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How to Become a Celebrity Photographer

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A celebrity photographer is a professional who earns their living by taking pictures of public figures. Examples of public figures include performers in the field of entertainment, well-known business professionals, athletes, public servants, politicians, and other newsworthy individuals. This specialized form of photography requires a high level of spontaneity and aggressiveness, due to the intense competition and basic nature of the job.

1. Introduction to Celebrity Photography

If you love playing with light and backdrop, are great at snapping close-ups and enjoy working with people, celebrity photography may be the perfect career for you. Whether you want to work events or enjoy the more sedate, posed world of portrait photography, you can definitely succeed given hard work and a sharp eye. And of course, there’s always the paparazzi route. If you take great candids on the fly and are comfortable putting yourself in sometimes uncomfortable situations, you'll do fabulously in this line of work, and it will be reflected in your income.

Be warned from the outset, however, celebrity photography is a tough field to break into. Everyone seems to have an interest in cameras and a belief that they might “have a knack for it.” But, there just isn’t room for everyone in the arena. If you want to be a celebrity photographer, you will need much more than a knack for it. Celebrities and their managers are tough critics, and they demand the best for themselves and their clients. And, because so many people are clamoring for jobs like this, you’ll need a grueling work ethic and a lot of talent to gain a foothold in the field.

From there, it’s a matter of building a name for yourself through continued work. To get started, you’ll likely need the patronage of successful photographers who have enough work they can afford to recommend your name to potential clients. By working under someone or getting referrals from them, you can build your portfolio and create new industry connections. This will help your business grow over the long haul, as well as fill out your portfolio with real celebrity shots. Eventually, this portfolio will be all you need to get steady work.

2. Hone Your Skills

Constant Practice Will Help You Build Your Skills

Because photography is an art form, your success will rely more heavily on what you can produce than on any college degree you can wave around. That means that while you certainly can get a bachelor's or master's degree in photography, it's also entirely possible to be successful because of self-taught skill. A few great options include online courses, photography books, informal apprenticeships, or simple experimentation.

Even so, no matter how you learn, you need a basic set of abilities. That includes a good eye for what flatters the subject of the photo (celebrities are, first and foremost, supposed to look beautiful), an ability to get good shots with movement (for instance, during events or at a shoot where the subject is moving or walking), and a flair for capturing a subject’s personality with the camera. There is no better way to develop these skills than through constant practice.

More specific technical skills include lighting, framing, shutter speed, aperture, focal length, processing, and touching up. You should be familiar with an array of lenses and with Photoshop and other photography software, which you'll use to touch up and edit pictures yourself until you're successful enough to hire an editor. Since you'll likely work freelance, you'll also need some familiarity with sales, marketing, taxes (freelancers pay estimated quarterly taxes), and accounting.

You'll also need a strong portfolio proving your skills, which requires time to build. At first, you can practice taking photos of other people in photography classes or of friends, and eventually work your way up to models or minor celebrities through working on photo shoots with established photographers.

To succeed in this competitive field, you have to get yourself out there. That means sticking your neck out and finding some celebrities to photograph. You can ask PR reps to attend events, contact publicists and see if you can be an extra on a shoot or at a wedding, or ask photographers to accompany them to their gigs. Don't waste these opportunities. When you're not behind the camera, you should be introducing yourself and shaking hands. Your goal is twofold: to produce great shots you can add to your portfolio, and to make connections with as many industry insiders as possible. These will be the people recommending you or sending you work later, so they're worth their weight in gold at any stage of your career.

3. Build a Strong Portfolio

A Strong Portfolio & Industry Connections Are Vital

Your success as a celebrity photographer will stem from three main factors: a great portfolio, an ability to take excellent pictures, and a figurative Rolodex of industry professionals who can send you work or tout your good name. You must keep these factors up to snuff always in order to ensure a long and successful career.

To do so, keep improving your portfolio. Whenever you land a successful gig or take a great shot, swap it out for a sample of lesser caliber. Remember, more isn't better. Your portfolio doesn’t have to be extensive; It just has to be great. Continue to prove your worth as a photographer too: Show up early to shoots, always pick up extra jobs, and prove valuable to celebrities by being there when no one else can. Then, produce great work so they and their handlers will learn to rely on you. Lastly, continue to make those industry connections, and don’t confine yourself to photography professionals. Reach out to bloggers, magazine editors, event coordinators, PR specialists and television personalities; anyone who might have an in with a celebrity is worth your time.

