- customer service skills
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work well with others
- knowledge of the fine arts
- to be flexible and open to change
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- the ability to work well with your hands
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
Your daily tasks may include:
- discussing a project with the client and agreeing the 'brief'
- finding and preparing the location for the photo session
- choosing the right equipment and setting up lighting
- composing and taking photos
- using industry software to edit and process images
- checking accurate colour match and image quality
- choosing the best images for the client to use online or in print
- promoting and running your business
You could work in a creative studio.
Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers and physically demanding.
Many photographers are freelance and you could do a mix of contract work and following your own interests. You could extend your range into other areas of photography like product, property, aerial or corporate work. With training, you could also work as a press or police photographer.
If you do specialist qualifications, you could find jobs in medical photography or illustration.
You may decide to become self-employed and set up your own business.
Photography is very competitive, so you'll need creativity and technical skills to make money. You'll also need finance for equipment, a space to work in, and some business and admin skills.
You could increase your income by selling your images independently.
You can find out more about becoming a photographer through the British Institute of Professional Photography.
You can get more details on working in creative careers from Discover Creative Careers.
