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Photographer

Note: Completion of a TAFE SA course does not guarantee an employment outcome. Formal requirements other than educational qualifications (eg licensing, professional registration), may apply to some occupations.

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TAFE SA courses that may be relevant for: Photographer

Accredited (Award)

• Advanced Diploma of Photography (Commercial)

Introduction

Most Photographers use still cameras, artificial or natural lighting and light measuring instruments to capture images. They select the appropriate camera, the best lighting (eg flash or floodlight) and the appropriate lens, filter and film to best capture a moment. Photographers may also set up their own darkrooms in order to develop their films. For those who decide that photography is their angle, there are two main areas photographers work in. Commercial photographers shoot much of what we see in magazines, newspapers, catalogues, manuals, brochures, posters and billboards. They predominantly work for advertising and marketing agencies. Portrait photographers make sure that your shirt collar is straight, your hair is in place and your pose is spot on, before snapping away on occasions such as weddings, high school graduations or for family portrait sittings. Portrait photography is where most work is available.

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Education Requirements

Nationally 18% of photographers have a Bachelor Degree or higher qualification, 15% have either a Certificate III or IV and 18% have either an Advanced Diploma or a Diploma. 37% of photographers have no post school qualification.

Although on-the-job training alone may provide the necessary skills to become a photographer, some people should have formal training to help avoid costly mistakes. As in any professional environment, there is a need for qualifications in order to differentiate eligibility for positions. Also, if a photographer is to be involved in a professional association such as the Australian Institute for Professional Photography, academic and professional qualifications may be required. These qualifications also help you to promote and market your services.

To help you gain employment in the area TAFE SA offers the Advanced Diploma Photography (Commercial). Still unsure? Then try a short course also offered through TAFE SA such as Using a DSLR camera..

The University of South Australia offers a Bachelor of Visual Arts degree.

Career Path

A snapshot of the future these days, digital cameras can take pictures using a solid state image sensor instead of traditional film. The images are then stored in a digital format which can be both viewed on a computer and printed out. You can transmit them electronically. You can even manipulate them by changing the size, the colour and even the content. No more having to buy film or the toxic chemicals associated with developing. In fact, you don't even have to wait for them to be developed! This is the future of photography. As technology gets better, so too will the quality of digital imagery. It also means the cost of digital cameras will go down. But before you throw out your old camera, remember there will always be photographers who prefer to work with film and customers who prefer the old glossies.

Industry

Personal And Other Services

Interview

“Photography is an occupation that uses both sides of your brain”.

To say you are a photographer doesn’t really say much … What sort of photographer are you? and What do you do?

I’d always loved photography but I actually started with an honours degree in psychology. For my honours thesis I looked at family interactions by using little drawings so I suppose an interest in visuals was there even then. I’m certainly still using the psych. in running my own business and it has helped me enormously in client relations and being able to work effectively with their needs.

Your client entrusts an idea to you that you have to recreate... you have to know how to illicit an expression from people... to make them feel comfortable…and technically it’s 20 million different things… yet the client relationship often seems to be more important than actually taking the shots.

After University I tried writing and made some short films and that’s where my interest continued with photography. I made a conscious choice to study at TAFE. I had a lot of friends who had studied art at University and that wasn’t a lot of use in terms if getting a job. I knew that the course at the Croydon campus would teach me the technical skills and I was hoping that I would have the artistic stuff inside of me anyway. And that definitely proved to be the way to go. The course was just two years as well… relatively shorter and cheaper, so all around it was probably the best option.

I finished in ‘97 so I’ve been out for 7 years and I’ve had my own business for 3½ years now.

How did I start out?
There is good relationship between the TAFE programme and the photographic industry. My first proper photographic work was at ‘Duck Pond’ just a couple of months after I graduated. Duck Pond is a processing lab for commercial photographers and was the way I met a lot of the people in the business.

My position as manager later at Orange Lane Studios also came indirectly from the mentoring system in TAFE, which is undertaken in the last half of the second year. You do a ‘Major Study’ that you propose yourself…you say what you plan to achieve in the time… and then get a mentor in the industry to monitor your progress. I had Darren Centofanti as a mentor, a fashion photographer who is in India now, he did work at Orange Lane and that way the owners got to know me and so when they later saw me at ‘Duck Pond’ they offered me a position. Since then I have moved into freelance work and been a mentor myself.

