Military Spouse Careers in Photography
There are many benefits to being a military spouse, but the ability to stick with a traditional career generally isn’t one of them. Moves to new locations, a shortage of applicable jobs on base, and having to put your education on hold can make things difficult when it comes to staying with an employer for an extended period. Thankfully, today’s military wives have different options available when it comes to choosing a portable career—and one viable path is freelance photography.
What is a Portable Career? And What is Photography?
A portable career is one that moves with you no matter where you go. Examples include selling craft projects online, working as a marketing writer, and—of course—photography. Photography is exactly as you’ve known it your entire life. It involves a trained professional using a specialized camera to take snapshots of a specific subject. While it is a little more difficult than just whipping out your cell phone and taking a quick selfie, it can be an incredibly rewarding career with patience and effort. The list of careers in photography is quite lengthy.
What Careers Are Available for Photographers?
If you think that photographers just take wedding, maternity, and newborn photos, you’re partially right. There are many freelancers out there who have a blast taking important family snapshots that will be cherished for years to come. Some even opt to work for larger studios in the city they live or open their own location. But there are other different careers in photojournalism available. You can easily become a stock photographer who takes shots of inanimate objects, people, or scenes with the intent of selling them to others for use in print projects. Many of these photos are used in other people’s websites, presentations, newsletters, and much more. The best part about this type of a photography career is that the photos can be sold multiple times for a continuous stream of income as your portfolio increases.
What Are the Perks of Working in the Photography Field?
Photography is one of those things that once you know what you’re doing, you have it forever. If you happen to move to an area that needs staff photographers at the local newspaper or even at the local portrait studio, there’s a good chance you can land a position because you already have the skills necessary. For those who decide to take the self-employed route, moving a photography business from one location to another isn’t hard. In the days of social media and personal web design, finding new clients in a different area code is now made easier.
How to Get Started
The first step in starting a photography career is purchasing a quality camera. There are tons of great models on the market, so make sure you do your research to determine whether the one you are looking at has favorable reviews from those already in the industry. Next, consider taking a photography course. There are many great online programs for you to choose from, including the professional photography certificate program from Meditec. This six-month course teaches you everything you need to know to get started. You can also apply for financial grants like the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts Program (MyCAA) to support your photography training. If a photography career sounds interesting to you, visit Meditec.com today and contact us to get started.
