“If you are artistic and love taking photographs, this could be a perfect career for you.”

If you are artistic and love taking photographs, this could be a perfect career for you. As a photographer you would use cameras to take still photographs. You would use your technical skills and artistic ideas to take images of people and products. You will also take pictures of places or events.

A photographer is usually a creative person. You'll also need to be able to make people feel relaxed.

Most professional photographers take a college or university course to improve their technical skills.

Specialisms can include advertising, editorial, press, photojournalism, fashion and corporate work.

Skills you'll learn at South Devon College

• discussing the project with a client, or receiving instructions from them (working to a brief)
• choosing and getting locations ready for the photography session (the shoot)
• setting up lighting and equipment
• composing and taking shots
• checking image quality
• retouching images - by hand or with digital software such as Photoshop
• processing and printing photos
• marketing and running your business if you are self-employed

Your future

• over 80% of culture, media and sports occupations will require qualifications at level 3 or above by 2020
• arts and entertainment jobs are expected to expand by 37% across the South West by 2020
• 199,000 new jobs will be created nationally by 2020 in the arts and entertainment sector - a 23% increase on 2010 job totals. 1,055,000 in total
• 99% of Art, Media and Design students moved forward into a positive destination, including employment, apprenticeships and further study

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