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Tell me about it
Professional photographers usually specialise in one particular
area of work, such as fashion, newspaper, medical or high street
photography. Photographer is a blanket term, used to cover several
different occupations in which the common factor is that a camera
is used to record people, places, events or objects. The exact nature
of the work depends very much on the specialism and determines the
subject matter of the photographs being taken.
Photographers' 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.
They may specialise in one of the following areas:
· Fashion - working with models, stylists and lighting technicians
for advertising agencies, magazines or design groups
· Newspaper - working for local, regional or national newspapers,
as a member of staff or freelance
· Medical - taking photographs of operations, experiments
and post-mortems for diagnostic and scientific purposes
· High street or general practice - taking family portraits,
school groups and weddings, and working for local businesses such
as estate and advertising agencies
There are also specialist police photographers and others who work
in science, industry and commerce.
Entry level
It is common to start as a photographer's assistant, particularly
in high street, 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.
A portfolio of work is essential. The subject matter should reflect
the specialist professional area for which you are applying, so
you should avoid such things as holiday snaps, sunsets and family
photographs. A dozen or so well-presented prints or transparencies
should be enough at this stage.
Entry requirements for photography courses vary enormously. City
& Guilds courses, for example, have no entry requirements; BTEC
national certificates and diplomas require four GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3)
or the equivalent; HNC/HND courses look for one or two A levels/H
grades and some GCSEs/S grades or the equivalent; Specialist degree
and HND courses require two or three A levels/H grades and five
GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3), or equivalent qualifications.
For trainee posts in medical photography employers prefer four
or five GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3), possibly including English, maths
and a science. Some may also require photography qualifications.
The basic requirement for the press photographer training scheme
is five GCSE/S Grade passes at (A-C/1-3), including English, or
a further education course in photography. Some police forces take
on trainees, normally with five GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3).
Making the grade
Training can be formal or informal, depending on your specialist
area. As a trainee medical photographer, for example, you would
study part-time, while working in a hospital, for the Medical Photography
Examination available from the British Institute of Professional
Photography or the Institute of Medical Illustrators. Similarly,
as a trainee newspaper photographer, you would work towards the
National Council for the Training of Journalists National Certificate
in Press Photography, or an NVQ/SVQ Level 4 in Newspaper Journalism
(Press Photography). On the other hand, your training as an advertising
or fashion photographer could be entirely on-the-job, starting with
odd jobs in the studio such as messenger work or tea making.
At the higher end of qualification levels, the Professional Qualifying
Examination (PQE) of the British Institute of Professional Photography
enjoys a good reputation among employers. The PQE can be combined
with a degree or higher national diploma and is beginning to break
down the traditional resistance of many employers to photography
graduates.
Some assistant photographers 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.
Personal qualities
Given that most professional photographers are self-employed, you
would need a high level of self-confidence, allied to creative talent
and driving ambition, to survive in such fiercely competitive areas
as advertising or fashion photography. Even in a high street studio,
you would need good business skills and the ability to communicate
effectively. While you need a good eye for colour and composition,
qualities such as punctuality, patience and reliability are also
important. You should be skilled in digital imaging technology and
the use of computers, as photography is rapidly changing to accommodate
these developments. As a medical photographer, you would need knowledge
of anatomy and physiology.
Looking ahead
Photography is a very competitive occupation. There are about 25,000
professional photographers in the UK, and most are self-employed.
It is particularly hard to find an opening in fashion, advertising
or press photography and vacancies are rarely advertised. Starting
as an assistant and gradually building up a network of personal
contacts is often the only way to proceed. Once you are established
in the profession, a combination of talent and perseverance can
open the door to lucrative contracts. For those who want the security
of a structured career path, medical photography may be the route
to pursue.
Alternative suggestions
Other possibilities might include artist/illustrator, fashion designer,
graphic designer, journalist, publisher or TV/Film camera operator.
Take-home pay
You may have to start as an assistant photographer on an extremely
low starting salary, perhaps earning in the region of £10,000
to £11,000. The usual range of salaries for young photographers
is between £12,000 and £22,000, although successful
photographers in fashion, advertising or working for the national
press can earn much more. Salaries at the top end of the profession
range from around £35,000 to £70,000 and considerably
more for those few photographers who become household names. Freelance
photographers can earn from around £150 to £600 a day.
Effects
Most photographers work unsocial and irregular hours, including
evenings and weekends. Medical and industrial photographers would
keep much more regular hours.
Sources of information
Association of Photographers:
www.the-aop.org
British Institute of Professional Photography:
www.bipp.com
Institute of Medical Illustrators:
www.imi.org.uk
Royal Photographic Society:
www.rps.org
SkillsforMedia:
www.skillsformedia.com
British Association of Picture Libraries and Agencies: www.bapla.org.uk
Bureau of Freelance Photographers: www.thebfp.com
Master Photographers Association:
www.thempa.com/
Photography Alliance of Great Britain: www.pagb-photography-uk.co.uk
CRCI: PC
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