Index
The photographer is a professional specialized in capturing moments and transforming them into images, for commercial, artistic, journalistic purposes or even for family memories . This type of professional does not necessarily need an undergraduate course, although many of them can help the photographer to develop the techniques and have a broader view of the work to be developed.
Many people imagine that the job of a photographer is just to press buttons to take pictures , but this professional needs a lot more to get her job done.
Requirements for a Photographer
Studying the techniques and ways of capturing images through the camera, give photographers a unique view on what is the best way to convey the feeling of that moment in an image. The work is often difficult to do, but very rewarding, since the satisfaction and admiration of other people for this work certainly make the professional feel that her work generates significant results.
The Woman in the Photography Market
The photography market is not mainly made up of women, but there is a very good acceptance of these professionals, especially in areas such as photographs of babies and family, where many associate the figure of women with motherhood.
But in addition to these areas already stereotyped by genres, we can see a great advance for women in several other types of photography, such as artistic and journalistic ones, which reveals that women are managing to conquer more and more space within this difficult market.
In addition, among photography students, the number of women has grown more and more, which reveals that the market has a good future for photography professionals.
Another interesting data is the market demand. Nowadays, about 70% of orders for printed albums are made by women and, with such a large number, we can imagine that the demand for female photographers also tends to grow more and more.
What is the Profile of a Photographer?
There are several characteristics that can compose the profile of a photographer, and we still need to consider that different characteristics can make the professional fit in a specific area of the profession.
But as a general profile, we can say that it is necessary to be very curious and see the world with different perspectives than the conventional one to be a photographer. Another important characteristic is the creativity and imagination to register , in a different way, everything you see, thus creating your own style and differentiating yourself from the others. For this, it is also important to be willing to take risks and be persistent in order to gain recognition for your work over time.
What Does a Photographer Do?
The daily life of a photographer can be very peculiar. From the editing room straight to the studio, from the studio straight to an outside session and then back to the editing room to finish the photos.
It is necessary to know that such a professional can work in different ways. Many work as a freelance, providing services to companies or producers , while others are hired to carry out their work within these companies.
The work of a photography professional goes far beyond the moment of the click to capture the moment. Before that, there is a whole preparation of light, natural or artificial, so that the work is carried out successfully.
In addition, the treatment and editing of the photos are also tasks performed by photographers to improve their work. Such works can be done in different places and in several different situations. For each type of situation and place, there are specialized photographers who will know how to deal with that specific situation. Some of the main types of photographers are:
Photographer Areas
- Advertising Photographer
- Journalist Photographer
- Children Photographer
- Fashion Photographer
- Wedding Photographer
Each of these types of professionals needs to have a unique and different view of the others about what they are going to photograph and how that moment needs to be captured. Therefore, it is very important to know the differences and specificities of each of these types of photographers.
Advertising Photographer
The advertising photographer is often part of a team within an agency or content producer. Your main objective with your photos is to sell the product, highlighting its main points and making it attractive to the target audience that the customer wants to reach.
This professional needs to be attentive to what is in the market to be able to use the correct references and do her job in the best way. After the capture, these photos almost always go through a series of treatments and edits , made or not by the photographer, to achieve the final result.
Journalist Photographer
This type of photographer, as the name implies, carried out works of a journalistic nature. This means that the photos to be taken are from current events and, in most cases, used to illustrate a written story.
The work of a journalist photographer can be considered one of the most difficult to be performed by a professional in the field, because in addition to having to capture the moment with all its essence and feeling, the photographer also needs to be careful so that there is no partiality in your clicks, which is a real challenge. In addition, the requirement of many newspapers is that the photos speak for themselves, even if captions are used.
Children Photographer
Because she works directly with children, this type of photographer needs to be especially patient, both with children and with parents who often carry the stress of a session with them.
It is an area of photography that has been in great demand. Even with the advancement of technologies and the ease of taking pictures with almost any phone device, many parents feel that the presence of a professional photographer is necessary to capture certain moments. In fact, there is a possibility that these technological developments make more and more people realize which moments require a professional to enter and take action.
In addition to patience, a sensitive and unique look for children , ensures that the photographer is able to perform her job with excellence and feel rewarded both for the result of the great photos and for the satisfaction of the customers.
Fashion Photographer
Despite being similar in some aspects to advertising photography, the work of a fashion photographer contains the essence of the human being and an artistic touch that makes it unique. The work is usually done for magazines or fashion websites, which promote new collections and new trends for the seasons to come.
The type of photo taken by this type of professional usually values the pieces of clothing and the campaign for that particular product , in this sense, this type of photography is similar to advertising, but fashion photographers usually carry out their work without leaving aside the aspect and the appreciation of the model or model in the photo.
