Freelance Photographer Career

*A job as a Freelance Photographer falls under the broader career category of Photographers. The information on this page will generally apply to all careers in this category but may not specifically apply to this career title.

Job Description for Photographers : Photograph people, landscapes, merchandise, or other subjects. May use lighting equipment to enhance a subject's appearance. May use editing software to produce finished images and prints. Includes commercial and industrial photographers, scientific photographers, and photojournalists.


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Photographer Career

What skills are required for Photographers?

Importance Skills
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Operations Analysis - Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.

What knowledge is needed to be a Photographer?

Importance Knowledge
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Administrative - Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Economics and Accounting - Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

Work Styles

Importance Styles
Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.