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Sushant Bhalla -Bio-

Photography as a Career:

Standing at the edge of a cliff and looking far way at the horizon, you see the vast stretch of the lush green ghats spread before you… Freezing frames on film. Taking a slice of life and putting it away well that’s photographer’s way of telling a story.

Photography is a unique and creative medium of self-expression. Photography, which is an art in itself, has a history of over 150 years. It is an artistic means, as a good photograph is worth 1000 words

If you want to be a part of this extremely creative profession, all you need is a keen eye for aesthetic detail and for what is "photo-worthy"; a thorough knowledge of cameras and the technicalities involved in taking pictures, of light, distance and perspective; a sensitive and introspective nature; and, most importantly, the guts to take up as a profession.

Photography as profession is no cakewalk, which is why, perhaps unfortunately, many talented photographers remain amateurs. The climb is hard and long, and the financial returns, not very satisfactory in the beginning. Only those with tenacity and a never-say-die attitude, coupled with a real love of the medium hold on.

Career Prospects

Opportunities in the field of photography are plenty.

• Freelancing is very popular amongst a large number of photographers. With the explosion of the communication network, photography has now become a profession with great commercial value. It has become a good source of income and a means to a comfortable life With the explosion in mass communication and media, photography has become an important medium of communication. It plays a major role in education, publicity, industries, and scientific and technical researches. Newspapers and magazines also provide an option to the professionals. Thus for a good photographer, the sky is the limit.

To Begin:

• Read Books - Best thing for anyone who doesn't know much about photography and camera basics is to read books, how the camera works, equipment, investments etc. The books can help you decide whether you need to do a course in photography. Regular scanning of books and magazines also gives you a fair idea about the different techniques, lighting, angles, and topics. A basic course in photography, where they teach you how to develop b/w photos, history and other basic stuff, can be a useful experience. It will also help you decide the kind of specialised photography you want to pursue. Unfortunately, there are not many institutes that offer photography as a full-fledged course or career option. You can take up photography after your 12th or graduation. There are many students who learn photography along with their college, doing a part-time course.

• Assist a Senior or Professional - Next best thing, to begin your career, would be to assist a senior or professional photographer. Assisting will help you grasp the finer points of photography, and will give you a better understanding of the kind of equipment you would require. You can simultaneously shoot pictures on your own. Shooting various subjects in the beginning will allow you to decide the field you enjoy the most. It also will reflect on your progress. Always aim for a better picture.

The Work
There are several areas in which photographers may specialize.

1. Portrait Work: Photographers in studios practice portraiture. Photographic studios prefer their subjects; say men, women children or pets to be brought to the studio for portraits so that they may get the benefit of proper lighting and background.

2. Press Photography: They tell story through their pictures. The work requires journalistic ability combined with technical skill. There are a great variety of subjects and locations and the timings may be irregular. They cover various subjects such as the life of prison inmates or drought conditions in a stare or schools at work in different places and so on.

3. Commercial Photography: In commercial photography, a photographer takes pictures of merchandise, exteriors and interiors, machinery both indoors and outdoors to be used in advertising and selling. Commercial photographers are also required to take pictures for company brochures and annual reports. These reports have pictures of the interiors of the factory, products etc.

4. Advertising Photography: It requires good technique and sophistication.. Originality within the bounds of instructions is the hallmark of a good advertising photographer. Advertising shoots are organized by the creative departments of advertising agencies which may be employing full time photographers or hiring them from studios or taking on freelancers. This is the best-paid and most competitive branch; success depends entirely on ability, efficiency and the right personality.

5. Fashion Photography: Fashion photography as a career developed recently in India. Specialist studios or freelancers who are commissioned by fashion houses of advertising agencies do most fashion photography; they usually work under the direction of a fashion expert.

6. Wildlife Photographer: Must have gone through National Geographic magazine. Ever wondered who they are responsible for such life like photographs. Well, they are what we call them wild life photographers

Personal Attributes
All photographers, irrespective of their area of specialization, should possess certain traits in varying degrees: perfect colour vision; artistic sensitivity; visual imagination; originality; an eye for detail and composition; good powers of observation; ability to work quickly the right look; creativeness; patience; aptitude and interest; alertness; good health; and the willpower to do sustained hard work.