Photographers
Did You Know:
- Competition for jobs is expected to be keen because the work is attractive to many people.
- Technical expertise, a "good eye" and creativity are essential, and some photographers need a college degree.
- More than half of all photographers are self-employed, a much higher proportion than for most occupations.
Industry Areas
- Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Radio and Television Broadcasting
- Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers
Day-to-Day Tasks
- Take pictures of individuals, families, and small groups, either in studio or on location.
- Adjust apertures, shutter speeds, and camera focus based on a combination of factors such as lighting, field depth, subject motion, film type, and film speed.
- Use traditional or digital cameras, along with a variety of equipment such as tripods, filters, and flash attachments.
Overall Kind of Work
Photographers produce and preserve images that paint a picture, tell a story or record an event. To create commercial-quality photographs, photographers need technical expertise, creativity and th...
Work Environment
Military
Photographic specialists work both indoors and outdoors while photographing their subjects. They may take photos from aircraft or ships. They process photographs in photographic laboratories on bases or aboard ships.
Status
What is the difference between enlisted and officer?
Enlisted:Enlisted members enter the Military with a high school diploma (in some cases a GED), at a minimum. They are employed in almost every type of military career, often in hands-on roles.
Officers: Officers either enter the Military with a four-year college degree or greater or served previously as enlisted members, and are generally employed in management roles or highly specialized fields that require intensive training.
Officer
Enlisted
Military Breakdown
The number of people who currently hold this career in the Military.
560 Photographers in the military
Service Branches
Photographic Specialists work in the following services:
Type of Work
The level of day-to-day involvement with data, people or things.
Data: 
People: 
Things:
Skills at a Glance
The levels of different skills helpful in this career.
Verbal skills:
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving:
Equipment Operation & Maintenance:
Math & Science Skills:
Technology Design & Control:
Leadership:
Workplace at a Glance
The level of different environmental factors you would experience on the job.
Responsibility:
Exposure to Job Hazards:
Physical Activity:
Decision Making:
Repetitiveness: 
Level of Competition:
Time Pressure: