If you are artistic and love taking photographs, this could be a perfect career for you. As a photographer you would use cameras to take still photographs. You would use your technical skills and artistic ideas to take images of people and products. You will also take pictures of places or events.
A photographer is usually a creative person. You’ll also need to be able to make people feel relaxed.
Most professional photographers take a college or university course to develop their technical skills.
Work activities
You would normally specialise in photography for one area or use, such as:
- general or social – weddings and portraits
- advertising and editorial – advertisements, magazines and photo libraries
- press and photojournalism – newspapers and other news publications
- fashion – photographing models and clothing for magazines and catalogues
- corporate (industrial/commercial) – company promotional material
- scientific or medical – recording scientific research, or medical conditions and treatments
With most types of photography, your day-to-day work would include:
- discussing the project with the client, or receiving instructions from them (known as a brief)
- choosing and getting locations ready for the photography session (the shoot)
- selecting the right cameras, film and accessories
- setting up lighting and equipment
- composing and taking shots
- checking image quality
- retouching images - by hand or with digital software such as Photoshop
- processing and printing photos
- marketing and running your business if you are self-employed
Income
Starting salaries for assistant photographers can be between £12,000 and £17,000 a year.
Full-time photographers can earn between £18,000 and £50,000 a year.
Freelance photographers are normally paid a fee for each job, or an hourly or daily rate. Rates can vary widely depending on experience and reputation, the type of assignment and the budget available.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
Entry requirements
Most professional photographers have taken a college or university course to develop their technical skills. Experience and personal contacts in the industry are also important for building a successful career.
There is a wide variety of full- and part-time photography courses at all levels, from beginner to advanced, which could help you to get into this career either as an assistant photographer or by meeting the entry requirements for a higher education course. These include:
- Certificate/Diploma in Photography and Photo Imaging at Levels 2 and 3
- Certificate/Diploma in Photography at Levels 2 and 3
- Certificate/Diploma in Art and Design (photography option) at Levels 2 and 3
A working knowledge of digital software, such as Photoshop and Photoshop Lightroom, would also be useful. Training in these packages is offered by many colleges either as a standalone course or as part of a broader course like those listed above.
Higher education photography courses at foundation degree, HND and degree level are widely available, and you can choose to study aspects of the subject from fine art and documentary through to design and commercial.
To do a higher education course, you will usually need A levels in art, design or media, or a photography or art and design qualification at level 3. You will also need a portfolio of work to demonstrate what you can do and to show your potential.
Courses that offer industry contacts and work placements are especially useful. Some HNDs and degrees include the opportunity to apply for the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP) Licentiateship qualification, and the Association of Photographers (AOP) has links with a number of affiliated colleges Check with providers about course content and entry requirements.
You can search for higher education photography courses on the UCAS website and find details for the BIPP and AOP in the More information section.
Skills, interests and qualities
To become a photographer, you will need to have:
- creativity and a good eye for shape, form and colour
- practical and technical photography skills
- excellent communication and ‘people' skills
- the ability to make people feel relaxed
- patience and concentration
- reliability, and good organisation and time-management skills
- computer skills, for using digital imaging programmes like Photoshop
- good business sense and the ability to market yourself (if self-employed)
- motivation and determination
Hours
variable
Starting salary
£12,000 + per year
Photographic Stylist
As a photographic stylist, you’ll work closely with photographers to create the right ‘look’ and mood for a photo shoot. It will be your job to find props, dress the set and organise everything behind the scenes. If you have a good eye for shape and colour, and you would like to work in photography, this job could suit you.
In this job you would need to have an understanding of photography and lighting. You'll also need good 'people skills'.
Most new photographic stylists get into this job from a fashion, photography or design background. You can learn some of the skills you need by doing a college or university course. It's also important to get as much experience as possible, whether it is through paid employment, a work placement or as a volunteer.
Work activities
You'll usually specialise in one area, such as fashion, interiors, food, advertising or editorial photography. On some jobs you might have plenty of creative freedom, on others you may follow very strict instructions - ‘a brief’.
On a day-to-day basis you may:
- receive a ‘brief’ or instructions from the photographer or art director
- discuss the brief and come up with ideas
- decide on the best clothes, accessories and backgrounds to achieve the desired look
- buy, borrow or hire props, clothing and accessories
- arrange the set
- dress models and make any adjustments so that clothes fit and look good
- keep a stock of fashion or home accessories – you may often contribute your own items to a shoot
- build good relationships with shops, prop suppliers, PR agencies, photographers and models
- keep up to date with trends
In food styling, you’ll buy ingredients, cook the food, before or during the shoot, and display it in an appetising way.
