| What do Photographers Do? | | | | Earnings potential can vary with specific careers. If |
| Professional photographers combine creativity, artistic | | | | you have business acumen, you can create a |
| vision and technical mastery to take photographs. | | | | financially successful career out of freelancing. |
| People in this profession use a wide range of | | | | Architectural photography is one of the |
| equipment, some of which is specific to certain | | | | highest-paying careers, while travel photography can |
| career fields. Good photographers have a natural eye | | | | be one of the lowest paying. Among staff |
| for composition and can often create an aesthetically | | | | photography jobs, photo curators have high earning |
| appealing photograph out of anything. Some | | | | potential, which increases with experience and |
| photographers make careers out of teaching | | | | education levels. |
| photography, while others take pictures of | | | | According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, |
| architecture or document wars or weddings. Today, | | | | median annual wages of salaried photographers were |
| shooting and selling stock photography online is a | | | | $29,440 in May 2008. The lowest 10 percent earned |
| growing niche. | | | | less than $16,920, and the highest 10 percent earned |
| Photography is an astoundingly wide-ranging field and | | | | more than $62,430. |
| it is possible to create a successful business in any | | | | Training, Advancements |
| photography career. Most photographers shoot and | | | | The majority of photography careers require at least |
| print in digital formats, especially where time is of the | | | | an undergraduate degree in photography in addition |
| essence. Photojournalists, wedding photographers, | | | | to field experience. Some careers, however, require |
| events photographers and the like usually shoot using | | | | only a working knowledge of 35 mm DLSR. For |
| 35 mm DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex). Some shoot | | | | instance, wedding photographers, seasonal/holiday |
| using both film and digital photographers. Fine arts | | | | photographers and studio photographers need only |
| photographers may use only film and silver-halide | | | | to be able to operate a camera and use |
| papers because of the aesthetic quality of silver film | | | | photo-editing software for minor touch-ups. |
| and paper. | | | | Photo curators, professors and archivists usually |
| Photographers often operate their own professional | | | | require a terminal degree in photography- a Master's |
| Web sites, which serve as indispensable marketing | | | | degree. Photo archivists do not require certification, |
| tools and online portfolios. | | | | though there are programs that offer archival science |
| Competition is high in photography because so many | | | | certification. In addition, some institutions require |
| people find the creativity and earnings potential so | | | | archivists to be certified. Throughout their |
| attractive. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor | | | | professional careers, photographers attend |
| Statistics, photography careers are expected to | | | | educational seminars and other programs to improve |
| grow 12 percent between now and 2018, which is | | | | their craft. Photographic technology changes at a |
| about as fast as average for other occupations. | | | | rapid pace and a professional photographer must |
| Work Environment | | | | keep abreast of any changes. |
| Work environments vary among fields. Some | | | | Regardless of what specific field you hope to enter, |
| photographers work out of their own studios and | | | | try to make as many contacts as possible. This is |
| work irregular hours, including holidays, evenings and | | | | especially important for freelance photographers |
| weekends. Staff photographers for corporations or | | | | because your next job may come through word of |
| other institutions may have their own office or | | | | mouth marketing or references. Take advantage of |
| studio, provided by their employer, and work more | | | | industry-specific organizations, which can offer |
| regular hours: 40 hours a week with paid vacations | | | | invaluable resources and information. |
| holidays and other benefits. According to the Bureau | | | | Education |
| of Labor Statistics, more than half of all | | | | Many colleges, universities and schools offer |
| photographers are self-employed- they are freelance. | | | | specialized degree programs in photography. |
| It is safe to say that most photographers, as with | | | | Programs typically teach a wide-variety of courses |
| other creative careers, work irregular hours. | | | | such as black and white printing techniques, |
| Some photographers work in perilous conditions. For | | | | large-format cameras, lighting and photo editing. |
| instance, newspaper bureaus in war-torn countries | | | | Graduate programs offer programs that are even |
| may employ photojournalists. Photography careers | | | | more specialized. |
| may be solo or they can involve working with, | | | | There are photographers who are self-taught and fell |
| assisting, teaching or supervising large numbers of | | | | into their careers relatively successfully. However, |
| people. | | | | keep in mind that some professions require do |
| Salary & Earnings Potential | | | | require educational backgrounds in photography. |