Moreover, with book and magazine publishers usually preferring upcoming photographers as they are less expensive and more enthusiastic, career openings are not too difficult to manage for fresh talent.

On the downside, fashion photography is a very competitive field. The concept is still newly growing in India, and there are already many players in the market. Thus, professional training and specialisation in the subject have become crucial for getting the right break.

Different universities have been offering courses in photography for quite some time. In recent years, with the upsurge of interest in photography, not as a hobby, but as a serious career option, the demand for training institutes has also risen. As a result, there are many private institutions conducting photography coursesin major cities. Some institutes have even introduced specific fashion photography courses in their curriculum.

One such institute of repute is the J D Institute of Fashion Technology in the Capital's Hauz Khas Village. JDIFT conducts a three-month intensive course in fashion photography that enables amateurs to turn their passion into a money spinner.

According to course director Meera Menon, ``The programme is a thorough study of photography with an introduction to fashion and understanding the human form in recording glamour, style, feelings and emotions.''

Menon explains that the course is taught by celebrated fashion photographers. She adds, ``We give extensive practical training at studios and outdoor locations, which makes the course industry oriented and the student confident of handling assignments.''

Similar training facilities are also available at Verve Visuals, Bangalore, the JJ Institute of Applied Arts in Mumbai and Paul's Institute of Photography, New Delhi. The Camera Art Instituteand the Triveni Kala Sangam in New Delhi offer two courses (basic and advanced) of five months' duration each. The basic course covers aspects such as the different kinds of camera, their use and maintenance, different kinds of black and white films and their characteristic uses, knowledge about the dark room, film developing methods, etc. The course also introduces the students to the concept of outdoor and indoor photography. The advanced course teaches the details of black and white as well as colour photography methods.

Most courses in Fine Arts and Applied Arts impart specialised training in photography. The visual communication design courses at the reputed National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, offer photography as a subject.

One can also train at universities conducting photography courses. Universities offering a one-year diploma course include the University of Allahabad, the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Hyderabad, the University of Gorakhpur, the Ravishankar Universityin Raipur, and the Kashi Vidyapith in Varanasi. One can also take a three-year degree course in photography. Universities that provide such facilities are the Utkal University in Orissa, the Jiwaja University in Madhya Pradesh and the University of Poona.

Fashion photography is not just a profession, it is also an art form. Like painting and music, it needs practice and keen dedication, besides perseverance.

``One must have a flair for fashion, an eye for colour and interest in style and visuals,'' says Niket Mishra, a fashion designer.

Much about photography can be learnt from books. The techniques involved can be understood by assisting people who are already involved in the field. However, those who take professional training get technical instructions from their teachers. Therefore, most institutes deal with the technical aspect of photography in detail.

Fashion photography is basically done for advertising clothes and textiles. Textile houses, garment export houses, fashion magazines andadvertising agencies require the services of trained professionals who specialise in shooting fashion pictures and photographs. Such pictures and photographs have to be conceived by the fashion photographer, by working out themes and light effects that capture the essence of the campaign or advertisement. Therefore, in this field, a photographer has to have in-depth knowledge of light and colour and also the habit of experimenting with them.

``Moreover, one should have a perceptive mind as a good photographer must be able to judge the composition of a picture,'' details Archana, who has done a course in photography from the Triveni Kala Sangam.

Fashion photographers also work for fashion designers. Designer portfolios are a rage these days and more and more designers are getting their collections shot. Such portfolios attract a lot of attention if they are aesthetically done, and so, designers don't mind spending money on this kind of advertising.

With fashion modelling being labelled as a lucrativecareer, many young men and women are aspiring to become models. This means more work for fashion photographers as such aspirants are required to prepare a portfolio of their photographs in a variety of poses and outfits.

Work in this field is mainly freelance in nature, though some fashion houses, magazines and advertising agencies have in-house photographers. Remuneration depends on one's capability, experience and also on the place where one is working. ``Fresh freelancers can earn as much as Rs 3,000 per day,'' says Menon. ``Established ones can get as much as Rs 20,000 for a day's work.''

Though it is generally agreed that hard work and patience have no substitute, one has to be innovative and market savvy to succeed in this line. A fashion photographer should be aware of the latest fashion trends both in the domestic and international markets. Despite the competition, there will always be place for an intelligent and the creative professional.