Do Business Degrees In Photography Work?

Most photography schools offer business degrees in photography but many photographers wonder whether such a course is useful or not. Photography is not just a form of art but it is a science and business at the same time. To become a successful photographer, you need to know the creative and scientific aspects of photography so that you can create wonderful photographs. However, you also need good business knowledge to sell these photographs. If you have noticed, most of the masterpiece photographs were never sold!

In photography interviews and many discussion forums, you can see many people claiming that photography is a passion for them but this passion is not enough to generate sales. Many photographers fail because they can't distinguish their passion for photography and the need to sell those pictures.

As an amateur photographer, you probably shoot almost every subject but for professional photography this idea will not work out. You need to choose your niche because the customers come to photographers who cater some of the most specific subjects. A good photography course will help you to choose the right niche and market yourself in that niche.

For a good business photography degree, marketing techniques are the major part of its curriculum.

Market Research- Market research is something that you learn in a photography business degree. You will research and find out the niches that are currently on demand. For different photography niches, different level of investment and time is required. With market research, you can choose a niche that suits you the best.

Presentation- Stock photography and wedding photography are two famous niches in professional photography. However, the marketing and sales procedure for both is completely different. It is very hard for a stock photographer to succeed in wedding photography with the marketing techniques that he/she uses for stock.

In wedding photography, clicking photographs are just a part of the job but everything from your costumes to the presentation (photo albums) are very important. For stock photography, your personality and presentation has nothing to do with selling photographs but other elements such as key wording and various licenses do.

Marketing- Marketing tools in photography business have changed a lot in the last decade. A personal website, social media profile and a blog ensures your presence on internet. However, it is imperative to learn how to market yourself through these new media platforms. Traditional marketing tools such as business cards and gifts also work well. A good course will teach you how to use these techniques for your success.

There is no doubt that a professional photography business degree from any of the well-known photography schools can be the best resource for any photographer's marketing success. A successful photographer should not only learn to click masterpiece pictures but also how to sell them. With the right marketing techniques, photography is one of the safest career that someone can opt and the creative side of it is fascinating.

How To Make More Money From Digital Photography Online

This is a question that all photography lovers will ask themselves at some time or another. Even professional digital photographers will at some point need to have a think about where their photography businesses is going. So the question that needs to be addressed is just how can we make more money from digital photography online.

It doesn't really matter whether you are a professional photographer or an amateur, you only have to spend your time doing what you love most in order to make money from digital photography online, and these following tips will help you make the most out of your photography business.

What you are about to learn will help your business to flourish whether you are selling digital photography online through stock photography sites, or even to your local market place, so let's discover just what you are actually able to do to sell more of your photography work.

1) Do more online marketing.
All of us fail here at some stage or another, so you need to sit down and take a look at where you are at and what you should do to market your photography more effectively. Use a mind map so you can clearly see how your business is currently making money, and focus your marketing efforts on those elements that produce most income. Build a web site around the work that sells most, and then market your web site to a wider market. You may need help from a professional Internet marketer, but you will soon see your photography business grow 10 fold in a very short time.

2) Write an online photography guide.
So you're a great photographer, and have picked up a lot of tricks and useful knowledge along the way, so this could be your chance to put pencil to paper and produce your very own photography online guide. There are so many people out there who are just yearning to learn your photography skills, and the best way to market that guide would be to include it on your brand new web site. Your newly attained marketing skills will also help you to promote the photography guide to a world wide audience, so you can market it for just a couple of bucks. Include a monthly update subscription too, which will allow your income to grow even more.

3) How about giving photography online courses.
Now, have you ever thought about being a teacher? It doesn't sound very glamorous, but apart from just teaching locally you can also get out there on the Internet once again, and offer a step by step digital photography online course. Once again you are able to turn your photography knowledge into something you can share with a very wide audience, and you would be amazed at just how many people are turning to online courses today. You could offer courses from beginners to advanced, and don't forget to include a few lessons about how to make money from digital photography online.

Now as you can see, there is a whole new market out there who not only want to buy your photography work, but also want to learn from you. So just follow my advice, and you will soon have a really thriving photography business.

Weekend Courses - Get The Right Photography Training That You Want

Two-day courses are for those who do not want recognition of a master degree in photography or for those who do not have much time to spend on a regular degree in photography. Most regular courses are designed keeping amateurs and newcomers in mind but for professional photographers, weekend or online courses along with other photography workshops are the best choice. With a weekend photography course, you will learn to combine photography concepts and techniques with a proper understanding of composition.

