Photography for Professionals

Robyn Tellefsen
When French inventor Nicephore Niepce produced the first successful permanent photograph in 1826, he couldn't have known that photography would become such a popular pastime and profession.
These days, with the proliferation of digital cameras, photo editing software, and photo sharing sites, just about anyone can call himself a photographer. But if you aspire to be more than a blogger, you'll need to undergo specialized photography training.
Photography training
At Brooks Institute of Photography, you can prepare for your photography career through the bachelor's degree program in visual journalism. Throughout the course of the program, you'll work in depth on several photojournalism picture stories, emphasizing stories of social relevance that can make a difference in the world. For your documentary projects, you'll travel far and wide to find stories to tell visually. These photography courses will inspire you to discover how you see the world, what stories you need to tell, and what pictures are truly worth a thousand words.
In an interactive, all-digital, real-world photojournalism course, you'll gain the experience of transmitting photo assignments on deadline via FTP, just as you would for any newspaper or magazine today. In a digital video for photojournalists course, you'll build on photographic skills, learn simple storytelling and editing, and gain insight into other issues faced by videojournalists, whether working on a local paper's Web site or shooting for the broadcast world.
Photography certification
Once you've received solid photography training, you may wish to earn the Certified Professional Photographer credential offered by Professional Photographers of America through the Photographic Certification Commission. In order to earn this designation, you'll need to pass a comprehensive written exam measuring your technical expertise, and successfully submit your work to a panel of judges for review and approval.
You must renew this credential every five years to maintain your level of expertise and to continue to develop new skills and techniques. This can be accomplished by participating in continuing education programs and periodically submitting your work for critical evaluation.
Photography careers
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, photographers held about 129,000 jobs in 2004. More than half were self-employed, a much higher proportion than for most occupations. And, employment of photographers is expected to increase 9 to 17 percent through 2014.
Median annual earnings of salaried photographers were $26,080 in May 2004, with the highest 10 percent earning more than $54,180.
With specialized photography training, you can be more than a blogger -- you can become a professional photographer. To find college and career schools near you, surf http://www.CollegeSurfing.com.