Wedding Photographer
The wedding photographer has the difficult task of making a special day in the life of a couple become eternal through photographs . And for that to happen, one of the main characteristics that a wedding photographer needs to have is good communication.
Having a good conversation with your clients , understanding their main wishes and how they plan everything to happen, makes this type of photographer become more and more professional, in addition to also being able to satisfy her clients and create a portfolio with different types of wedding. Such a professional can work either on her own or for an agency.
Academic Education of a Photographer
It is not necessary to be trained in an undergraduate course to exercise the function of photographer, although this type of course can help a student not only to become professional, but also to understand about the market and develop her artistic and critical vision about photography in general.
There are two types of undergraduate courses in photography existing in Brazil today, the bachelor ‘s degree and the technologist in photography . The main difference between the two is the teaching time in certain subjects and the theoretical basis, which is much broader in a bachelor’s degree course.
Anyone who is in doubt about which of these two types of courses to take, needs to think about their career goals, since in both the student will graduate in photography and in both the main techniques and knowledge are taught.
Main Bachelor Programs in Photography in Brazil
- Senac University Center – São Paulo (SP)
- Barros Melo Integrated Colleges – Pernambuco (PE)
- Fine Arts University Center – São Paulo (SP)
- Estácio de Sá – Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
The monthly fee for this type of course can vary a lot, but the average is between R $ 800.00 and R $ 1,600.00.
Main Photography Technological Courses in Brazil
- Paulus Faculty of Technology and Communication – São Paulo (SP)
- Catholic University of Pernambuco – Pernambuco (PE)
- Vila Velha University – Espírito Santo (ES)
- University of Rio dos Sinos Valley – Rio Grande do Sul (RS)
- Paulista University – São Paulo (SP)
- University of Vale do Itajaí – Santa Catarina (SC)
The monthly fee for a technologist course in photography is between R $ 500.00 and R $ 1,300.00.
Specialization Courses in Photography
A photographer can also take several courses apart from undergraduate courses so that she can obtain new knowledge and also to improve herself within her specialization. Some of the main courses are:
- Lighting
- Image treatment
- Photo montage books
Lighting
Since a professional understands that lighting is one of the most important parts of her job, taking a complementary lighting course for photography helps not only in everyday life, but also helps in the vision of both studios as well as outside environments where assistance of the sun can alter the final result of the work.
In addition, this type of course will also help the photographer to simulate environments and pass sensations with light, giving you more freedom to take your photos the way you prefer.
Image treatment
As I said earlier, the work of a photographer does not end as soon as the photos are taken. Treating an image means adjusting it correctly according to the customer’s wants and needs.
This work can be done as a color correction to make the photo more sharp and clean or as a way to make the photo a little more playful, modifying various elements of it, such as colors, contrast, saturation, etc. An image treatment course will help the photographer to think when it is time to click on how her photos can be treated and what are the possibilities within each one.
Photo Book Assembly
A photobook assembly course is an excellent way for a freelance photographer to expand her work area. Among the various techniques learned, the layout and the ability to assemble a book the way you want will give the photographer an opportunity to sell something more than her work.
Since in any type of profession, it is necessary to stand out in order to grow, a photobook assembly course can be different when a customer chooses which photographer to hire.
How Much Does a Photographer Earn?
The photographers do not have a single minimum wage in Brazil, so the initial salary varies a lot according to the region where they work and the type of work they do. What influences the salary a lot is the fact that the professional is freelance or hired . Even so, it is possible to have a general average of the salary of this type of professional.
How Much Does an Agency Photographer Earn?
Lowest salary: R $ 800.00
Average salary: R $ 3,000.00
Highest salary: R $ 10,000.00
How Much Does a Freelancer Photographer Earn?
A freelance photographer can work either by doing work for which she is hired or by selling photos for companies of various types to use. We can also take an average of the prices for each type of photo , so that beginning photographers can get a sense of how the market works.
Photos for newspapers and magazines: Between R $ 150.00 and R $ 1,100.00
Photos for textbooks: Between R $ 150.00 and R $ 500.00
Photos for billboards: Up to R $ 6,000.00
Being a photographer is a profession that requires patience so that you get used to the market and the market recognizes you. Like any other profession that involves an artistic side, it is full of ups and downs, and for that reason, many end up giving up right at the beginning.
Perhaps work is not always what a photography professional expects, often some need to take types of photos that are not exactly what they want for their careers, but it is important to think that every job can bring experiences , opportunities for new jobs and will increase the professional’s portfolio as well.
For those who love photography and want to work in the field, the best advice may be to be patient and understand that things don’t happen overnight, but when they do, they are very rewarding.
See also: Psychologist – What do you do and how much do you earn?
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