Basic understanding about the different types of photography is significant when you are looking for a new course because most weekend courses are designed for photographers who are looking for more information on a particular niche. If you are looking for a course that can provide you with the general insight to photography techniques such as editing, lighting, composition, exposure, light and shade, a beginner level course is the best deal.

There are many streams of photography such as:

Commercial- In commercial photography, your basic job is to click pictures that can be used in various marketing tools such as the company's website, brochures and other marketing materials. You are limited to click pictures of the company's employees or products but chances for exploring your creativity are almost limitless. If this type of photography fascinates you, you should look for a course that leaves you with more insights on this niche.

Fashion - In fashion photography, you will be mostly involved with promoting yourself and picture taking is just a part of your job because the competition is quite tough in this industry. For a fashion photographer, good communication skills and marketing skills are must have skills. Good courses usually deal with portfolio creation and management, marketing techniques, business promotion, studio techniques, communicating with model and photography tools. Normal Digital photography tools are not commonly used in fashion photography studios but custom cameras and tools are commonly used.

Medical Photography- Medical photography mostly deals with clicking pictures of human organs as well as various hospital settings.

Forensic Photography- For a crime scene photographer, attention to detail is the most desirable skill. Even the smallest piece of object and mark is important in forensic photography so you should be equipped with necessary tools.

Photojournalism- News photography is the common form of photojournalism but these days, there are individual photographers who work on specific assignments as freelancers.

Wedding- Gone were the days when wedding photography was not taken seriously. Today, this is one of the most desirable streams of photography where a lot of money and fame is involved. If you have noticed, the niche is becoming competitive day by day.

Wildlife- Wildlife photography demands reasonable level of knowledge about animals, insects, plants and ecosystems. You can find plenty of courses offered in this niche.

Underwater- Marine photography is a great profession, especially for those who love scuba diving.

All these photography niches use different types of cameras and other equipments. Go for weekend courses that help you to improve your skills in your favorite photography niche.

Starting a Photography Business Will Be Easier With These 30 Free Tips

When you're a keen photographer and you have the desire to spend your working life doing something you enjoy such as photography, it would be a shame if you didn't pursue it further wouldn't it? You really don't have to join an institution or pay thousands of dollars to get started either. You simply need the passion to learn and persist. Most great photographers who rely on their trade to survive don't even know they have these traits because they love what they do and they simply can't stop.

It's true that there is wealth to be made in photography and I'm not going to down play that or make a pitch to the opposite because in every case, it's been up to the individual. Meaning - it depends on what mode of photography they choose, how much time they put into the business, do they have a commercial bent, are they more artistic than usual etc. All these points come into play when success in a photography business or studio is questioned.

I don't want to create any false hopes by that last paragraph because success will require some hard work, tolerance and patience. These next thirty tips should help you along the way. There is more detail available on this subject matter at the link at the bottom of this page.

Where can I obtain information on building a photography business?

1. Always do some extensive research before starting out a career with your own photography business so that you understand the pros and cons involved. Some ideas include subscribing to a good magazine related to the photographic industry such as Professional Photographer, Camera Arts and Photo District News. Besides that, the internet is the biggest source of information and can provide you with a plethora of career opportunities or even more information on starting a photography business.

At which level do you want to start your photography business?

2. This is the trickiest question that a person interested in starting a business encounters. It is very important to decide what kind of photography business you want so that the relevant requirements and (sometimes) finance can be muscled up.

When is the best time to start a fully-fledged photography business?

3. After deciding on what you need and any extra necessary equipment that is needed to set up the basic infrastructure, you will need to consider carefully your main tool - the camera, be it digital or film. You must also consider carefully a reliable, high-quality PC and good relevant software to manipulate your photographs with special effects. If the business is being undertaken on a massive scale then maybe a developing lab needs to be planned and established.

o What kind of venues will yield real income to your business?

4. A newly established business in photography requires an assured location or a beat (working locally), as in journalism. For instance, wedding photography, sports related photography or developmental photography. Once established, business can also be diversified into many more fields.

o Building a photography portfolio

5. It is always important to compile a good portfolio as far as photography is concerned. A portfolio must contain a collection of pertinent photographic work that you believe to be impressive. Make sure that photographs are unusual in character and are from diverse fields. Your portfolio must be able to impress the client in the very first meeting.

