Arts ( Fine / Visual / Performing )

Educational: There are no specific academic requirements for full time courses in photography, however, candidates who have cleared the 10+2 exam are eligible for the diploma/certificate courses in photography. There are many students who learn photography along with their college degree, doing a part-time course. Besides the Certificate and Diploma courses in the field, Photography is also offered as an optional subject for a bachelor's degree in Fine arts. Some institutes offer full fledged B.A courses in photography of three year duration.
Besides the academic requirements, having a background in computers or electronics, related work experience and training is beneficial for making a break in the field.

Modern day photographer can work in many avatars, the notable among them include:
Press Photographers/photojournalists: Photojournalists supply pictures to the national and global press. This career role demands an ability to photograph all kinds of newsworthy people, places, sports, political, and community events for newspapers, journals, magazines, or television. A photojournalist must possess a journalistic sense to shoot a good news picture.
Feature Photographers: Feature photography essentially involves describing a story through pictures and hence requires a thorough knowledge of the subject. Many photographers specialize in the photography of wildlife, sports travel, environment, etc.
Commercial (industrial) Photographers: Such a photographer takes pictures of merchandise, exteriors and interiors of factories, and machinery both indoors and outdoors to be used for company brochures, annual reports, and in advertising and selling.
Portrait and Wedding Photographers: They take pictures of individuals or small groups, handling subjects like pets, children, families, weddings, functions and activities of sports and social clubs.
Advertising Photographers: They are connected with the photographic departments of advertising agencies, photographic studios. A sizeable section of them happens to be freelancers. Advertising photography is possibly the best-paid and most competitive branch of all, success in this sphere depends entirely on ability, efficiency and the right personality.
Fashion Photographers: This arena has developed in India only recently. The bulk of fashion photography is carried out in either Mumbai or Delhi and involves by highly sophisticated and well-equipped studios by freelancers who are commissioned by fashion houses of advertising agencies.
Scientific Photographer: They typically possess additional knowledge in areas such as engineering, medicine, biology, or chemistry which assist them in photographing a range of subject-related objects or scientific phenomena. This career role offers a variety of work in terms of assignments. One can either work with news reporters or work as a freelancer on independent assignments about the environment, wildlife and other allied fields.
Freelance Photographer: Freelancing has been the most popular career choice among photographers. Photographers who want to be self-employed need to have business management skills. They can do freelancing in any of the above fields.