My Research Notes: ABOUT Photography
Becoming a Photographer:
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There are no specific entry requirements to become a photographer, however a portfolio
of work is essential and tertiary training qualification is strongly recommended.
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One can develop skills, and experience by assisting a professional photographer.
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Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics:
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Important Qualities
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Artistic ability. Photographers capture their subjects in images, and they must be able to
evaluate the artistic quality of a photograph. Photographers need "a good eye"—the
ability to use colors, shadows, shades, light, and distance to compose good photographs.
Business skills. Photographers must be able to plan marketing strategies, reach out to
prospective clients, and anticipate seasonal employment.
Computer skills. Most photographers do their own postproduction work and must be
familiar with photo editing software. They also use computers to keep a digital portfolio
and to communicate with clients.
Customer service skills. Photographers must be able to understand the needs of their
clients and propose solutions.
Detail-oriented skills. Photographers who do their own postproduction work must be
careful not to overlook details and must be thorough when editing photographs. In
addition, photographers accumulate many photographs and must maintain them in an
orderly fashion.
Interpersonal skills. Photographers often photograph people. They must communicate
effectively to achieve a certain composition in a photograph.
Source Info:
Article Name: Photographer
Author: Kaitango Whakaahua
Updated: February 18, 2013
Site name: Careersnz: Mana rapuara aotearoa
URL: http://www.careers.govt.nz/jobs/creative-design/photographer/
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What You Will Do On the Job:
Photographers usually do the following:
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Market and advertise services to attract clients
Analyze and decide how to compose a subject
Use various photographic techniques and equipment
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Capture subjects in commercial-quality photographs
Enhance the subject’s appearance with natural or artificial light
Maintain a digital portfolio, often a website, to demonstrate work
Education for Photography:
There are no specific secondary education requirements but art computer studies, graphic design,
math, and English are useful.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Article: How to Become a Photographer
Citation: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 201213 Edition, Photographers,
on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/photographers.htm (visited
March 27, 2013).
Education:
Although formal education is not required for most photographers, many take classes or earn a
bachelor’s degree in a related field, which can improve their skills and employment prospects.
Many universities, community and junior colleges, vocational–technical institutes, and private
trade and technical schools offer classes in photography. Basic courses in photography cover
equipment, processes, and techniques. Art schools may offer useful training in photographic
design and composition.
Entry-level positions in photojournalism or in industrial or scientific photography generally
require a college degree in photography or in a field related to the industry in which the
photographer seeks employment. For example, classes in biology, medicine, or chemistry may be
useful for scientific photographers.
Business, marketing, and accounting classes can be helpful for self-employed photographers.
Training: Photographers often start working as an assistant to a professional photographer. This
work provides an opportunity to gain experience, build their portfolio, and gain exposure to
prospective clients.
For many artists, including photographers, developing a portfolio—a collection of an artist’s
work that demonstrates his or her styles and abilities—is essential. This portfolio is necessary
because art directors, clients, and others look at an artist’s portfolio when deciding whether to
hire or contract with the photographer. (SOURCE: BLS)
Career Options for Photographers:
The adage “A picture is worth a thousand words” is the crux of the photography profession.
Where words sometimes fail, pictures have swiftly moved in and told the tale in a way that
words can only attempt to. The advent of technology has made photography into a lucrative
field; from journalism, advertisement and freelance photography. A picture is valuable because it
is a self expressing medium whose intricacies can only be captured by a keen eye. The Art
Institute of Pittsburgh - Online Division offers photography courses that can put your career into
focus and close the shutter to capture the essential nature of photography as a career.
There are many career opportunities in the photography field. Here are seven of the most
exciting ones:
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Photojournalism - This entails taking photos for print and online media. Your task is to
take photos of newsworthy events. The exciting part of this job is that it is dynamic; no
news piece is the similar to another. If you love the adrenaline rush of danger and
controversy that journalism carries, this is definitely your line of pursuit.
Commercial photography - this branch has more diversity pegged to it; merchandise,
home décor, fashion, automobile trends and other areas of your choosing. The photos are
usually taken and sold to advertisers and product lines. It is exciting because of its
fluidity and versatility hence nonrestrictive.
Advertising - Advertising photography requires an eye for detail and creativity. These
two aspects will enable you to strike a balance between the client's needs as you
showcase your prowess.
Fashion - the glitz and glamour of the runway has to be immortalized in film. The result
is the glossy pages of all the fashion magazines which women globally pore over. It is the
most lucrative photography career, and it offers a lot of traveling opportunities.
Wildlife photography - For those who love outdoor activities and the wild, this is the
career for you. It draws its inspiration from nature and the animal kingdom. However, it
requires patience, and a lot of film to capture the right shot. It is also very remunerative.
