Photographer Kaitango Whakaahua

Photographers take photographs of people, places, products or events.

Photographers may do some or all of the following:

• use digital camera and lighting equipment
• work out ideas for photo shoots
  
• arrange cameras, lights, locations, props and models
  
• digitally process and edit photos for print or web
• manage and market their own businesses
• plan, produce and edit video footage. 

Subject Recommendations

There are no specific secondary education requirements to become a photographer, but useful subjects include visual arts, art history, digital technologies, design and visual communication, mathematics and statistics, and English.

Related Careers

Photographers may progress to set up their own photography business, or move between areas of photography – for example, from photojournalism to teaching. Further training may be needed to move into some areas.

Photographers may specialise in a particular area of photography, such as:

• advertising, food, fashion and editorial
  
• artistic – producing photographic artworks for sale or exhibition
  
• corporate and commercial
  
• press, sports photography and photojournalism
  
• medical photography
  
• social, including weddings and portraits
• stills photography – working in the film industry taking photos for marketing
• photographic styling
  
• photographic retouching – creating an illusion or enhancing or correcting photographs.  

Many photographers need to work in more than one area to make a living.