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Photographers

It's a bright outlook for

This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Learn more about what they do.

Photograph people, landscapes, merchandise, or other subjects. May use lighting equipment to enhance a subject's appearance. May use editing software to produce finished images and prints. Includes commercial and industrial photographers, scientific photographers, and photojournalists.

Related: Art Directors Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, & Illustrators Graphic Designers Photographic Process Workers & Processing Machine Operators Special Effects Artists & Animators

Industries: Professional, Science, & Technical

Summary
Details

Employ a variety of specialized photographic materials and techniques, including infrared and ultraviolet films, macro photography, photogrammetry and sensitometry.
Send film to photofinishing laboratories for processing.
Load and unload film.
Engage in research to develop new photographic procedures and materials.
Write photograph captions.
Transfer photographs to computers for editing, archiving, and electronic transmission.
Test equipment prior to use to ensure that it is in good working order.
Select and assemble equipment and required background properties, according to subjects, materials, and conditions.
Develop and print exposed film, using chemicals, touch-up tools, and developing and printing equipment.
License the use of photographs through stock photo agencies.
Perform maintenance tasks necessary to keep equipment working properly.
Send film to photofinishing laboratories for processing.
Set up photographic exhibitions for the purpose of displaying and selling work.
Use traditional or digital cameras, along with a variety of equipment, such as tripods, filters, and flash attachments.
Perform general office duties, such as scheduling appointments, keeping books, and ordering supplies.
Estimate or measure light levels, distances, and numbers of exposures needed, using measuring devices and formulas.
Enhance, retouch, and resize photographs and negatives, using airbrushing and other techniques.
Create artificial light, using flashes and reflectors.
Mount, frame, laminate, or lacquer finished photographs.
Manipulate and enhance scanned or digital images to create desired effects, using computers and specialized software.
Review sets of photographs to select the best work.
Determine project goals, locations, and equipment needs by studying assignments and consulting with clients or advertising staff.
Adjust apertures, shutter speeds, and camera focus according to a combination of factors, such as lighting, field depth, subject motion, film type, and film speed.
Determine desired images and picture composition, selecting and adjusting subjects, equipment, and lighting to achieve desired effects.
Take pictures of individuals, families, and small groups, either in studio or on location.
Set up, mount, or install photographic equipment and cameras.
Produce computer-readable, digital images from film, using flatbed scanners and photofinishing laboratories.
Develop and print exposed film, using chemicals, touch-up tools, and developing and printing equipment.
Select and assemble equipment and required background properties, according to subjects, materials, and conditions.
Direct activities of workers setting up photographic equipment.
Develop visual aids and charts for use in lectures or to present evidence in court.
Perform general office duties, such as scheduling appointments, keeping books, and ordering supplies.

Learning Strategies
- Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Troubleshooting
- Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Management of Personnel Resources
- Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Operation and Control
- Using equipment or systems.
Programming
- Writing computer programs.
Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Speaking
- Talking to others.
Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Judgment and Decision Making
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Time Management
- Managing your time and the time of other people.
Instructing
- Teaching people how to do something.
Equipment Selection
- Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Management of Material Resources
- Managing equipment and materials.
Negotiation
- Bringing people together to solve differences.
Active Learning
- Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Monitoring
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Social Perceptiveness
- Understanding people's reactions.
Coordination
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Technology Design
- Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Systems Analysis
- Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Systems Evaluation
- Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Management of Financial Resources
- Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Persuasion
- Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Equipment Maintenance
- Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Service Orientation
- Looking for ways to help people.
Operations Analysis
- Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Quality Control Analysis
- Testing how well a product or service works.
Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
Mathematics
- Using math to solve problems.
Science
- Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

