I am doing photography since my early days of childhood. Back then around mid nineties we had no DSLRs, I had a film camera from Yashica. In mid 2006, I got a Canon PowerShot digital camera as a gift. I have taken many snaps using that for almost a decade. Since it was a point and shoot, I didn’t change much of the settings from the default. It always gave me the optimal results. In early 2016 I bought my first DSLR from Canon, the EOS 700D; also known as the Rebel T5i. Since then I have been actively engaged in photography in my part time. Wherever I travelled, I carried my camera and other necessary gears with me. It started with a kit lens 18-55. Then I felt, even the extreme focal length is falling short on to reach the distant subjects. I bought a 55-250 mm lens. Which I still need very often and it’s my most used and favourite gear. Later I took photography even more seriously and wanted to explore the Wildlife. Then I purchased a 150-600 mm lens from Sigma. I also own a prime lens, a Nifty Fifty from Canon (EF 50 mm f1.8). Sometimes I use my phone’s camera for taking photos. Specially the landscapes and panoramic shots are very easy to click.
TL;DR : jump straight into my Photos below, if you don’t want to read the rest 😉
Basic requirements for a Photographer
Photography is both Art and Science, one needs to understand the technicalities pretty well to get the best outcome from the tool at hand. Like any other product we use in our life, we know for a fact that higher the price, the better the quality and performance would be. There is no exception to this in Photography as well. Its a really expensive affair and very hard to earn for a living solely out of this. Day by day the competition is also growing. So to really make a mark in this field one needs to learn the basics really well. Its just another art form. When an artist draws a picture he is aware of the composition, the placement of the subject and the associated objects in the frame. There are several mathematical or geometrical rules (Like Rule or thirds or Golden Ratio etc.) that are being followed and its been identified to be very pleasing to our eyes. So before taking pictures one should be aware of various such artistic techniques which would be aesthetically appealing to the viewers. No matter which camera or lens we use these factors would be common, so learning to choose the best composition, finding the best angle, waiting for the right moment till the golden light appears and setting up the right options for the scene in the camera is very important. Constant practice, self evaluation, studying the photos of the eminent photographers, getting feedback from various experts in the field is the key to success.
Making money from Photography
Making money from photography is still difficult even for an expert or someone who has just acquired the right skills; specially in India. Unlike in western countries, most middle income folks are not entrepreneur minded. Most can’t take the risks to leave their 9-5 jobs and fully dedicate themselves into photography business. Many work as an employee at an organization as a full-time photographer like the Photo journalists in a News media house or an Event Photographer in a Studio or people in the Ad agencies, for them its also a regular job. Even worse as, there might not be a fixed shift timings and weekends off. Because the incidents can happen on any day at any time, and people get married on Sundays as well. Moreover in most cases the pay is meagre as compared to a 9-5 job in an MNC, even at the cost of dealing with higher risks at times. So why should one come to photography then? So far whatever I pointed out is very depressing isn’t it? True it is depressing and there is no doubt about it. But there are ways one can turn it into upside down by devising the right strategy for himself.
Strategies to adopt for turning into a business: full time or part time
First ask these questions to yourself, “Why am I getting into Photography?” – what is my life’s goal? Don’t I have any other skill to make a living? Would I be able to sacrifice every comfort of my life from a more stable job or a business and wholeheartedly dedicate myself into this field and whatever the outcome turns out to be; will never leave this as a profession. If these answers are YES, then pursue it from a very early age. Join a course, buddy with a professional as an intern and learn the business from ground up, even if there is no pay in the beginning. For others who are not that crazy (or maybe a better word extremely passionate 🙂 ) but still love to be engaged in this creative field of artform for a hobby, a diversion from the monotonous 9-5 day job – Excel , PowerPoint or whatever is the case for an individual, this will give immense joy and a sense of achievement. One can make some money as well, maybe not as frequently as the full-timers, but by working as a freelance, selling in Stock photography sites, affiliating with local magazines and publishing houses or becoming an influencer and brand ambassador for a camera brand in the social media and podcast platforms. None of these are easy but doable with diligence. There is nothing to lose and you are not wasting your time, you are productively using your free time or vacations than most others. I will end this article by sharing a quote from an eminent American documentary photographer and photojournalist Dorothea Lange. This statement of hers sums up really well and clarifies all the doubts about the reasons to get engaged into photography whether to choose it as a profession or as a hobby.
“The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.”
— Dorothea Lange
In this gallery I am presenting few of my favourite works under different categories. I am no expert and still learning, so forgive me if you are looking through the lens of an expert’s eye. Please leave a comment if you like and share you better ideas.
