4 answers
Jasmine
Student
Fredericksburg, Virginia
2
Questions
Asked
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How do you know which field of study you want to continue in Photography for?
I've been having trouble in finding which field of study fits me for photography, because I'm really good at landscape photography and portrait photography, but it's a little hard for me to choose just ONE field to commit to.
Any tips to minimize my wide variety? Has anyone just randomly picked one and stuck with it? Is it possible to just do all of them rather than just choosing one?
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4 answers
Andy Smith
Photographer / DP
4
Answers
Oakland, California
Updated
Andy’s Answer
Hi Jasmine, I agree with Liam's answer above. It's definitely good to explore as many different areas of photography as you can, to find out which you enjoy the most.
You mentioned landscape and portrait specifically. From a point of view of earning a living in the photo industry, portrait photography would definitely open up more opportunities than landscape photography will. So if your goal is to become a professional photographer, I would say lean more in to portrait than landscape. You can still shoot both of course.
Good luck with it,
Andy
You mentioned landscape and portrait specifically. From a point of view of earning a living in the photo industry, portrait photography would definitely open up more opportunities than landscape photography will. So if your goal is to become a professional photographer, I would say lean more in to portrait than landscape. You can still shoot both of course.
Good luck with it,
Andy
Thanks so much Andy! I'll definitely look into that more, it's been really confusing for me lately!
Jasmine
Louise Barnsley
Photojournalist
1
Answer
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Louise’s Answer
Hi Jasmine!
Have you considered looking into working as a news or agency photographer? If you would like to keep your photography varied, this is a certainly a career in which to explore that. One day you could be shooting a portrait, and the next you could be covering protests or an event with a red carpet. It truly does test you and your skills on a daily basis and also, as you progress through your career, it can teach you more about what you would like to specialize in going forward. You might find yourself becoming known for the portraits you do, and therefore being sent on more of those kinds of jobs.
If it is just a choice between landscape and portrait, I would agree with previous posters that there will be more opportunities for work in portraiture. But always, always, continue taking pictures for the sheer joy of it. So even if you move into portraits professionally, keep shooting the things you love.
Have you considered looking into working as a news or agency photographer? If you would like to keep your photography varied, this is a certainly a career in which to explore that. One day you could be shooting a portrait, and the next you could be covering protests or an event with a red carpet. It truly does test you and your skills on a daily basis and also, as you progress through your career, it can teach you more about what you would like to specialize in going forward. You might find yourself becoming known for the portraits you do, and therefore being sent on more of those kinds of jobs.
If it is just a choice between landscape and portrait, I would agree with previous posters that there will be more opportunities for work in portraiture. But always, always, continue taking pictures for the sheer joy of it. So even if you move into portraits professionally, keep shooting the things you love.
Yes, I have been thinking about becoming and agency photographer, especially with the recent events happening, it's definitely inspired me to go out and film protests and take pictures of other events happening around my community.
Jasmine
Jeff Kyler
Retired Commercial Photographer
4
Answers
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Updated
Jeff’s Answer
One of the fun things about photography is that you don't have to limit yourself to one particular field or style. That being said, I will say that if you are looking to do this as a profession, there are far more opportunities in doing portraits than in being a landscape photographer. I agree with Liam's answer to challenge yourself. In doing so you will probably find what you really like to do photograph and a bonus is in the act of pushing yourself creatively. We tend to get stuck and not "see" but act. I know when I was starting out, back in the film days, I would put one lens on, not use a light meter and walk around the city. I would do this on different days when the light was different. It taught me so much about seeing light and how my equipment worked. Then I challenged myself to not shoot anything from a standing eye level, to see things from different levels. This really came back as a great tool when shooting senior portraits.
The answer to your question comes down to what you find that you like to photograph. My wife and I have lived by the motto of "do what you love and the money will follow." So challenge yourself to find out what it is you love to do. The only way to do that is to go out and take pictures of a bunch of different things like Liam suggested.
The answer to your question comes down to what you find that you like to photograph. My wife and I have lived by the motto of "do what you love and the money will follow." So challenge yourself to find out what it is you love to do. The only way to do that is to go out and take pictures of a bunch of different things like Liam suggested.
Mohan Krishna
Analyst
15
Answers
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Updated
Mohan’s Answer
You figure out which photography field to pursue by exploring different styles, noticing what you enjoy most and consistently return to, and paying attention to where your skills and interest naturally grow over time.