Photography

While an eye for detail is necessary for a career in photography, many positions also require photographers to hold at least a Bachelor's degree in photography. Colleges and universities also offer graduate degree programs in photography geared toward students looking to advance their skills or teach at the college level.
Education Requirements
While some photographers lead successful careers with only experience and skill, many pursue formal career training through undergraduate degree programs. This is especially true for those in specialities such as industrial photography, photojournalism or scientific photography. Even photographers specializing in freelance and portrait photography often gain technical expertise through college degree programs.
Undergraduate Programs
Undergraduate degree programs in photography and related fields may be available at art schools, colleges and universities. Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography programs generally focus on hands-on instruction in the technical and creative aspects of the visual art. Courses may include photography techniques, studio lighting, colour theory, graphic design, digital photography and artwork critique.
Upper-division courses may include studio classes in which students use advanced techniques including lighting and digital photography. These courses typically allow students to experiment with their photographic skills. Many photography degree programs culminate in a senior project. These projects help students to build their portfolios and transition to a career as a professional photographer.
Graduate Programs
Photographers interested in further developing their skills and advancing their careers may consider earning a master's degree. While some colleges and universities offer Master of Fine Arts in Photography programs, which typically takes 2-3 years to complete. Studio courses and independent study are the backbones of such degree programs. Students utilize their advanced knowledge of photography to complete various projects while pushing the boundaries of their creative abilities.
Students generally develop their own curricula according to areas of interest and complete visual and written thesis projects based on their graduate studies. Thesis projects may be displayed in university exhibitions. Completion of a master's degree program in photography may qualify graduates for teaching positions at community colleges and some 4-year colleges.

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.