In today’s age, any memorable occasion like a wedding, birthday party or your parent’s 25th anniversary calls for good photographs. We always look at a photograph and are reminded of the good or bad times we had. They are a visual representation of our memories. They can also be stored on paper. At the time of any event or social gathering, professional photographers take the best quality pictures. In addition to that, their skills enable them to take perfect candid shots of people in action. Whether it be cutting a cake, or dancing with a funny face. Candid shots make photographs a lot more memorable.
What is Professional Photography?
A person who undertakes professional photography is known as a photographer. He is one who takes photographs for a session and charges a fee or salary by selling or allowing the use of their photographs. Professional photographers might be employees for a newspaper or magazine. He/she also works under a contract for an event like a wedding. There are other professional photographers such as crime scene photographers, journalists, real estate photographers, etc. There are professionals that produce moving photographs. They are known as cinematographers or videographers.
The best way to categorize photographers is based on their area of photography. Some specialise in sports photography, fashion photography, war photography, wedding photography, aviation photography, street photography, commercial photography, etc.
Types of Professional Photography
If you already love photography and want to pursue it as your career, then it is now time to think about which specific field of professional photography you want to specialise in. Here are some types of photography genres you can pursue:
Wedding Photography
Everyone hires a photographer at a wedding, right? The job of a wedding photographer is not easy. It requires you to be quick on your feet and move around the venue. This is quite an intense job and you only get one chance for a good shot in situations.
Portrait Photography
This involves taking portrait photographs of other people or models. This is a great starting step to build your career.
Product Photography
Products that you purchase online or plan on buying, have a photograph for you to look at. The photographs have to be used for catalogues, labels and packaging. You need to have good control over the background, lighting and shadows.
Fashion Photography
This is one of the harder jobs to land. The job is also to focus on the model. You will have to direct the model to pose. There is a team of people that focus on taking shots of one model.
Travel Photography
Who doesn’t like travelling and getting paid at the same time? This job will allow you to have fun with your camera in dynamic settings. It will include taking pictures to show the culture of a place and its landscapes as well.
The need for Professional Photography
In short, quality. Professional photography provides high-quality that amateur photography does not. Firstly, it’s quality. Whenever you are shopping online, your first impression of the product will be its image. With the help of professionals, you can drastically transform the quality of your images. Second of all, professional photography is very versatile. It is used across many different platforms and industries. If you have a business, professional photographs can be used across all your channels to communicate with your consumers. There are endless possibilities. Furthermore, professional photographers can help you in building your brand identity. It will portray what is unique about your business. Visual information is about 65 times more memorable than written information. The lighting you use, the background, the angle will help your products stand out from the crowd.
Equipment Used in Professional Photography
If you are an aspiring photographer and want to build a career, you will first need to invest in some essential gear. These will help you get started.
- Camera Tripod: A tripod is a necessity if you want to take photographs without any camera shakes. They can be very useful when shooting landscape, street, street or any event photography. Tripods usually are not expensive so don’t worry about it impacting your pocket too much!
- Prime Lens: A prime lens is a lens that does not zoom. Using a prime lens will help you develop your skills and teach you about proper composition techniques. It will force you to think through your shots more.
- External Flash: A flash is an important aspect of all photography. Usually, the built-in flash units of the camera are up to no good. Invest in a good external flash unit and you will notice the results. They are also called flashguns or speedlights.
- SD Cards: When it comes to photography, it is recommended to have a lot of small SD cards rather than one big SD card. It is not rare for SD cards to get corrupted. So, it is always better to have more than one ready to go.
- Batteries and Charger: Flash units, or speedlights, consume a lot of battery. This is why you should invest in rechargeable batteries. Along with that, also purchase a battery charger.
- Cleaning Kit: Being a photographer, you will find yourself in all kinds of environments and get your camera dirty as a result. Letting dust sit into your camera can cause permanent damage. To avoid this, purchase a cleaning kit. They come with cleaning solutions, air blower, microfiber cloths, etc.
- Camera bag: There is no use in buying all this equipment if you cannot carry it around! Buy a compact camera bag so you can carry around all of your photography essentials wherever you go.
- Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop: As a photographer, to ensure that you get the desired outcome every time, it is important to edit and tweak your photographs. By purchasing Adobe Lightroom & Photoshop, you will be able to control every aspect of your photograph.
Advantages of Professional Photography
As I have already conveyed above, the biggest and most important advantage of professional photography is the high quality that it brings to the table. Visuals have a big impact on the decisions we make and the impression we have of something. Whether it be a purchase we want to make online, or how a person looks in a photo. When it comes to a business, professional photography helps you put your best foot forward and showcase your products in a high-quality fashion. These photographs will catch the eye of the customer and they will be more inclined to buy your products. Being a professional photographer, you will have countless advantages. You will have the opportunity to be creative in all photos you shoot. Travel opportunities will come your way once you move your way up.
In conclusion, professional photography has a lot more pros than casual photography. Professional photographs are of much higher quality and bring a unique outlook to your photographs. If you have a business, professional photography is the way to go in order to get more customer activity and interaction. Even if you are going on a holiday with your family, a good DSLR will help you capture high-quality memorable photographs that you will cherish forever.
