Careers Spotlight: Photographer

A photographer is a trained professional who is hired to take photographs of a subject, landscape or scene. They use either film or digital cameras along with specialist lighting and usually enhance photos digitally after the shoot. Photographers naturally have a ‘good eye’, but these skills can also be taught. Take a look at the types of careers on offer to people interested in photography, as well as the skills and qualifications needed for a job related to photography.

1. Why work as a photographer?

2. What careers are available in photography?

3. What skills are needed to work in photography?

4. What degrees help with a career in photography?

Why work as a photographer?

A strong job outlook

The job outlook for skilled photographers is strong, as the employment of professional photographers is expected to grow 9% between 2021-2031, faster than many other professions. Photographers can either work ‘in-house’ for a large corporation, offering a good level of job security, or work on a freelance basis hired by clients. This offers a greater amount of flexibility and gives you a chance to work for yourself.

Use creativity at work

Photography is an incredibly creative career path, as photographers are able to tell a story through images. Photographers use their photographic and creativity skills to capture emotion and express themselves and their subjects.

A career that will keep you learning new things

Whether that’s learning about the latest editing software update, or new cameras, lights and hardware in this fast moving industry, there will always be new things to learn and trends to keep on top of.

What careers are available in photography?

Photographers usually specialise in one area of photography and get a job in that area. Some of the most popular careers in photography are:

Advertisement photographer

Advertising photographers use their skill to take pictures used for advertisements. They tell a story through their photography designed to give a product or service greater appeal and make people want to buy into it.

Fashion or editorial photographer

Fashion photographers work with brands to capture images of their latest collections. Editorials are collections of images based on a particular theme and published in fashion magazines like Vogue, Elle, Vanity Fair and more. This type of work is extremely competitive but talented photographers can travel across the globe with their work.

Wedding photographer

Wedding photographers work with couples getting married and capture images of their wedding day. Most wedding photographers work with engaged couples for a few months before the wedding to discuss ideas, timings and the types of images they want. After the wedding, they edit the images and return them to the couple.

Portrait photographer

Portrait photographers take pictures of individuals or groups of people. They are hired for various occasions which can vary depending on the client but they usually work in their own studios. Portrait photographers occasionally specialise in other things too, such as weddings, ceremonies, or school photographs, which means they sometimes work on location.

Photojournalist and news photography

Photojournalism is an increasingly popular career, typically there are three options for employment: Newspaper, broadcast, or freelance. Newspaper photojournalists work for newspaper publication companies and their websites. Broadcast photojournalists work for radio and television broadcasting businesses. Freelance photojournalists are not committed to any particular company and instead sell their images to newspapers, TV and radio broadcasting businesses. Photojournalists tend to specialise in a particular field.

• Feature photojournalism – which involves human interest activities like exhibitions, business news, government news, science and technology etc.

• Sports photojournalism – sports photographers cover important events occurring in the world of sports like football games, tennis championships, motorsport, and cover international sporting events like the Olympics etc.  

• Environmental photojournalism – environmental photographers capture the essence of a scene in their photographs. They cover a range of topics from scenery to natural disasters or climate change.

Clinical photography

Clinical photographers are usually hospital based. They are an important part of the healthcare team, providing different types of images to assist with diagnosing and treating patients. In this specialised job, you would be taking alternative imagery such as thermography, 3D and ultra violet, as well as standard digital photography. Some clinical photographers also undertake videography.

Scientific photography

Scientific photographers record scientific or medical data or phenomena. This could be through a DSLR camera, microscope or telescope depending on the subject. Scientific photographers focus on the precise visual depiction of a subject, and as scientific images are usually examined by a team of scientists, the use of image manipulation software is minimal.

Property photography

Property photographers usually work for an estate agent and are responsible for photographing the interior and exterior of a property. More recently property photographers also specialise in drone photography to capture land and aerial shots of the property.

