Photographer Job Description Example

Photographer Job Description Example

What Does a Photographer Do?

A photographer is an individual with the responsibility of taking pictures using film or digital cameras.

The job description of a photographer involves taking photographs of places, events, and various objects.

If the truth must be told, photography is an art and only well trained professional should handle photography needs of an organization. Practically, anyone can take pictures, but only trained professionals can get the job done in an acceptable manner.

The photographs can be used in textbooks, wedding albums, magazines, and newspapers. They can also be used in online domains.

The photographer may either be a specialist or work as a general practitioner. The specialists among them work in certain specific areas, like clinical photography, fashion, and advertising photography.

The general practitioner on the other hand takes photographs of family portraits, birthday, weddings, and other events.

Most photographers in times past made use of film cameras, but things are changing a great deal these days as many more now depend on digital camera.

The perfect professional photographer should however understand how both forms of photography work, as this will enable him/her adapt to practically any condition he/she encounters.

The professional photographer must be able to work alone. This is because many of the tasks he/she has to complete are best completed alone.

There are other times however, when working with an assistant is inevitable. He/she should also be a good communicator and be able to interact both professionally and otherwise, with others.

This is because his/her job may require working with other professionals, like lightening technicians, models, and even journalists.

The photographer should be prepared to work anywhere and at any time, since his/her duty may call for such irregular tasks any day.

He/she should also be ready to throw in the weekends for as long as it may take. There are times his/her work may require working within the studio, and there are other times it may require working out of the studio and in any kind of weather.

His/her sense of professionalism should make him/her defy uncomfortable weather conditions just to get the job done.

The professional photographer should be equally ready to either work within his/her locality or travel out of his/her locality to get certain photography jobs done.

The photographer should be a creative individual. He/she should also have good eyes for picture.

His/her photographic and technical skills must be well honed; this is where years of working experience come in handy.

Truth is, all skills required to effectively play the role of a photographer cannot be acquired in photography training schools alone; most of them are acquired during practice.

To be able to effectively carry out his/her work description, the photographer must ensure his/her people-skill is top class.

Excellent communication skill is very important too. His/her interaction is not limited to other professionals and members of his/her team; he/she also needs to communicate with members of the general public in his/her line of duty.

Photographer Job Description Example

The photographer is expected to perform certain duties, tasks, and responsibilities for clients or organizations they working for.

Here is a job description example that shows the common functions of professional photographers:

• Adjust the camera focus, shutter speed and aperture of the camera, depending on the film speed, film type, subject motion field depth, and lighting
• Make use of reflectors and flashes to produce artificial light
• Determine picture composition and desired image, adjust and select objects, lightning and equipment in rider to achieve desired effect
• Develop and print photographic films using printing equipment, developing equipment, TouchUp tools, and chemicals
• Forward photographic films for processing to a photography laboratory
• Resize, retouch, and enhance negatives and photographs using various techniques, including airbrushing
• Measure or estimate required number of exposure, distance and light level, with the aid of measuring formulas and tools
• Load films into cameras and also unload the films after light exposure
• Use knowledge of photographic techniques, photographic technology, and scientific procedures to illustrate or record medical or scientific photographic data.

Photographer Resume Preparation

If you are searching for a job as photographer and you need to prepare a resume, you can highlight the relevant duties and responsibilities of the position that have been provided in the sample job description above in the professional experience section of the resume that confirms your having done the job before.

Requirements – Skills, Knowledge, Abilities – for Photographer Job

The following abilities, knowledge, and skills are vital to the success of a photographer, and are therefore usually required by employers when screening applicants for a photographer job:

• Possess commercial awareness to further business profitability
• Ability to market particular business brand through photography
• Ability to get desired result even in impossible situation or location
• Ability to interact with clients and respond to their queries on behalf of the company he/she is representing
• Ability to organize people
• Possess both oral and verbal communication skills
• Possess skills in relevant computer programs, like Photoshop
• Possess excellent photographic and technical skills
• Possess great determination and motivation to produce results where others deem impossible
• Ability to work as a team player.

Photographer Skills for Resume

To make your photographer resume irresistible to employers, you must have a skills section that shows employers the qualities you have developed that will make you an excellent photographer in their organization.

You can easily create this section with the above stated photographer skills if you have them, and get the needed attention from employers to your resume.