For most of us, taking photographs is very important. This activity is especially great to do during special events or moments where you need to keep a photo of a memorable experience. You can then take a look at the photos months or years after with your loved ones. Photographs are also a good way to remember particular moments in your life, and these photos can also lead you to tell stories to friends or family members about that particular photo.
While a lot of people take photographs for fun or for remembrance, there are some that use photography to earn money. These people are highly skilled in taking photographs, and they would also have high-quality equipment that allows them to showcase their skills better. Many would often say that being a photographer is easy, but in truth, taking photographs for others can be quite difficult, especially when the people that hire you have expectations of what the photos will look like.
Even though being a photographer can be difficult most of the time, there are still a lot of benefits of taking photographs as a profession. Of course, there are pros and cons of being a photographer, but the pros far outweigh the cons if you truly love your job. Here is the list of the best things about being a photographer.
Plenty of Job Opportunities
In photography, you will have plenty of job opportunities since there are a lot of people that hire photographers for special events or family occasions. So, you wouldn’t really run out of gigs as a photographer, although you will have to compete with fellow photographers to get a spot in specific events. In order for you to stand out and get more gigs, you would need to create a great portfolio that will truly show what you are capable of.
There are many ways for you to make an amazing portfolio, but one of the most effective ways for you to get more clients through the portfolio is by posting it online, which is possible through portfolio websites that allow you to create an account and upload some of your best photographs or videos. Through online portfolios, it would be much easier for you to share your portfolio with potential clients, which you will most likely talk to on Skype and other online messaging platforms.
Work at Your Own Pace
Unlike the normal jobs at the office, being a photographer doesn’t require you to work from 9 am to 5 pm or more, so you can work at your own pace by just accepting only a few clients and get paid fairly. However, in order for you to earn a lot in photography, you would need to accept a lot of gigs, although taking too much work can be quite stressful, much like other types of jobs.
So, if you don’t want to be stressed by work, you can just take only a few gigs, but we recommend that you take the ones that will pay you better so that working for those particular clients will be much more worth it. But bear in mind that a few of the highest-paying photography gigs will require you to work late at night or early in the morning, so make sure you are prepared.
Specialize as a Photographer
If you want to specialize in a specific skill or category, you are free to do so as a photographer. So, if you plan on only taking wedding gigs, you should specialize in wedding photography, which would require you to learn angles and shots that are perfect for different processes or activities during the wedding, like the bride walking down the aisle and the special wedding reception dance between the bride and the groom.
There are also other specialties that you can take as a photographer, like portrait photography, event photography, and more. Of course, if you want to take a lot of gigs, you will need to specialize in different types of photography, although you will be considered a jack of all trades but a master of none. We recommend that you only specialize in at least two to three photography types so that you can still be versatile while mastering different sets of skills required for those types.
Get a Chance to Travel the World
If you are prolific in travel photography, then there is a great chance that you will be able to travel the world. This is made possible through different international clients who may hire you to take photographs of their events or their tourist spots, and they have most likely hired you because they saw your portfolio online and saw what you are capable of. Most of the time, these business trips are free of charge, so you will be able to travel basically for free if you are a great photographer.
On the other hand, if you have the budget, you can travel on your own and take photographs of tourist destinations that you can add to your portfolio if you want to be seen as a travel photographer. If you have free time, it is essential that you take photographs of beautiful sceneries for fun so that you can build a better portfolio.
Enjoy Your Job
According to Mark Twain, we should find a job that we enjoy doing so that we will never really have to work a day in our life. This quote could be applied in photography, as you will definitely enjoy your job if you love taking photographs, traveling, and just providing the best pieces of remembrance or memorabilia for your clients. Even if the job can be stressful at times, these stressful moments won’t be enough to stop you from being a photographer, as you have the love and passion for your work.
Being a photographer may be one of the best things that a lot of us can experience in our lifetime, and although there are people that belittle photography, it is undeniable that photos are very important today, especially with the rising popularity of social media. So, while photography is in demand, you should take the opportunity to build a studio, accept clients, and chase your dreams of being one of the best photographers.