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Photographers (5221)

Job titles

Nature of work

Photographers operate still cameras to photograph people, events, scenes, materials, products and other subjects. Photographers are employed by photographic studios, newspapers, magazines, museums and government, or they may be self-employed.

Fields of interest

  • Working for yourself
  • Working in the arts, culture, music, and recreation
  • Working with computers, information technology, and communications

Main duties

  • Photographers perform some or all of the following duties:
  • - Study requirements of a particular assignment and decide on type of camera, film, lighting and background accessories to be used
  • - Determine picture composition, make technical adjustments to equipment and photograph subject
  • - May operate scanners to transfer photographic images to computers
  • - May operate computers to manipulate photographic images
  • - May adapt existing photographic images and create new digitized images to be included in multimedia/newmedia products
  • - May use delicate instruments, such as optical microscopes attached to cameras
  • - May process exposed film
  • - May use airbrush, computer or other techniques to retouch negatives
  • - Medical photographers may work closely with medical illustrators.
  • * Photographers may specialize in areas such as portrait photography, commercial photography, scientific photography, forensic photography, medical photography, digitized photography, multimedia photography or photojournalism.

Main characteristics of the occupation

These headings are provided for the following occupation(s) :

Photographers (5221)

Employment requirements

  • * A bachelor's degree in visual arts with specialization in photography orCompletion of specialized training in photography in high school, college or specialized training schools orExtensive on-the-job training under the supervision of a photographer is required.
  • * Experience in, or knowledge of computerized photography or digital imaging may be required.
  • * Creative and technical ability, as demonstrated by a portfolio of work, are required.

Skill type

  • Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport

Skill level

  • Technical

Job titles - Classified elsewhere

Professional associations