To become and stay truly successful, you'll need to do more than simply get and land gigs, though. You must make sure your photos reach the masses and that they impress. If celebrities see your beautiful work gracing the covers of magazines or used in television documentaries, they're likely to want the same treatment for themselves. Their voices are the most powerful, so while building industry connections is great – especially while you're growing – eventually you want to build relationships with celebrities themselves. These connections are worth a hundred lesser contacts, so make them your ultimate goal and you will succeed.

If you can accomplish these three main goals, you'll eventually have all the work you can dream of, covering celebrity events, working for magazines or taking portraits of A-list names.

Additional Resources for Celebrity Photographers

Association of Photographers
The Royal Photographic Society
The Photographers Guild
American Photographers Association
Photographic Society of America

Additional How-to-Become Guides for Careers in Photography

If you are considering a career in photography, you have a vast array of specialties and professional options to choose from. Check out these related how-to-become guides for step-by-step instructions about how to get started in a career or grow your skills.

How to Become a Photographer
How to Become a Photojournalist
How to Become a Wedding Photographer
How to Become a Wildlife Photographer

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How to Become a Photographer

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Professional photographers earn a living by taking pictures of the world around them. As simple as this makes the profession sound, it misrepresents the significant difference in expertise between an amateur or hobbyist and a professional who has spent years honing their craft through training, study and practice. Professional photographers are masters of advanced concepts and techniques, such as focus, color, composition, lighting, exposure, and depth-of-field, as well as the technical mechanics of operating a camera and photo production.

1. Getting Started in Photography

Photographers use their technology (cameras), creativity, and technical expertise to preserve images in history, tell a story, or record an event. And, although many of the skills necessary to be a successful photographer are inherent, and postsecondary education is not always required to find a job, many professional photographers will attend a photography school, or a private art school to learn advanced techniques and hone their craft.

Classes in college typically cover processes, technique, equipment, and design and composition. A keen eye for detail, artistic and creative ability, good communication and people skills, and the ability to meet deadlines are all skills a photographer should have, no matter where they work. Even freelance photographers with no or little formal training must have skills and knowledge beyond the ability to take a great photo. Plus, they will need to sharpen their people skills in order to gain new clients, either by word of mouth or through showing their work online or in-person.

The field of professional photography is competitive, and clients dictate when and where you work; outdoors in all kinds of weather, indoors with poor lighting, or late at night at a New Year’s party.  Many photographers travel to photo shoots, and are required to move and carry heavy equipment. Photographers are also often called on last minute when clients’ plans change or news develops. For example, news or aerial photographers may work weekends or overtime to capture the news or an event as it happens.

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2. Learn Essential Photography Skills

Combine Traditional Art Concepts with Photography Methods

Some people think that it requires very little skill to take a good photograph, especially since more and more smartphones and tablets have options like a 2x optical zoom, or a 12-megapixel dual-pixel sensor, or a wide f/1.7 aperture for bright and vivid photos, especially in low-light conditions. But when a bride wants her wedding immortalized for all time, or a news station demands detailed photos of a crime scene, or a college needs a new brochure featuring photos of the campus, they don’t often reach for their smartphones. They call a trained photographer.

That's why a career as a professional photographer is so much more than just a hobby. And, why career-minded photographers must have a firm grasp of the concept(s) behind each photo, the methodology that goes into framing a good photo, the right equipment to use, and the techniques needed to pull it all together. Trained photographers know their cameras and their craft inside out. Can you imagine being at a wedding and the bride is walking down the aisle, but the "person taking the photos" is fumbling through a manual because he or she isn't sure which f-stop to use? Sometimes a professional photographer will only have a couple of seconds to adjust the setting on the camera so that a once-in-a-lifetime shot isn't missed.

Although quite obvious, professionals must know the basic parts of a camera; zoom and wide-angle camera lens, memory cards, shutter speeds, f-stops, focal planes, depth of field settings, etc., which all may seem a bit dull, but are very necessary to create great photos. Setting a camera on "automatic" will never give the same professional results. Photographers must have extensive knowledge of lighting techniques, and how ever-changing lighting conditions play a part in framing a good photo. They must understand color and have a thorough knowledge of color theory, along with an understanding of over and underexposure techniques. A photographer will understand the various software needed to alter, enhance or edit a photo, such as Adobe Photoshop CC, Affinity Photo, Pixlr, Lightroom, Photo Plus, and Acorn, just to name a few.

