Career library · Design, art and media

Photographer and videographer

Recording what matters to people

What people in this work actually do

Plan and shoot events, portraits and products, manage light, edit and colour-correct, deliver on time, and handle the business side — quoting, bookings, payments and equipment.

This may suit you if…

You see a picture before you take it, you are reliable on the day, and you are willing to run a small business as well as hold a camera.

The hard parts

Weddings and events mean weekends and long days on your feet. Equipment is expensive and needs replacing. Price competition is severe. Payment is often slow.

We show these because nobody else will.

What people get wrong about this

That a good camera makes a photographer. Reliability, people skills and editing consistently matter more to a paying client than equipment does.

What this looks like in a smaller town

Wedding, event and increasingly social-media content work exists everywhere, and in smaller towns a single reliable photographer can hold a strong local position.

Ways into this work

There is almost always more than one route, and the cheapest is often perfectly respected.

Short photography course

Short skill course · Starts from Class Classes 9 and 10

A three to twelve month photography and videography course.

How long
1 year
What it costs
Not yet verified
Available near you?
In district towns

How to do it
Price a usable second-hand camera, and ask a local studio what they charge for a wedding day.

Learn with a working studio

Learning on the job · Starts from Class Classes 9 and 10

Assist an established photographer and learn the trade on real jobs.

How long
2 years
What it costs
Not yet verified
Available near you?
In most districts

How to do it
Approach two or three studios in your town and offer to assist on weekend jobs.

Creative skill subject at school

Skill subject at school · Starts from Class Classes 9 and 10

Take the relevant creative or media skill subject offered in Classes 9 and 10.

How long
2 years
What it costs
Not yet verified
Available near you?
In district towns

How to do it
Ask the school for the list of skill subjects it is approved to offer.

Skills that matter here

Essential

Managing your time

Finishing things by the day they are due.

Essential

Looking after a customer

Dealing with people so they come back and tell others.

Essential

Designing something

Planning how a thing should look and work before making it.

Useful

Using a computer

Switching on, finding files, and not being afraid of the machine.

See whether this fits your family

School is one of five parts of growing up. See how your child is doing across all five, what to try next at their age, and what it would honestly cost in your area.

Start free

Sources

Related work

Tailor and dressmaker Graphic designer