Technology Advancement Made it Easier to Be a Good Photographer
You can get trained through the numerous informative tutorials on YouTube regarding ways to become a good photographer in your spare time. While sitting comfortably on the sofa, free of cost, watch a video every day and follow the instructions practically. You’ll get better day by day.
The best thing about this training approach is that you can still earn money while in the middle of your training. Just be wise in choosing a good quality flexible video to teach yourself.
3. The Joy of a Great Photo
As a photographer, you have a pretty high level of expectations. This allows you to feel much more valuable and will motivate you to do better and better in the long term.
The reason you are valued is that photographers can make people happy. Soon after receiving the pictures from the most important days of their lives, the clients will post them on their social media. Indeed the joy of a good picture is undeniable.
4. No Need for a Certified Degree for Becoming a Photographer
To become a photographer, there is no need for a fancy degree from a college. Even in most counties, you can start working in this field as early as you finish high school.
Personal relations are more needed in this field rather than a degree. And for this, you need to invest time working as a volunteer to build some connections before getting job proposals as a picture maker. Always keep in mind that good reviews will help your profile to stand out from the competition.
5. You May Be Able to Travel the World
Another positive aspect of becoming a photographer is that you may get the chance to travel the world. There are many successful photographers for your motivation that started blogging and capturing the beautiful scenarios throughout their travel.
Not everybody gets this opportunity, but if you are good at what you are performing, you can earn a decent amount of money and the chance to travel the world as a photographer.
6. Capturing a Moment for the Lifetime
By getting into this profession, you will be able to seize the moment in time that would have been overlooked otherwise. Because of your skills, that incident can be remembered forever.
7. You Can Share Your Ideas on Social Media
Being capable of sharing your ideas and pictures on social media handles is another benefit of this field. This feature has never been much easier than today, thanks to the development in media.
8. Never-ending Potential
In today’s social media era, every business needs more or fewer favors from a photographer. In short, there is huge scope in this field. There is no limit to the things you can get paid for.
All you need to do is to look for the right photography platform.
9. Photographers Follow their Dreams
Some professional photographers are not in this career only for money, but because they always wanted to do. Imagine you getting paid for your passion, and the working hours do not bring stress but joy.
Cons
1. You are Always behind the Camera
You will always be requested to take group pictures or photos for an occasion. Moreover, you will always have to be attentive and look for interesting moments to capture, especially if you are working as a wedding or event photographer.
2. Being Choosy For the Pictures
You being pro in photography will make you extremely picky with the pictures. You will hardly be satisfied with someone else clicking pictures because it won’t be as per your standards. To not be a critic, you will need to work on yourself.
3. Photographers are Often Overlooked
Even after several great shots, you will still be unknown. People tend to remember the iconic clicks but not the name of the actual talent behind the camera. Therefore, you might have to keep your expectation a bit low even if you are capturing the best shots. Just imagine not being credited for all the hard work you do. However, some clients are generous enough to credit you and ask others in their social circle to work with you.
4. Sometimes You Just Want To Enjoy it As Well
One of the major cons is just because you are a photographer, people will expect you to take every photo of the event/party, which is not always great. Some days you’d wish to enjoy like everyone else but you can’t.
5. No Guaranteed Income
Just like any other self-employed profession, photography provides zero security of a fixed income. Some days the workflow will be good enough, and you’ll earn more than expected. On the other hand, there will be hard times too.
Hence before getting into photography, be mentally prepared for any kind of financial instability.
6. Good Cameras and Gear Don’t Come Cheap
A good camera set doesn’t decide your photo clicking skills, yet it’s a cherry on the top. One way to ensure client satisfaction is to invest in good quality, expensive technology.
You must be dedicated enough to invest in a camera, tripod, memory cards, and various lenses. In short, being a photographer comes with a price sticker.
7. Photographers Have a Hard Time Switching Fields
Another disadvantage is you may have a difficult time searching for different jobs as a photographer. Since they work in a narrow domain, they do not develop the skills needed to stand out in other fields.
Conclusion
If the conventional 9-5 job is not meant for you, a photography career might be your destination. But make sure you research the advantages and disadvantages of photography before you decide to dive into it directly.
Good luck to all the ambitious photographers out there. You’ll never know where it will take you.