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3. Build a Top-Notch Portfolio

A Strong Portfolio Will Help You Find Jobs & Sell More Work

A portfolio is a photographer’s best friend, and often the most important component in a photographer's career. It is the first impression most employers see, and is usually how a photographer's work is judged and evaluated. Creating a top-notch portfolio can make all the difference in getting an internship, landing a job, selling your work, building your reputation, or being shown the door. Your portfolio should contain only your very best work, preferably work you've completed recently. It should also contain a wide range of photos; landscapes, portraits, black and white and color photos, and should also show a wide range of techniques.

A strong personal brand is also very important, as it identifies you as marketable to potential employers or as you pursue a freelance career. Your brand highlights your talent and accomplishments and sets your work apart from others in the field.  Connections in the industry are also important to a photographer’s success, as word of mouth is second-to-none to landing a job.  Networking can begin in school, through internships, clubs, or by joining associations and attending photography shows.  Some photographers may find it difficult to network, and others may completely dismiss it as a waste of time.  But, as time-consuming and uncomfortable as it can be networking is vitally important to a photographer’s career (second only to a professional portfolio).

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Additional Resources for Photographers

Association of Photographers
American Photography Association
Photographic Society of America
American Society of Media Photographers
Oregon Professional Photographers Association
American Photographic Artists
The Photographers Guild
Professional Photographers Guild of Houston
Blind Photographers Guild
The Royal Photographic Society
Ophthalmic Photographers’ Society
Australian Photographic Society

Additional How-to-Become Guides for Careers in Photography

If you are considering a career in photography, you have a vast array of specialties and professional options to choose from. Check out these related how-to-become guides for step-by-step instructions about how to get started in a career or grow your skills.

How to Become a Celebrity Photographer
How to Become a Photojournalist
How to Become a Wedding Photographer
How to Become a Wildlife Photographer

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How to Become a Photojournalist

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Photojournalists tell stories through pictures. It’s an interesting career where there’s never a dull moment. But, to be successful in this fast-paced world, photojournalists must be knowledgeable about the tools of the trade, be willing to work long hours in unusual conditions and meet tight deadlines, while working independently.

1. Learn the Basics of Photojourmalism

The role of a photojournalist is to tell a story with pictures. Journalist write, photojournalists snap photos. Both fields are important when reporting the news, but as a picture is worth a thousand words, photojournalists have a leg up on most other kinds of media.  The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a nine-percent decline in photojournalism jobs (Reporters, Correspondents, Broadcast Analysts) between 2014 and 2024. This may be due in part because of the decline in print media; newspapers and magazines.  However, as television, websites, blogs, and other online publications grow, so will the need for skilled photojournalists.

Because viewers depend on photos to capture a moment in time, individuals entering this field must have an expert working knowledge of photography equipment, digital software, lighting, editing and color-correcting tools, and more.  They must be able to set up a photo or photos, edit the photos without changing the content or significance of the occasion, and upload it to the internet for publication using a variety of software.  Beyond technical skills, photojournalists must also have exceptional people skills.  Even if a photojournalist works alone, which many do, they must still interact with people while at photo shoots and must conduct themselves professionally.

Photojournalists find themselves in a variety of working conditions, including in the field with a news team, taking pictures of events, or working at photo shoots with companies who employ them.  They might work in severe weather and under severe conditions, and sometimes are witnesses to gruesome disasters.  Photojournalists work long, often odd hours, weekends and holidays…when news happens. They also often work in high-pressure environments and must strive to meet tight deadlines, and be on call to communicate with others on a breaking news story.  In addition, all journalists must understand all legal and ethical issues when using photos, and how to write a contract and diplomatically receive approval prior to publishing a photo.

2. Learn the Fundamentals of Photography & Journalism

Most photojournalists earn a bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, or photography. Some students will major in photography and minor or choose a concentration in journalism, or vice versa. Some employers may hire an applicant who has a degree in a relevant field, such as political science or English. However, employers do look for photography experience no matter the degree field. Photojournalism coursework focuses on shooting photos, learning relevant software programs, digital photography, journalism law and ethics, and training in multimedia. It is also fundamental that photojournalists work across all platforms; social media, online, print, and broadcast.

Because photojournalists often upload photos to the Internet and content is delivered on websites, television, mobile devices, etc., acquiring experience with programming, graphic design software, and coding can’t hurt and may even help your application reach the top of the pile. And, as to how and where people view news and information changes almost daily, photojournalists must also have the ability to develop stories with graphics, data, audio, and video.

