Photography Degrees

Capturing that one perfect still shot can be a lifelong endeavor. Your photography career can be as daunting, but it need not be as elusive, especially if you choose to obtain a photography degree.

You may have the "good eye" required to be a good photographer, but it may take a while before your photography career becomes profitable. The profession is attractive to many people, which means that competition is keen for job openings in photography.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of photographers is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2012.

Many employers seek photographers with a lot of experience and a developed portfolio, or entry-level photographers whose technical knowledge is guaranteed by a photography degree. With the advance of digital technology, the craft of photography is increasingly knowledge-based.

Many trade and technical schools, institutes, community and junior colleges, and universities offer photography degrees. Some photography programs offer associate's degrees and others offer bachelor's degrees. Bachelor's photography degrees will give you overall training covering all the aspects of photography, including the business side.

Even as a freelance photographer, you need to know how to market your work, submit bids, write contracts, and secure copyrights and bill your clients.

All photography degree programs cover the basics of photography, including equipment, techniques and processes. Most also include basics in journalism. As newspapers and magazines increase their electronic presence, mastering digital photography is the name of the game.

Upon completion of your training in the different techniques of photography, you'll be well on your way to a photography career. You'll qualify for many different jobs in commercial and industrial photography, as well as in photojournalism. Many photographers also do very well taking portraits. Demand for portrait photographers is expected to increase as the population grows, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Sources:
www.bls.gov

Nick Roberts is a journalist with over 15-years experience in education and career development.