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.

  • Use traditional or digital cameras, along with a variety of equipment, such as tripods, filters, and flash attachments.
  • Determine desired images and picture composition, selecting and adjusting subjects, equipment, and lighting to achieve desired effects.
  • 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.
  • Manipulate and enhance scanned or digital images to create desired effects, using computers and specialized software.
  • Transfer photographs to computers for editing, archiving, and electronic transmission.
  • Determine project goals, locations, and equipment needs by studying assignments and consulting with clients or advertising staff.
  • Review sets of photographs to select the best work.
  • Perform general office duties, such as scheduling appointments, keeping books, and ordering supplies.
  • Estimate or measure light levels, distances, and numbers of exposures needed, using measuring devices and formulas.
  • Test equipment prior to use to ensure that it is in good working order.
  • Set up, mount, or install photographic equipment and cameras.
  • Select and assemble equipment and required background properties, according to subjects, materials, and conditions.
  • Take pictures of individuals, families, and small groups, either in studio or on location.
  • Direct activities of workers setting up photographic equipment.
  • Perform maintenance tasks necessary to keep equipment working properly.
  • Produce computer-readable, digital images from film, using flatbed scanners and photofinishing laboratories.
  • Develop and print exposed film, using chemicals, touch-up tools, and developing and printing equipment.
  • Enhance, retouch, and resize photographs and negatives, using airbrushing and other techniques.
  • Develop visual aids and charts for use in lectures or to present evidence in court.
  • Load and unload film.
  • Employ a variety of specialized photographic materials and techniques, including infrared and ultraviolet films, macro photography, photogrammetry and sensitometry.
  • Engage in research to develop new photographic procedures and materials.
  • Write photograph captions.
  • Mount, frame, laminate, or lacquer finished photographs.
  • Send film to photofinishing laboratories for processing.
  • Set up photographic exhibitions for the purpose of displaying and selling work.
  • License the use of photographs through stock photo agencies.
  • Photograph legal evidence at crime scenes, in hospitals, or in forensic laboratories.
Work Context
  • Electronic Mail — 88% responded "Every day".
  • Telephone — 72% responded "Every day".
  • Level of Competition — 64% responded "Extremely competitive".
  • Freedom to Make Decisions — 44% responded "A lot of freedom".
  • Face-to-Face Discussions — 43% responded "Once a week or more but not every day".
  • Contact With Others — 58% responded "Contact with others most of the time".
  • Time Pressure — 60% responded "Once a week or more but not every day".
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Work Activities
  • Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
  • Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Selling or Influencing Others — Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
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Detailed Work Activities
  • Convert data among multiple digital or analog formats.
  • Write informational material.
  • Operate still or video cameras or related equipment.
  • Set up still or video cameras or related equipment.
  • Operate still or video cameras or related equipment.
  • Set up still or video cameras or related equipment.
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Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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Skills

Active Listening
  • Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
  • Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Social Perceptiveness
  • Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Service Orientation
  • Actively looking for ways to help people.
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Abilities

Oral Comprehension
  • The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
  • The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Visualization
  • The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Originality
  • The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
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Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Persistence
  • Initiative
  • Leadership
  • Cooperation
  • Concern for Others
  • Social Orientation
  • Self Control
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Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Document management software
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat Hot Technology
Graphics or photo imaging software
  • SmugMug Flickr Hot Technology
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Cloud Hot Technology
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop Hot Technology
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator Hot Technology
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
Word processing software
  • Microsoft Word Hot Technology
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