Photojournalists can also advance their career by gaining work experience through internships or by working for school newspapers, volunteering for non-profits, or simply by honing their craft through studying new camera techniques, lighting, playing with a different lens, etc.

Although photojournalists tell stories through pictures, there are a number of job duties beyond taking pictures, including processing and printing negatives or film, preparing audio to accompany video segments, traveling to shoot locations, editing photographs, pitching ideas to the editorial staff, writing copy, headlines, and captions to accompany photos and capturing images in an ethical manner.

3. Build a Professional Network

Photojournalists are skilled artists in their own right. Depending on location, photojournalism jobs may be scarce, and competition can be great.  Establishing a network of professionals in similar career fields, such as college professors, reporters, and editors, can help someone just starting out in the field.  Building a professional portfolio, filled with pictures of all types, such as people, places and events will give a prospective employer an idea of your talents and capabilities. It’s also important to constantly update your portfolio to show growth and improvement in your photographic skill.

Although the average annual salary for a photojournalist is $42,000, those with little experience can expect to earn much less until they have established themselves and gained a reputation. Individuals with years of experience can earn upwards of $60,000 per year. Photojournalists who choose to freelance may find their salary tends to fluctuate depending on hiring company and workload.

Additional Resources for Photojournalist

National Press Photographers Association
American Society of Media Photographers
New York Press Photographers Association
The BPPA
International Association of Press Photographers
Indiana News Photographers Association
Press Photographers Association of Greater Los Angeles
White House News Photographers Association

Additional How-to-Become Guides for Careers in Photography

If you are considering a career in photography, you have a vast array of specialties and professional options to choose from. Check out these related how-to-become guides for step-by-step instructions about how to get started in a career or grow your skills.

How to Become a Celebrity Photographer
How to Become a Photographer
How to Become a Wedding Photographer
How to Become a Wildlife Photographer

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How to Become a Wedding Photographer

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Wedding photographers are professionals who specialize in memorializing some of the most important moments of their clients’ lives—their wedding day. Succeeding in this field requires a photographer to have extensive knowledge of both indoor and outdoor photography, as well as an ability to improvise under a variety of changing conditions. Wedding photographers must be able to effectively work with the bridal party, event planners, relatives and venue managers.

1. Learn the Basics of Wedding Photography

Weddings are magical. A professional wedding photographer is part of laughter and the joy; from the bride walking down the aisle and the wedding party’s celebration, to a mother’s tears and dancing at the reception. But while documenting nuptials can be a fulfilling career choice – and can lead to more than one free glass of champagne – it’s crucial to take a serious approach to learning your craft. The happy couple is unlikely to forgive you for botched or subpar photos. So, to be successful in this field, you’ll need to make sure your skills are top notch.

As with most types of photography, you will need a varied array of skills to be successful. This includes a working familiarity with your camera and lens or lenses. You should be able to switch seamlessly between camera modes, understand white balance, create a shallow depth of field (giving you the “blurred background” effect), determining the right DSLR exposure, the rule of thirds, ensuring horizons are horizontal, everyone and everything is in focus, and more.

Traditional university classes, continuing education courses at a community college, photography books and online tutorials are all viable approaches to learning photography. However, there is no substitution to an education when you only have one shot, and it must be right.  Photography schools typically cover equipment, technique, processes, and design and composition. An artistic eye and creative ability are also essential as you will be responsible for framing a good photo. Strong communication and people skills, and the capacity to meet deadlines are also skills a wedding photographer should have, as you will talk with clients prior to the event, during the event and after everyone has gone home.  Even freelance photographers with no or little formal training must have skills and knowledge beyond the ability to take a great photo.

2. Master Multiple Photography Styles

Becoming a good wedding photographer requires mastering a variety of different photography styles. For instance, unlike still photography in which people and objects are ready and poised, many of a wedding photographer’s subjects will be in motion. On the other hand, unlike a genre such as sports photography – where most of the objects are in motion – you still need to have a command of portrait and group photography. To move fluidly between staged shots of family members and wedding parties, to candid snaps of dancing and bouquet tosses requires skilled familiarity with the camera.

