Photographer : Training

In a profession where there is so much self-employment and freelance work, it is not surprising that training is largely on the job and self-directed. Medical photography/illustration has a clear training route (see medical illustrator) and there are recognised training patterns for press photography (see press photographer). It is possible to use this training to make a move into other photographic careers, for example from medical into scientific or industrial photography, or from press photography into documentary work.

Academic courses often contain a substantial practical element and this is a useful starting point. Numerous part-time courses are run by local colleges, including GCSE, AS level and A-level courses, City and Guilds, GNVQs and non-assessed courses. Creative Skillset: The Sector Skills Council for the Creative Industries  has a searchable database of courses of all types.

A useful set of national occupational standards for skills within the industry has been developed by Skillset. The Photo Imaging section of the Skillset website also provides details of industry events, training courses and networking opportunities, as well as information on the Train to Gain scheme, which details sources of funding for Photo Imaging NVQs, business skills modules and management development training.

The British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP)  has its own training courses, providing a variety of one-day courses and masterclasses run by experts in their field, which cover a wide range of photography disciplines as well as business skills. The BIPP also offers a tiered professional training route, leading to Licentiateship, Associateship and Fellowship qualifications. If you are interested in gaining a European photographic qualification, the BIPP acts as the link to the Federation of European Photographers (FEP) .

In addition to running photography training courses, the Association of Photographers (AOP)  also hosts discussions and workshops featuring guest photographers.

It is a good idea for anyone thinking of setting up their own photography business to undertake business training courses, especially courses that cover marketing and promotion, copyright and contracts, and basic bookkeeping and financial management.