Photography has come a long way from loading a Kodak Instamatic with a roll of film and snapping away. Photography, like so many other professions, has gone digital. There are photography legends, like Ansel Adams and Annie Leibovitz. Digital photography and SmartPhones make photography accessible and affordable. Posting a photograph that goes viral on Facebook can launch a career. A career as a photographer takes a good eye, a passion for the work and the right equipment to take and process photographs that are commercially attractive.
What They Do
Photographers capture life on film or digital images and preserve it. They take school pictures, providing a time-lapse record of a child’s school years. They take baby pictures, photograph weddings and birthdays and bar mitzvahs. They stalk celebrities as paparazzi. They photograph whatever their curiosity compels them or a client pays them to shoot. Photojournalists record the news in pictures. Many companies use photographers for communications, advertising and documentation.
Education/Training
There are no degrees required to become a photographer. Many photographers are self-taught. Community colleges, technical schools, colleges and universities offer classes and degrees in photography and photojournalism. Companies may prefer to hire a photographer with a bachelor’s degree for a science or industrial photographer or photojournalist position.
There is a wealth of information online for anyone who wants to learn photography. Most photographers learn by doing, by reading and trying out new techniques and equipment. Aspiring professional photographers must learn how to operate the new digital cameras, photo editing software and other equipment for his particular type of photography to improve picture quality or create special effects.
Investment/Earnings
The investment to become a photographer will vary depending on the level of education and the cost of equipment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the annual median hourly rate for a photographer at $14.00. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $8.34 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $30.48 per hour.
Some Internet sites allow photographers to sell their work for a fee. Photographers can create an account for a fee on sites like Shutterfly.com’s Pro Gallery and http://www.photostockplus.com/and upload photographs for sale on the sites. Fees for posting on the site and revenue from sales will vary by site.
Getting Started
Photography equipment, a passion for taking pictures and someone willing to pay for your services is all that’s needed to begin a career as a photographer. You can gain experience and start to build a reputation by volunteering your services for friends, neighbors, community groups, service groups or anyone who needs professional photography. You can set up a website, obtain a business license, print up some business cards and start a photography business with a home studio and enough photography and processing equipment to produce quality photographs. Market your work to newspapers, magazines and internet sites that need photographs to make content more attractive and help tell a story.
Work Environment
Photographers can work in a home studio, retail outlet, at a client site, or on location. Photojournalists can travel the world on assignment for an employer. Scientific or industrial photographers work in laboratories, offices, commercial facilities, manufacturing plants, on at an offsite location. They work varied schedules and may work all hours of the day or night to satisfy their customer’s schedules. They also may spend hours in front of a computer, downloading and editing photos for clients.
Resume/Interview Tips
Your resume should include all relative work experience, where your photographs have been published and a client list. List all photographic equipment, computer hardware and software and your level of proficiency. Build a portfolio of your work in both hard copy and in digital form. Your work will show the style, creativity and quality of your work.
Moving Up
Building a body of work, recognition and working with high-profile subjects or organizations will help build your reputation in the industry and help move up in the profession. You can expand your client base or expertise with additional education, training which may lead to more opportunities.
Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, spent over seven years as a human resources director and is a career coach, consultant and freelance writer focusing on how to land your dream job in a tough employment market.
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