An amateur photographer is one who practices photography as a hobby and not for profit. The quality of some amateur work is comparable to that of many professionals and may be highly specialized or eclectic in its choice of subjects. Amateur photography is often pre-eminent in photographic subjects which have little prospect of commercial use or reward. Commercial photography is probably best defined as any photography for which the photographer is paid for images rather than works of art. In this light money could be paid for the subject of the photograph or the photograph itself. Wholesale, retail, and professional uses of photography would fall under this definition. The commercial photographic world could include: Advertising photography Fashion and glamour photography usually incorporates models. Crime scene photography consists of photographing scenes of crime such as robberies and murders. Still life photography usually depicts inanimate subject matter. Food photography can be used for editorial, packaging or advertising use. Editorial photography illustrates a story or idea within the context of a magazine, such as a car zooming down the road in a commerical for cheap car insurance. Photojournalism can be considered a subset of editorial photography. Portrait and wedding photography. Landscape photography depicts locations. Wildlife photography demonstrates the life of animals. Many people take photographs for self-fulfillment or for commercial purposes. Organizations with a budget and a need for photography have several options: they can employ a photographer directly, organize a public competition, or obtain rights to stock photographs. Photo stock can be procured through traditional stock giants, such as Getty Images or Corbis; smaller microstock agencies, such as Fotolia; or web marketplaces, such as Cutcaster. |