The day of a photographer may seem at first glance, a pretty amazing and easy job-but there is a lot that goes into the day to day duties of a photographer-regardless of what type of photographer he is and what industry he has chosen to work for. If you are considering becoming a professional photographer, one of the most important things you should know is what the general duties are of a photographer, so you can best gauge if this is the right career path and field for you. Below, we offer a review of the most general duties of a professional photographer for your convenience.
Though it may seem from TV and books, photographers just point and shoot, and collect the paycheck; a lot more goes into the art and technical function of taking photos. While every industry that employs a photographer for their needs varies in their daily duties and included tasks and responsibilities, there are a basic set of general duties that a professional and successful photographer must do.
The first thing that any one should understand in connection to the duties and responsibilities of a photographer is that adequate training and education is required. It is not enough to just enjoy and have an eye for taking photos; you must have professional training with the camera and methodology. Once the correct training has been completed, the following tasks and duties can be expected of a professional photographer-on a general basis:Camera gear maintenanceCamera gear updating as technology requires to stay competitiveLighting setupProduct/model preparation and placementNegotiating with art directors, stylists, and other professionals involvedMaintaining project and ongoing budgetsModel selectionKeeping updated on newest technology and method in the industryKnowledge of all types of photography equipmentLocation selection and setupAcquiring and positioning props for shootsPlanning and implementation of background/backdropMaintaining all administrative aspects-billing and accountingSupervision of assistantsNegotiation with clients and customer serviceAdvertising and promoting for new client workEditing and developing photos online or in a dark roomRenting space for photo shootsHiring models and assistants
Of course, all of these responsibilities are general and certainly do not include everything that a photographer may be responsible for on a daily basis. Depending on the industry that a photographer is in, they may very well be responsible for traveling to various locations for shoots, getting more industry specific technology, and lots of research.
