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Art and Design
Photography
Photography is not just a way of producing pleasing or attention-grabbing images: it is an essential tool in industrial and scientific research. Although it is a very competitive business, there are entry points at all levels.
Advertising and Editorial Work
This is a major field of employment for photographers, but it is also very competitive and standards are high. It is very much a teamwork approach, with a client, art director and photographer working together to get the desired result. Hours, or even days, may be spent discussing the setting up of the right pictures for a big national advertising campaign or magazine feature illustration. Patience and attention to detail, as well as creative flair, and the ability to get on well with people, are important.
A lot of the work is done in the studio, but there will also be a certain amount of location work. Large advertising agencies and magazines may employ staff photographers, but most are freelance, working from their own studio. A first job would probably be as an assistant in a studio.
Fashion Photography
Like advertising and editorial photography, this is a highly competitive and glossy business, working with famous models and designers, producing material for national magazines, newspapers and catalogues. It sounds a very attractive proposition. Top photographers will, however, have a great deal of experience and expertise as well as flair and showmanship. There is a less glossy end to the market, producing work for trade magazines and wholesalers and retailers who want to advertise their products. The work is again mainly in freelance studios, though some large fashion houses and magazines may have house photographers.
Mail Order Firms
This is less glamorous work than fashion or advertising but provides a good source of steady work. A creative approach is needed by the photographer, who will be responsible for setting up each shot. Mail order firms often employ staff photographers, but some work may go to freelance studios.
General practice
This is the work done by photographers whose daily bread comes from weddings, portraits, school photographs, passports and local functions. General practice businesses are usually small - often just one person, or perhaps a photographer, an assistant and a printer. There is sometimes scope for the talented amateur with a small firm, getting experience by helping out on busy weekends when there are too many weddings to handle. Business aptitude and an outgoing personality are as important as photographic ability in this sort of job.
Independent/ Freelance Photography
There is a growing area of activity which is occupied by photographers whose aim is to produce books, exhibit, sell prints and the like. They form part of the freelance arena and often supplement their incomes by photojournalism (see next section), illustrative work or teaching. The work demands initiative and self-reliance, as well as a high degree of creativity.
Industrial work
This covers a wide range of work: a large proportion of the ranks of professional photographers are involved in industry, commerce, scientific work and public services. The work can range from straightforward publicity photographs to very complex high-speed photography, using complicated and expensive equipment. Photography is an essential tool in many aspects of research, development and production. Large firms will employ staff photographers, while freelance firms often specialise in some particular aspect of industrial work.
Video
General practice photographers may wish to learn basic video techniques, because of the growing public demand for this type of visual record of events. For instance, as well as having wedding photographs taken, many couples now like to have a video of their wedding or anniversary party. Video is also becoming increasingly important in advertising and audiovisual presentations. The world of video is quite new, with formal ways of training still being developed. Video production is included in many film and television courses, but photographers are often as well qualified as anyone to move into this work. Certainly in such areas as lighting, camerawork and visual presentation, a trained photographer will have much to offer. Small video production facilities are springing up in many places round the country and the opportunities are there for an interested photographer. As with most creative careers, opportunities are greater in London than elsewhere.
Other photographic work
The Armed Forces offer opportunities for aerial and ground photography, as do some local and central government departments. The police also employ photographers.
