A career as a corporate photographer might be a lot more different compared to a normal photographer. In this article we try to show you what a typical day looks like for a photographer. The way your day looks will vary depending on whether you’re a studio photographer, a portrait photographer, a landscape photographer, or a Corporate photographer. Employment of photographers is expected to grow 12 percent over the 2008-18 period, about as fast as the average for all occupations as quoted by Innovators Guide.
Currently the demand for corporate photographers has increased tremendously as we come across corporate events around the globe. Substantial growth of magazines, journals, companies, launch events and newspapers do require an increasing number of commercial and corporate photographers. At the end of the day, we realised that there is a lot that goes into a normal working day of a corporate photographer. Here are some of the things they do on a daily basis!
During the shoot
During a shoot the photographer needs to be prepared from the get go! He has to be very early to make sure he is on location before everyone else and set up. Setting up might take up most of his time. This is because he needs to scout the area and determine the best spots in that space for best lighting or best angles. Before the photographer begins, he needs to check and make sure that his equipment is in working order. Getting behind the camera and getting some great shots he needs to relate to the people being photographed, getting them to relax and take direction. Depending on the type of shoot, he could be working for several hours. Contrary to popular belief, a photographers work doesn’t just end after he has taken the pictures. There is still multiple levels to go through before the captured pictures reach the clients!
After the shoot
The first thing he would do is to create a backup copy of all the photos he has just taken. Go through the photos again and sort it out accordingly. Photoshop will come in handy after this, as post production work is required. Finally the process of sending the images captured at the corporate event to the clients.
Getting down to business
An independent photographer needs to know the life cycle of a business that he has to attend to from reading and answering emails from potential/current clients, handling bookings and scheduling in work for the weeks ahead. Sometimes photographers may need to send invoice to clients you also need to invoice clients and possibly chase up unpaid invoices. He would also need to keep up with future clients and appointments as well as attend more classes to build his skill set and also build his portfolio. Some people forget to update their portfolio once they start getting customers. The only way to ensure a constant flow of customers is to ensure that you always update your portfolio to impress more and more potential clients.
Source: edita.com
Managing workflow efficiently
People who work in the corporate world are constantly busy and they might be very hard to reach. The same applies to a corporate event photographer. A photographer needs to manage their time effectively, and be able to plan their appointments out carefully. A well-organized photographer will be able to not only create professionalism but also chances of being hired again. Here word of mouth and recommendation will assist in securing a task, be it corporate events or even a commercial event such as weddings.
Being a people person
Being a photographer means that you will be meeting a lot of new people on a daily basis. Therefore, being a people person should be one of your main traits. Being able to appease everyone and sell your services as a great photographer should be on top of resume! You need to be able to talk to people easily because you need to make your clients feel comfortable. Some of them might be camera shy or they might not know how to take proper photographs. It is a very intimate setting sometimes, so being able to talk your way through that is essential!
Other Important Qualities
Artistic Ability – Taking a photograph isn’t as simple as it sounds, especially corporate photography. Top companies are paying you top dollar which means you need to be able to be artistically gifted to show off your client’s product or team the best way possible.
Detail Oriented- Independent photographers who does their post-production work must be careful not to overlook details. Even a small mistake will ruin their chances of securing a job.
Photographers can expect keen competition in the market, as the market is saturated with creative people doing amazing work. The number of individuals interested in positions as commercial and news photographers is usually much greater than the number of openings. Related work experience, job-related training, or some unique skills such as excellent computer or electronics or knowledge of a second language will create a much larger opportunity for the budding photographer!
If you are a photographer, we hope we did you justice with this article. On the other hand, if you want to find a photographer for your event, head on to ThunderQuote for all your sourcing needs!
ThunderQuote is the most comprehensive business services portal in Singapore, Australia and ASEAN , where hundreds of thousands of dollars of procurement contracts are sourced every month by major companies like Singapore Press Holdings, National Trade Union Congress and more.