The Job and What's Involved

Professional photographers take still pictures of people, places, events or objects. Their work can appear anywhere from newspapers and magazines to billboards and textbooks. Much of their time is spent selecting locations and equipment, arranging lighting, positioning subjects and composing pictures.

Photographers may work and specialise in any of the following areas:

• General Practice - The work includes family portraits, school groups and weddings. They may also work for local businesses such as estate and advertising agencies.
• Advertising - Fashion and editorial photographers are commissioned by advertising agencies, magazines or design groups, often working with models, stylists and lighting technicians.
• Newspapers - Press photographers work mainly for local or regional newspapers, as a member of staff or freelance.
• Medical - Specialist photographers take photographs of operations, experiments and postmortems for diagnostic and scientific purposes.
• Scientific and Technical - Photographers use special techniques to record experiments for research and government organisations.
• Industrial and Commercial - Photographers record industrial processes, machinery and buildings for research purposes or for corporate literature and publicity material.
• Police or Forensic - Photographers record scenes of crime or traffic accidents for investigative purposes, and may also produce pictures for the press.
• Service Photographers - particularly in the Royal Air Force (RAF).

Most photographers work unsociable and irregular hours, including evenings and weekends. Some jobs may involve working many hours at a time.

They work in many different environments - indoors in a studio or laboratory, or outdoors in all weather. Some may have to take photographs from heights.

All location work involves some travel and time spent away from home, and editorial and fashion photographers may need to travel abroad. A driving licence is an advantage.

Photographers may also need to lift and carry heavy equipment.

Education and Training

It is common to start as a photographer’s assistant, particularly in general practice, advertising, fashion and editorial photography. Many new entrants have completed courses in photography, but this is not always necessary. Others start through an apprenticeship, or as trainees in specialist fields such as medical photography. No formal academic qualifications are required for entry into the RAF as a trainee.

A portfolio of work is essential and should be relevant, well presented and contain between 10 and 15 photographs.

There is a large range of courses available for which the entry requirements differ considerably. For example:

• City & Guilds courses have no entry requirements.
• BTEC national certificates and diplomas require applicants to have four GCSE's/S grades (A-C/1-3) or the equivalent.
• HNC/HND applicants need one or two A levels/H grades and some GCSE's/S grades or the equivalent.
• Specialist degree and HND courses require two or three A levels/H grades and five GCSE's/S grades (A-C/1-3), or equivalent qualifications.

For trainee posts in medical photography employers prefer four or five GCSE's/S grades (A-C/1-3), possibly including English, maths and a science. Some may also require photography qualifications.

Some police forces take on trainees, normally with five GCSE's/S grades (A-C/1-3).

Adult Entry

There are no upper age limits, and adults with a strong interest in photography may be able to develop a freelance business or studio. They are most likely to succeed in general practice, where maturity and social skills can be an asset.

Colleges may waive their normal entry requirements.

Training

Some specialist areas of photography have formal training schemes, but on the whole there is no set training pattern. Many photographers gain experience, qualifications and contacts by working as an assistant. They would start work and then train on the job, often working towards City & Guilds qualifications such as the Certificate in Basic Photography Level, Progression Awards in Photography at Level 2 and 3 and a Higher Professional Diploma in Photo Imaging. They can also use these studies to work towards obtaining a Royal Photographic Society’s Distinction.

Apprenticeships may be available. An apprentice could progress towards NVQ's/SVQ's in Photography, or Digital Imaging and Photography at Levels 2, 3 and 4, or a foundation course in Art and Design or Photography.

Press photography offers a structured training scheme. Photographers may train for the National Council for the Training of Journalists National Certificate in Press Photography, or an NVQ/SVQ Level 4 in Newspaper Journalism (Press Photography).

Trainee medical photographers may study for the Medical Photography Examination available from the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP) or Institute of Medical Illustrators, while working in hospitals.

Apprenticeships which may be available in England are Young Apprenticeships, Pre-Apprenticeships, Apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships. To find out which one is most appropriate log onto www.apprenticeships.org.uk or contact your local Connexions Partnership.

There are different arrangements for Apprenticeships in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. For further information contact Careers Scotland www.careers-scotland.org.uk, Careers Wales www.careerswales.com and for Northern Ireland contact COIU www.delni.gov.uk.

Personal Qualities

• Need to be creative, with a good eye for a picture.
• Must be able to meet deadlines and have good commercial awareness.
• Have good hand/eye co-ordination.
• Must have technical aptitude and be able to keep abreast of changing technologies.
• Should possess a practical problem-solving approach and have an understanding of copyright law.
• Must be extremely patient when dealing with photographic clients.
• Need to understand reproduction and printing techniques.
• Must possess good computer skills.

Prospects

Employers such as the services, police, Civil Service or research centres have formal promotion structures, although prospects are limited as departments are small.

Some assistants become partners or are hired as photographers in the studio.

Press photographers can move to a national paper or magazine and then gain seniority within the team.

For self-employed photographers success depends on building up a business, a network of contacts and a good reputation.

Get Further Information

The Association of Photographers, 81 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4QS
Tel: 020 7739 6669  Website: www.the-aop.org

British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP), Fox Talbot House, Amwell End, Ware, Hertfordshire SG12 9HN  Tel: 01920 464011  Website: www.bipp.com

Institute of Medical Illustrators  Website: www.imi.org.uk

The Royal Photographic Society (RPS), Fenton House, 122 Wells Road, Bath BA2 1DN
Tel: 01225 462841  Website: www.rps.org

Skillset, Prospect House, 80-110 New Oxford Street, London WC1A 1HB
Tel: 020 7520 5751  Website: www.skillset.org/careers

 

Careers information and vocational qualifications change rapidly. The information in this career note was accurate at the time of going to print, but readers should check it with professional bodies or careers advisers before making decisions.