Photographer
Photographers create permanent visual images for an exceptionally wide range of creative, technical and documentary purposes. A professional photographer usually works to a brief set by the client or employer. Examples of image content include wedding, family and baby photographs, fashion, food, architecture, corporate photography, war zones and landscapes.
Most professional photographers specialise in one area, such as fine art, fashion, advertising, editorial or social photography. Around half of all professional photographers are self-employed. The remainder work for a wide range of employers, including creative businesses, publishers and photographic agencies, or in the education or public sector.
Work activities vary according to specialisation. However, common activities for most photographers include:
Many graduates start out as a photographer's assistant, spending a great deal of time on routine administration and helping out around the studio.
Although this area of work is open to all graduates and diplomates, a qualification in the following subjects may increase your chances:
There is considerable variation in what is covered by photography courses. Some have a strong emphasis on fine art and the study of photography as an artistic endeavour, whereas others have a more commercial focus and cover managing a business, professional ethics and marketing. Digital imaging and other technological developments now form a significant part of many courses.
It is possible to get into this profession without a degree, but in many instances a degree or an equivalent professional qualification is an advantage. Courses that offer work placements and promote contact with industry are especially useful for new entrants.
A postgraduate qualification is not necessary, although entry to the more competitive specialist areas, such as fashion, advertising and photo-journalism, can be a lot more challenging, so a higher degree may be helpful.
It is virtually essential that you have significant work experience when applying for work.
Personality, perseverance and patience are all essential, and dedication is needed to get a foot in the door. Although freelance work may be solitary at times, photographers also need the ability to blend quickly into work teams and to build rapport with different people, for example when working on shoots.
The impact of digital technology has revolutionised the industry in the past few years. In most areas, such as editorial and sports photography, digital technology has become dominant, whereas film is still sometimes used in fine art and some studio-based photography. It is now the norm for images to be supplied in digital format, usually on CD-ROM or via the internet, which is likely to involve image manipulation using software packages like Adobe Photoshop or Aperture after the photographic shoot.
As well as a strong CV, a professional and impressive portfolio is essential. This should contain no more than 12 to 15 of your very best pictures and may be presented in various formats - a traditional 'book', a website (for tips, see Digital Photography Website ) or a CD. Whatever format you choose, your portfolio must be:
It is useful to join photographic societies, visit exhibitions and galleries, look at photographs in books and magazines and find out as much as possible about any specific fields of interest. Volunteering, workshadowing, work experience and project work are also great ways of gaining experience and skills, as well as making contacts. Any opportunity to have work published should be taken, even if it pays little or nothing.
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
In a profession where there is so much self-employment and freelance work, it is not surprising that training is largely on the job and self-directed. Medical photography/illustration has a clear training route (see medical illustrator) and there are recognised training patterns for press photography (see press photographer). It is possible to use this training to make a move into other photographic careers, for example from medical into scientific or industrial photography, or from press photography into documentary work.
Academic courses often contain a substantial practical element and this is a useful starting point. Numerous part-time courses are run by local colleges, including GCSE, AS level and A-level courses, City and Guilds, GNVQs and non-assessed courses. Creative Skillset: The Sector Skills Council for the Creative Industries has a searchable database of courses of all types.
A useful set of national occupational standards for skills within the industry has been developed by Skillset. The Photo Imaging section of the Skillset website also provides details of industry events, training courses and networking opportunities, as well as information on the Train to Gain scheme, which details sources of funding for Photo Imaging NVQs, business skills modules and management development training.
The British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP) has its own training courses, providing a variety of one-day courses and masterclasses run by experts in their field, which cover a wide range of photography disciplines as well as business skills. The BIPP also offers a tiered professional training route, leading to Licentiateship, Associateship and Fellowship qualifications. If you are interested in gaining a European photographic qualification, the BIPP acts as the link to the Federation of European Photographers (FEP) .
In addition to running photography training courses, the Association of Photographers (AOP) also hosts discussions and workshops featuring guest photographers.
It is a good idea for anyone thinking of setting up their own photography business to undertake business training courses, especially courses that cover marketing and promotion, copyright and contracts, and basic bookkeeping and financial management.
There are many different types of photography, so there is no standard, structured career development route. Creative Skillset: The Sector Skills Council for the Creative Industries offers a specialist careers information, advice and guidance service for a wide variety of careers in photo imaging.
Most entrants to the profession begin as studio assistants or assistant photographers and are expected to learn by watching and to gain experience over time. You can register with the Association of Photographers (AOP) if you want to be listed as available as an assistant. The AOP also runs free monthly careers talks for people interested in advertising, editorial or fashion photography. These talks are given by professional AOP photographers and cover many careers topics, including career development. The association also runs competitions, which offer winners a good opportunity to improve career prospects.
Assistants will be able to learn a great deal from the photographer(s) employing them, as well as having the opportunity to develop a portfolio and to meet other photographers and stylists. They may also be able to borrow equipment or use studio space to develop their own work at weekends or during quiet times.
Even within the profession, there is contradictory advice about career development. Some suggest that becoming very specialised is the best approach, whereas others warn of the dangers of operating within a niche market without the certainty that it will continue to be in demand. If you choose to specialise, the soundest advice is probably to develop a range of skills and maintain a flexible approach. You can move between specialist areas if you have the right portfolio. Entering competitions, trying to get your work into galleries and, above all, networking will also help to boost your reputation and expand your client base.
Some experienced photographers become studio managers in large photographic studios. Others become agents, promoting and selling the work of other photographers. Many photographers also do some part-time teaching or lecturing.
The photo imaging industry is made up of nearly 14,000 companies, almost half of which are sole trading or freelance photographers. Across the industry as a whole, around 90% of companies employ five people or fewer.
In addition to employers in the fields of press and medical photography, permanent employment is offered by a variety of organisations.
In all other work, whether you specialise in advertising, aerial, architectural, corporate, documentary, editorial, fashion, fine art, food, portraiture, scientific and technical, sport, sub-aqua or wildlife photography, you are likely to work for yourself, either as a freelance, running a business or in partnership.
Freelancers use a variety of means to generate work: some rely on their portfolio, self-promotion and a good contact network, while others use a photographic agent.
An increasingly influential market within the industry is the growing number of picture libraries and stock agencies. The British Association of Picture Libraries and Agencies (BAPLA) gives further details on its website.
Many vacancies in this sector are never advertised, so it is essential to use speculative approaches and contacts. Useful resources for this purpose include:
Get tips on job hunting, CVs and covering letters and interviews.
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