Beyond Weddings And Portraits: 3 Unique Photography Jobs
Photographers can work in a lot of fields, but often they get pigeonholed into one of a few. In particular, there’s an overabundance of wedding and portrait photographers, but far fewer in fields like food photography, scientific and forensic photography, or in the real estate industry. The fact is, photography is a highly diverse field, and those who hone their craft in specialty industries can build exciting and lucrative careers.
Food Photography
Do you like to play with your food? Then a career in food photography might be for you. In this field, you might work for restaurants, photographing their food for press opportunities, directly with newspapers or food media groups, or for various manufacturers.
One of the most fun things about being a food photographer is that you’ll either learn the art of food styling or get to work alongside experienced food stylists – and you may be surprised what you find. That bowl of cereal and milk? It looks so good because the cereal is floating in white glue. To make food look its best, even under the hot lights, is a constant experiment.
Real Estate Photography
Anyone who wants to become a licensed real estate agent has to learn the industry – from the initial licensing course to what words to use in a listing and how to build an appealing website to attract clients. Another thing real estate agents quickly learn is that you can’t do it all yourself, and as a photographer, you’ll be their right-hand man.
Real estate photographers do the important work of presenting properties in the best possible light. They may stage the space, bring in additional lighting, and create attractive angles to attract buyers. Increasingly, you may also be a videographer, filming the space and even conducting drone tours of the neighborhood. Overall, real estate photography is a fun and evolving field.
Military Photography
Many people assume that the only photographs that exist of the military are those taken by photojournalists covering the events, but that’s not at all true. In reality, there are official military photographers who work directly for the armed forces in public affairs. If you pursue a job as a military photographer, you’ll learn about writing and editing news stories, but you’ll also spend time in combat zones with your camera, recording the events there.
Military photographers play a critical role in overall public relations and in maintaining a visual record of military activities. Your photos could appear in official military outlets, as well as in the news media. There is one caveat, though; as a military photographer, you are still a soldier. In some situations, you may still have to behave as such. You will, however, also have access to advanced technical training while you serve your country.
Whether you’re already a working photographer or still honing your skills, it’s worth keeping your options open and considering how you can use your passion for photography alongside other interests. It’s one of the most exciting things about the industry – whether you want to chase storms for the weather channel or get up close and personal with haute couture on the runway, photography careers can take you there.
