As an adept photographer and a master of pixels and lenses, you work on capturing the fragments of the world one click at a time. For that, you need an exceptional blend of technical prowess, artistic aptitude, and interpersonal dexterity. But what exactly are these photography skills? And, more importantly, how do you showcase them on your resume?
Whether you’re just looking for a new gig or you want to advance your career as a professional photographer, you’ll greatly benefit from having an outstanding photographer resume.
Crafting one such document and using it to properly demonstrate your skill set is much like snapping a quality photo. It takes a mix of knowledge, talent, and finesse. That’s exactly what we’ll show you in this article, along with some tips on how to improve. Let’s get started!
Key Takeaways
Photography skills represent a mix of technical, hard, and soft skills that allow them to capture appealing images.
Adding appropriate photography skills and proving them with relevant accomplishments is a vital step when crafting a resume.
Some of the most sought-after photography resume skills include artistic skills, hardware and software proficiency, image editing, customer service, communication, attention to detail, and more.
You should continuously work on improving your prowess by practicing, exploring different genres, analyzing, critiquing, and receiving feedback, and so on.
What Are Photography Skills?
Photography skills refer to a range of techniques, traits, and abilities that allow individuals to capture irresistible images. These skills involve much more than pointing a camera and pressing the shutter button. Competent photographers possess a deep understanding of various elements that range from technical aspects to artistic elements.
Technical proficiency is one of the foundational elements of a photographer's skill set. It involves comprehensive knowledge of the mechanics of a camera. Photographers know the ins and outs of concepts like aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and ISO. Being able to manipulate these options to achieve the desired effect is a crucial photography skill.
Proficiency in relevant software is an important subset of technical photography skills. For example, post-processing is essential for photographers in the modern workplace. By using software such as Lightroom or Adobe Photoshop, photographers can enhance their images and fine-tune all of their facets.
From an artistic point of view, photographers need to possess the ability to work with light and color, arrange their subjects to create strong visual compositions, have a keen eye for detail, and more.
Finally, since many photographers continuously work with different employers, clients, companies, and coworkers, they need to have strong interpersonal skills. Flexibility, organization, time management, and customer service are just some of the many invaluable soft skills for a photographer.
How to Show Photography Skills on Your Resume
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the demand for photographers is going to increase by 9% by 2031. Still, with the rise in popularity of smartphone cameras, the market is flooded with individuals from all aspects of life trying to show their work.
As a result, it’s becoming more and more important to know how to properly demonstrate your professional photography skills on a photographer resume. Fortunately, all it takes is learning a couple of tricks before you can truly showcase your expertise.
There are two rules when it comes to adding photography skills to your resume:
You should add relevant skills. Every photography gig or job comes with different requirements. That implies a specific collection of photography skills, meaning you want a tailored list of skills for your resume to match those requirements. One of the easiest ways to create that list is to read the job ad and find out what’s needed of you.
You should prove your photography skills. Just listing your abilities usually isn’t enough to impress recruiters. That’s why you want to provide solid proof of your skills by linking them with relevant accomplishments. Include some skills next to achievements in your work experience section or your resume summary, and you’ll have their attention.
9 Photography Skills For Your Resume
Now let’s check out some of the most common and sought-after photography skills that you can include in your resume.
#1. Artistic Skills
Artistic skills play an essential role in the world of photography. By using them, photographers can transform simple images into true works of art. It’s this range of hard skills for photographers that allows professionals to craft visually stunning pieces that can resonate with viewers on an emotional level.
For example, composition is one of the core artistic skills in photography. It involves knowing how to organize the shot and arrange the elements within it to create a harmonious image. Some elementary composition concepts include the rule of thirds, symmetry, asymmetry, and more.
Another artistic skill is balance, which involves knowing how to distribute elements within the frame to ensure nothing dominates the image. There’s also proficiency in color theory, an understanding of light in photography, and many other vital photography skills.
#2. Hardware Skills
Hardware skills represent the technical aspect of photography. They involve using and maintaining the equipment necessary for taking high-quality images. Photographers need strong hardware skills to effectively operate complex cameras, lenses, and various accessories.
By using these skills, photographers have precise control over their images. For instance, they can achieve desired exposure, motion blur, depth of field, and other qualities. Moreover, hardware skills also help photographers choose suitable lenses for any given situation and use them to their maximum potential.
On top of all that, there’s plenty of additional equipment, such as flashes, strobes, tripods, remote shutter releases, filters, and so on. Staying on top of the game hardware-wise allows you to push your gear to its limits and achieve professional excellence.
#3. Software Skills
In the world of photography, image editing and post-processing can be just as important as taking the shot. That’s why it’s important to show that you’re proficient in relevant software that allows you to unlock the full potential of your photographs.
There are plenty of software tools designed specifically to enable image editing and manipulation, such as Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture One Pro, Affinity Photo, and more. Even a basic understanding of these programs allows photographers to adjust features such as exposure, contrast, saturation, and color long after taking their images.