Wedding pictures also require many different focal lengths and camera angles, ensuring both people and objects shine through your pictures. This is crucial when you’re documenting someone’s special day. For instance, during the cake cutting, a wedding photographer will highlight both the happy couple and the delectable dessert. Similarly, for wedding party shots, a photographer will focus on both the bridesmaids and groomsmen, along with the decorated gazebo in the background.  A professional will know the relationship between aperture and shutter speed, and how aperture affects depth of field; when to use a flash, or how light affects a bride’s face.

You’ll also need great organizational skills. To take fabulous wedding shots, you need to understand the timing of the program, organize the wedding party and family members into a series of shots that limits the amount of switch-ups you do and keeps things moving. The organizational challenge involved in wedding photography – along with an inability to take beautiful photos – is what usually trips up new photographers just entering the field.

3. Building Your Business

Learning to Market Yourself & Attract New Business Is Essential

Now that you've got an understanding of the basics and are skilled with a camera, lens, and tripods, light meters, etc., and the organizational challenges of large events, it's time to build a stellar portfolio that shows off your professionalism as well as your work. One of the best ways to do this is to work alongside a well-known professional, who may give you access to other solo opportunities. This isn’t to say that your friends’ weddings aren't great for gaining experience, or that you can’t start there. However, weddings involving well-known people or particularly, beautiful surroundings, can showcase your skills well, and are a perfect next move if you’re having trouble building a roster of clients.

Plus, if you impress industry professionals who have as much work as they can handle, they may begin to pass some of those clients on to you. This is a fantastic way to begin a business. It’s especially helpful if you also photograph in similar situations, such as anniversaries, bridal or baby showers, corporate events, or other galas involving lots of people, because these clients may begin to call you for their other celebrations as well.

Marketing yourself as a wedding photographer is crucial, so a website and a portfolio are must- haves. You also need business cards to pass out at weddings and other events to direct people to your site so that they can see your work and qualifications. You will also need sales skills, contracts detailing the bridal parties’ expectations and payment arrangements, good records for tax and accounting purposes, and a reliable means of transportation for yourself, your gear and any assistants you might hire.

If you aspire to become a wedding photographer, the great news is this; many people have entered this field before you, and as long as you have an artistic and creative eye, proficiency with a camera and camera gear, and a strong willingness to learn and grow, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be successful in this career as well.  The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) forecasts slower than average growth for photographers through 2024. However, this isn’t necessarily true for wedding photographers, as there will always be weddings and photos to capture the moments.  A wedding photographer also won’t get rich quick when just starting out. It takes years of experience, on-going education, and a growing reputation to succeed, as many jobs come via referrals.

Additional Resources for Wedding Photographers

Association of Photographers
The Royal Photographic Society
American Photographic Artists
The Photographers Guild
American Photographers Association
Wedding Photographer Society
Wedding Photojournalist Association
SWPP

Additional How-to-Become Guides for Careers in Photography

If you are considering a career in photography, you have a vast array of specialties and professional options to choose from. Check out these related how-to-become guides for step-by-step instructions about how to get started in a career or grow your skills.

How to Become a Celebrity Photographer
How to Become a Photographer
How to Become a Photojournalist
How to Become a Wildlife Photographer

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How to Become a Wildlife Photographer

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Wildlife photographers are professionals who are highly-skilled at and knowledgeable in taking photographs and navigating the natural terrain where animals live their lives in the wild. These specialized professionals must have a working knowledge of the animals they may encounter, as well as the habitat where they will work.

1. Getting Started in Wildlife Photography

Learn the Basics of Photography

Sweeping nature shots, gorgeous panoramas of giraffes grazing on tall trees, jaguars stalking its prey in the rain forest, and wild goats clinging to Himalayan cliff sides are all made possible through the talents and expertise of wildlife photographers. Great photos that appear in magazines, online and on TV aren’t just snapped by random passers-by on their cellphones but are rather the results of years of training in wildlife photography.

A successful wildlife photographer will have a natural flair for composition and a fluid command of the camera. But, turning those skills into beautiful shots that individuals are willing to pay for, requires a whole new level of mastery. You must understand the concepts involved, learn to build and maintain an ever-more-impressive portfolio, attain industry connections, and make time for continuing education.

Depending on an individual’s current level of expertise, he or she may choose to begin a wildlife photography career with formal photography training; either in a university setting or through a community college or arts institute. Online courses and apprenticeships are also possibilities. While in school, students have access to other types of classes, like zoology or animal behavior, which may help a prospective photographer better understand animal behavior. Obtaining this added knowledge may also make it easier to catch animals in their natural environments.

