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Press photographer: Job description and activities

Job description

Press photographers take photographs to record news, current events and lifestyle stories. Their mission is to capture the emotion involved in the event they are photographing so that the readers can see and feel what it was like to be there. The pictures are then reproduced in newspapers, magazines and, increasingly, niche-market, web-based publications.

Press photographers sometimes specialise in a particular field, such as sport, current events or entertainment. The market is very competitive and many work on a freelance basis, using good business skills to sell their photographs to news agencies or publications. This work is also known as editorial photography.

Typical work activities

Press photography requires a combination of intuition, creativity and technical skills. Typical activities include:

• working closely with other people concerned with the story, e.g. journalists and picture editors, in agreeing the photographic requirements for the article;
• explaining technical photographic terminology to non-photographers;
• handling relevant administrative arrangements, such as timing, press passes, transport and access;
• finding a suitable viewpoint from which to take photographs;
• photographing events or personalities, noting details for photographic captions;
• ensuring that all pictures are appropriate, processed, catalogued and ready in time to meet deadlines;
• preparing and sending digital photographs for newspaper publication to deadline;
• maintaining up-to-date knowledge about current news stories and any specialist areas;
• sourcing freelance photographers for a job or sourcing existing photographs if pushed to meet a deadline;
• arranging lighting and other requirements for magazine studio shots;
• maintaining photographic and electronic communications equipment.

For freelance work, additional activities include:

• researching and anticipating relevant events;
• negotiating the sale of specific shots;
• handling all business activities and establishing and maintaining contacts.

AGCAS

Written by Caroline Barker, AGCAS

Last updated:

August 2008

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