Professional Photography Course Details
Photography is a creative medium of
expression and has given a new way of perceiving the world. Photography is a unique
and creative medium of self-expression. 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, scientific and technical researches.
Courses:
- B.A. In Photography.
- Diploma course in Creative Photography.
- Diploma course in Photography.
Eligibility: Candidates
who have cleared the 10+2 exam are eligible for diploma/ certificate courses in
photography. In India Photography Course is also
offered as an optional subject for a bachelor's degree in fine arts.
Career Prospects: There
is no clear cut career graph for professional photography.
A photographer's prospects depend entirely upon his/her ability and previous work
done. However, opportunities in the field of photography are plenty. Freelancing
is very popular among a large number of photographers. Many opportunities are presented
by advertising agencies. Newspapers and magazines also provide a platform to the
professionals. For a real good photographer, sky is the limit.
Scope of Photography: Professional Photography course involves various
areas. Some of these are,
- Fashion Photography: Opportunities in the field
have grown with the increasing fashion awareness. Specialist studios or freelancers
who are commissioned by fashion houses, designers or advertising agencies, do most
of the fashion photography.
- Photo Journalism: Photographers, who work for
the print media, are almost reporters, because their pictures tell a story. Feature
photographers may work with reporters as a team or as a freelancer or work for studios.
The work is varied and leads to assignments at any time and in any place. Press
photographers must be versatile with an ability to photograph all kinds of subjects.
- Advertising: Advertising photographs are either
taken by the photography departments of advertising agencies, by photographic studios
or by freelance photographers. A large number of photographers do catalogue work,
while some studios specialize in 'mail order' photography. This is the best-paid
and most competitive branch. Success depends on ability, efficiency and also on
the right personality.
- Digital Photography: Digital photography involves
the use of a digital camera. The images are captured on a disk, floppy or directly
on to the computer. In conventional method of photography the images were captured
on film, which had to be processed and then scanned for any further changes or effects
that the image may need.
- Nature and Wildlife Photography: This field involves
taking photographs of animals, birds, plants and landscapes. While photos of rare
species are in great demand, nature photographs are also widely used as pictures
for calendars or covers. Sunsets, flowers, trees, lakes, waterfalls... all make
interesting subjects for a nature photographer.
- Industrial and Commercial Photography: Here, a
photographer takes pictures of merchandise, exteriors and interiors of factories
and machinery, both indoors and outdoors to be used for company brochures, annual
reports and in advertising and selling. The main objective is to make the company's
factories, machines or products look good. This area of photography requires specialization.
- Portrait and Wedding Photographers: Photographers
take pictures of individuals or small groups, handling subjects like pets, children,
families, weddings, functions and activities of sports and social clubs.
Job Prospects:
- Press photographers(photojournalists).
- Editorial Photographers.
- Commercial/Industrial photographer.
- Portrait/wedding photographers.
- Fine arts photographers.
Remuneration:
In India Photography as a field has no particular or fixed career and
salary structure. One has to be very brave to start off as a freelancer. One can
start as assistant photographers in which pay would be Rs. 3500 to Rs. 6000. Once
you are established, you would be paid as per the assignment. The range can be from
Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 30,000. Fields like commercial photography pay higher compared
to the other fields i.e. Rs. 15,000 which may grow over a period of time.
List of Photography Institutes In India:
Quite a large number of institutions are now offering courses in photography.
Some of the prominent institutions offering Diploma and Certificate courses in photography
are listed below:
- NIFT (Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore).
- Xavier Institute of communications, Mumbai.
- Film and Television Institute of India, Pune.
- Film and Television Institute of Tamilnadu.
- Jawaharlal Technological University, Hyderabad
- Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institutes, Kolkata.
- Institute of Film and Technology, Chennai.
- India International Photographic council, New Dehli.
- Academy of Photography, Kolkata.
Diploma Courses (one year):
- Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi - 221002.
- Ravishankar University, Raipur - 492010.
- Sri Venkateshwara University, Tirupati - 517502.
