Photographers use images to document events and tell stories. They photograph people, places, events, and objects.
Photographers frequently specialise in a specific type of photography. Portrait photographers photograph people in studios or on location at various locations. Photographs taken by commercial photographers are used in books, advertisements, and catalogues. Photojournalists, also known as news photographers, capture images that are typically used to illustrate stories on television newscasts, as well as in newspapers and magazines. Aerial photographers photograph landscapes and structures from the air, whereas fine arts photographers sell their photographs to the general public as works of art.
In 2016, approximately 147,300 people worked in this occupation. More than half of all photographers work as freelancers. Others work for photographic services companies, broadcasting companies, and publishers.
Photographers' responsibilities vary depending on the medium in which they work, but some common responsibilities include:
Create and edit visual content for a variety of platforms.
Produce photography in a variety of formats, including printed and digital media.
Deliver final product to internal and external customers, media, graphic designers, and corporate communications.
After the shoot, perform retouching and image adjustments.
Promote the company to customers and the general public.
Obtain or requisition supplies.
The salary of a photographer can vary depending on the medium in which they specialise. The highest-paid photographers work in broadcasting, not the internet. Many photographers are paid by the hour.
Annual Median Salary: $34,008 ($16.35/hour)
Annual Salary in the Top 10%: More than $76,357 ($36.71/hour)
Annual Salary in the Bottom 10%: Less than $19,843 ($9.54/hour)
The medium can also influence education and training requirements.
While entry-level photojournalists and commercial and scientific photographers typically require a bachelor's degree in photography, portrait photographers only require technical proficiency. A degree can increase a job candidate's competitiveness. Accounting and marketing classes, for example, are useful for those who want to work for themselves.
While it is not necessary or required, working as an assistant can help you learn the business and hone your techniques and skills.
Photographers require certain personal qualities and skills in addition to technical proficiency.
Photographers are artists who must be creative in order to tell stories through images. They must have a keen sense of colour, light, and composition.
Whether photographing people, clients, or colleagues, you must understand their needs, read their body language, and coordinate your actions with theirs.
Good listening and speaking skills will help you understand what others are saying and explain things to them.
Freelance photographers, in particular, must provide excellent service to their clients in order to achieve success through repeat business and positive word-of-mouth.
Those who work for themselves must understand how to market themselves. They must take care of bookkeeping duties and keep track of their expenses and profits. They must also be aware of legal issues, such as obtaining a model release form signed if they intend to photograph people for commercial purposes.
If you want to consistently produce only the highest quality photos, you can't afford to overlook any details.
Self-employed photographers have a bright future. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment will grow at a rate of about 12% faster than the average for all occupations between 2016 and 2026.
Others in the field, on the other hand, will not fare nearly as well. Due to the affordable availability of stock photography online, employment in the photography field as a whole is expected to decline by about 6% during the same period.
If you prefer to stay close to home or work from the same location every day, this job may not be for you. Photographers frequently spend time on the road, which may include travel to remote locations.
Portrait and commercial photographers spend a lot of time in studios, but they must also shoot on location. Photographers travel both domestically and internationally. They are sometimes placed in dangerous situations in order to capture newsworthy events.
Work schedules in this field are frequently inconsistent. In 2016, approximately 30% of photographers worked only part-time. However, the hours are flexible, and some jobs are seasonal, such as those who specialise in photographing weddings or graduations. You can expect to work nights, weekends, and holidays.
