Are you fascinated by animals? Do you have the patience to wait for that split second and successfully capture moments with your camera? Because these are some of the essential characteristics of a successful wildlife photographer.
Photographing wild animals requires patience because you have no control over the animal’s reaction. Wildlife photography is a creative art form that documents various types of wildlife as well as the aesthetic qualities of the rapidly changing environment in which they live.
Do you aspire to be a wildlife photographer or just explore the field? In either case, you’ve come to the right place! This blog discusses the skills required, colleges and courses, salary, and top companies for the ‘wildlife photographer’ career. Follow the step-by-step guide in the blog to become a wildlife photographer.
A wildlife photographer is someone who captures images of various wildlife species in their natural habitat. Their work aims to capture wildlife’s natural beauty as well as their behaviour in their natural environment.
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A specific stream makes little difference in one’s career as a wildlife photographer if one is determined and passionate about the profession.
Choosing the Science stream and studying subjects like Zoology and Biology will help you better understand the animal world.
Selecting the Humanities stream and studying subjects like Geography and Environmental Science will give you a better understanding of the cultural context, geography, history, and customs of natural settings.
The certification courses listed below can help you become a wildlife photographer.
You don’t need any formal education to become a wildlife photographer, though some employers prefer photographers with a photography degree. However, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 64% of photographers were self-employed in 2020, implying that almost anyone with talent, patience, passion and the right equipment can do freelance work.
How to become a wildlife photographer after 10th?
A Class 10 education is required for a professional photography course. All of the courses listed below, with the exception of the ‘Diploma In Wildlife Photography And Cinematography Course,’ are not specific to wildlife photography. These courses, however, are essential because they cover topics such as photography angles and lighting, as well as technical knowledge of tools such as cameras and an understanding of fine arts.
| Course | Duration | Fees |
| ITI Digital Photography | 3 years | Upto ₹1,00,000 |
| Diploma courses in Photography | 1-2 years | ₹65,000 to ₹5,00,000 |
| Certificate courses | 1 -12 months | ₹30,000 to ₹50,000 |
| Diploma In Wildlife Photography And Cinematography Course | 6 months | ₹1,25,000 |
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| Name of Institution | Location |
| Government Industrial Training Institute | Pune |
| Advanced Training Institute | Ludhiana |
| MIT-WPU | Pune |
| Le Mark School of Art | Mumbai |
| AAFT | Delhi |
| Morph Academy | Chandigarh |
| Pixel Institute of Photography | New Delhi |
| Advanced Training Institute | Kolkata |
| Institute for Photography Excellence | Gujarat |
| Visualite Academy | Tamil Nadu |
How to become a wildlife photographer after 12th?
Students who have completed their 12th can pursue the diploma course listed below, which is the most popular course for students who want to become wildlife photographers in India.
Aside from that, students can pursue undergraduate courses like BFA in photography, but keep in mind that it only has a topic about “wildlife and nature photography” in one of the semesters and not a dedicated and full-time regular wildlife photography course like the diploma course.
| Course | Duration | Fees |
| Diploma in Wildlife Photography | 1 year | ₹3,93,500 |
| Name of Institution | Location |
| Creative Hut Institute of Photography | Kerala |
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To Become a wildlife photographer abroad
Aside from the certification courses mentioned in Step 2 above, students can also pursue undergraduate programmes abroad to broaden their knowledge of wildlife photography.
To be considered for admission to an international university, students must pass their 12th board exams and take IELTS, TOEFL, or PTE, as well as the SAT or ACT.
Students should visit the university’s website for information on the required exams and the university’s selection criteria.
| Course | Duration | Fees |
| BA (Hons) – Wildlife Media | 3 years | ₹38,11,018 |
| BA (Hons) – Marine and Natural History Photography | 3-4 years | ₹50,21,915 – ₹66,95,886 |
| Name of the Institution | Location |
| Falmouth University | England |
| University of Cumbria | England |
In India, the average annual salary for an entry-level wildlife photographer is around ₹1,23,400.
[Source]
The following are some entry-level wildlife photographers’ salaries from around the world.
| Country | Annual Salary |
| United States | $24,986 |
| Brazil | R$28.451 |
| Finland | 21 579€ |
| United Kingdom | £19,759 |
| South Africa | R108,290 |
| Australia | $40,172 (AUD) |
| New Zealand | $44,095 (NZD) |
| Malaysia | RM29,098 |
| Japan | ¥2,162,944 |
| Mexico | $90,592 (MXN) |
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There are numerous job opportunities available for those interested in pursuing wildlife photography as a career. Several of them are listed below:
As you have reached this part of the blog it means only one thing- you might be a future wildlife photographer! So, as a bonus, a few websites of popular wildlife photographers are added here. So do check them out and have fun exploring more!
Wildlife photography is a distinct field that necessitates a distinct mindset in order to be successful. Follow the steps outlined in the blog to get your work noticed, and you should have a good chance of starting a career as a wildlife photographer. Best wishes and happy clicking!
Ans: In India, the average annual salary for a Wildlife Photographer is ₹4,32,500. A Wildlife Photographer’s average starting salary is ₹1,23,400. The highest salaries can exceed ₹1,00,000.
Ans: Here are 10 steps to getting started as a wildlife photographer:
1. Get the necessary equipment.
2. Learn to Take High-Quality Photographs
3. Work as a Freelancer
4. To set your prices, conduct market research.
5. Begin by photographing common species.
6. Be Patient and Prepared
7. Prepare to travel
8. Learn about and respect animals and nature
9. Create your portfolio
10. Network with other photographers
Ans: Here are seven ways successful wildlife photographers Marina Cano, Vladimir Medvedev, and Radomir Jakubowski made money by photographing the natural world:
1. Increasing your social media following
2. Publishing photobooks
3. Organizing workshops
4. Creating your own brand
5. Print sales and exhibition
6. Investigating novel formats
7. Making various products for sale
Ans: Wildlife photography has recently emerged as one of the most exciting career options for young people. Before pursuing wildlife photography as a career, you should thoroughly research all aspects of it. It is critical to understand that choosing wildlife photography as a career path will not earn you a lot of money in India, especially at first. To earn, you may need to diversify your sources of income. You could try selling your images on stock photography websites. Later, after gaining significant experience, you may consider conducting workshops and programmes to teach the younger talent, which may also help you financially.
Ans: These are the 10 locations where wildlife photographers look to fund their photographic adventures:
1. Nature Picture Library
2. Animals Animals
3. FineArtAmerica
4. Sea Pics
5. Minden Pictures
6. iStockPhoto
7. Shutterstock
8. National Geographic Images
9. BigStockPhoto
10. Adobe Stock
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