Careers > Photographers

Photographers

$40.17K Median Salary 12.7K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 17.1% Job Growth

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About This Career

Photograph people, landscapes, merchandise, or other subjects. May use lighting equipment to enhance a subject's appearance. May use editing software to produce finished images and prints. Includes commercial and industrial photographers, scientific photographers, and photojournalists.

Reported Job Titles

Advertising Photographer, Commercial Photographer, Graduation Photographer, Newspaper Photographer, Photo Editor, Photographer, Photojournalist, Portrait Photographer, Sports Photographer, Studio Photographer

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

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Abilities

Near Vision

Far Vision

Oral Expression

Originality

Visualization

Oral Comprehension

Visual Color Discrimination

Problem Sensitivity

Fluency of Ideas

Speech Clarity

Written Comprehension

Category Flexibility

Deductive Reasoning

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Flexibility of Closure

Inductive Reasoning

Information Ordering

Manual Dexterity

Selective Attention

Speech Recognition

Written Expression

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service

Sales and Marketing

Computers and Electronics

Administration and Management

Communications and Media

English Language

Fine Arts

Production and Processing

Administrative

Psychology

Economics and Accounting

Skills

Active Listening

Speaking

Service Orientation

Active Learning

Complex Problem Solving

Critical Thinking

Judgment and Decision Making

Monitoring

Reading Comprehension

Social Perceptiveness

Coordination

Time Management

Technology Skills

Data base user interface and query software

Video creation and editing software

Graphics or photo imaging software

Accounting software

Web page creation and editing software

Spreadsheet software

Electronic mail software

Document management software

Development environment software

Desktop publishing software

Cloud-based data access and sharing software

Operating system software

Word processing software

Instant messaging software

Internet browser software

Calendar and scheduling software

Tools

Camera lens filter

Camera flashes or lighting

Camera lens

Photography light reflector

Scanners

Laser printers

Contact printer

Lux or light meter

Photographic timer

Atmospheric effect apparatus

Dimmers and accessories

Still cameras

Film driers

Electronic viewfinder

Bubble machine

Camera tripods

Film washers

Camera lens cleaners

Dye sublimination printers

Notebook computers

Compact disc CD or labeling printers

Handheld thermometer

Camera enclosures or covers

Camera controllers

Inkjet printers

Digital cameras

Digital image printers

Loupes

Flash memory storage card

Label making machines

Photographic enlargers

Digital pen

Photo print dryer

Photo print washer

Global positioning system GPS receiver

Wireless network interface cards

Multimedia projectors

Graphics tablets

Personal computers

Tablet computers

Abilities

Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Sales and Marketing: Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Communications and Media: Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Fine Arts: Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Production and Processing: Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Administrative: Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Psychology: Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Economics and Accounting: Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

Skills

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Technology Skills

Data base user interface and query software: Blackboard software; Database software; Microsoft Access; Yardi software
Video creation and editing software: YouTube
Graphics or photo imaging software: SmugMug Flickr
Accounting software: Billing software; Bookkeeping software; Intuit QuickBooks; Sage 50 Accounting
Web page creation and editing software: Facebook; Google Sites; LinkedIn; Social media sites
Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Document management software: Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat; Filing system software; Records management software; Transcription system software
Development environment software: Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Suite
Desktop publishing software: Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign; Microsoft Publisher
Cloud-based data access and sharing software: Dropbox; Google Drive; Microsoft SharePoint
Operating system software: Microsoft Windows
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Instant messaging software: GroupMe
Internet browser software: Web browser software
Calendar and scheduling software: Appointment scheduling software

Tools

Camera lens filter: Videocamera lens filters
Camera flashes or lighting: Camera flash attachments; Focus assists; Softboxes; Studio strobe flashes
Camera lens: Zoom lenses
Photography light reflector: Board reflectors; Lamp reflectors; Snoots
Scanners: Data input scanners
Laser printers: Computer laser printers
Contact printer: Contact print frames; Negative proofers
Lux or light meter: Light meters
Photographic timer: Darkroom timers
Atmospheric effect apparatus: Fog machines
Dimmers and accessories: Dimmers
Still cameras: 35 millimeter cameras
Film driers: Drying cabinets
Electronic viewfinder: Directors' viewfinders
Bubble machine: Bubble machines
Camera tripods: Videocamera tripods
Film washers: Film cleaning machines
Camera lens cleaners: Camera cleaning brushes
Dye sublimination printers: Sublimation printers
Notebook computers: Laptop computers
Compact disc CD or labeling printers: Label printers
Handheld thermometer: Handheld thermometers
Camera enclosures or covers: Sound blimps
Camera controllers: Studio camera control equipment
Inkjet printers: Poster printers
Digital cameras:
Digital image printers: Blueprint machines
Loupes: Jewelers' loupes
Flash memory storage card: Universal serial bus USB flash drives
Label making machines: Label makers
Photographic enlargers: Photo enlargers
Digital pen: Digital pens
Photo print dryer: Flashdryers
Photo print washer: Rapid photo print washers
Global positioning system GPS receiver: Global positioning system GPS receivers
Wireless network interface cards: Mobile adapters
Multimedia projectors: Computer projectors; Multimedia projection equipment
Graphics tablets: Digital paper
Personal computers:
Tablet computers: