Photos can communicate emotions and information fast and directly. The demand for sports photography is very high nowadays, especially in India. Sports photography involves photographs and videos for live telecasts. These are also of great value for future reference, and so are kept as records. With the rising demands, the sports photography field has become the new prospective career option for budding photographers. Let us have a look at the career prospects of sports photography in India.
Sports Photography As An Emerging Career In India
How To Begin A Sports Photography Career In India?
If you want to begin your career as a freelance sports photographer, try shooting the local sports events, even if you are appointed as a volunteer. By showing the samples, you can grab assignments from the local news channels and newspapers. They also cover sports competitions held between various clubs, high schools, and colleges. So, it is guaranteed that you will never be out of work. In this digital era, you cannot progress without a well-established online presence. Nowadays, the recruiters go through the pictures showcased on social media platforms to assess the skills and versatility of the candidate. So, make sure you have an impressive portfolio and a regular presence on social media platforms. Prospective clients may contact you through these platforms too.
There are many aspects of sports photography that a photographer can try their hands into, like:-
Commercial Sports photographers
A commercial sports photographer is generally hired by sports equipment and accessory companies like Adidas, Reebok, Nike, and Puma to take photos that aid in their promotion. Commercial sports photographers are highly skilled and qualified in the field. They click pictures of sports equipment or related products that are published in brochures and other mediums of advertising.
Feature Sports Photographers
Featured photography deals with giving information with the help of photographs. So, if a budding photographer is genuinely interested in sports, and has adequate knowledge in the field, he/she can be a featured sports photographer.
Stock Photographers
Sports photographs have high demand in the field of stock photography. They can sell the photos on different stock photography platforms like Unsplash, Shutterstock, iStock, etc. Different magazines also hire photographers on a contractual basis to cover particular sports events or create stories about the various aspects of the sports field.
Best Colleges For Sports Photography In India
As mentioned earlier, sports photography requires specialized training to bag the desirable work. So, an aspiring sports photographer should learn the subject in college. Some of the well-known colleges in India to do a course in Sports Photography are:-
Institute of Mass Communication
International Institute of Mass Media
Sri Aurobindo Institute of Mass Communication
University of Delhi
YMCA Centre of Mass Media
Film and Television Institute of India
Asian Academy of Film and Television
One thing that every aspiring sports photographer should keep in mind is though there is a rising demand in this field, the journey will not be a bed of roses. The beginners are paid really less. But as they gain skills and expertise, the payment will increase significantly.
Written By Sanga Basu, Content Writer, WPC.