You definitely need to have the passion for it because in Adelaide it is so hard to get work. New graduates need to get their own work, whether that is starting through weddings or portraits or assisting another photographer. Depending on your age and what you want to do, assisting other photographers gets you the experience you need to start... I think you have to consider that the TAFE course is just the starting point. You have to get experience in the field. Photographers of any standing would say that you are learning something everyday.

Like most people I did a lot of private work but to all intents and purposes I don’t do weddings any more… but just occasionally one will come along one… I just did a wedding in Bali, all expenses paid, so I wasn’t going to say no!

‘Digital’ has completely changed everything in the last few years. I have less of a social life because instead of ‘dropping your film off at the lab and leaving it’ you now do all the post production yourself so I spend the majority of my time on the computer. So, as with next week when I’m shooting every day, I need to find the time to do the postproduction. That will be at night or I’ll get someone else to do it. I’m looking now to get someone to do all that postproduction eventually but that’s also the creative part and you don’t want to lose that.

You shoot raw files… get them on to the computer… then you have to do things to correct the colour… you want to enlarge it or do minor retouching…its long and involved. I love pushing the colour and doing the crazy stuff you’d do in the dark room, it’s really good but it all takes time.

I still do portraiture because I enjoy it. It’s very much a challenge to find the real person in there, you know, when people put on their face when they have their photo taken… I love that challenge of trying to make them relax or divert them from worrying what they are like, to catch that moment when they’re themselves.
I constantly want to catch their character and that’s probably where psychology and photography are not far apart.

Nature of the Job

Many photographers can (and often should, if they are to be successful) branch out into a number of areas. These include books, magazine or post-card and greeting-card publishing, web design which includes integrating images for websites and working on website illustrations, graphic design and so on. Photographers may also become writers and editors of magazines. Its important for anyone involved in contemporary photography, that they recognise the cross-links between multi media, graphics, visual arts and information technology. That means doing studio, location shoots and editorial work. It is common for photographers to work as 'freelancers' - that is, on contract work. Sharp business and people skills go hand-in-hand with photography. Those in the know caution that you can't have enough business knowledge.

Typical Physical Working Environment

Trying to get that perfect shot can take far more than one roll of film. Skilled photographers realise this and usually take dozens of pics of the same shot. If you prefer to hurry your work along, perhaps you should pass on this job - patience is non negotiable. Picture-Perfect conditions depending on the particular assignment, photographers can work in a wide variety of places, ranging from an indoor studio to a balmy beach for a location shoot. During a studio shoot, photographers are able to control factors such as lighting and temperature but there is no such luxury when out on location. They must be able to catch the right amount of light in time, so a good sense of timing is critical. Even if the water is freezing cold during a beach shoot, photographers have to create the impression that the models being photographed are having the best time in the world! And, having an eye for detail goes without saying in this occupation. These professionals work in close and personal situations with others, so good interpersonal skills are essential. Physical fitness should not be overlooked either as photographers may have to carry a fair amount of heavy equipment.

Typical Occupational Example

To be a professional photographer, you must be an individual who is self-motivated, who is willing to discover their niche within the industry, and then to tailor particular products to match that niche. It's also important for a professional photographer to recognise that they are required to present themselves as a service supplier and to work within contemporary business practices and social environments. Abandon the glamour although many people decide they want to enter a career in photography due to the 'glamour' status they associate with this occupation, cautions that in order to develop a successful career, you must be committed to the process of photography and accept the realities of what it takes to be a photographer. Photography is as much a lifestyle choice as it is a profession and be warned that the cost of essential professional equipment can run into the tens of thousands of dollars. Commercial and portrait photographers generally work a 46.5 hours per week including weekends and evenings to accommodate clients. Hours can get longer on special assignments.

For further information, contact:

Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (SA/NT)
First Floor 241 Pirie St Adelaide SA 5000
Ph: 1300 656 512
Fax: 1300 730 543
Internet Address: http://www.alliance.org.au

Earning Potential

Salaries for photographers begin at around $30,000 per year and range up to about $45,000 for those with more experience. A general photographer is likely to earn approximately $30,000 to $35,000 per annum.

Further Information

For further information about all TAFE SA Courses, phone 1800 882 661 or enquire online