Posted on: June 9, 2017 at 8:31 am

Photography has over the last few years become more of a career option than it ever was before. For example, until about 10-15 years ago, becoming a photographer usually meant you had to assist for a couple of years, possibly learn the tricks of the trade from your guru, and then try and make it on your own. There was no real academy to nurture your skills as a photographer, as you had with other streams of education.Today, institutes like KAPA, mentored by ace photographer Karthik Srinivasan have revolutionized how you can become a photographer with a strong basic foundation followed by ‘masterclasses’ to hone your specialized skills. Students who pass out of KAPA have a much better chance of making a good income as compared to those photographers who haven’t received a proper structured training.

When you are done with school, there is immense pressure to go the academic way with engineering and medicine as top career choices as far as parents are concerned. However, it is also true that not everyone is gifted to be that. While many are forced into these fields, it is only a few who truly reach their maximum capabilities in whatever genre of education they decide to follow. Those artistically inclined would do far better to choose a career along artistic lines. Makes sense?So, now that we have a structured approach and option to learn photography, what remains is to patiently learn the basics right, and work towards a market ready portfolio towards the end of the course. At KAPA, students are trained in commercial photography by seasoned faculty led by ace photographer Karthik Srinivasan. Hands-on studio sessions with the finest of equipment, industry standard models, make up artists and lighting set-ups get you ready for the world of commercial photography as you are done with your course.

Some of our students go on to study photography further, at prestigious institutions across Europe and America. Dharan Balu, who is now getting industry experience in Italy, writes –

My name is Palani Kumar Balasubramanium, also known as Dharan Balu to close friends and family. In addition to pursuing my Masters in Fashion Styling, Film and Photography in Istituto Marangoni, Milan, I’m also working for Mr. Matteo Pichinini, a famous Italian Fashion and Ad Film Director. KAPA has been the building block for my career in Photography. The immense knowledge and perspective obtained from KAPA, under the guidance of Karthik Srinivasan Sir has strengthened my photography skills, which are being recognized by talented professionals. KAPA has made me what I am today, a dedicated professional with excellent people skills and a self-motivated team player. I solely attribute my success to KAPA and its highly educated, down to earth professors.

Once you have a good strong foundation in basic photography, the further options are many. Although most students at KAPA aim to become fashion photographers, there are many other avenues of the profession that you could take –

1. Advertising Photography – Advertising photography is a highly rewarding career option, both in terms of creativity and monetary returns. Ad photographers usually work closely with art directors of ad companies, bringing their ideas into a visual reality.

2. Wildlife Photography – If you are inclined towards wildlife, it could be a rewarding career to become a wildlife photographer, although we should mention that this could be tricky to get into as it requires a dedicated approach to wildlife itself, apart from photography skills. Once you have a good portfolio, you could approach wildlife magazines and stock photo agencies to begin a career. It is of course a highly specialized field with an equally rewarding career.

3. Industrial Photography – Industrial photography is a highly lucrative field, where photographers shoot the core industrial practices of a company. It could be automobile factories, steel plants, corporate offices and such. Basically documenting the work that goes behind the scenes in an industry. These images are usually used in company catalogs, web sites and advertising material.

4. Wedding & Events Photography – Shooting wedding and events is probably the most widely practiced form of photography. We truly believe there is something for everyone here. Just as wedding budgets vary from end to end with the nature and status of the families involved, wedding photography can be candid images, posed studio like portraiture, photojournalistic stories of the couple…the ideas limited only to your creativity, time and budget. This is definitely one of the most lucrative career option for a photographer.

5. Product Photography – In today’s online market place, you can buy almost any product on online stores. All of these need to be photographed of course, and this has opened up a huge requirement of product imaging. While some companies hire staff photographers on salary basis, others outsource complete projects to freelancers.