Travel photography - as the name suggests, this area of photography requires a lot of
travel locally and internationally. You capture people, places and their cultures. This is
the emerging field in photography that is in high demand because of the immortality of
such work. If you aim to leave your mark in the sands of time, this is the field for you.
Forensic photographic - this is a career path for a person with an eye for detail and
threading stories together. This will involve working with agencies of law enforcement
like the police to take photos of crime scenes for evidential purposes.
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh- Online Division can help prepare students for an illustrious
career in photography. With certificate programs, associate’s degree and bachelor’s degree in
photography, we give students an opportunity to turn their passions of photography to a
rewarding career.
Article: 7 exciting Photography career options
Author: Art Institute of Pittsburgh- Online Division
Published: September 21, 2010
URL: http://www.aionline.edu/blog/post/7-Exciting-Photography-Career-Options.aspx
Employment Opportunities for Photographers
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Source: http://www.bls.gov/k12/music02.htm
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Photographers held about 152,000 jobs in 2008. Most of them worked in and around
large cities. More than 1 out of 2 were self-employed, a much higher proportion than the
average for all occupations.
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Most photographers who work for someone else worked in a photography studio.
Newspapers, television studios, and magazines also commonly employ photographers.
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Although employment of photographers is expected to increase about as fast as the
average for all occupations through 2018, photography is still a highly competitive field.
This is because there are more people who want to be photographers than there is
employment to support them.
o Job outlook 2010-2020: 13% about as fast as average
o employment change 2010-20: 17,500
o Salaried jobs in particular may be more difficult to find as more companies
contract with freelancers rather than hire their own photographers.
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Photographers will face strong competition for most jobs. Because of reduced barriers to
entry, there will be many qualified candidates for relatively few positions.
In addition, salaried jobs may be more difficult to obtain as companies increasingly
contract with freelancers rather than hire their own photographers. Job prospects will be
best for candidates who are multitalented and possess related skills such as picture editing
and capturing digital video.
Working Conditions
Photographers:
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may work regular business hours or work when their clients need them, which can mean
long, irregular hours, including evenings and weekends
may work in studios, offices, darkrooms, and outdoors in various locations
May need to travel locally, nationally or internationally photo-shoot locations.
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Many photographers work part time. Hours often are flexible so they can meet with
current and potential clients or visit the sites where they will work. Demand for certain
types of photographers may fluctuate with the season. For example, the demand for
wedding photographers typically increases in the spring and summer (BLS)
Salary of a Photographer
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Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics:
o Pay:
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The median hourly wage of photographers was $14.00 in May 2010. The median
wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that
amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $8.34, and the
top 10 percent earned more than $30.48.
Photographers in the District of Columbia earned the highest hourly median wage,
earning $23.57 in May 2010.
Many photographers work part time. Hours often are flexible so they can meet with
current and potential clients or visit the sites where they will work. Demand for
certain types of photographers may fluctuate with the season. For example, the
demand for wedding photographers typically increases in the spring and summer.
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Compton’s by Britannica v 6.0
APA: (2009). photography. Compton's by Britannica, v 6.0. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved
from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com
Notes:
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Photographs in the mass-communication media have made the faces of political leaders,
popular entertainers, and other celebrities familiar to the public. When a newsworthy
event occurs photojournalists are there to record it. Photojournalists sometimes spend
months covering a story. The result of such labor is often a powerful, revealing picture
essay that probes far beneath the surface of events.
Photography is also essential to the advertising industry. In efforts to sell a product,
attractive photographs of the item are used. Photography is also widely used in education
and training within the academic world, industry, and the armed services.
Photographs are also often used in attempts to sway public opinion. Governments,
political parties, and special-interest groups have long used the graphic representation and
emotional impact of photographs to further their causes. Such use may result in
destructive propaganda, such as that of the Nazis during the Third Reich. Photography
can also help to bring about desirable changes. Photographs of the Yellowstone region
were instrumental in Congress's decision to establish that area as a national park, and
photographs of child laborers helped to bring about legislation protecting children from
exploitation.
Photography has many practical applications in industry, medicine, astronomy,
archaeology, scientific research, the graphic arts, law enforcement, and many aspects of
contemporary life. Aerial photography, for example, is used to make maps and contour
charts, to study the Earth and its oceans, and to help forecast the weather. Cameras
aboard satellites and space vehicles have photographed the Earth, as well as the moon,
the sun, and the other planets. Astronomers use photography to study galaxies in deep
space and to analyze the composition of stars through spectroscopy. New photographic
applications are constantly being developed.
Film & Photography
Link: http://www.careerexplorer.net/arts-design/film-photography
Citation:
Film and Photography. (2008, November 01). In ProQuest Editorial Website G. Retrieved from
http://elibrary.bigchalk.com