Advanced users can fine-tune each of these parameters, along with hundreds of others, allowing them to truly transform their work. That’s why you want to highlight your software skills and mention specific tools that you’re proficient in to maximize your chances of getting the job.
#4. Image Editing
Image editing skills stem directly from your proficiency in relevant software. Knowing how to use a program isn’t enough to be a skilled editor. You also need to have an in-depth knowledge of photography as well as your clients or employers’ needs and desires.
Being competent at image editing isn’t merely about using sliders to adjust certain parameters. It means crafting works of art with unique visual effects that can evoke specific moods. All of that makes editing skills essential for photographers, as they allow them to refine their shots, remove imperfections, and unleash their creative vision.
#5. Customer Service
Customer service is an important skill for photographers because it allows them to foster positive relationships with clients. It helps them provide a pleasant and satisfying experience throughout the entire photography process. Needless to say, that’s good for word-of-mouth marketing, reputational gain, and client loyalty.
Photographers should truly understand the needs and concerns of their customers and meet them in the best way possible. Moreover, customer service skills involve clear communication, timely responses, and the delivery of high-quality work, which are also essential for this type of profession.
#6. Communication
We touched on the importance of communication regarding customer service, but the benefits of this skill extend far beyond that. Photographers with strong communication skills can command the scene, provide clear and concise instructions to clients and models, and create optimal settings and environments to take the best images possible.
Furthermore, communication is essential for photographers when they need to collaborate with other professionals, such as art directors, stylists, or event planners. This skill ensures smooth collaboration and helps everyone stay on the same page throughout the entire process.
It’s also a vital skill that comes into play when professional photographers need to discuss pricing, contracts, and other business-related matters. In those circumstances, clear communication is imperative to keep everything transparent and prevent possible misunderstandings.
#7. Attention to Detail
Attention to detail is a crucial photography soft skill that plays a pivotal role in capturing high-quality images. As a photographer, you know that even the smallest details can greatly contribute to the overall product. By paying attention to them, you can polish your work to perfection and create a stunning end product.
Attention to detail comes into play in every aspect of photography. It’s valuable while composing a shot; important for balance, light play, and colors; and necessary during post-processing and editing. Ultimately, it’s a soft skill that can set photographers apart from the competition, which makes it an invaluable part of a photographer resume.
#8. Time Management
Time management skills directly influence photographers’ productivity and efficiency. By effectively managing their time, photographers can meet deadlines, maximize their output, and provide a satisfying experience for their clients. Through time management, photographers can also optimize their complex workflow, eliminate distractions, and produce top-tier quality work.
#9. Flexibility
Photography is a challenging and unpredictable profession where situations and circumstances can change at any moment. By being flexible, a photographer can quickly adapt to these occurrences and minimize the negative impact on their output.
Flexibility also allows photographers to adapt to specific requests, weather conditions, lighting constraints, any potential difficulties that arise during collaboration, and more. Lastly, this skill plays an important role in continuous learning and growth, helping photographers stay on top of the game.
Additional Photography Skills for Your Resume
Here are a few more photography skills for your CV or resume:
Color theory
Ability to direct and pose subjects
Printing and presentation techniques
Analog photography
Action and sports photography
Drone photography
Studio knowledge
Organization
Collaboration
How To Improve Your Photography Skills
Whether you’re trying to improve your basic photography skills or you’re a seasoned veteran looking to fine-tune your abilities, these tips can help you get started right now:
Practice regularly and improve through work. Simply grab your camera, go out there, and start shooting. The more photo opportunities you find and take, the better you’ll understand your camera and improve your style and abilities.
Explore different genres to take a look at photography from a different angle. Even if you’re an accomplished professional, you can always learn more and improve in your area of work by trying something new and different.
Analyze and critique both your own photos and those of others. Take the time to thoroughly evaluate every aspect of an image, from its composition and lighting to post-processing. That will help you develop attention to detail in addition to improving your hard skills.
Seek feedback by sharing your work with others. Allow them to critique your work and point out the areas in which you can improve.
Keep learning and updating your knowledge. Photography is an ever-evolving field—especially in the technical sense. You can attend workshops and conferences, read books and blogs, and follow relevant social media pages. That way, you’ll stay up-to-date with the latest trends, equipment, and techniques.
Closing Thoughts
Before we bid you adieu and you leave for the fascinating world of photography, let’s remember that resume-building is much like your profession. Adequately demonstrating your skill set takes the same sophistication and attention to detail as the shots you produce.
Every stunning photograph represents the cooperation of light, composition, and vision. In a similar manner, your resume involves a mixture of valuable details about your skills and experience, combined with evidence to prove them.
As you work on your resume, take a moment from time to time to look at it with your photographer’s eye. Check to see if it truly captures your mastery and character the way you want it to since that’s how recruiters will see you. Happy writing!
