Professional Photographer

Job overview
A professional photographer earns money by taking photographs for a particular employer, or selling them to different clients.

Professional photographers can be employed by publications such as newspapers, or they can be contracted to cover events such as weddings. They can also be hired to conduct specific photo-shoots, typically in the advertising and fashion industries.

Other professional photographers are freelancers, meaning that they first take photos and then offer them for sale.

What do people do in this occupation?
Photographers can specialise in a particular area of photography, such as fashion photography, wedding photography, war photography or commercial photography.

The exclusive right of photographers to copy and use their products is legally protected by copyright.

Numerous industries purchase photographs for use in publications and on products. Photographs on greeting cards, calendars, websites, or on products, have generally been purchased for this use, either directly from the photographer or through a photographer's agency.

In rare instances, corporations have funded and contracted teams of photographers to cover a subject for purposes of publicity.

For example, in 1947, Standard Oil, an American fuel marketing company, hired a team of professional photographers to make a documentary about how “there is a drop of oil in the life of everyone”.

Photos taken by a photographer while working on assignment for a publication or company belong to the company or publication, rather than to the photographer, unless stipulated otherwise by contract.

There are major companies that maintain catalogues of stock photography and images. Many online stock photography catalogues invite photographers to sell their photos online, but often for very little money, no royalty and without control over the use of the photo.

These online catalogues or the industries using the photograph then profit from the photo.

What kinds of people are suitable for this career?
In addition to being creative, professional photographers need to possess a sense of curiosity, initiative and a good eye for colour and detail.

Freelance photographers will need to be well organised and time conscious, as clients often give tight deadlines for delivery of their photos.

Professional photographers need to fully understand current photography technology as well as stay abreast of emerging technological trends.

What qualifications are needed?
Though the profession is largely self-taught, internationally there are a number of vocational colleges that offer training in photography.

At the beginning of a professional photographer's career, it is advisable for them to network with, or even shadow, established photographers.

It is also advisable for the emerging photographer to practise intensely in order to build up a portfolio that fully reflects his or her abilities and interests.