I have a deep interest in wildlife photography but i am afraid if I could make up to becoming a good photographer, since my parents are insisting me to join in Engineering. I need a solid explanation to convince them to allow me to pursue photography.Help

When I graduated from high school, I wanted to get into the airline / flying profession. So I enrolled in the program to get me to that goal. I had always loved drawing and at an early age I was very good. As I grew older my drawing skills did not progress, so I turned to the camera to do my "drawing" for me. I went to a flea market, ended up buying a cheap camera, next got a cheap telephoto lens. My pictures were a source of happiness and a feeling of pride and accomplishment. Photography replaced the drive towards the aviation world. I enrolled in a fantastic photography school and my life was changed - DRAMATICALLY because I went with what was inside me, rather than trying or being told to force something into me.
Go with your dreams and desires, make the sacrifices and commitment to make it successful and you will live a full and happy life.
Don't chase the money, chase your true dreams inside you of happiness, you will be wealthier.

Hi Muneeb,

It is commendable that at the 7th grade you have started thinking about your career. However it would be advisable to ALWAYS weigh the pros and cons of any career of your choice.
1. Photography as a hobby or a career is very interesting
2. Wildlife photography has a very selected audience or lesser viewership in comparison to other types of photography
3. Photography as a career is expensive until you become established or gain recognition
4. Wildlife photography requires a lot of time and the need to stay away from civilization, accompanied with the risks of living in the wild
5. Your parents are of a different opinion, not because they don't want to be convinced but because they fear for your safety in terms of a career and your life.

My suggestion would be to collect more substantial information on how long an established wildlife photographer took to establish himself/herself, what were the challenges faced and how were they overcome and how many would actually suggest following in their footsteps.

Wishing you all the best in the future and hoping you can convince yourself/parents as to what is good for you and your career.

I'm an engineer who does wildlife and other photography as a hobby. As others have said, wildlife photography can be expensive -- both in equipment and in travel expenses. My engineering salary pays for camera gear and travel.

Someone recommended to me a very long time ago that I should pursue my passion as an avocation and not as a vocation (http://grammarist.com/usage/avocation-vocation/) and that advice has worked well for me. By keeping photography as my hobby, I am free to enjoy it and pursue it in whatever way I choose without worrying about how to make money. As a profession, I enjoy engineering a lot and it was a good career choice for me.

If you choose to pursue your wildlife photography passion as a hobby, pick a profession that suits you and will make you happy. That may not may not be engineering.

Last point: I am also glad photography is my hobby because it seems more and more difficult for people to make a living as a professional photographer.

Don't get me wrong, photography is a very rewarding career. I just met the prince and princess of Serbia today. How often does that happen. Problem is that Wildlife photography can become really expensive and you need a decent amount of gear and a ton of connections to sell your photos. For example, here is the minimum gear I would get if I were doing strictly wildlife. 2x bodies, Canon 1Dx Mark 2 ($12,000 for both), a 600/4 ($13500), a good monopod & tripod with appropriate heads and gimbals ($1000-1500), cold gear, warm gear and all the associated things you'll need (probably $2k) and don't forget a good laptop ($2000.) It gets expensive QUICK. You can go secondhand on some of these things and get them cheaper, but as I mentioned earlier the biggest problem is selling. Unless you open your own gallery, selling images is becoming increasingly hard due to the mass number of people calling themselves "photographer" these days and selling their images for way to little, which in the end is going to push market prices down. You are only in the 7th grade, make your parents happy and taken some engineering classes in school and at the same time research the wildlife market. See what's out there, look at the stock sites and see how little they pay, even for exclusive content and see if you think you can make a living on that all while having to purchase some not so cheap equipment to get started.

My advice to young people has been very consistent over the years; Pursue an education that will provide you with an income so that you can afford to be a photographer. Making a living in any of the arts is very difficult. So, I suggest finding a career that is satisfying for you first, then pursue your photography dreams. If, the driving passion of your life is wildlife photography, then I would suggest further research on that subject. I do not want to discourage you, but you need to be aware of the challenges you will face.