Some professional photographers still use film cameras, though many use digital equipment.
Photography can be much more than just a popular hobby. For professional photographers, skill with a camera can be the basis of an exciting career. While photographers take on many different jobs, some photography careers stand out for offering high earning potential, creative freedom or an exciting, glamorous lifestyle.
Photojournalist
Photojournalists have one of the most varied and exciting careers among professional photographers. They produce images that accompany news stories, either on television, online or in print. Some photojournalists work with one or more writers, providing a visual element for the stories others write. Other photojournalists write their own copy to accompany the images. In either case, photojournalists may show their work in a gallery setting following its use as news content.
What makes photojournalism one of the top photography careers is the sheer variety of places to work. Some document local events and figures while others travel to war zones, isolated spots in nature and major worldwide happenings to bring the news back home.
Fashion Photographer
Fashion photographers often work on staff for a magazine, website or ad agency. They photograph models in the studio and fashion events around the world, traveling to major fashion centers and competing with other photographers for the best shots. Fashion photographers also may produce images for magazine covers, advertisements and publicity firms. This places fashion photographers firmly within celebrity culture, putting them into direct contact with A-listers that include actors, models and sports stars.
Fine Art Photographer
Fine art photographers use the camera as a tool for producing art. Like painters and sculptors, fine art photographers explore the history of their medium while pushing its boundaries, developing new photographic techniques and responding to social and personal issues. Fine art photographers may become wealthy if they find a large audience, but many trade money for creative freedom. A fine art photographer's work is more likely to be found in a gallery than a magazine. But for classically trained or self-taught artists with an interest in media and technology, fine art photography offers an ideal path.
Freelance Photographer
Like fine art photographers, freelance photographers have a high degree of creative freedom. An individual freelancer may work in many different fields, setting her own schedule and doing everything from photographing weddings to seeking candid shots of celebrities and newsworthy events. Like fine art photographers, freelance photographers are generally not on a salary and therefore tend to earn less than salaried photojournalists and fashion photographers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, freelancers can enjoy the flexibility of working from anywhere and selling images to buyers that range from tabloids and stock photographe collections to newspapers and websites
Tags: creative freedom, professional photographers, fashion photographers, fine photographers, fine photographers freelance
