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Working Abroad Job Vacancies Job Hunting Guide Voluntary Work Working Part-time and Temping Useful Job Hunting Resources Working in Somerset Wages and Employment Rights Photographers in Somerset CLCI: EV CRCI: PC Photographers take pictures of people, events, objects and places. It’s a popular choice of career and finding the right opening can be hard. Photography can be glamorous when it involves taking pictures of fashion shows or famous people. However, in the real world, you are more likely to be taking pictures of ordinary people and weddings. Other jobs include press photography (perhaps for your local newspaper in Somerset) as well as industrial, scientific and medical photography (such as taking medical photographs in a hospital). To find out more look under the above CLCI/CRCI headings in your Careers or Connexions library THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHERS IN SOMERSET Most Somerset photography firms are small. Many are one-person businesses. Others may be a partnership between three or four photographers. This means that many photographers are self-employed or freelance. Consequently you’ll need good business skills (as well as photographic ability!) Within Somerset a few opportunities exist to work for newspapers, hospitals, holiday camps, the police force and colleges. In some cases this might mean becoming a photographic technician. HOW DO I GET STARTED?   Get work experience when at school to see if it’s the career for you   Make photography your hobby and get yourself known by taking photographs for people   Go to college and do GCSE/A level photography or a BTEC course that includes art, media or photography (not all colleges do these)   Start as a trainee – or apprentice – with a photographer when you are 16/17 and go to college as part of your job (but there are not many openings like this)   Earn a part-time living as a photographer and eventually try to make it into your main job USEFUL QUALIFICATIONS   GCSEs are not essential but can help for some jobs   Photography can be studied at GCSE, A level, BTEC and university level depending on your interest and career plan   Photography hobby classes (usually held in the evenings) can be a useful starting point   NVQs and BIPP qualifications can be done whilst training as a photographer   Specific training for press and medical photography More about qualifications, courses and training can be found in Moving On (published by Connexions Somerset) DO YOU KNOW? If you are doing well at school it’s possible to study photography at university or college. This can lead to an honours degree, foundation degree or HND WHAT IS THE PAY LIKE? Around £80 per week (maybe more) if starting as a new employed trainee or apprentice (but such openings are unlikely and few and far between). Most photographers are self-employed so earnings vary widely. Top creative professionals can earn large sums of money. In Somerset around £13,000-18,000 is more likely for an experienced photographer. FINDING A JOB   Connexions centres   Job centres   Through applying for work apprenticeships   School and college careers notice boards   Speculative letters/visits/emails   Newspaper and industry publications adverts   Adverts displayed at premises and on industry/company websites   Job offer after work experience   Word of mouth   A Guide to Job Hunting gives tips on CVs, interviews and job letters. To view click here OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER ABOUT THIS WORK   You don’t have to study photography at school or college to become a photographer (but it can help)   You don’t have to be qualified in photography to work as a photographer (but the better ones usually have a lot of qualifications and training behind them)   Technology changes all the time. Digital photography, using computers and hi-tech equipment have replaced traditional methods (but it’s your choice how you work)   You need to show your work is worth paying for (and better than that done by enthusiastic amateurs for nothing!)   Having a good ‘eye’ for a picture is vital. You’ll largely succeed because of your talent   Being good with people is important. You need to be ready to listen to what they want and be able to handle them nicely when you are taking pictures   If you are self-employed you need to be prepared to advertise and market your services (although it’s likely you’ll win work by being consistently good and reliable) WHO DOES THE WORK? Shabana (22) grew up near Shepton Mallet and did a media course at college. This got her interested in photography and, after a lot of looking, she managed to find a job on a newspaper as a trainee photographer. It’s great job because no two days are the same and, even after a few years, Shabana still gets a buzz seeing her pictures in the paper! Marlon (29) did business studies at university. Afterwards he did various jobs whilst becoming more and more interested in photography as a hobby. Just by doing odd photography jobs for people he developed a reputation and began to earn money on the side. Eventually, even though he’d only done one or two short photography courses, Marlon took the plunge and set himself up as a freelance photographer from his base in Wells More Info: A-Z Careers Careers information dates rapidly. Every effort has been made to ensure information is accurate but please check details before making firm decisions. Make text larger Make text smaller Text Only Display Privacy Policy/Terms of Use