You are here: Home: Careers advice: A-Z of careers: Photographer

Photographer

Photographers use a variety of photographic equipment to make pictorial records of people, events, objects, items of fine art etc.

Many photographers begin their careers as photographic assistants, setting up lights and stands, arranging transport and occasionally acting as a 'second shooter'.

Photographer job description: Typical employers | Qualifications and training | Key skills | Useful links | Find jobs and courses

A photographer's work typically entails:

setting up photographic equipment
taking pictures
editing and retouching images
reproducing and framing photographs
promoting business
researching and making contacts
general administration.

The majority of work is undertaken 'on location', so travel and irregular working hours are common features of the job.

Typical employers of photographers

agencies
picture libraries
newspapers
magazines
catalogues
advertising agencies
hospitals
medical publishers
museums
art galleries
auctioneers.

There are other specialist areas of work such as scientific, aerial and forensic photography.

Many jobs receive little advertising, and are filled via personal contacts so networking, job shadowing and speculative applications are essential - particularly for the most popular areas of work such as advertising, fashion, magazine and newspaper photography.

It is advisable to prepare a relevant portfolio which can be used to highlight abilities in speculative applications. Advertised vacancies appear in newspapers and specialist publications such as British Journal of Photography.

Qualifications and training required

Photography, film, art, design or media studies degrees can be advantageous. Alternatively, there are many part-time photography courses, such as City and Guilds and Skillset - the sector skills council for creative media, which can offer a useful starting point.