6. Don't keep all the photographs that you have in your possession. Only keep your best work in the folder so that you don't embarrass yourself or find yourself having to explain photographs that aren't relevant.

7. Showcase spontaneous photos that you believe are of good quality. You'd be surprised how many people respond favorably to peoples expressions when they are good shots.

Basic apparatus required

8. A canvas background of at minimum 7-9 foot and the background colors should be either navy or white as minimum requirements to start with; a well-branded studio lights system such as that of Norman & Speedtron; certified picture manipulation software such as Photoshop, Corel Paint Shop, etc.

Is there a need for establishing a makeup studio as part of your photo studio?

9. Makeup and photography often go hand in hand. Wherever makeup is involved it is often referred to as trick photography because makeup is capable of completely transforming an individual's personality, and sometimes relevance to a product in the case of advertising photography.

What kind of photo-editing software available in the market?

10. Photo-editing software through which special effects and complete changes to a photo are possible and can also often save the need for a re shoot.

11. Some of the photo-editing software that are popular includes Photoshop CS; Photoshop Light room, iPhoto, i View Multimedia, MediaPro, ACDSee, Corel and Picasa.

Is storage and treatment of photographs crucial in building photography business?

12. Never adopt laxity while handling or archiving photographs. You will regret it later. Storage and access efficiency will either improve or frustrate your working environment. Often older photos become more valuable with time.

How can be photographs be preserved easily apart from the conventional method?

13. Today's cameras are highly versatile and will allow downloads and transfers from highly surprising devices including your mobile but pictures can also be stored on a CD's, USB's and DVD's too.

o Choosing a Camera

14. Stick to w ell known brand. The level of mega pixel offered and quality of the zooming facility must be looked into carefully. I have my favorites but there are many equally as good as mine.

15. Most of the cameras are compatible with computers and printers and moreover, because we now use memory sticks, we are truly free to operate unencumbered.

o What kind of a website does a person need to have?

16. Your collection of photographs must be properly classified under different categories. Visual appearance of your website will do wonders for your business so take consider setting up one with semi automation where the maintenance and hard work is done for you like photostockplus.

17. Remember to constantly upgrade and maintain your website so that each time people come across your website, they will find fine something new and interesting.

o Copyright of your photographs

18. Copyright is the right protects the person who owns or who took the photographs. A wise exercise if you are looking to use some stock houses for commercial purposes.

o Why is a business card helpful?

19. In every business, visiting cards are helpful. It is extremely useful in for people to contact you after your first meeting. It must contain all your contact details. If you're a photographer, a clever impressive graphic or a picture of yourself with your equipment is best. Your contact number or email must be easy to read. I have seen cards that have large names and pictures and the phone numbers are so small they are difficult to read. Ridiculous! Make your phone number the largest thing on the card - that's what most people will use it for.

o Which things must be kept in mind while you plan to build a wedding photography business?

20. Wedding Photography is almost another art unto itself. There are many things to remember for a truly successful wedding shoot. I have prepared another article to deal with this in more detail and it's all about --Wedding Photography. --

o Advantage of assignment photography

21. Assignment photography is that branch of photography where a person is engaged or consigned to capture shots of something impressive and extraordinary, such as in the case of advertising or portrait photography; this can provide you a stable income after you've learned the ropes.

o Advantage of stock photography

22. Stock photography is that branch of photography where there is an accumulated stock of photographs which can be sold to interested buyers, designers, adverting agencies etc. This can be a slow haul but if your pictures are well thought out, it can be the source of an ongoing income. --My favorite is istockphotos--.

o Other places where you can sell your photographic collection?

23. Art shows are the perfect platform from where your creativity and work will be really appreciated because at such places you will find some niche customers that have a sharp eye for real talent. Such places have been known to bring instant fame.

24. Winter Park Art Show at Orlando, Oklahoma City Festival of the Arts, Old Town Art Show; Chicago, Boston Mills Art Show; Peninsula, Ohio, Similar art shows are held in different parts of the world and they are easy to find on the net. Simply do a Google search for "photography art show" and the name of the country you are in after adding the plus sign like this; "photography art show"+ Sweden

o Prices to be charged from the clients

25. In the initial stages of your business, don't try to charge exorbitant amounts otherwise it will give the wrong impression and you will perhaps lose a valuable long term customer. Tread slowly. Ring other photographers and research. Five phone calls should do it.

Marketing your photography business

26. You must try to market your work at relevant places. Photographs can also be published over the internet. Publication over the internet will increase customer enquiry. Don't forget to search for suitable local markets and get the snaps printed in a local journal or newspaper and always display your contact number prominently - always!

