Photographers create visual images for a wide range of purposes, whether it be creative, technical, or documentary. Professional photographers usually work to a brief that is set by their clients or employer, with examples of image content including weddings, family and baby, fashion, architecture, war zones, and landscapes, among others.
Most professional photographers specialize in one particular area and around half are self-employed. A photographer might find employment through publishers, photographic agencies or creative businesses. Work activities include discussions with clients on subjects such as which images they want and how they would like to use them, research and preparation before a shoot, using a wide range of equipment such as cameras, lenses, lighting or software, liasing with fellow professionals including graphic designers and gallery managers, and arranging scenes, props, and backgrounds.
The majority of photography graduates start out as assistants to photographers, spending time helping out around a professional studio. A role such as this might only command a median salary of just a few thousand dollars per annum. After career progression, an experienced photographer might have their own studio or be employed by a company on a day-to-day basis and earn between C
$25,000 and C
$37,000.