Portrait Photography

Portrait Photography

What does the job entail? –

A portrait photographers job entails them doing family shoots, baby shoots, school shoots etc, and these can all be at a studio or the customers chosen location. If it was at the customers chosen location then the photographer would have to travel to the location so transportation is a must. A studio would be required as that is were most portrait family shoots are done. The studio would have to have a white back drop and it doing baby shoots have props for the baby.

What skills/qualifications are needed for the career? –

Camera skills are needed as the photographer needs to experiment with wide angle lens and portrait settings on cameras. Patience is needed as the customers are not natural models so you have to place them in certain places and direct them on the shoot. Plus an A level or BTEC in the course would be highly beneficial as it would have given you plenty of experience behind a camera and expanded your knowledge. Studio work would be good to have as well as being highly creative.

What would the typical starting & senior salary be? –

For this job the salary would depend on what the customer would buy when the prints are done. The typical way of pricing photographs would be to times the price that the photographer has paid to get them done and times it by 200%. If it was a location shoot and not studio I guess that it would cost more due to traveling fees.

Where are positions advertised? –

Advertisements for portrait photographers would be found in newspapers, internet, poster, word of mouth, yellow pages, friends etc.

Is it contract or self employed work? –

This is a self employed job as you work when you want, for whoever you want, it is totally up to you. The salary can be increased or decreased when needed without anyone’s permission. You can choose what props to use and what size photographs are available to buy.

What equipment is used? –

Normally when doing portrait photography I would say two cameras are need incase the other malfunctions and a laptop to do tethered shooting. Tethered shooting is needed to show the customers their photographs and for them to decide which photographs they want to buy, in what size. Studio with a white back drop and props are needed, as well as a portable back drop for doing school photographs with portable lights.

Portrait Photographers-

Yousuf Karsh

Elsa Dorfman