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Photographers
Photograph people, landscapes, merchandise, or other subjects. May use lighting equipment to enhance a subject's appearance. May use editing software to produce finished images and prints. Includes commercial and industrial photographers, scientific photographers, and photojournalists.
- Median pay
- $42,520
- per year
- 10-year outlook
- +1.8%
- Stable
- Typical entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
Key skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Service Orientation
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
What they do
- Adjust apertures, shutter speeds, and camera focus according to a combination of factors, such as lighting, field depth, subject motion, film type, and film speed.
- Create artificial light, using flashes and reflectors.
- Determine desired images and picture composition, selecting and adjusting subjects, equipment, and lighting to achieve desired effects.
- Transfer photographs to computers for editing, archiving, and electronic transmission.
- Use traditional or digital cameras, along with a variety of equipment, such as tripods, filters, and flash attachments.
- Manipulate and enhance scanned or digital images to create desired effects, using computers and specialized software.
- Take pictures of individuals, families, and small groups, either in studio or on location.
- Enhance, retouch, and resize photographs and negatives, using airbrushing and other techniques.
- Test equipment prior to use to ensure that it is in good working order.
- Estimate or measure light levels, distances, and numbers of exposures needed, using measuring devices and formulas.
Majors that lead here
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections) and O*NET, used under CC BY 4.0.