Photographers have the kind of glamorous jobs many people dream about. There's hard work, to be sure, but photographers have ever-changing workplaces, meet a wide variety of people and can use their wits, talent and skill to make the ordinary into art. They can do a variety of things that meet their interests and abilities. They can have great jobs.
News
For frequent, sometimes nerve-racking, excitement, photographers who work for newspapers and magazines have it made. Their assignments change from day to day and sometimes minute to minute. They can take a photo of a kindergarten class on the playground, then be whisked off to photograph a politician or maybe see up close the tragedy of a fire, all in the same day. While they get some assignments related to preplanned stories, they also are free to find their own subjects for what are called enterprise shots, and they must race to breaking news stories. A part of their job is to size and tone the photos, along with cataloging them, and they also get to see their work displayed on the front or inside pages of their newspapers every day. They know their work is seen daily by thousands of people.
Glamour
Being a glamour photographer also has its advantages. These professionals shoot fashion and other models for magazines and advertising campaigns. They are highly paid, work with beautiful people and are prized for their abilities to capture art on film. They shoot many sessions in studios, but they also travel the world for location shoots and fashion shows.
Products and Architecture
For a more subdued professional, there is the world of product and architectural photography. These artists are charged with bringing to life inanimate objects such as buildings, sculptures and even margarine, candles or Spam. They are paid to use their imaginations to create enticing photos of things most people walk by without noticing. It's their job to get people to notice.
Artists
Art photographers can explore their own passions, as Ansel Adams did with Yosemite National Park, and get people to admire their work. Such photographers, if they are not independently wealthy, must rely on art grants, gallery exhibitions, photo sales and book deals to make a living.
Celebrity
Paparazzi may be hated by celebrities sometimes, but these photographers who take candid photos of celebrities are passionate about their jobs. While most pros don't think very much of paparazzi, those who do the work share in some of the spotlight of their subjects, can be paid a lot of money and get to see their best shots published around the world. The job entails waiting endless hours for celebrities to appear, and even the risk of being punched or otherwise abused by their subjects. Most are not on the staff of magazines or newspapers, but work freelance. Those who get the shots people want to see can expect big paychecks.
