What are careers in photography?

Wedding photographers, commercial photographers, and travel photographers are careers in photography.

• Wedding Photographer

Wedding photography is often considered the ideal choice for making a living as a photographer. For most, it covers three of the main points people look for in their career: It's meaningful, pays well, and there is a high demand for it.

Plus, you get to shoot photos people will treasure forever! The most common way to become a professional photographer in this field is through networking. This includes both working with established photographers in the field and building professional relationships with businesses such as caterers, venues, and stores.

One of the benefits of being a wedding photographer is you get to be creative. Clients tend to choose their wedding photographers based on their style of photography. These days, the typical sit-down portraits don't cut it. Brides and grooms are wanting a photo shoot that looks like it came from a bride magazine.

To that end, you should work on developing your style and make sure that your pictures stand out in a crowd. Experiment with different techniques and angles to get truly unique and one-of-a-kind shots. Don't be afraid to play with your creativity in your post-production editing, too.

Of course, there are some downsides to this career. Otherwise, every photographer would be a wedding photographer. You'll need to develop excellent people skills and be ready to deal with demanding clients and stressful situations. Everyone wants the perfect wedding and you are responsible for documenting it. Now that is pressure!

You'll also need to prepare yourself for the wedding photographer's off-season, meaning the times when the weather is just not right for people to get married. You may still have the occasional bad-weather wedding, but it is still a good idea to prepare yourself for these slower seasons.

• Commercial Photographer

Another photography career option is a commercial photographer. A commercial photographer shoots images that are used to market products and services. This can be anything from architectural photography to food. These photos often appear in media such as advertisements, catalogs, and websites.

Different photography careers come with different skill demands, and to become a commercial photographer you'll need to put a strong focus on your technical knowledge. There will hardly ever be a story behind your shots, other than how amazing your client's business is.

But that doesn't mean you won't be capturing images people can fall in love with. Any sponsored image from your favorite photography Instagram accounts will fall under the commercial photography category. Social media has had a major impact on this field with more and more companies reaching out for commercial collaborations.

A commercial photographer will typically be given brand guidelines and an approved shot list. From that point, you are free to shoot within those guidelines. The customer will have the final say on the creative decisions and will retain ownership of the work. You will typically be in a work-to-hire role.

The 6 main types of commercial photography are:

• Fashion photography: this includes shooting spreads for fashion magazines and photographing clothes on runways and in showrooms for lookbooks.

• Portrait photography: this portrays human subjects doing a specific action like sitting at a desk or making a meal.

• Product photography: this uses photography to promote the specific features or benefits of a product. It typically involves high-definition pictures and close-up angles

• Food photography: this is one of the most common types of commercial photography and can be seen in blogs or food menus

• Architectural photography: this is about taking pictures of buildings and other structures in a way that tells a story. These photos are typically used in brochures, web marketing, and print materials

• Interior photography: this focuses on highlighting exceptional interior designs to sell services like real estate

For many, being a travel photographer is like a dream come true. Not only do you get to do what you love by taking pictures, but you get to do it while exploring new locations and cultures. This type of photography, however, takes a lot of hard work and discipline to get to where you can make a living doing it.

You will have to get up early to capture those early sunrise shots, you will have to carry heavy camera equipment for hours on end (possibly while hiking to a difficult destination), and you will spend hours upon hours editing your work. The results will be worth it, but prepare yourself for the effort needed to get there.

Most travel photographers work on a freelance basis which means they will have a variety of clients ranging from print media to stock libraries. Stock libraries are a great way to generate regular income as a photographer.