Moreover, aspiring photographers must develop the skills involved in shooting objects in motion. Blur photography is very different from taking pictures of people – who will willingly pose – and objects, which are stationary. While you can certainly take pictures of animals resting or sleeping, it’s more common to see them in action: pouncing on prey, running across fields or swimming amongst coral reefs. Capturing these moments with clarity requires a high degree of skill. As your abilities develop, you should start to incorporate blur photography, which is accomplished by slowing down the shutter speed.  This is an indispensable skill if you plan to photograph animals in the wild.

2. Develop Fundamental Photography Skills

Get Comfortable Working Outdoors

Wildlife photography, like other types of photography, is an art. Like any art, it relies heavily on technique and practice. Sure, some level of innate talent is involved, but research into success and mastery has repeatedly proven that knowledge and consistent application are much more important than natural qualities.

Courses are readily available at two-year and four-year colleges, universities and private art schools. Training is also available through certificate programs. And, as with any chosen field, programs in photography vary. Certificate programs offer a basic background in photography. Associate degree programs combine general education courses with electives in nature or wildlife photography.  At this level, a few courses available may include, color and black and white photography, two- and three-dimensional imaging, and digital editing.

If you decide to go on and earn a bachelor’s degree in photography, you may be able to attend a photography school that offers a concentration in wildlife photography. A bachelor's program builds on what was learned previously and may include coursework in lighting and landscape options, media law and ethics, and portfolio marketing and management. A master's degree usually takes an additional two years to complete, but often offer the flexibility to choose wildlife photography as a specialty. The coursework is extensive, but with a little hard work, a thesis project, and independent study options, graduates are well on their way to securing a career in this amazing field. Regardless, prior to choosing a school, decide on career goals, and look for a program that matches your needs.

The basic set of skills you’ll learn include developing an ability to control for different lighting conditions, adjusting shutter speeds and aperture to adapt to different animals and situations, and a basic knowledge of Photoshop and other software programs like Affinity Photo, Pixlr, and Acorn that allow you to adjust and edit your photos to bring them to life.

However, it isn't only technical skills you'll want to develop to be successful in this career. Wildlife photographers are often in the wild, which means you must have a basic set of skills to enable you to thrive during long, harsh, chilly, and hot expeditions. "Survival skills" might include the ability to communicate with native inhabitants, pack your gear and personal belongings securely and effectively, and to be patient while waiting for conditions to improve and animals to appear.

From there, you will build your portfolio, which requires an understanding of client’s needs. In some cases, you may build different portfolios for different clients – for example, individual collectors or magazines versus wildlife preservation organizations. At this point, it is wise to acquire some business smarts so that you can market your work effectively and for a fair price.  Researching the market, and keeping tabs on trends is imperative.

3. Build a Portfolio & Market Yourself

Learn the Business Side of Photography

Becoming successful in the wildlife photography field depends on a few factors: your ability to take great shots, a stellar portfolio with dozens of spectacular shots, and a list of people who can help you achieve success.

There are a few people who can help. Magazines and websites specializing in photography may pay you for beautiful shots, as will wildlife and conservation organizations. In some cases, you may be kept on a retainer or even become a member of the staff. The best way to build these connections is to send emails with proof of your work or links to your website, and query the appropriate individuals.

Private clients may also be interested in your work. These are, of course, more difficult to find, as most collectors handpick the work they sponsor rather than advertising their needs. As such, you must make those people come to you. That means a fabulous website and a fabulous portfolio, and featuring your photos on social profiles, like Shutterstock, iStock, and BigStock that buy photos and showcase them on their sites for purchase. Be warned, however, it is very hard to make a living this way.

You can also reach out to bloggers, freelance journalists, or documentarians who might have need of still shots. And, while video requires a different set of skills, having knowledge in this area may also help land a job or gain a new client.

Additional Resources for Wildlife Photographers

IFWP
Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers
NANPA
World Photography Organisation
SINWP
JCM Photographic Society
Association of Photographers
The Royal Photographic Society
The Photographers Guild

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Additional How-to-Become Guides for Careers in Photography

If you are considering a career in photography, you have a vast array of specialties and professional options to choose from. Check out these related how-to-become guides for step-by-step instructions about how to get started in a career or grow your skills.

How to Become a Celebrity Photographer
How to Become a Photographer
How to Become a Photojournalist
How to Become a Wedding Photographer