As a fashion stylist, you might work on fashion shows, music videos and TV shows as well as doing photographic work.
Entry requirements
Most photographic stylists come from a fashion, photography or design background. As a food stylist your background would usually be in catering or home economics.
Design-related courses at different levels are offered at colleges and universities. You may have an advantage with a foundation degree, HNC/HND or degree in one of the following subjects:
- fashion promotion
- fashion styling
- fashion journalism
- interior or exhibition design
- visual merchandising or display
- photography
Opportunities
Many stylists are self-employed and work freelance, but you could also find opportunities with magazines, style consultancies, photography studios, advertising and PR agencies, stores and design houses. Competition for work is strong.
As a freelance you would usually find work through agents or your own contacts. You could contact photographers, editors and agents (and advertise yourself) through a number of directories for creative professionals.
You may find the following links useful for further reading and making contacts:
- Styling World
(directory) - Creative Handbook (directory)
- Contact-Creative (directory)
- British Journal of Photography
- Fashion Monitor (subscription fashion news service and directory)
- Professional Publishers Association (for list of members and advice about work experience on magazines)
Hours
variable
Starting salary
variable
Newspaper journalist
Newspaper journalists investigate and write up stories for local, regional and national newspapers. If you're interested in current affairs and you'd like a career using your excellent writing skills, this might be a career you’ll enjoy.
You’ll need to have an enquiring mind and enjoy researching and investigating your story. You’ll also need to be determined and persistent, to make sure you get all the facts and to see your story published on time.
You can get into newspaper journalism by training at college or university, or by joining a local or regional newspaper and training on the job.
Work activities
Newspaper journalists or reporters, cover any event of interest to people or specialist readers. This could be anything from reporting on council meetings and school fêtes for a local paper, to general elections and world events for the national press.
As a newspaper journalist, your work would typically include:
- investigating a story as soon as it breaks
- following up potential leads
- developing new contacts
- interviewing people, face-to-face and over the phone
- attending press conferences
- recording meetings and interviews using recording equipment or shorthand
- coming up with ideas for new stories and features
- writing up articles in a style that will appeal to the reader
You could choose to specialise in a specific subject such as sport, politics or entertainment, or work as a critic, for example producing restaurant or theatre reviews. Most newspapers also have an online edition so you may also be writing articles for a website.
Newspaper journalists sometimes work as sub-editors. They edit and prepare articles written by reporters to make sure they are ready for printing.
Working hours and conditions
You will need to be flexible about your working hours. You may be working long, irregular hours including evenings, weekends and public holidays so you can follow up stories, respond to breaking news and meet deadlines.
You will usually be based in an open-plan office, which is likely to be noisy most of the time. You may also spend time out of the office, chasing up stories. You can expect to travel to any area covered by the newspaper. If you work for the national or international press this can mean travelling anywhere in the world, possibly at short notice.
Income
Trainees can earn around £15,000 a year on local newspapers.
With experience salaries can range from £20,000 to £30,000 a year.
More experienced, senior journalists can earn up to £50,000 or more.
Salaries for journalists on national newspapers may be higher.
Freelance journalists negotiate a set fee for each piece of work they do. Fees can be negotiated individually or in line with guidance provided by the NUJ.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
Entry requirements
There are currently two routes into newspaper journalism. The first route is called pre-entry. You can complete a course in journalism or a related subject at college, university or a private course provider then apply for work at a newspaper as a trainee.
The second route is called the direct route. You will apply for a traineeship with a newspaper and then work towards recognised qualifications on the job.
Pre-entry route
This is the most common way to enter journalism. You will complete a journalism course, then find work as a trainee.
Some journalism courses accept five GCSEs, including English and two A levels or equivalent qualifications. Others will expect you to have a degree. If you have a degree, you may be able to do an 18- to 22- week Fast Track NCTJ Diploma in Journalism course. See the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) website for details of accredited courses and training providers.
Skills, interests and qualities
To become a newspaper journalist you will need:
- excellent writing skills
- good listening and questioning skills
- an enquiring mind and an interest in people, places and events
- an interest in current affairs at all levels
- good research skills
- self-confidence and the ability to put people at ease
- the ability to absorb information quickly
- a writing style which is easy to understand
- determination and persistence
- the ability to achieve shorthand speeds of 100 words a minute
- keyboard and IT skills