Jobs where a photography qualification would be beneficial:

• Community arts worker

• Digital marketer

• Visual merchandiser

• Web content or social media manager

• Web designer

Most of these jobs rely greatly on visuals, so having a knowledge of things like colour and design theory, as well as a keen eye for detail and creativity would help.

What skills are needed to work in photography?

For a successful career in photography, there are several skills that you need to master. Some are natural talents, and some can be taught and built on with experience.

• A creative mind

• A knowledge of photography techniques

• The ability to use a wide range of cameras and lenses, and an understanding of which lens would be best in each particular situation

• Time management and the ability to work to deadlines

• A good eye for detail, shape, colour and form

• Good communication skills

• A knowledge of editing software and general computer skills

• Organisational skills

• In most photography jobs a driving license is useful

Different areas of photography will require unique skills and capabilities. For example, clinical photographers need knowledge in thermography, 3D and ultraviolet photography. Photojournalists and press photographers need to understand what makes a newsworthy picture. Wedding photographers need industry experience to know which moments to capture and how to pose people.

If you are looking for a specific photography job, we recommend reviewing the job description and the person specification. From here you can see which skills you already have, and what you need to work on. Take a look at the graduate skills that employers are looking for.

What degrees help with a career in photography?

To have the best chance at securing a photography job you will need a strong portfolio and lots of experience. A degree in photography or a related subject can help boost your CV amongst competitive talent. These include bachelor of arts, bachelor of fine arts, and bachelor of science photography. For a career in clinical photography, you would need a postgraduate degree in clinical photography. Similarly for a career in scientific photography, a postgraduate degree in biological photography and imaging is advantageous.

For entry level roles, a strong portfolio and industry experience would be enough to secure you an interview. If you’re unsure of which qualifications you need, check the job descriptions of the kind of job you are hoping to do. Here you can see what level of education recruiters are looking for and make a decision about whether to go on to further study.

If you want to learn more about becoming a professional photographer click on the links below

Boosting your CV

So what is a CV?  CV is short for Curriculum Vitae and is a short document which summarises your unique skills, character, experience and achievements.  

For students it can feel difficult to know what to write as you haven't had the time to build up the experience that employers always seem to want.

In this section we will look at ways of making your CV stand out for future employers so you can get that dream job and in an ever more competitive job market it is never too soon to start thinking about shaping your CV.

Make the most of your academic achievements:

Most people list their GCSE and A-level results, but very few make the effort to make their qualifications stand out. For example, if you’ve been highly commended for a particular project or assignment, why not mention it on your CV?

Although your CV should follow a set structure, you should also do what you can to make yourself stand out from the crowd. Think about the order you list your qualifications, putting the best qualifications or the ones that you want to draw attention at the top of the list is often a good idea.

The link below will help you put together your CV

Unifrog

In keeping with our commitment to provide students with outstanding careers education information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) and tailored support when choosing their next step after school. We have invested in an online application called Unifrog; an award-winning, online careers platform. All students in Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 now have access to this excellent website.

The Unifrog platform is designed to support learners in making the most informed decisions about their futures and has a range of tools that are suitable for all year groups. Each student has their own personal account that provides a wide range of information related to their interests and aspirations.  Key features of the platform include:

Exploring Pathways – personality quizzes, career and subject profiles, MOOCs and webinars

Recording – self-reflection about extracurricular activities and key employability skills

Opportunities – search tools showing live vacancies/courses/placements for apprenticeships, universities (in the UK and abroad), FE, virtual work experience and much more

Applications – tools to help students build applications for a range of pathways (e.g., CVs, Personal Statements, Common App Essays)

All students have access to the platform, which is unique to them. They login to Unifrog using their email address and password and they can do so from any computer, tablet or smartphone. We would encourage all students to use the platform at home too, so parent/carers can support their child through the process of deciding their next step

Help for Parents and Carers

When it comes to education and careers, parents and carers have a large influence on a students choices. As an adult you are expected to have all the answers, but in a constantly evolving world it can be a struggle to keep up with the latest options out there.  In this section we will highlight resources that will help keep you up to date with careers and the choices available to young people.

