Photography Career Highlights

Salary
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, median annual earnings of salaried photographers were $26,080 in May 2004; while the middle 50 percent earned between $18,380 and $37,370, the lowest 10 percent earned less than $15,000, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $54,180. At the same time, median annual earnings in industries employing the greatest numbers of salaried photographers were $32,800 for newspapers and periodicals and $23,100 for other professional, scientific, and technical services.

Salaried photographers, working full time, tend to earn more than those photographers who are self-employed. Since freelance and portrait photographers must usually purchase their own equipment, they incur sizeable expense acquiring and maintaining cameras and accessories. Unlike news and commercial photographers, few fine arts photographers are successful enough to support themselves solely through their art.

Hours worked per week
Photographers working in government and advertising studios usually work a 5-day, 40-hour week. However, news photographers often work long, irregular hours and must be on call to work on short notice. Many photographers work part time or on variable schedules

Self-employed photographers have greater autonomy, freedom of expression, and flexible scheduling.

Education required
Entry-level positions in photojournalism or in industrial or scientific photography typically require a college degree in photography or in a field related to the industry in which the photographer seeks employment. Freelance and portrait photographers need technical proficiency, gained through either a degree program, vocational training, or extensive photography experience. eLearningYellowPages.com lists several excellent accredited online programs in photography, and related coursework.

Photography courses are offered by many universities, community and junior colleges, vocational-technical institutes, and private trade and technical schools. The basic curriculum generally covers equipment, processes, and techniques. Some art schools offer useful training in design and composition.

Growth Prospects
Employment of photographers is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations ovver the next decade. Dmand for portrait photographers is expected to increase as the population grows. Growth of Internet magazines, journals, and newspapers will require more commercial photographers to provide digital images, and the Internet will also make it easier for freelance photographers to market their photos directly to their customers, increasing opportunities for self-employment.

Job growth for photographers, however, is likely to be constrained somewhat by the widespread use of digital photography and the falling price of digital equipment. More individual consumers and businesses will be able to produce, store, and access photographic images on their own. Declines in the newspaper industry also will reduce demand for photojournalists to provide still images for print.

Photograher Job Responsibilities
Photographers produce and preserve images tell a story, or record an event; to create commercial-quality photographs, photographers need both technical expertise and creativity. Today, most photographers use digital cameras instead of traditional silver-halide film cameras; however, regardless of the camera they use, photographers also employ an array of other equipment—from lenses, filters, and tripods to flash attachments and specially constructed lighting equipment—to improve the quality of their work.

Digital cameras capture images electronically, and those images may be edited on a computer. Digital images can be stored on portable memory devices such as compact disks (CDs) or on smaller "minipocket" storage devices such as flash disks, which are small memory cards used in digital cameras. Once the image is transferred to a computer, photographers can use processing software to crop or modify the image and enhance it through color correction and other specialized effects. Once the photographer has finished editing the image, it can be sent anywhere in the world over the Internet.

Photographers may create electronic portfolios of their work and display them on the Internet, allowing them to reach prospective customers directly. Digital technology also allows for larger, more colorful, and more accurate prints or images for use in advertising, photographic art, and scientific research. Photographers who process their own digital images must have a computer, high-quality printer, and editing software, as well as the technical knowledge to use these tools effectively.

Photographers may specialize in one particular area such as portrait, commercial and industrial, scientific, news, or fine arts photography. Portrait photographers typically take pictures of individuals or groups of people and often work in their own studios, while those who specialize in weddings, religious ceremonies, or school photographs and may work on location. Self-employed portrait photographers have many responsibilities in addition to taking pictures. They must develop a customer base, schedule appointments, set and adjust equipment, purchase supplies, keep records, bill customers, pay bills, and hire, train, and direct any employees they might have. Many self-employeed photographers also process their own images, design albums, and mount and frame the finished photographs.

Commercial and industrial photographers take pictures of various objects such as buildings, models, merchandise, artifacts, and landscapes. These images may be used in a variety of media, including books, reports, advertisements, or catalogs. Industrial photographers frequently take photos of equipment, machinery, products, workers, and company officials. These images may be used for analysis of engineering projects, publicity, or records of equipment development or deployment, such as placement of an offshore oil rig. Frequently, this type of photography is done on location.

Scientific photographers take photos of a variety of subjects to illustrate or record scientific or medical data or phenomena. These photographers use knowledge of scientific procedures, and typically possess additional knowledge in areas such as engineering, medicine, biology, or chemistry.

News photographers, or photojournalists, photograph newsworthy people, places, and sporting, political, and community events for newspapers, journals, magazines, or television.

Fine arts photographers sell their photographs as fine artwork; in addition to technical proficiency, fine arts photographers must have artistic talent and creativity.

*Source: US Dept. of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook