Part 1: Know your specialty
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Pick a branch of photography that interests you. Fashion, lifestyle, advertising, nature and food are just some
of the more popular areas of photography. You need to know what your strongest
skills are before you begin.
o
Fashion photography requires a keen eye for fashion trends and set design. Do
you enjoy working with models and celebrities? Do you see fashion as an art? If
you know how the fashion industry works, you'll be able to create a place for
you in it.
o
Advertising/commercial
photography is the most visible of the lot.
It's a mixed bag of fashion, product, food and portrait photography rolled into
one. Your photos should be able to sell or promote a product effectively. For
those who fit the bill, this is a very lucrative field
o
Nature and travel photography require many of the same skills. Be prepared
to leave your comfort zone to get the best photographs. Both require a lot of
field work, travel and minimal editing.
o
Food photographers should have a love for the culinary arts. You don't have
to be a professional chef but you will have to know about various ingredients
that make up a dish. Invest in a good macro lens too.
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3.
Look at your history as a student of
photography. What got you shooting to begin
with? For example, if you’ve always enjoyed photographing couples, wedding
photography might be your thing.
4.
Look through your photographs and
evaluate your best shots. You alone will know what shots you
are most comfortable taking. Employers will want to know about your area of
expertise just as much as you do.
5.
6.
Organize your best photos into a
folder. Look at them with a critical eye.
7.
Have you won awards or prizes for a
certain style of photography? Label those and keep those at the top of the
pile.
8.
Make medium-sized prints of your best
photos once you've shortlisted the best of them. Look at them once again and
recall the emotions you felt when you took them.
9.
Show your photographs to your peers
or friends. Gauge their opinion. You will
notice a pattern in their constructive feedback and get the fresh perspective
you need on your strongest work.
10.
11.
Ask them plenty of questions as to
why they like some photographs more than others.
12.
Request them to write down what they
feel are your strongest and weakest skills as a photographer. This will help
you develop better critical thinking skills
13.
Remember to thank them for their
feedback and criticism. You might need their help in the future.
14.
15.
Tailor your resume to what you're
good at. If you’re good at more than one
areas of photography, choose one you would like to specialize and highlight in
your resume.
16.
Evaluate the pros and cons. Write down separately what you like and dislike if you can't
decide what kind of photography you want a career in.
17.
Some kinds of photography would
require you to have an assistant and some might not.
18.
Some kinds of photography would
require more specialized equipment. For example: If you're a nature
photographer, you will need water-proof gear for your equipment.
19.
How good are you at networking? If you don't like meeting new people, commercial or fashion
photography won't work for you.
20.
You will meet tantrum-throwing models
or clients in the fashion industry. Decide if the money is worth dealing with
them.
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2.
This part can be broken up into four
areas. Include your personal information,
educational/professional experience, technical skills and a portfolio. Apart
from the personal information, the rest needs to be articulated using the
written word as well as your creativity (your portfolio).
3.
4.
Be honest with the information you
volunteer. You don’t want to get off on the wrong foot.
5.
Only mention details that are
relevant to the line of work you’re getting into as a photographer.
6.
Consider mentioning volunteer work
you may have done as a photographer in the past.
7.
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8.
Write down your personal information. You name, address, email and phone number should be right at
the top of the resume.
9.
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10.
Detail your educational
qualifications/degree/specialization, especially if it’s related to photography. If it’s not, that’s okay. Your employers will want to know
about your background regardless.
11.
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12.
Write down your professional
experience in reverse chronological order (last job first). This will be the most important part of your resume, apart
from your portfolio.
13.
Clearly mention your experience in
your previous jobs starting with the company name, your job title and the time
you were employed.
14.
Briefly describe your
responsibilities while working there. For example, if you were a fashion
photographer’s assistant, mention your experience with camera equipment, studio
work, lighting, set design, bookings, etc.
15.
Mention your expertise with editing
software or photographic technique that you think will set you apart from the
rest.
16.
17.
List all your published photographs.
This must include the literature in which it was published and the
date/month/year. Also include copies of your published work in your portfolio.
18.
Make a list of any awards or prizes
you’ve received in the past for your photography.
19.
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20.
Include references or recommendation
letters. Pick valuable people from within
the industry to vouch for your skills and professionalism in the field. If
they’ve worked with you in the past, their opinion as references will be
well-respected.
21.
Call or email your references first. Tell them about the job you're applying for and why
you need their support.
22.
Ask them if they prefer you give out
their name or number or both.
23.
List their name(s) in the references
section of your resume along with their title, job designation, email and/or
phone number.
24.
Mention their relationship to you and
the company you both worked at.
25.
Only ask for references from people
whose opinion will be relevant to the job you're applying for.
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27.
Check if your future employed
requires a cover letter. In your cover letter, explain why you should be hired.
This plus references will help you especially if you don't have substantial
photography experience.
28.
The cover letter should have a formal
tone.
29.
Don't write more than two paragraphs
for the main body copy. The person hiring you shouldn't get overwhelmed.
30.
If you're sending your cover letter
by email, type it in the body copy of the email, unless specified otherwise.
31.
If you're sending it by post, it
should be placed before your resume.
32.
33.
Create a portfolio that demonstrates
all the above skills, your personality and your creativity.
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2.
Photography is a visual medium and
prospective employers will want to see your body of work. Once you know what your job options are, make the portfolio
you will take to your interviews. Present your portfolio in a way that matches the type of work you will be doing.
3.
Scan through all the photos you’ve
taken in your time as a professional photographer. You will need to select your
most flattering work.
4.
Gather your resources to put together
a great portfolio. If you feel your skills are limited, ask for help from a
friend or pay a designer to teach you some tricks. It’s a one-time investment
that you can improve on at any time.
5.
Make prints of your photographs to
keep with you. Your interview could take place in an informal setting so having
prints at hand will limit your need to reach for a computer.
6.
All your photographs should be
high-resolution (more than 5 mega pixels) and be finished professionally. Ideal
dimensions for a high quality print are 8x10 inches, 9x12 inches or 10x13
inches.
7.
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Create a web-based portfolio. Use the Internet
to share your portfolio with an employer and your peers. You can also use
a website to host your resume and just send a prospective employer
the link.
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You can buy a domain on the Web with
the help of hosting sites such as wordpress.com, domain.com or godaddy.com.
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Select a website name and check if
it’s available for you to use.
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Blog hosting sites like wordpress, blogger and typepad.com have ready-made templates for
photographers wanting to host their portfolios online. You can either use a
free design template or pay a fee to get advanced design options.
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Use your website to showcase your
creativity as well as your design skills.
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Use social networking websites like
tumblr, DeviantArt and Flickr to post your photos online. Show prospective
employers that your photos have been appreciated with the number of comments or
“likes”.
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Make a portfolio
book. Every photographer should have at least one portfolio book
with them to take to interviews. Employers could ask that you bring one to the
interview so it's best to be prepared.
o
Have your personal details mentioned
in your portfolio. Also add contact information, just as you would do with your
resume.
o
Web businesses such as blurb.com and
myprintfolio.com will print and ship your portfolio to you as a hard-cover
book.
o
Choose a specialized book for your
portfolio. Your photos should be big enough to be appreciated. The book must
ensure that the "flow" of photos is true to your talent and artistic
sensibility.
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Buy a simple binder for any extra
photographs that did not make it into your portfolio.
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Add captions for your photos when
necessary. Sometimes the photo speaks for itself and you'll do more good if you
leave it as is.
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Print your portfolio at home on your
printer. Make sure the printing is of high quality.
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Look online for a local printer in
your neighborhood that will print your portfolio for you.
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Edit your resume before you send it. Even if you're pressed for time, you will need to clear this
step before you hit send.
o
Update your resume the day before you
send it. If you've learned any new photography skills or earned new
achievements, check to see if you've added it to your resume.
o
Check if your resume is relevant to
the job you're applying for. This will be easy to do if you know what your
future employer will expect of you.
o
Make sure all the sections in your
resume are clearly labeled. Highlight the important photographic achievements
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Ensure that the content flows
logically and is easy to read. You will have already done this with your
portfolio so apply the same principles to your resume.
o
Typographical errors rarely create a
good impression. Carefully run through the test to make sure there are no
errors in spelling, grammar or syntax.
2.
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Ask your future employer how they'd like to view your
resume/portfolio. Different employers could have a
varied preferences so check to be sure. Once you know, you can use any of these
following ways to send it to them.
o
Copy your resume and portfolio on a
DVD or a flash drive. Create folders and label them before your mail it to your
employer.
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If you're sending your
resume/portfolio via email, write in the cover letter explaining what
attachments the email contains along with the attachment file names.
o
Employers sometimes prefer a resume
and cover letter to be in a PDF format before it's sent or uploaded online. Adobe Acrobat
is one such software you can use to change an MS Word document into a PDF file.
o
Handing your resume over personally
is the best way to let your personality shine. Make sure you take your resume
and portfolio as well as DVD/flash drive of your work. Most employers might not
want to keep a hard copy of your portfolio but they could ask you for some
other form of it as well.
3.
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Wait a week before
reconnecting with your future employer. This step applies
only if they haven't told you when they will get back to you.
o
Thank your employer in a short email or handwritten note after you've
completed your interview. Do this as soon as possible.
o
Be available to your future employer
by phone or email at any time after the interview. They could call you for a
second or third round.
o
Don't be pushy. If they tell you they
will call you back, be patient.
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Organize your resume according to
your strengths. If you are a recent graduate of a prestigious photography
program, list your education credentials ahead of your experience. If you have
worked closely with a famous photographer but you do not have a degree, keep
education last and list experience first.
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Make a good first impression. Try to
make your resume as unique as your photography to increase your chances in the
interview.
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Think about presentation. Since you
are working in a creative field, make sure your resume and biography reflects
your artistic and creative talents. The layout and design should generate
interest in you and your work.
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Take precaution while posting your
photos online. Make sure they're copyright protected, licensed under creative
commons or watermarked to avoid them being misused
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