As you start to enter the world of jobs in photography, there are basic pieces of equipment that you want to have with you to either create a small studio or small portable studio. Photographic jobs may be simple enough to have people come to you, but often times they may require you to travel to a particular site and be prepared for anything.

When scouring photography job listings, pay particular attention to the details to flush out what supplies or equipment might be needed. Only submit bids for the ones that you are equipped for or the ones that you are prepared to purchase equipment for.

When purchasing supplies for photography jobs:

1. Look at the camera type you want to use for your photographic jobs.

2. Consider the lighting that you will have to use or take advantage of when you are searching photography job openings.

3. Think about ancillary items such as diffusers, props, backdrops and other items as you look at photography job opportunities.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find the right camera for your photography employment

Make sure that you have the proper main tool for your photographic jobs. Find the camera that is going to be sturdy enough to be durable as well as have the features that you need to accomplish your main field of photographic interest.

I recommend: Make your next camera purchase from B & H Foto & Electronics. They sell cameras and a wide variety of accessories. Adorama is another top source for all things photographic. Keep an eye out for the regular specials at Ritz Camera.

Prepare the right lighting for photographic jobs

When you put in a bid or sign up for photography jobs, make sure that you have the lighting capabilities to accomplish what you say you can. More photography job opportunities come from referrals, and you want to make sure that you get it right the first time and not waste everyone's time with a bad shoot.

I recommend: Purchase a variety of lighting options from Pro Studio Supply. They offer constant lighting, flash lighting, light stands and more. Find film, paper and supplies through PDI Supply. Check out the light kits available through TubeTape. Find out what lighting options Eos Lighting can help you with.

Consider additional items for your photographic jobs

Investing in ancillary items such as props, backgrounds and posers for your photographic jobs can lead to amazing results.

I recommend: Request a catalog from Freestyle Photographic Supplies. The Denny Manufacturing Company specializes in portrait photography posers and backdrops. Take a look at the variety of backdrops and props available through Aura Backdrops. Find even more backdrops through BackdropExpress.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  As you build your business or seek photography employment, keep a portfolio of your photography job work. Print 8x10s and keep them in an artist's portfolio display binder to take with you from job to job to showcase what you can do.
• •  You might also consider listing on your resume or website what equipment you use and/or travel with when you go out to do photographer jobs.

Jobs in photography can be anything from spot news for a local newspaper or taking senior-class portraits for the yearbook to architectural photographs or action shots for a major magazine. Anyone can snap a picture, but only a photographer can take a photo.

Finding jobs in photography doesn't mean you have to have years of schooling under your belt. There are many photographers who would be happy to become your mentor, or you could take a few classes online or at your local college.

As you hone your photographic jobs skills, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Take hundreds of photos. The key to getting that one great shot is snapping many — even the most experienced photographers don't rely on one shot.

2. Learn the basics such as composition, proportion and what makes a great photo before you hit the photography job listings.

3. Build up a portfolio (either online or in print) of some of your best shots to show when you apply for photographer job openings.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Check out news photography careers

Newspapers are always looking for that special photo not only for the front page but the inside pages, the sports pages and even the advertising pages. One way to get a photography position with a newspaper is to start out freelancing. Taking photos of car accidents, children playing in the park or community events will help fill the pages with interesting shots. Take a few and visit with the editor of your local newspaper and see if she is interested in buying some of your shots or even sending you on assignments.

I recommend: Look for news photography job listings online at Journalism Jobs or Media Bistro.

Work wedding photography jobs

There are many aspects to taking wedding portraits that go way beyond the traditional posed photos. Day-in-the-life and wedding portraits have become popular as have as journalistic portraits. These are usually done outside of the studio, which makes the cost for the shoot to the photographer much less since he will use natural light and simple props.

I recommend: Learn many aspects of photography at Photo Net. Shutter Mom offers day-in-the-life kits for photographing children.

Find real estate photography positions

Real estate companies often pay top dollar to a photographer who can make a house sparkle in its catalog. Many times corporations as well as insurance companies will also need real estate photographers. Start small by asking local real estate and insurance companies if you could take some photos for them. This will gain you some experience that is invaluable to move on to bigger jobs.

I recommend: To find real estate photography employment, visit Contracted Work or Get Photography Jobs to check out the listings.

Break into fashion photography jobs

If the glitzy, glamorous life-style of the fashion industry appeals to you, then fashion photography may be just the photographic job for you. Build your portfolio by practicing your photography on people you know or local beauty pageant contestants or aspiring models. Not only will they be able to build their portfolios, you will too.

I recommend: Read the tips from the high-fashion gurus at Fashion Net. Look through websites of professional fashion photographers, such as Richard Warren and Marco Tenaglia for inspiration.

Find magazine photography job opportunities

The magazine industry is more difficult to break into than the newspaper industry. However, magazine editors are always on the lookout for those outstanding photos. Many times before landing that magazine photography job, you need a portfolio filled with photos similar to what that magazine usually publishes. You'll probably have to freelance for the editor before she'll consider hiring you. Read the guidelines carefully before you submit a photo to an editor. If you don't follow the guidelines, then the chances of your photos being published are slim to none. Try to get into that editor's head and figure out what he wants in a photo. Thumbing through and studying various photos in the magazine you're targeting will also help you get a handle on what types of shots the editor likes.

