There is nothing more satisfying than making a living by doing something you love and passionate about. If you are into photography and want to adopt it as a career, you get many choices. There are various photography career options available for you. However, this is the age where everyone has smartphones, and everyone is a photographer. It has significantly reduced the demand for consumer cameras.
To make a living in this field, you will need several equipment and skills. Just then, you will be able to meet your client’s requirements. You cannot become a professional photographer by just investing in lenses, lights, cameras, tripods, and accessories unless you have the knowledge to use the right gear in every situation. You must know what equipment to use and how to adjust settings for the best possible shots.
For example, a product photographer needs a strong understanding of angle, reflections, and light, while a portrait photographer has to make subjects feel calm and comfortable. Moreover, you can set yourself apart from other photographers with experience and knowledge.
Lucrative Photography Careers
1. Fashion Photography
You should not confuse fashion photography with glamour photography. Glamour is all about the models, whereas fashion is all about the clothes; the two are entirely different. You will love a lot of things about this industry, and a few of them are:
- Emotional and Artistic Involvement
The fashion shoots produce several highly expressive photos. Trying to evoke an emotional response from the audience stretches the limitations of your creative mind, which can be fun.
- Shoot Variety
Look through the lookbook, catalog, or magazine for fashion, and you will find a massive variation in the settings. You will not find two same fashion shoots. Even if you deal with the same companies and models across multiple fashion shoots, you will see that they are entirely different. It will surely never let you get bored.
There are a few things that you will not like about fashion photography, such as working conditions and the fact that it is highly commercial.
2. Sports Photography
Whenever we hear about sports photography, our minds jump directly to the live events for MLB (Major League Baseball), NBA (National Basketball Association), and NFL (National Football League). Sports photography is fun in any case, whether you are shooting amateurs, semi-pros, or professionals.
- The Sports Narrative
Whether you are shooting at a local high school level or a national, you get to experience the different emotions of the sports chronicle as it unfolds throughout the season. Sports photography offers you to get emotionally invested in your work which is a great feeling.
- Predictable Schedule
One of the best things about sports photography is that you can always look ahead and make plans accordingly, as the sports events are always scheduled in advance. Sports photography offers you regularity.
- Dynamic Action
Most photographic endeavors involve tweaking, direction, and a lot of setups. And you may know sports photography has none of that. You only capture the actions of the players on the fields. And the continuous activities do not bore you.
3. Wedding Photography
When it comes to earning with a camera, one of the ideal ways is wedding photography. There is a level of prestige and glamour associated with wedding photography that you will not see in other photography disciplines except in fashion photography. Wedding photography is one of the lucrative photography careers among all others.
However, it is not for everyone. Things that you will love about wedding photography include:
- Event Luxuries
Most weddings are extravagant and classy. You, as a photographer, get to enjoy the magnificence of the event you shoot. You will not enjoy it as comfortably as other guests, but it will still be an excellent experience. On top of everything, you get to eat the food too, but this depends on your client.
- Satisfying and Meaningful
As a wedding photographer, you are not only taking ordinary pictures but capturing memories and moments for the groom and bride of their most special day. Decades from now, they will look at these photographs you shot, and it will bring a smile to their faces.
- The Big Paycheck
You might already know how expensive wedding photographers are if you have tried to hire one for your wedding or your friend’s. Their charges vary from area to area. In some areas, the bare minimum rates are somewhere around $1,500. And the in-demand photographers charge double the amount.
- People are Always Getting Married
No matter where you are in the world, you will always get clients. And the amount they will pay depends on the location, but it is for sure that your industry will not disappear overnight.
4. Portrait Photography
If you are in doubt about what photography career to choose, go for portrait photography. There are several kinds of portrait photography, such as studio portraits, senior photos for school, business headshots, etc. However, they all tend to play out similarly. A client approaches you; you then set an appointment with him and finally get the shots done.
Following are the top reasons why people love portrait photography:
- Self-employed and Self-Driven
Your client is your boss in other photography disciplines like product and wedding photography. However, in portrait photography, the client is more like a service customer and less of a boss. You have more space to exercise your expertise and authority as a photographer.
- Meet Many People
In portrait photography, every client is a new relationship. So, if you love meeting new people, this photography discipline is the right choice for you. It is not possible to click close-up portraits from a distance; you have to get involved with the subject. This way, you will have an excellent chance to make several new friends, especially if you maintain a professional attitude and provide good work.
- Minimal Gear Investment
Relatively speaking, you can get by with even small gear when you opt for portrait photography as a career. To start your business, a couple of Speedlight units and a camera would be enough for you. Softboxes, umbrellas, and other peripherals are practical without any doubt, but they are not absolute essentials.
5. Product Photography
Fashion and product photography are similar in a way that the end goal of both of these is to sell something. The difference is that the product shots tend to sacrifice creativity in favor of lighting skills and technical setups. It covers all kinds of industries, ranging from computer peripherals to cars to alcohol to luggage.
Depending on the context, you can even include food photography under this umbrella. Moreover, product shots are all about manual skill and technique. Every bit of foreground and background, every inch in positioning, every photon of light – all of it matters.
You note client’s requirements, how they want the shot to look like, and you make it happen for them. Furthermore, you do not get much room for personal flair or creativity unless the client asks for your ideas and input.
Conclusion
These are not the only options to make your choice. There are other lucrative photography careers, such as freelance photography, scientific photography, photojournalism, wildlife photography, travel photography, stock photography, and commercial photography. Although the options are multiple, pick the discipline that inspires the most passion in you and work hard for it. You will not only enjoy your job but earn a good amount as well.