| Photography
is a highly competitive field. More than half of the professional
photographers in the US are self-employed, which means that they are
constantly looking for clients and trying to sell their pictures.
However, there are many jobs a photographer can land that will help
to create job stability. Photographers are needed at newspapers, magazines,
weddings (and other events), in portrait studios, etc. Weekly hours
and work environment is based on where a photographer works. Some
will work the regular 40 hours a week, while others may work a lot
more or a lot less. Photographers who are self-employed have the freedom
to work as much or as little as they like, while photo journalists
(for newspapers and magazines) have to wait until they can create
a story from their pictures, which can take any amount of time.
Patience is certainly a necessary characteristic for most photographers
because most will have to wait for certain conditions to capture
the right picture and everyone will take bad pictures. Whether it
comes to catching an action shot of firefighters rescuing a family
for tomorrow’s newspaper or a photograph of the sunset and landscape
in Acadia National Park, the photographer needs to wait for the
perfect moment; the perfect picture. This usually means taking many
pictures from different angles, with different lenses, different
films, and different lighting. This can be stressful if you are
on a deadline, but certainly not impossible.
Photography is an art, but there are a lot of specifics about cameras,
films, lighting, dimensions, and, especially now and increasingly
in the future, digital photography and PhotoShop. There is a lot
to learn and employers are looking for people really understand
photography on all of its levels. Some excellent ways to get involved
in the field while gaining your education are to read photography
newsletters and magazines, join camera clubs, work in camera stores
or photo studios, etc. The average income of a photographer again
depends upon the specific job they are interested in, but, in 2000,
half of all photographers made between $16, 800 and $33,020 and
the upper 10% earned more than $47,000. Photography is a field with
many opportunities for artistic, creative people who have an eye
for capturing the world around them.
|
