Life as a professional photographer can be exciting and highly rewarding. Most photographers start out as amateurs and through training and experience become professionals. If you like taking photos and are reasonably good at taking them, photography is a career option you should consider seriously. Photography as a profession has come a long way since it was strictly a hobby for the uber rich. With advances in technology, photography has become quite affordable and even students on a shoestring budget can think of becoming professional photographers. The popularity of media has only made photography a lucrative and a viable career option.

Depending on your skills and interest, you can choose a niche that best suits you. If you are interested to know about photo- studies or career within, the first thing you should do is research. Of the many branches of photography that exist, you can, based on your research, choose one to specialize in. If you don't want to limit the scope of your work to a single area though, you can become a freelance photographer; you will thus have the liberty to take up assignments of your choice and from different fields of photography.

Following are some of the professions you can choose from as a photographer:

Photo journalism / Press Photographer – In this job, you will need to work for the press. Your responsibilities will include accompanying reporters to various events, taking photos relevant to feature articles etc. The minimum qualification required is graduation. Any relevant experience will be to your advantage.

Wildlife Photographer – This is one of the most exciting professions pertaining to photography. You will get to travel a lot and visit beautiful places. Nature and travel magazines employ wildlife photographers. You will require a lot of patience to be successful in this profession, as hours spent on taking a good picture may turn out fruitless and you might have to do it all over again.

Advertising Photographer – They are employed by advertising agencies and are paid handsomely. Although not exciting as wildlife photography, advertising photography is a very creative profession. Not only will you have to take photos but also imagine what kind of photos should accompany the promotion of a certain product.

Fashion Photographer – Glamour is what fashion photography is all about. However, you still need to work hard to be successful. Among the skills you will require are, most importantly, a good knowledge of light and exposure. As photo shoots may take place in various light conditions, you will be required to make necessary exposure, and other, adjustments. And a formal education will surely help. This is a well paying job.

Freelance Photographer – The best thing about this profession is that you are not limited to a particular kind of photography. You can take up assignments from various firms. However, if you are the sort of person who gets discouraged easily, freelancing is not for you. You will require a lot of self-motivation, as the income is not steady and will come in spurts. The amount of work you do will determine your income.

These are only some of the professions that photography has to offer. There are even professions like forensic photography, event photography, commercial photography etc., to choose from. Your skills and interest should determine your choice of profession.