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Date: 04/20/2026

Photographers

Photograph people, landscapes, merchandise, or other subjects. May use lighting equipment to enhance a subject's appearance. May use editing software to produce finished images and prints. Includes commercial and industrial photographers, scientific photographers, and photojournalists.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Engage in research to develop new photographic procedures and materials.
    • Load and unload film.
    • Test equipment prior to use to ensure that it is in good working order.
    • Transfer photographs to computers for editing, archiving, and electronic transmission.
    • Select and assemble equipment and required background properties, according to subjects, materials, and conditions.
    • Employ a variety of specialized photographic materials and techniques, including infrared and ultraviolet films, macro photography, photogrammetry and sensitometry.
    • Send film to photofinishing laboratories for processing.
    • Write photograph captions.
    • Perform maintenance tasks necessary to keep equipment working properly.
    • Set up photographic exhibitions for the purpose of displaying and selling work.
    • Send film to photofinishing laboratories for processing.
    • Use traditional or digital cameras, along with a variety of equipment, such as tripods, filters, and flash attachments.
    • Create artificial light, using flashes and reflectors.
    • Enhance, retouch, and resize photographs and negatives, using airbrushing and other techniques.
    • Perform general office duties, such as scheduling appointments, keeping books, and ordering supplies.
    • Estimate or measure light levels, distances, and numbers of exposures needed, using measuring devices and formulas.
    • License the use of photographs through stock photo agencies.
    • Develop and print exposed film, using chemicals, touch-up tools, and developing and printing equipment.
    • Produce computer-readable, digital images from film, using flatbed scanners and photofinishing laboratories.
    • Develop and print exposed film, using chemicals, touch-up tools, and developing and printing equipment.
    • Select and assemble equipment and required background properties, according to subjects, materials, and conditions.
    • Direct activities of workers setting up photographic equipment.
    • Mount, frame, laminate, or lacquer finished photographs.
    • Adjust apertures, shutter speeds, and camera focus according to a combination of factors, such as lighting, field depth, subject motion, film type, and film speed.
    • Take pictures of individuals, families, and small groups, either in studio or on location.
    • Review sets of photographs to select the best work.
    • Set up, mount, or install photographic equipment and cameras.
    • Manipulate and enhance scanned or digital images to create desired effects, using computers and specialized software.
    • Develop visual aids and charts for use in lectures or to present evidence in court.
    • Determine desired images and picture composition, selecting and adjusting subjects, equipment, and lighting to achieve desired effects.
    • Determine project goals, locations, and equipment needs by studying assignments and consulting with clients or advertising staff.
    • Perform general office duties, such as scheduling appointments, keeping books, and ordering supplies.

    Skills

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    0
    Workplace Documents
    5
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    Knowledge

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 33990/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 16.34/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 4,890
    • Yearly Projected Openings 430

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Innovation
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Adaptability
    • Perseverance
    • Initiative

    Tools

    • Atmospheric effect apparatus
    • Bubble machine
    • Camera controllers
    • Camera enclosures or covers
    • Camera flashes or lighting
    • Camera lens
    • Camera lens cleaners
    • Camera lens filter
    • Camera tripods
    • Compact disc CD or labeling printers
    • Contact printer
    • Digital cameras
    • Digital image printers
    • Digital pen
    • Dimmers and accessories
    • Dye sublimination printers
    • Electronic viewfinder
    • Film driers
    • Film washers
    • Flash memory storage card
    • Global positioning system GPS receiver
    • Graphics tablets
    • Handheld thermometer
    • Inkjet printers
    • Label making machines
    • Laser printers
    • Loupes
    • Lux or light meter
    • Multimedia projectors
    • Notebook computers
    • Personal computers
    • Photo print dryer
    • Photo print washer
    • Photographic enlargers
    • Photographic timer
    • Photography light reflector
    • Scanners
    • Still cameras
    • Tablet computers
    • Wireless network interface cards

    Technology

    • Accounting software
    • Calendar and scheduling software
    • Cloud-based data access and sharing software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Desktop publishing software
    • Document management software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Instant messaging software
    • Internet browser software
    • Operating system software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Video creation and editing software
    • Web page creation and editing software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

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