Photographers
On the Job
Photographers take pictures of a variety of things, either in a studio or on location. They work with photographic equipment. They need to understand things like lighting, field depth, subject motion, film type, and film speed.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Create computer-generated graphics or animation.
- Convert data among multiple digital or analog formats.
- Obtain copyrights or other legal permissions.
- Research new technologies.
- Review art or design materials.
- Determine technical requirements of productions or projects.
- Select materials or props.
- Apply finishes to artwork, crafts, or displays.
- Arrange artwork, products, or props.
- Construct distinctive physical objects for artistic, functional, or commercial purposes.
Typical Working Conditions
- Using e-mail.
- High levels of competition.
- Freedom to make decisions without supervision.
- Meeting strict deadlines.
- The freedom to determine tasks, priorities, and goals.
- Working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions.
- Dealing with external customers.
- Using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.

This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.