Last month we looked at general ideas of how to help your child, this month we consider applying to post 16 colleges.

What is the difference between higher education and further education?

• Further education (FE) includes any study after secondary education that’s not part of higher education, so typically college or 6th forms while higher education involves undergraduate and postgraduate study.

What is the difference between college and 6th form?

• While both options provide students with a pathway to higher education, they differ in a number of ways. Colleges focus solely on educating students aged 16-18. These colleges are often larger than school sixth forms and often offer technical and vocational qualifications.

When do we need to start applying for college/6th form courses?

• Applications can start at any time during Year 11, though typically students start applying during the spring term.

• Any offers made by a college/6th form will be subject to the student gaining the required grades at the end of Year 11.  The specific grades required by each course will be explained by the college/6th form

What if our child changes their mind about the courses they want to do at college/6th form, is this a problem?

• This depends on when the student changes their mind.

• If during year 11 a student changes their mind this isn't an issue, a student can apply to multiple colleges and only has to make a decision about which one to attend once the GCSE results are known in August

• Many students change their mind in the first few weeks of starting a new course.  Colleges/6th forms are used to this and will allow students to move courses as long as they meet the requirements for the new course they wish to choose.

• The longer a student has studied a course before deciding to change the harder it becomes to change to a new course.  This is due to the amount of teaching they will have already missed on the course they wish to change to.

Careers in Hertfordshire: Film Media and Creative

THRIVING DIGITAL MEDIA

A growing number of digital content, gaming, software and visual effects (VFX) companies have started in Hertfordshire or chosen to locate here.

Hertfordshire’s digital companies produce content for feature films, television, games, commercials, websites and mobile phones. Games production and distribution companies such as Aspyr Media Europe Ltd, Rising Star Games Ltd, and KOEI TECMO Europe Ltd operate successfully from the county, taking advantage of Hertfordshire’s communications links with London and connectivity to key international markets.

For the last ten years, UH Animation’s annual exposé has been a primary recruitment forum for high profile companies seeking out new and exciting 2D, 3D, animation and VFX talent. Companies such as Disney Animation, The Mill, Tandem, Double Negative and Framestore are regular participants.

The University of Hertfordshire is also home to G+VERL (Games & Visual Effects Research Lab), a ground-breaking project linking scientists, artists, clinicians and filmmakers. It brings together the worlds of film, art, technology and computer science to undertake research into digital image-making and high-resolution image technologies. Sharing methods and promoting interdisciplinary understanding, the project brings together world-class research in a wide range of areas, including video art, digital film, visual effects and medical visualisation.

Hertfordshire is strong on promotion too, with corporate and events management companies such as SMYLE helping global brands launch new products or celebrate successes.

For more information please go to www.hopinto.co.uk/ 

Current Opportunities

This month we have opportunities to learn about careers in the NHS and how to start a career as a pilot as well as the opportunity to learn about careers in agriculture.  

We are taking students from year 10, 11 & 12 to Generation Hertsmere careers fair during the school day on 4th November.  The careers fair continues into the early evening and if you are interested in attending there are details at the bottom of the page.

BECOME A PILOT – LIVE ONLINE COMMERCIAL PILOT PREPARATION

A 10-session, live online mentored programme for young people considering a career as a commercial pilot.

With opportunities including British Airways Speedbird Pilot Academy, Jet2 FlightPath and training pathways associated with easyJet and Ryanair, there are several routes into the profession and a university degree is not necessarily required.

As aviation continues to develop into 2027 and beyond, piloting also remains a highly skilled, safety-critical career in which human judgement, leadership and decision-making remain fundamental.

Students receive expert tuition and mentorship covering:

Aviation Maths & Physics • Flight Theory • Meteorology • Aircraft Systems • Navigation • Pilot Aptitude • CRM • Airline Competencies • Interview & Application Preparation • Professional Training Pathways

Starts: Sunday 8 November 2026
Age: 14–19 (suitable Year 9 students aged 13 may also join)
Format: 10 live online sessions

Course information and enrolment

Get into Medicine/Get into Dentistry

GET INTO DENTISTRY CONFERENCES

Our FREE Get Into Dentistry Conferences provide aspiring dentists and their parents with expert guidance on navigating the dental school application process and understanding what it takes to build a competitive application.

