Photographer
Photographers take and process pictures of people, places, products and events.
- Potential salary
- £25,000 starter to £45,000 experienced per year
- Typical hours
- 37 to 42 variable. Working pattern: evenings / weekends / bank holidays as customers demand.
- Career area
- Creative and design
- Where they might work
- You could work in a creative studio. Your working environment may be physically demanding and outdoors in all weathers.
- A typical task
- discuss a project with the client and agree the 'brief'
- Subjects that may help
- 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
- Typical route
- You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in: photography; visual arts; commercial photography; art and design.
- Interest area used here
- Art, design and performance
What you might do
- discuss a project with the client and agree the 'brief'
- find and prepare locations for the photo session
- set up equipment and lighting, and take photographs
- edit and process images, using industry software
- check colour match accuracy and image quality
- select the best images for the client to use online or in print
Could this suit me?
Consider which of these skills and ways of working appeal to you.
- knowledge of the fine arts
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- customer service skills
- excellent verbal communication skills
- the ability to work well with others
- to be flexible and open to change
More skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- the ability to work well with your hands
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
Routes into this career
University route
- You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in: photography; visual arts; commercial photography; art and design.
University courses that could lead to this career
These are course families, not published offers. A link does not mean the degree is sufficient on its own.
- Animation
Related, but not enough on its own. Animation is not photography.
- Film Production
Alternative route. Camera skills overlap. Photography jobs still expect a stills portfolio.
- Fine Art
Alternative route. Only if photography is actually part of the practice.
- Photography
Alternative route. One route. A degree is not essential. A portfolio is.
Apprenticeship or vocational route
- You could take a college course in photography. This might help you to find a job as a photographer's assistant in a studio.
- You could apply to do an apprenticeship to get into this role, for example, a Photographer Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship.
- This apprenticeship takes around 1 year and 6 months to complete, and is a mix of training in the workplace and off-the-job study.
- You could start as a photographer's assistant and work your way up. It's normal to specialise in one kind of photography, like fashion, advertising, wildlife or photojournalism.
Career progression
- Freelance work is common and you may decide to set up your own business.
- There are opportunities to work in different areas, for example: product advertising; property marketing; aerial photography.
- With extra training, you could work as a press, police or armed forces photographer.
- You might also move into specialist fields, such as medical photography and illustration or astrophotography.
- Photography is very competitive, so you'll need creativity and technical skills to make a living. You'll also need finance for equipment, a space to work in and business, marketing and admin skills.
- You could increase your income by selling your images independently.
Subjects that may help
Subject guidance
- 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship