The photography sector has many possibilities for a career with jobs within journalism, private sector, medical photography etc. Obviously the routes to these different careers are very different as they all have different techniques although the basic qualifications are usually the same. First you will have to decide exactly what kind of photography you want to specialise in. below are some examples of photography jobs and how to get there:
Medical photography - There are different sectors with in medical photography you can either go into plastic surgery photography, dentistry, neurosurgery and pathology (these are not all the kinds just the main few). The plastic surgeon photographer will take photographs for the plastic surgeon before the surgery and after when the patient has recovered, this showing the patient the dramatic change to how they want to look. To become a medical photographer you will have to have A level qualifications or be a mature student (meaning you are over 21) with recent studying experience. Once you have the requirements met you then go on to complete a further qualification being either a BA in photography, OND in photography or a BTEC in photography. An alternative to the education route is going into a training department of medical illustration it is then possible to gain a BSc in medical illustration.
Fashion photography - This is ever growing in popularity as the interest in fashion rises. To take up fashion photography as a career you must make sure you have the right interests and qualifications below are some examples of requirements you may need:
- Firstly you should have a genuine interest in fashion as it is important for the photographer to feel passionate about what they are shooting, if you don't then it will show in the final image.
- You will require one or more of the qualifications listed above, although different employers may ask for different requirements depending on the nature of the job.
- You must have good people skills as it's important for you to be able to make the model feel at ease so they can perform to their best potential. It's also good for you to be able to explain your directions to people in a clear manner as you need to be able to get the model into the position you need for your shot.
- The glamorous lifestyle associated with fashion photography is not without its share of hard work you need to be prepared to work any hours for long periods of time and in some cases work with very stressful people.
Journalism photography - With this kind of photography you may be given a certain brief to fill such as, find (a certain celebrity) in public with their suspected new partner. Then you would have to spend time trying to find out where this person is going to be and at what time, this means you will have to have good people skills in order for you to be able to acquire the information about their whereabouts. You would also have to have good organisation skills to make sure you and your equipment get to the right place at the right time other wise your lead was wasted and the chance of your shot you needed is gone. Many journalist photographers also work freelance going around day by day taking photographs of famous people especially ones that have certain stories in the tabloids about them at that time, they would then take their shots to newspapers or magazines to sell.
With so many possibilities with in the sector of photography there will be an interest for everybody that being if you're interested in photography in the first place. There are different routes you can take to get where you want to be so it is advised to research all options then decide which is best for you.