Photography Industry

Audience Description

Participants who work within the Photography industry provide a variety of photographic services, such as still photography and videography for private events. This industry also includes commercial and portrait photography studios.

Since the Photography industry can include individuals contractors and business participants have a wide variety of skills.  Participants are most likely to be creative and artistic.

Interesting Participant Qualities

We surveyed our audience of photography industry participants to understand what their job requires now and how it could impact others in the future.

81% of participants in the photography industry are self-employed.

Photography Panelist Quotes

“My uncle gave me a camera gift, i started taking pictures and after some time i fell in love with it to the point i want photography to be my career.”

“My first graduation option was journalism, however I ended up studying audiovisual and from there I became very interested in photography and it is currently the area that I work.”

“It was my creative outlet, and I wanted to make a living off of something I loved. So when I had the chance to go into Production Photography, I did it immediately.”

“I have a passion for photography and I do enjoy capturing special moments between families, and I also love restoring old photographs.”

Common Photography Industry Roles

This audience is made up of participants who hold job titles and roles in the photography industry. Each of these professionals can be targeted individually, or roles can be combined to create larger audiences.

• Photojournalists – Photojournalists photograph newsworthy people, places, and sporting, political, and community events for newspapers, journals, magazines, or television. Some work as salaried employees, while others operate their own enterprises as freelance photographers. Stock photo agencies or contracts with other types of clients may allow freelance news photographers to license the use of their images.
• Fine art photographers – On a freelance or commission basis, fine art photographers sell their work to people, galleries, interior designers, architects, libraries, community centers, churches, banks, hotels, government, and other institutions. Fine art photographers have creative flexibility that freelance and staff photographers do not, but they must be exceptionally self-motivated.
• Commercial/Industrial photographers – Photographers that work in the commercial/industrial sector create photos for use in publications, ads, catalogs, and other forms of media. Models, landscapes, buildings, and goods are just some of the objects and subjects they photograph. An industrial photographer may take photographs of machinery, employees, and other items that workers can use for analysis, public relations, and commercial plans. Industrial photography is done at the location where it is used.
• Studio/Portrait photographers – Photographers who specialize in studio/portrait photography frequently work in their own studios, photographing groups or individuals. They frequently specialize on specific events, such as weddings, religious rituals, and school portraits. They may also work on-site. Some portrait photographers run their own businesses, which requires them to plan advertising, organize appointments, mount and frame photographs, buy materials, keep records, bill customers, and even hire and train new personnel.
• Freelance photographers – Freelance photographers are hired on a project-by-project basis, which is a convenient advantage for individuals who wish to set their own hours or work on a range of assignments. Freelancers perform many of the same tasks as staff photographers, but they are not paid on a regular basis. Portraits, aerial photography by plane, weddings, and fashion are some of the specialties of freelancers.
• Photo editor – Photo editors are in charge of a group of photographers, coordinating their tasks and approving their work. They also choose and edit images for color correction and other reasons. Photo editors also negotiate photo costs and rights, as well as ensuring that they have permission to shoot in a specific location.