Photography is a profession that is slowly growing by leaps and bounds. A decade ago photography wasn’t something that was pursued as an actual course and wasn’t quite mainstream. People took photographs of themselves and their families on vacations at birthday parties and created an album for each trip and get together. All old homes have a cupboard or space in the house dedicated to these beautiful albums that people can flip through and relive past experiences.
How have things changed now?
Professional photography was restricted to taking family photographs at a studio or getting a passport photo taken for work purposes. But in today’s day and age photography is not the same. In recent Indian movie, an actor spoke for all budding photographers out there who were never taken seriously. The passion with which he spoke about the profession made a huge impact on Indian parents who did not take it seriously. More and more people have come out of the closet since then and have started pursuing photography as an actual career.
What is the role of a photography institute?
A Photography institute molds you for the profession if you are really serious about it. Cities like Mumbai, Pune, Banglore, and Delhi not only have the best photography institutes but also the exposure to go along with it.
A camera isn’t just an instrument, it can create artworks. A photography institute makes you hone your amateur skills to make you professional. A degree goes a long way in any and every profession and it’s the same for photography. The best photography courses not only teach you the art you can create with your camera but also give you an edge over people who just own a DSLR and click pictures from time to time. You could be clicking the most stunning pictures but most employers in India won’t consider any of the work you’ve done worthwhile without a degree in your hand. Your portfolio does matter but what a degree does is, it validates it and in today’s world validation is as important as the work itself.
How do these courses work?
Photography courses are vast and wide to suit every professional need and also the choice of the student so that he/she can specialize in what she wants to do. Special courses on Photoshop or wildlife photography can be undertaken by students. What this vast variety of choices does is, it gives you mastery. There is no point in being the Jack of all trades and master of none. That is the difference between an amateur and a professional.
An amateur will use his work to get an infinite number of likes and a seasoned photographer will use it to earn a living for himself.
How is it unconventional?
Photography isn’t a profession that will take you nowhere. Photographers are now earning more than engineers and doctors and are doing it while they enjoy life to the fullest. If you love photography and it makes you happy, don’t think twice about pursuing it as a profession. The reason being, first, there is nothing better than doing something that you’re so passionate about and second the vast scope it offers to an individual. It’s not restrictive and every experiment will add on to your experience and give you a better pay. If photography is your calling, you must seek it.
