Photographer Resume Example

Being a professional photographer is a dream job for many people. If you have an eye for capturing the world around you and know how to market your creative skills, there are plenty of opportunities to forge your own career path.

Use these four tips to write a photographer resume that proves you have all the qualities employers look for in a job applicant.

1. Spotlight your photography skills

Hiring managers want to see that you have the skills required to handle all aspects of the job, including the hard skills necessary to operate camera equipment as well as the soft skills needed to work well with models and clients.

When you highlight skills on your resume, be as detailed as possible. Here’s an example of how to list detailed skills in your work experience section:

Here are some other photographer resume skills to include:

Photographer hard skills

• Camera equipment set up
• Camera operation
• Photoshop
• Lightroom
• Super-resolution imaging
• Composition
• Film development
• Lighting

Photographer soft skills

• Verbal communication skills
• Creativity
• Constructive feedback
• Friendliness
• Attention to detail
• Experimentation
• Initiative
• Professionalism
• Patience
• Focus

2. Balance creativity with professionalism

Your photographer resume needs to showcase your creative side, but it shouldn’t venture too far from the three established resume formats standard across most industries.

To successfully combine creativity with professionalism on your resume, follow these two pieces of advice:

1. Choose a photographer resume template that effectively showcases your talents – A visual resume with a large image header and a background that highlights your name helps your application stick in the hiring manager’s mind.
2. Link to your photography portfolio and professional social media accounts – In general, candidates in most industries should avoid adding social media links. However, if you’ve built a large following on social media and it showcases your photographer skills, it could be a valuable addition to your resume.

3. Demonstrate your photography experience

Your experience section is the foundation of your resume. It presents an opportunity to give the hiring manager a clear and accurate snapshot of your career and achievements.

To set yourself apart from other candidates, it’s crucial to make your accomplishments stand out. Here’s how:

1. Quantify your achievements

Quantifying your achievements using hard numbers lends your resume more credibility than simply stating your job responsibilities, and will help you make a great first impression on employers.

Here’s an example of how to use quantified points in the work experience section of your photographer resume:

When you measure your wins with numbers, timeframes, percentages, and dollars, it gives employers a clear picture of what you’re capable of as a photographer and makes your application more memorable.

2. Use the PAR method

When you write your experience section, use actionable language to communicate what you’ve achieved in your previous jobs. One way of doing this is by using the PAR method.

Use this formula for each bullet point:

• Problem: Identify a job responsibility or issue
• Action: Explain how you addressed the problem
• Results: State the outcome of your action

For example:

Implemented a new system to schedule meetings with clients, which led to a 10% increase in monthly bookings.

By following these three simple steps, you can highlight your achievements as a photographer.

4. Open with a resume summary

Many photography jobs are competitive, so it’s important to grab the hiring manager or client’s attention right away.

The best way to do this is by starting your resume off with a resume summary.

In 3-4 sentences, your resume summary should let an employer know what your background experience is, highlight your key career achievements, and let them know why you’re the best candidate for the position.

Here’s an example of a good resume summary for a photographer resume:

This example works because it tells hiring managers how many years of experience the applicant has, what kind of equipment they’ve used as well as what kind of photography they’re experienced with, and that their skills have earned them a prestigious award.