Questions about a career in photography

Question

What abilities, interests, work values, and person characteristics are necessary and/or helpful to have?

What is the average salary?

Is post-secondary schooling necessary?

Was it necessary for you to move to go to school or find a job in photography?

What kind of risks are involved in a career in photography?

What is the job outlook like in this career?

Does post-secondary schooling qualify you for immediate employment, or is more training necessary?

Answer 1

Some will disagree, but I believe you have to have acertain knack or natural ability to be a great photographer.  

Salary depends.  The real money (unless your doing magazines) is in doing weddings and stuff like that.  My friend payed the photographer at his wedding like 5 grand for 6 hours of work.  

A lot of liberal arts schools have photography programs.  

My friend didn't move, and he's doing well.  But I'm near DC...lots of activity.  

Risks?  your not good at it.  Job outlook...well the best way to do it is freelance.  but there are other options.  

You just have to put together a nice portfolio and get it in the hands of the right people.  Do stuff that's interesting.  Different shutter speeds, different resolutions.  360 view photos with a tripod are cool.  

Good luck.

Answer 2

The career in photography depends up on their country first. There are pleanty of photography jobs in UK and USA but rare in some other countries even in India.

   secondly, you should have an artistic sense in watching things. So somebody is interested in painting or sketching can shine in photography better than somebody just look up only a career in this field.

    if you are really interested in photography, join for a nice course. even if you are very good in photographing things, it is may not be possible to have good salary at the first time.

   it is better to be a freelance photographer than a worker in a studio or a magazine.Coz freelance photographer can work anywhere and enjoy your own time.

    You need not go for a higher education in university to be a photographer. Every one want your skill..not your education.

    The risk is you should have good photography equipment and it will be expensive and you should make good contact with your costomers and have a marketing skill to sell your skills and work.

   Photography is not like a hot bread from the bakery. you should work hard, study it well, experiment on it, and should have good experience in different situations and lighting techniques....

   All the best

Answer 3

Personality/Abilities/ECT.:

Depending on what kind of photography you do depends on the need of persnonality characteristics and such.

For example: if you work with alot of people you will need to have an outgoing personality, and be great with the clients.

But if you are looking to do freelance photography you will still need an outgoing personality, but you will also need to have a passion for traveling (possibly around the world).

Or if you are looking to work for a publishing company (like: postcards, notecards, and ect.) or a magazine then you won't have to have much of an outgoing personality because you will basically be dealing with your coworkers. But depending on what mag. you work for you may need to have an interest in traveling. But if you work for a fashion or celebrity mag. then you'll need an outgoing personality.

Salary:

Depends what you do, how well you do it,  and, depending on your kind of photography, sometimes where you live.

Schooling:

Schooling could help out alot, because photography is a whole nother world that is too big to know everything. So there is alway something you could learn that will help in your profession, but most of your learning comes from your own expierence.

Risks/Outlook:

You may lose alot of money and fail misreably or be the most succesful photographer out there. You'll never know untill you try.

Schooling help with employment?:

All depends on the person hiring you. Some may want you for your education and/or skills, or some may only want you for your skills. Most people want you for your skills. But again education does not hurt, it can only help.

Bryce-photographer