Spotlight: Photography Industry

Photography is a highly competitive field. More than half of the professional photographers in the US are self-employed, which means they are constantly looking for clients and trying to sell their pictures. However, there are many jobs a photographer can land that will help to create job stability.

Photographers are needed at newspapers, magazines, weddings (and other events), in portrait studios, and more. Weekly hours and work environment depend on where a photographer works. Some will work the regular 40 hours a week, while others may work a lot more or a lot less. Photographers who are self-employed have the freedom to work as much or as little as they like, while photo journalists (for newspapers and magazines) have to wait until they can create a story from their pictures, which can take any amount of time.

Patience is certainly a required characteristic for most photographers because they will have to wait for certain conditions to capture the right picture. Whether it comes to catching an action shot of firefighters rescuing a family for tomorrow's newspaper or a photograph of the sunset in Acadia National Park, the photographer needs to wait for the perfect moment; the perfect picture. This usually means taking many pictures from different angles, with different lenses, different films, and different lighting. This can be stressful if you are on a deadline, but certainly not impossible.

Photography is an art, but there are a lot of specifics about cameras, films, lighting, dimensions, and--especially now and increasingly in the future--digital photography and PhotoShop. There is a lot to learn; and employers are looking for people who really understand photography on all of its levels.

Some excellent ways to get involved in the field while gaining your education are to read photography newsletters and magazines, join camera clubs, and work in camera stores or photo studios. Again, the average income of a photographer depends upon the specific job they are interested in; but, in 2000, half of all photographers made between $16, 800 and $33,020. The upper 10% earned more than $47,000.

Photography is a field with many opportunities for artistic, creative people who have an eye for capturing the world around them.