Now more than ever, consumers have come to expect images with the content they consume. We don’t just want to hear what happened the night before, we want to see it. The delivery of every post, news article, message, update and occasion needs to accompanied by an image. The traditional pathways for a career in photography are still there, people are not yet ready to shoot their wedding on their camera phone, they will still hire a professional. On top of that, there is a thriving new industry for photographers opening up in our fast paced, image based, digital world. Lets take a look at where you can draw your income through photography.
Social media content provider
Venues need to keep up a thriving social media presence. The way they do this is by documenting their crowds and events with strong constant images of beautiful people in big crowds. A lot of venues are often pushing to post the event the night before, early the next morning. There is a growing industry in capturing these events for venues and when co-ordinated properly, significant and consistent streams of work can come from this growing area. This would require an ABN and would be under the umbrella of ‘freelance’ work.
Weddings and events
As mentioned in the intro, everyone thinks they are a good photographer these days, but most are still not willing to shoot their own special occasion. If you build a good rep as a wedding or events photographer, you might find yourself only needing to do one or two shoots a week, plus editing time, as a major event can fetch you very decent money. This work is everywhere, every day and can provide you with a viable, interesting career. You will need to have an entrepreneurial streak and thick skin as kicking things of can be tough, but once established, it can provide a great lifestyle.
Studio Photographer
A studio photographer is one of the most traditional jobs in the field. You will need to be patient and build your way up the in the industry to land a full time studio job. Think, fashion shoots, brand shots, magazine covers and you would be around the mark. Most of the world’s most well known photographers are studio photographers.
Photojournalist
Whilst traditional newspaper photographer gigs are slowing down (though still out there), that doesn’t mean work in the digital area is. Think about it, every link you click for a news story has a photo with it right? Guess what? a photographer was sent out to get this shot. There are interesting and dynamic careers in being a photographer for news outlets, both print and online.
Trainer / teacher
Once you have completed your study and established yourself as a professional photographer, you may look to support your freelance work with a job in education. This way, you can obtain a steady income as a trainer or teacher at a photography college and be around photography all day, and supplement your income with weekend freelance work, see (wedding photographer above).