Photography degrees present students with the knowledge and skills to become not only successful photographers but also businessmen. Today, more than 50 percent of photographers are self employed according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This means that individuals not only need to be excellent photographers but also know the fundamentals of business so they can successfully run their own businesses. 

Photography Career Specializations

• Nature
• Commercial
• Fashion
• Food
• Real Estate
• People
• Travel
• Events
• Forensic
• Photojournalism

Many photographers choose to specialize in one type of photography such as taking family or wedding portraits, while others focus strictly on nature. And some may be strictly food photographers working for restaurants, bakeries, or other companies while others choose to focus solely on photojournalism. However, other photographers may choose not to specialize in one specific area of photography and instead work in many different types.

Pictures are extremely important because they are used to document events, advertising products. After all a picture is worth a thousand words and photographers have the ability catch human emotion as the event is happening. And those that choose to specialize in photojournalism will most likely need a larger set of skills than other areas of photography.

Photography is constantly evolving and it's becoming even more important for individuals to earn their degree. Photography courses are a way for students to gain skills and knowledge that can drastically help them improve their pictures. Students will also gain career training and technical skills so they are prepared for a career in photography. Typically, the median annual salary photographers earned in 2006 was $26,710 and the number of jobs are expected to grow by 10 percent in the next six years.