I recommend: Photographers Market lists comprehensive information about the photography submission guidelines of major publishers and other markets. Some of the magazines include National Geographic and Parade Magazine.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Take a few classes or study other photographers' work to get a feel for how you can make someone see an ordinary situation in a different light.
• •  Always carry a camera with you, even if its just a disposable camera in your glove box. You never know when a photo opportunity might present itself.
• •  Practice, practice, practice. Even if you've got 40 million shots of your kids and the neighbor kids, keep shooting. Look for different angles, different settings and different subjects.
• •  When applying for photographer jobs, be sure you don't send in the only copies of your photographs you have. Keep the negatives and prints or store digital copies.
• •  When submitting photos to editors, send along a self-addressed envelope with the appropriate postage for the editor to return your photos.

Photography jobs aren't the easiest form of employment to break into, but photography job opportunities are out there if you look hard enough. Photographic jobs can be anything from portrait work to weddings, to sports, to photojournalism, to fashion, to architecture and more. Jobs in photography can involve making stock photography libraries. You can work for someone else, or you can work for yourself.

Photography job listings can be posted in many places, and photography careers can often be traced back to someone catching a break because he or she was in the right place at the right time. Whatever the case may be, photography jobs are a never ending battle of finding the next employment opportunity.

Adhere to photography jobs basics:

1. Start by scouring available photography employment openings.

2. Follow-up by reviewing photographer submission guidelines at various publications.

3. Cap off your search by seeing who locally is hiring that maybe you can shadow for a while to gain experience.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find photography jobs through posting sites

Locate photographic jobs by state and other posting methods to review what possible matches might be available for you.

I recommend: Locate photographer jobs by state through FreelancePhotographerJobs.com. Check out the American Press Institute's photojournalism jobs site. Join Photography Jobs Finder for free to start your photographer employment search.

Look at the other jobs in photography that might also be available

Most photography job listings boards require the lister to pay per listing. You will most likely find different postings from board to board, and it will be worth your while to check from site to site.

I recommend: Jobster gives you nationwide listings for photography job openings. Sign up for daily updates from PhotographyJobsCentral. Check out the opportunity at cruise ship photography jobs at the New World Cruise Ship Employment Agency. Use Simply Hired to find additional job postings.

Take a non-traditional route in finding photography employment

Find photography jobs in unique places. Did you know that you can put your photography skills to use by providing stock images to greeting card companies, magazines and other licensing application companies?

I recommend: Consider sending a proposal for a project such as a calendar to Tide-mark Press. Try photo submissions with magazine article writing like to Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine or Variety magazine. Submitting photos to magazines and/or photographing on contract can be an extra source of income.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  For those seeking high paying non-traditional photography employment and/or to pick up some additional funds, licensing your photography work is a great way to supplement your income. Having a photographer's agent, though, is the best way to make sure that the contracts signed are binding and represented fairly.

A career in photography can be fun and rewarding, as you use your creative nature and eye for a story to create a legacy through images. There are several ways you can use your photographic eye to impact the world, and this article explains a few of those career choices. Understand that your photography career can reach across many of these opportunities; you don't have to settle for just one.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Portrait

A portrait photographer is what most people first think of when they think photography. In this position, you take pictures of individuals or groups in an effort to capture who they are through the lens. Portrait photographers can specialize in one type of photo (weddings, senior portraits, families, children) or cover a broad range. Most portrait photographers maintain their own studio or business.

I recommend: The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics provides more information on photography jobs, including portrait photography. For examples of portrait photography, look at work done by Ann Geddes.

Photojournalism

Photojournalism is the art of telling a story through pictures. Most photojournalists work for newspapers, magazines and books, providing the photographs that accompany the text. Some media outlets devote an entire publication to the images from photojournalists, such as in remembrance of an event like 9-11.

I recommend: Professional photojournalist Nancy L. Ford explains the responsibilities of the job. Professional photographer Rosh Sillars discusses the job in his New Media Photographer blog.

Fashion

Fashion photography is an industry where the photographs focus on displaying current fashion trends in clothing, hair styles, accessories and the like. Most fashion photographers see their work published in magazines or advertisements. While some may view fashion photography as similar to portraiture, the style is very different.

I recommend: Visit Fashion Net for information on how to get started as a fashion photographer. Richard Warren, a well-known New York fashion photographer, has examples of the style in his portfolio.

Commercial

Commercial photography, also known as industrial photography, focuses on providing images for advertising purposes, specifically architecture, products and food, to name a few. While commercial photographers may use models in the image, they are not the focal point.

I recommend: Degree Source explains commercial photography in more detail. View the Dion & Company portfolio for examples of commercial photography.

Medical

Medical, or biomedical, photographers take pictures of a scientific nature, including medical procedures, tests, microscopic images and other exposures necessary for the advancement of health sciences.

I recommend: For more details on a medical photography job, visit the Wisconsin AHEC Health Careers Information Center. Examples of medical photographs are available at Oregon Health & Science University.

Editor

A photo editor refers to one of two things. First, the photo editor may be the person in charge of photography for a publication, such as a magazine or newspaper. This photo editor discusses assignments with photographers and picks the images used in the publication, among other tasks. Another type of photo editor, sometimes known as a Photoshop artist,is an individual who works for a photography studio and edits the images taken by the photographer for the client's review.

I recommend: Nancy L. Ford explains the role of a photo editor for a publication. A Digital Dreamer explains the role of a Photoshop artist in more detail. Read A Photo Editor, written by Rob Haggart, former director of photography for Men's Journal and Outside Magazine.