Robert
If my strengths are creativity and hobbies are photography,what types of careers or industries might best fit me
#photography
8 answers
Aishwarya Bhosekar
Aishwarya’s Answer
Catalina Aguirre Burneo
Catalina’s Answer
Photography & audiovisuals, graphic designer, marketing, communications. These fields require a lot of creativity and your photography experience can be a plus!
Anthony Marabella
Anthony’s Answer
If you are creative and your hobby is photography, I would think an career in Photography would come first, you might want to look at the film industry as a potential camera person, or possibly a director. Anytime you can make your hobby a career it no longer becomes work, it's something you are passionate about and love. In Florida you have many marketing organizations that shoot reels for their clients and need someone that has a creative mind to get the right shot or even be able to understand proper lighting etc. Getting familiar with tools such as Photoshop are great because it will allow for you to fine tune your photos and remove blemishes.
Richard Ambrose
Richard’s Answer
Hey Robert,
There is a lot of room to use creativity in industry. As we transition to an increasingly digital age, the need to use graphics and images to portray complex ideas is also. As a technical trainer, I get a chance to utilize some of that creativity, and dive into technical concepts, which satisfies both by right brain and left brain. If photography and design truly interest you, be sure to seek out some courses to learn new techniques that will set you apart from the rest. Digital cameras and easy to use graphics software is becoming more and more prevalent.
Richard recommends the following next steps:
Vincent LaBua
Vincent’s Answer
A lot of industries require these skills to some degree. You will typically have to pair these skills with other skills like editing photos on the computer as well as working with customers and delivering on any deadlines you may have. If you do this, there are marketing teams that require an eye for photography and require creativity to try and sell or push their product or service. Pictures are usually associated with this. Depending on the type of photography you like and enjoy, as a profession, you will most likely be taking pictures of everything and anything you can to make money. This is work that comes with work. As someone with photography skills, you can find a role with a photography team, or in a big box store who has a photography department. Again, not the ideal start but it is a start, depending on your experience.. There are also options taking pictures of "things" and selling them to people interested in the respective area of interest.
Also, depending on your computer skills, you can also consider video editing, model rigging and other animation related roles.
Marc Beaulieu
Marc’s Answer
I have this same pairing of skills. I'm a musician who was getting more serious about my photography, especially when I got a DSLR camera. At first, I started photographing the shows that I was performing at and sharing the photos with the other bands we played with that night. Then someone who had a big music blog saw me shooting and invited me to shoot for his blog, which gave me free access to big shows and get to shoot in the very front for the first two songs. Amazing experience. Then, I needed to make money, so I apprenticed with a wedding photographer and learned the skills needed for that specific industry and I built my own business from there. The part that becomes difficult is running your own business, so get some basic skills in that before you embark on your own journey.
Obviously, there are other more indirect pathways to use these skills that several people before me have mentioned. These kinds of creative skills transfer to many jobs. Most recently, I found myself in a job that had me building lots of Powerpoint presentations and my visual/graphic/photography came in handy here as well.
Gloria Ortiz
Gloria’s Answer
The world is more visual than ever, so I feel like there are a lot of industries that would benefit from a talented photographer. You have print and digital marketing. There is also a great need for quality images in my field of corporate training and development. In my work, I depend heavily on images found on stock photography sites. Your challenge is not what industry so much as what subjects interest you in photography and then finding a place to sell your photos. What do you like to take pictures of? How can that translate to a business? I know several photographers who start or actively do a lot of portrait photography, basically taking photos of people that create a connection to human beings. People like to have pictures of themselves and their loved ones. I know other photographers who expand on their skills by taking pictures of places, from travel photography to real estate photography. There are even wedding photographers with additional focus on engagement photos, senior pictures, baby photography, etc. I found on this area in all jobs because there is one truth that I have found - if you do not like what you do or how you do it, it can be tough to love what you do. I have found what I love in my day job, so no matter who I work for, when the going gets tough, I still love what I do and that gets me through. So if you do not like taking pictures of people, it is going to be tough to be good at it.
Gloria
Clay Downing
Clay’s Answer
One of the most significant areas right now is believe it or not becoming a drone pilot. So many industries are using drones to help do their jobs. Construction of highways, film industry, real-estate, building inspections, and yes being a photographer. You can get your lic to operate a drone and offer a perspective many others are not. But keep in mind many of the photographers are getting into drone operations. It gives you a different prospective than through a hand held camera. There are so many incredible advantages with photography using a drone. The drones out today are very easy to fly and most can be taught and comfortable in 30 minutes. I would highly rec going on to youtube and look at drone footage and you will see the creative opportunities that are out there utilizing drones. You can get gently used drones on eBay. DJI mavic pro is a good choice to get started.