Delivered by our experienced dental mentors, the conferences cover:

- Understanding dental school entry requirements and choosing universities

- Preparing for the UCAT and developing an effective application strategy

- Gaining valuable dental work experience and reflecting on it

- Building a strong UCAS application and personal statement

- Preparing for dental school interviews

- Exploring scholarships, awards and further Dental Mentor opportunities

Upcoming conference dates:

- Saturday 31st October

- Sunday 15th November

FREE Dentistry Virtual Work Experience

Students who register for a Get Into Dentistry Conference will also gain access to our new Dentistry Virtual Work Experience Programme, providing an additional opportunity to explore the dental profession and develop meaningful experiences for their future applications.

Register for FREE:

https://dental-mentor.org/get-into-dentistry-conference-sign-up/

ALLIED HEALTHCARE VIRTUAL WORK EXPERIENCE

Our next Allied Healthcare Virtual Work Experience Programme takes place this Sunday, 1st November, providing students with an opportunity to explore the wide range of rewarding careers available across healthcare.

Through interactive patient cases, students will gain an understanding of how different healthcare professionals work together, while developing experiences they can reflect upon in future university applications.

The programme introduces students to careers including:

- Nursing and Midwifery

- Paramedicine

- Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy

- Radiography

- Dietetics

- Speech and Language Therapy

- Pharmacy and other healthcare professions

Next programme:

Sunday 1st November, 8:30am–5:00pm

Register here:

https://alliedhealthmentor.org/product/live-virtual-work-experience-programme/

NEW GET INTO MEDICINE CONFERENCE DATES

We're pleased to announce three new dates for our FREE Get Into Medicine Conferences throughout November, giving aspiring doctors further opportunities to access expert guidance on preparing for medical school.

These conferences are designed to help students understand each stage of the medical application journey, from selecting suitable universities and preparing for the UCAT to gaining work experience, developing their UCAS applications and preparing for interviews.

New November conference dates:

- Sunday 8th November

- Saturday 21st November

- Saturday 28th November

FREE Medicine Virtual Work Experience

By registering for a Get Into Medicine Conference, students will also receive access to our new Medicine Virtual Work Experience Programme, allowing them to explore the medical profession and begin building valuable experience alongside their application preparation.

Register for FREE:

https://medicmentor.org/get-into_medicine_conference_signup/

Our conferences and work experience programmes are particularly valuable for students in Years 10–13 / S3–S6 / NI11–NI14, whether they are beginning to explore their career options or are already working towards a university application.

We encourage students to take advantage of these opportunities early, giving them time to develop their understanding of different healthcare professions, reflect on their experiences and build confidence in their chosen career path.

We would be grateful if you could forward these opportunities to your students and parents, helping us ensure that aspiring healthcare professionals across the UK can access the support and guidance available through Mentorverse.

Thank you for your continued support.

Kind regards,

Dr (Prof) Dhakshana Sivayoganathan 

Agricultural Careers Event

I am writing to you on behalf of Hertfordshire Federation of Young Farmers Clubs.  We have organised a careers day for young people interested in working in agriculture.  We are keen to show case the wide variety of jobs available.  We also have companies attending offering apprenticeships, colleges and universities.  Cheffins, Tees Law, Capel Manor are a small example of the companies attending.  This is the second year we have hosted the event.  The feedback last year was that the companies were keen to attend again. 

I have attached the poster advertising the event.  We would appreciate it if you could share this with your careers officer and share to your students and parents.  Whether to help the young people taking their options or those not sure of the next steps after GCSEs or A-Levels.

If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind Regards

Nicola Grovestock

County Organiser

Hertfordshire Federation of Young Farmers Clubs