Gauri Chhabra
A decade ago, Photography used to be an offbeat career option or at the most a business hobby, taking it up as a full time profession might not have been very appealing. However, of late there has been a growing upsurge in the interest in photography. Today, it is time to empty your minds of whatever you think photography has been in the past. It’s time to consider what the future will bring.
In the old days, we loaded our cameras with film, took the shots, processed and printed the film. Suddenly, digital processors replaced film. Now we load our digital cameras with memory cards, take no heed of film expiration dates, forget the number of exposures on a roll, and have no need to worry about how many rolls we brought along with us on a certain day.
In the face of this, there are a few changes in Photography as a career option. Photography has become more of a blend of science and art. To be a photographer, you have to have both creativity and technical skills. You must have that extra quality and interest in visuals, color, light etc.
There are many short term Foundation Courses to choose from where you can test the waters before you actually take the plunge. If you are talented and hardworking, you can script a career in photography without going the formal route.
Getting in
There are no specific academic requirements for full time courses; however, candidates who have passed 10+2 are eligible for a degree/diploma/certificate course. Admissions are made on the basis of your marks in 10+2 and an Entrance test, personal interview, group discussion and an internal entrance test. For PG diploma, you must be graduate with required percentage.
Course Cursor
Foundation Course in Photography:
Through the foundation course you would begin to understand the interplay of light, shadow and color that makes the perfect frame. For those who are beginners or amateurs; or those who have recently bought a camera and want to improve their family and travel photographs, this short-term foundation course in Photography gives them the opportunity to do just that.
If you have a creative spirit and want to give it a visual expression, or want to take your photography to the next level and shoot like professionals, then the foundation course in Photography is all you need to make a head start.
Diploma in Photography
If you want to enhance your photography and composition skills as well as learn about image editing, this course is the right option for you. A balance of theory and practical sessions aim to produce those who define and recognize creative process, analyze photos in terms of their artistic style and expression and have an advanced understanding of digital photography.
Diploma in Fashion and
Portrait Photography
In this course, you would identify basic photographic tools and their intended purposes, including the proper use of various camera systems, light meters and film selection. You would also analyze photographs to determine your positive and negative attributes and apply these principles to produce your own visually compelling images by employing the correct photographic techniques.
Certificate course in Still
Photography and Journalism
This would train you in handling all types of cameras and accessories. You would explore traditional technologies based cameras to the most contemporary, motion & light sensitive systems and cameras. You would undergo extensive training in various genres of photography like nature & wildlife, Aerial, sports, art & architectural, industrial, fashion and so forth.
PG Diploma in Still Photography and Visual Communication
The diploma is designed to give you an exposure of a larger framework of imaging studies, visual culture and new digital technologies. You would be exposed to different kinds of photography practices such as Photojournalism, Advertising Photography, Industrial Photography, Science, Life Style, Documentary and Research based photography.
Bachelors in Fine Arts
(Photography)
This degree would provide you with a rigorous study of the elements of image production and manipulation, a wide range of professional camera and lighting equipment and the ability to capture a moment through your lens that evokes a response. It helps you to produce a visually compelling image, a photographer needs more than creativity – a photographer needs to have working knowledge of composition, lighting, camera and technical skills and a thorough understanding of the subject. You will have an opportunity to learn these skills and be challenged to build upon the creativity and proficiencies you already possess.
B.Sc. in Photography and
Cinematography:
This program would teach you about image-making within both analogue and digital frameworks. You get to discover end to end photographic process – from pre-production (conception and research), to production (directing, lighting, and image capture on location and in the studio), and post-production (editing, processing, manipulating, printing and publishing). You would be encouraged to develop a strong, personal and creative direction in your work through the briefs that cover a wide range of topics and ideas. At the end of this program, you would have to produce a body of photographic work & Films that can be used for your portfolio.
M. Design in Photography
This program would focus on making you understand these dynamics at the core level, and helps them in making informed choices based on their learning in the classroom and a robust industry interface. With the diverse media domains increasingly crossing over, the program would encourage you to inculcate cross disciplinary approaches, and discount genre specific formulaic methodologies. The pedagogical structure relies heavily on a thorough understanding of the historic processes, contemporary practices, emerging technologies, sociology, politics, literature, philosophy, and visual culture. This would further aspire you to unravel, articulate, and consolidate historic and contemporary visual trajectories inherent to the Indian subcontinent.
Institute Scape
·Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar offering Diploma in Photography
·Indian School of Photography, New Delhi, offering one year Diploma in Photography.
·National Institute of Photography, Mumbai offering Diploma Courses in Fashion Photography, Tabletop Photography and Wedding Photography.
·National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad offering B.Design and M.Design in Photography.
·The Indian Institute of Digital Art and Animation, Kolkata offering Diploma in Photography and Videography, B.Sc./MSc in Photography and Cinematography
·Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University, offering BFA Photography, MFA Photography, Bridge Course (Photography),MFA Photography (PTPG)
·Sir JJ Institute of Applied Arts, Mumbai offering Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts in Photography.
·Asian Academy of Film and Television, Noida, offering three months Certificate course in Still Photography and Journalism.
·Shri Gurudev Institute of Photography, Chandigarh offering Diploma and Certificate courses in Photography.
·Center for Research in Art of Film & Television (CRAFT), Delhi, offering a one year PG Diploma Course in Mass communication, with specialization in Fashion Photography and Videography.
The Road Ahead
The road ahead is full of both challenges and opportunities. On a scale of low to high, demand for the services of professional photographers is projected to remain static through the end of this decade. Technological advances, specifically those relating to digital photography, are expanding both the opportunities and challenges of professional photographers.
Low barriers to entry would increase competition in this field—which is a good thing, because you would expect to face just that when looking for a photography job. The number of candidates interested in positions as commercial and news photographers is usually much greater than the number of openings. Salaried jobs in particular may be difficult to find as more companies contract with freelancers rather than hire their own photographers.
Those who succeed in landing a salaried job or attracting enough work to earn a living by freelancing are likely to be adept at operating a business and to be among the most creative. You will be able to find and exploit the new opportunities available from rapidly changing technologies. Related work experience, job-related training, or some unique skill or talent—such as a background in computers or electronics or knowledge of a second language—would also improve your career prospects.
There is plenty of career options to choose from. You may work with the organizations that are working in press, fashion field, advertisement, documentary field, magazines or tourism. The job profiles of this field are Photo Journalists, Portrait Photographers, Wildlife Photographers, Feature Photographers, Forensic Photographers, Fine Art Photographers, and Scientific Photographers.
Summing up
To cater to this competition, you need to have depth and breadth of demonstrable experience. Mastery of computer-based image post-processing tools is as critical to successful competition for photographer jobs as is an artistic eye for such through-the-lens elements as contrast, composition and exposure.
Therefore, armed with the right tools and experience, you can step into the arena of Photography and come out with flying colors.
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