• Photographers produce and preserve images that paint a picture, tell a story, or record an event.
• To create commercial-quality photographs, photographers need technical expertise, creativity, and the appropriate professional equipment.
• Producing a successful picture requires choosing and presenting a subject to achieve a particular effect, and selecting the right cameras and other photographic enhancing tools.
• For example, photographers may enhance the subject's appearance with natural or artificial light, shoot the subject from an interesting angle, draw attention to a particular aspect of the subject by blurring the background, or use various lenses to produce desired levels of detail at various distances from the subject.
• Today, most photographers use digital cameras instead of traditional silver-halide film cameras, although some photographers use both types, depending on their own preference and the nature of the assignment.
• Regardless of the camera they use, photographers also employ an array of other equipment—from lenses, filters, and tripods to flash attachments and specially constructed lighting equipment—to improve the quality of their work.
• Digital cameras capture images electronically, allowing them to be edited on a computer. Images can be stored on portable memory devices such as compact disks, memory cards, and flash drives.
• Once the raw image has been transferred to a computer, photographers can use processing software to crop or modify the image and enhance it through colour correction and other specialized effects.
• As soon as a photographer has finished editing the image, it can be sent anywhere in the world over the Internet.
• Photographers also can create electronic portfolios of their work and display them on their own webpage, allowing them to reach prospective customers directly.
• Digital technology also allows the production of larger, more colourful, and more accurate prints or images for use in advertising, photographic art, and scientific research. Photographers who process their own digital images need to be proficient in the use of computers, high-quality printers, and editing software.
• Photographers who use cameras with silver-halide film often send their film to laboratories for processing.
• Colour film requires expensive equipment and exacting conditions for correct processing and printing.
• Other photographers, especially those using black and white film or creating special effects, develop and print their own photographs using their own fully equipped darkrooms.
• Photographers who develop their own film must invest in additional developing and printing equipment and acquire the technical skills to operate it.
• Some photographers specialize in areas such as portrait, commercial and industrial, scientific, news, or fine arts photography.
• Portrait photographers take pictures of individuals or groups of people and usually work in their own studios.
  • Some specialize in weddings, religious ceremonies, or school photographs and they may work on location.
  • Portrait photographers who own and operate their own business have many responsibilities in addition to taking pictures.
  • They must arrange for advertising, schedule appointments, set and adjust equipment, purchase supplies, keep records, bill customers, pay bills, and—if they have employees—hire, train, and direct their workers.
  • Many also process their own images, design albums, and mount and frame the finished photographs.
• Commercial and industrial photographers take pictures of various subjects, such as buildings, models, merchandise, artifacts, and landscapes.
  • These photographs are used in a variety of media, including books, reports, advertisements, and catalogs.
  • Industrial photographers often take pictures of equipment, machinery, products, workers, and company officials. The pictures are used for various purposes—for example, analysis of engineering projects, publicity, or records of equipment development or deployment.
  • This photography frequently is done on location.
• Scientific photographers take images of a variety of subjects to record scientific or medical data or phenomena, using knowledge of scientific procedures. They typically possess additional knowledge in areas such as engineering, medicine, biology, or chemistry.
• News photographers also called photojournalists, photograph newsworthy people, places, and sporting, political, and community events for newspapers, journals, magazines, or television.
• Fine arts photographers sell their photographs as fine artwork. In addition to technical proficiency, fine arts photographers need artistic talent and creativity.
• Self-employed, or freelance, photographers usually specialize in one of the above fields.
• In addition to carrying out assignments under direct contract with clients, they may license the use of their photographs through stock-photo agencies or market their work directly to the public.
• Stock-photo agencies sell magazines and other customers the right to use photographs, and pay the photographer a commission.
• These agencies require an application from the photographer and a sizable portfolio of pictures. Once accepted, photographers usually are required to submit a large number of new photographs each year.
• Self-employed photographers must also have a thorough understanding of copyright laws in order to protect their work.
• Most photographers spend only a small portion of their work schedule actually taking photographs. Their most common activities are editing images on a computer—if they use a digital camera—and looking for new business—if they are self-employed.

• Moreover, growth of Internet versions of magazines, journals, and newspapers will require increasing numbers of commercial photographers to provide digital images.
• The Internet and improved data management programs also should make it easier for freelancers to market directly to their customers, increasing opportunities for self-employment and decreasing reliance on stock photo agencies.
• Job growth, however, will be constrained somewhat by the widespread use of digital photography and the falling price of digital equipment.
• Improvements in digital technology reduce barriers of entry into this profession and allow more individual consumers and businesses to produce, store, and access photographic images on their own.
• News and commercial photographers may be the most adversely affected by this increase in amateur photographers and non-copyrighted photos.
• Photographers can expect keen competition for job openings because the work is attractive to many people.
• The number of individuals interested in positions as commercial and news photographers is usually much greater than the number of openings.
• Salaried jobs in particular may be difficult to find as more companies contract with freelancers rather than hire their own photographers.
• Those who succeed in landing a salaried job or attracting enough work to earn a living by freelancing are likely to be adept at operating a business and to be among the most creative.
• They will be able to find and exploit the new opportunities available from rapidly changing technologies.
• Related work experience, job-related training, or some unique skill or talent—such as a background in computers or electronics or knowledge of a second language—also improve a photographer's job prospects.

Other occupations requiring artistic talent and creativity include Architects, except landscape and naval; Artists and related workers; Commercial and industrial designers; Fashion designers; Graphic designers; Television, video, and motion picture camera operators and editors.

Photojournalists are often required to cover news stories much the same as News analyst, reporters and correspondents.

The processing work that photographers do on computers is similar to the work of Desktop publishers; Prepress technicians and workers.

• Entry-level positions in photojournalism or in industrial or scientific photography generally require a college degree in photography or in a field related to the industry in which the photographer seeks employment.
• Entry-level freelance or portrait photographers need technical proficiency. Some complete a college degree or vocational training programs.