27. Establishing and popularizing a business is a tough call but if you adopt a proper marketing strategy. Today, Advertising is one of the most popular mediums of promoting. Ads can be placed on websites, online telephone directories, newspapers and magazines, etc. Research the right mediums before you rush in. Sometimes good deals get in the way of recognizing the right advertising vehicle.

28. You can develop a website of your own to effectively promote your photography business but one thing that must be kept in mind is never forget to include a testimonial section and gauge the response of the people visiting the website. Let them make comments.

o Career prospects in photo journalism

29. Individuals interested in setting up a photography business can begin their career by becoming a photo journalist. Appealing and unusual photographs can be supplied to newspapers, magazines, websites and the photography business is booming to such an extent that even international media organizations will offer you good money in return for rare and high-quality photographs.

30. Mainstream photographers are engaged in TV, parcels and copy services, newspapers, magazines and sketch photography. There are many more jobs also related to photography than there ever was previously and because of the diversity and flexibility of digital photography, more respect has been attached to this profession. Some of the avenues in photography apart from business are Journalism, Graphic arts, Advertising, DTP jobs, Publications and Motion Picture creation.

Go and make yourself a hot beverage and a have a long think about where you're going to start, that is, if you haven't already started.

Discover Photography: The Art of the Image

Since the time of Stone Age Man, when images of the animals and men hunting were first used to decorate the walls of cave, we have been fascinated by the captured image. Although it was not until the invention of photography that truly made this fascination into an art form that everyone could enjoy regardless of artistic ability. People all over the world take pictures of themselves, relatives and friends, pets and landscapes whether or not there is a particular circumstance or reason for doing so. But how much do we actually know when it comes to photography? Below are some of the different kinds of photography that will help us learn more about the different ways of taking photographs.

Amateur Photography has grown in recent years with the advent of cheep digital cameras and this digital photography that has become easily accessible to the amateur due to the low cost of both equipment and reproduction of the images, that we will have a brief look at in this article.

Black and White or Monochrome Photography

The first are to consider is black and white or monochrome photography. This is not simply presenting an image in black and white. Black and white photography explores the contour and character, tone and texture, the aesthetic art and beauty of the subject. The two components of black and white photography that give depth and feeling to the image are the shadows and highlights, if we learn to use them then we can create great images.

Colour sometimes obscures the texture and form of subjects, it draws our attention the way flowers attract insects and birds, and ripe fruit catches your eye on a tree. Sometimes that's what we want, but black and white can emphasise the texture of the subject.

The variety of ways that different colours convert to different greys means that you can have quite fine control over just what parts of your picture will be light and dark, in addition to lighting levels. The absence of light can be as important as the highlights. Good deep shadows can give a depth and solidity to an image. It allows us to separate out the effects of colour and luminosity, put another way black and white photography allows us to use colour more effectively.

Action Photography

Action Photography may be where the photographer takes pictures of sporting event, or of children playing, anything intact where there is movement. Either set the shutter speed to freeze the action or try a slower shutter speed to blur the movement. This blur effect can create the sense of drama and movement. If the subject is moving across the frame try to track the subject, this is called panning, the effect once perfected is the subject is sharp but the background has the movement blur giving the impression of speed.

Shooting Action Shots of Athletes, people and animals in motion, and other moving objects create wonderful photo opportunities. However, capturing fast action on a digital camera can be challenging.

Certain settings on many digital cameras allow photographers to photograph action in a point-and-shoot mode specifically designed for moving subjects. Other times it is up to the photographer to manipulate the digital camera to achieve the best possible photos.

Digital cameras with less shutter lag capture better action shots. Regardless of your camera's specifications, you can further minimize shutter lag by pre-focusing before you snap the picture. To do this, hold down the shutter button halfway and then once the camera has focused; press it down all the way to take the shot.

Fast shutter speed allows photographers to capture great shots of moving subjects. If your digital camera supports a slower shutter speed, it is still possible for you to shoot some wonderful action shots. It may take some practice, but try panning the camera, keeping the lens on the subject's action.

Shoot in continuous mode if it is available to you. You might feel like the paparazzi when you first get started, but you will love how this quick mode doesn't let you miss a shot! Digital cameras that support continuous shooting work nicely for action shots because they are able to write all the photos to memory at the same time instead of one by one.

