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There are several photography niches that you could specialise in, all of which provide a slightly different environment in which to showcase your photography skills. But ultimately, being a photographer is about expressing emotion and stories through photos to fit a client’s brief. You’ll build a portfolio of work throughout your studies and working life and develop a personal style and client base.

What does a photographer do?

A photographer’s main objective is to take photographs that match the brief of their client or employer. For example, a wildlife photographer may be tasked with capturing images of a rare animal in the wild for a nature publication, while a sports photographer may be employed by a news outlet to get photos of local football matches.

Depending on the type of photographer you are, and what your subject matter is, you could do some or all of the following tasks as part of your job:

• Arranging subjects and background settings
• Setting up photography equipment and capturing still images on camera
• Editing photos after they’ve been taken
• Finding photoshoot locations
• Printing images
• Marketing and advertising your service
• Sourcing new clients
• Receiving, understanding and discussing client briefs
• Compiling photo albums
• Selling pieces of work
• Keeping up to date with industry trends, developments and new techniques
• Constantly updating and adding to your portfolio
• Building a network of contacts 

What’s it like to work as a photographer?

As we’ve said, professional photographers can work in a variety of specialisms, including:

• Fashion
• Sports
• Travel
• Social events
• Journalism
• Nature and wildlife
• Landscapes
• Food
• Corporate

Each specialism will present different work environments, conditions and schedules to some extent. For example, travel and wildlife photographers may spend a lot of time on the road and in multiple countries in various landscapes, whereas a food photographer will likely have a more controlled work environment.

Many photographers work on a self-employed basis, managing a client base and working to individual, specific briefs. If this is the case, you’ll need to manage and market your operation, promoting yourself to clients to get work. As such, there’s often a networking element to being a successful photographer, in addition to the technical side of things.

In general, hours can be long and unpredictable. For instance, you may be booked for a shoot that runs for longer than expected for external reasons. You may also have to work unsociable hours, as social events, like weddings, and sports matches are often held at weekends. Certain photoshoots, for example in the arts, are often held in the evening and at night-time.

If you’re a freelance or self-employed photographer, you may go through either quiet or particularly busy periods and you’ll need to manage these extremes.

Whether working freelance or for an employer, you may be expected to work outside and in adverse weather conditions or remote locations. In some industries, like journalism, you may also find yourself in potentially risky situations, such as war zones. Of course, you’ll only find yourself in these extreme situations if you choose to enter certain photography careers.

Job security isn’t always high, especially early on in a career, and there’s often a lot of competition for work. However, being a photographer is rewarding as it provides a creative outlet and results that you can often be proud of.

What skills do you need to be a photographer?

To become a professional photographer, and enjoy a successful career, you’ll need to be creative, patient and persistent in your approach to capturing images. Other skills that you’ll need could include:

• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to juggle workloads and meet deadlines
• Independent working
• An eye for detail
• Creative vision
• Building a client base
• Technical skills and ability to use different photography equipment and industry-standard software
• Communication
• Organisation

How much does a photographer earn?

How much you earn as a photographer depends on various factors, including whether you decide to work as an employed photographer or on a freelance basis. Entry-level salaries in full-time employment usually range between £16,000 and £22,000, rising to anything between £25,000 and £65,000 as you get more experience and build a reputation.

If you decide to work freelance, how much you earn will depend on your skills as a photographer and how good you are at promoting your service, winning business and retaining clients. You’ll also have to decide what rates you charge your clients during each stage of your career.

How to become a photographer

Study a photography degree

Doing a photography degree will give you the necessary tools to go into a career taking photos and will likely cover areas like the principles of photography, photography techniques and professional practice. You’ll also have the chance to build a portfolio and showcase it to the public and employers.

Photography degree courses are available from various unis, like the University of Arts London (UAL), London South Bank University and the University of Brighton. Most degrees last three years and some may offer a foundation year, giving you the opportunity to get to the required level of skill and knowledge before the first year of the degree. Some photography degrees are accredited by professional bodies like the Association of Photographers (AOP).

After completing your undergraduate degree, you’ll be able to find plenty of postgraduate opportunities if you want to continue your studies, increase your knowledge and continue to build your portfolio. In general, a full-time master’s degree will take between one and two years to complete.

If you decide to study photography at uni, we’d recommend getting as much practical work experience as possible at the same time. This will allow you to add to your portfolio and will look good to employers.

Other photography courses

Another potential route into becoming a photographer is by taking a specialist course or workshop. These can be online or in-person and vary in length, although they tend to be much shorter than a university degree. You may choose to select a handful of courses that are especially useful for the type of photography you want to go into.

Work experience

Alongside your training you could reach out to established photographers or firms to ask for the opportunity to gain some work experience or do some shadowing. This is a great way of learning about the craft, adding to your portfolio and building your professional network.

A good way to find relevant experience is to approach photographers online, via Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn, to see if they require help at any upcoming shoots. Even if this only leads to a day or two of work experience, it could be valuable. 

It’s also a good idea to start your own blog or website to upload your own work to and help find work experience opportunities. If you manage to build a great portfolio of experience, an employer may not be so concerned with whether you’ve got professional qualifications or not.

Read more about being a photographer on our careers profile.

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