Time Sharing
- Doing two or more things at the same time.
Auditory Attention
- Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Oral Expression
- Communicating by speaking.
Manual Dexterity
- Holding or moving items with your hands.
Perceptual Speed
- Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Reaction Time
- Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Speed of Limb Movement
- Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Static Strength
- Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Dynamic Strength
- Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Near Vision
- Seeing details up close.
Far Vision
- Seeing details that are far away.
Written Comprehension
- Reading and understanding what is written.
Problem Sensitivity
- Noticing when problems happen.
Trunk Strength
- Using your lower back and stomach.
Visual Color Discrimination
- Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Stamina
- Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Rate Control
- Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Gross Body Equilibrium
- Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Response Orientation
- Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Memorization
- Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Mathematical Reasoning
- Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Visualization
- Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Inductive Reasoning
- Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Originality
- Creating new and original ideas.
Deductive Reasoning
- Using rules to solve problems.
Oral Comprehension
- Listening and understanding what people say.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Hearing Sensitivity
- Telling the difference between sounds.
Depth Perception
- Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Dynamic Flexibility
- Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Sound Localization
- Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Information Ordering
- Ordering or arranging things.
Spatial Orientation
- Knowing where things are around you.
Finger Dexterity
- Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Wrist-Finger Speed
- Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Explosive Strength
- Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Night Vision
- Seeing at night or under low light.
Extent Flexibility
- Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Speech Clarity
- Speaking clearly.
Selective Attention
- Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Flexibility of Closure
- Seeing hidden patterns.
Speed of Closure
- Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Number Facility
- Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Gross Body Coordination
- Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Multilimb Coordination
- Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Glare Sensitivity
- Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Speech Recognition
- Recognizing spoken words.
Written Expression
- Communicating by writing.
Fluency of Ideas
- Coming up with lots of ideas.
Control Precision
- Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Category Flexibility
- Grouping things in different ways.
Peripheral Vision
- Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

Biology
- Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Administrative
- Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Administration and Management
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Design
- Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Mathematics
- Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Law and Government
- Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Fine Arts
- Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Customer and Personal Service
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Production and Processing
- Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Food Production
- Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Chemistry
- Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Sociology and Anthropology
- Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
History and Archeology
- Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Geography
- Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Physics
- Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Education and Training
- Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
English Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Therapy and Counseling
- Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Foreign Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Medicine and Dentistry
- Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Public Safety and Security
- Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Transportation
- Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Engineering and Technology
- Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Sales and Marketing
- Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Computers and Electronics
- Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Building and Construction
- Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Economics and Accounting
- Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Telecommunications
- Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Communications and Media
- Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Philosophy and Theology
- Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Psychology
- Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Mechanical
- Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Personnel and Human Resources
- Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

1 to 12 months on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

Washington Annual Salary

44580/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

21.44/hr

Currently Employed

3,770

Yearly Projected Openings

340

Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:

Innovation
Attention to Detail
Dependability
Adaptability
Perseverance
Initiative

Atmospheric effect apparatus
Bubble machine
Camera controllers
Camera enclosures or covers
Camera flashes or lighting
Camera lens
Camera lens cleaners
Camera lens filter
Camera tripods
Compact disc CD or labeling printers
Contact printer
Digital cameras
Digital image printers
Digital pen
Dimmers and accessories
Dye sublimination printers
Electronic viewfinder
Film driers
Film washers
Flash memory storage card
Global positioning system GPS receiver
Graphics tablets
Handheld thermometer
Inkjet printers
Label making machines
Laser printers
Loupes
Lux or light meter
Multimedia projectors
Notebook computers
Personal computers
Photo print dryer
Photo print washer
Photographic enlargers
Photographic timer
Photography light reflector
Scanners
Still cameras
Tablet computers
Wireless network interface cards

Accounting software
Calendar and scheduling software
Cloud-based data access and sharing software
Data base user interface and query software
Desktop publishing software
Document management software
Electronic mail software
Graphics or photo imaging software
Instant messaging software
Internet browser software
Operating system software
Spreadsheet software
Video creation and editing software
Web page creation and editing software
Word processing software

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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