Anticipate the action and position yourself accordingly. If you are shooting sports, camp out by the goal line or find a good location where you can get clear shots of the athletes.

Invest in a good lens. Many action shots will benefit most from a digital camera with a 200mm lens, though you can interchange lenses for different effects. Zoom lenses work wonders for sports action shots.

Aerial Photography

Aerial Photography is best if you want to photograph a landscape or cityscape. Sadly we can't all afford to have our own helicopter, but great effects can be achieved from the top of tall buildings, bridges or mountains. So although true aerial photography may be out of reach, we can still have the illusion of aerial photography.

Travel Photography

Travel Photography is not just about your holiday snaps. It is about capturing something of the feel, the emotion, the essence of a place. It is about telling the story of the people and the landscape; it captures the mood and the setting. But you don't need expensive foreign holidays; travel photography can be your record of the next town or city or even neighbourhood. As a is an exciting local city for me to explore, but with the added advantage that it is not far to travel to.

When photographing people in their local context there are a number of techniques that I try to use but keep in mind the principle of treating people with respect.

I've already talked about making shots contextual but one great way to do this is to think about what's in the background behind the people you're photographing. Ideally you want something that's not too distracting but that adds to the context of the place you're shooting in. Another technique for shooting shots of people that ignores the 'contextual' rule is to find a brightly lit position with a dark background. This can really help the face you're shooting to pop out and capture the viewer's attention.

Some of the best shots I've taken of people while traveling have been where I've tightly frames people's faces. This means either getting in close to the person or having and using a good zoom lens.

Go for natural (un-posed shots) - While sometimes the posed shots can work quite well they can also lack a certain authenticity. Photograph your subject doing something from their normal daily life, at work, the marketplace, home, or just crossing the street etc.

Most of the shots I've taken of people over the years while traveling have been of single subjects alone in the shot. This is partly just my style but is something I've become quite aware of in the last few months. Adding a second person into an image takes a photo into a different place. No longer is the shot just about a person and their environment but it somehow becomes relational. The viewer of the photo begins to wonder about the relationship and a new layer is added to your image.

Quite often it's the shots of people dressed in national costume that tend to attract photographers when traveling. While these shots can be very effective I wonder if they are always really representative of a culture. Quite often these people have dressed up especially for a show or tourist attraction and the majority of people in that country look quite different. Mix up the types, gender and ages of the people you take photos of and you can end up with a very effective collage of faces of a country.

It goes against the nature of most travel photography which is usually very fast and spontaneous, but if you can spend time with people, if you have the opportunity to sit with a person for a longer period of time and photograph them in a more extended manner this enables you to tell the story of the individual and can lead to some wonderful sequences of shots using different photographic techniques, lenses and situations, while the person becomes more relaxed around the camera.

Keep your camera to the eye for taking those spontaneous shots between the more posed ones. It's amazing what images that you can find when the person isn't 'ready' for you to shoot. These shots often include people interacting with others or expressing true emotion. I find setting my camera to continuous shooting mode often leads to some wonderful candid shots. If conditions permit don't replace your lens cap until you pack your camera away.

When it comes to choosing lens, I find that a focal length between 24mm and 135mm is a good range to work with. Going for wide angle lenses can also produce interesting shots but you will often find that they do distort your subject's face a little. Choosing a longer focal length can be useful for putting your subjects a little more at ease.

Underwater Photography

Underwater Photography has become more accessible with the advent of cheep underwater cameras. Whether you intend to take photograph in a pool, lake, river, or the sea underwater photography can be one of the most exciting and rewarding things to do.

The difficulties you encounter when in shooting underwater can be summed up in one word, "limitation." Communication and travel below the surface are limited. Natural light and visibility are limited. How you tackle these limitations depends on your skill underwater and your photographic equipment.

However the most important advice you can receive has little to do with photography, and everything to do with your safety. A watery environment can be a dangerous one, even if it is a swimming pool. No photograph is worth your life. Depending on the type of underwater photography you wish to practise, you must first acquire the appropriate specialised knowledge and training, and obtain certification from a qualified instructor. This applies to every aspect of underwater activity, from basic swimming skills to advanced sub aqua diving techniques.

This list is by no means exhaustive; they are just some of the various types of photography you can discover. There are so many other forms of photography from infrared to medical, street, landscape, portrait, macro and Panoramic photography. Photographic work can be divided into dozens of categories, many with lots of sub-categories. But for now, just go and have fun with your camera and discover the joy of photographing you chosen subject!