It’s brave of you to decide on a career in photography. Following in the footsteps of Robert Capa, Annie Leibovitz and Robert Mapplethorpe is inspiring. But to make it in the art world, it takes more than just talent. You need a lot of luck. And a photography resume that will make the world stop spinning for a moment.
Read on and learn how to write a photography resume that will serve as your welcome ticket to Magnum Photos.
This guide will show you:
- An example of a photographer resume better than 9 out of 10 others .
- How to write a photography resume that gets more interviews.
- Tips and examples on putting skills and achievements on a photographer’s resume.
- How to describe your experience in a resume for a photographer to get the job you want.
Do you want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-to-add content with just one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.
Create your resume now
Sample resume created with our creator: See more resume examples here.
One of our users, Nikos, had this to say:
[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page long, not three. With the same things.Are you more than “just” a photographer? Check out our related guides here:
- Marketing Brief
- Graphic Design Brief
- Game Design Brief
- Overview Artist</li
- Artist CV
- Filmmaker CV
- Cinematographer CV
- Video Producer CV
- Fashion CV
- Fashion Designer Resume
- Fashion Stylist Resume
- Animator Resume
- DJ Resume
- Actor Resume
- Illustrator Resume
- Sample Resume for 500+ Jobs
Here’s how to write a photographer resume:
1
Choose the best format for a photographer resume
Oh-oh.
You just got turned down from that juicy gig. The one with a killer theme and a stratospheric pay.
Why? Her poorly formatted photo resume irritated the hiring manager enough to turn down Dorothea Lange.
Don’t let that happen.
Choose a respected resume design like the reverse chronological resume format. It brings your best stuff into focus.
Use the best resume fonts, plus negative space and clear headings.
Then save it as PDF. A photographer resume PDF maintains its composition no matter what computer it appears on.
Pro tip: Make sure the offer allows PDFs. Some older applicant tracking systems fail on photography resumes in PDF format.
Need the full range of freelance photographer resume formats? Check out our guide: 3 Resume Formats: How to Choose the Best One [examples]
Most resumes last six seconds of viewing time, according to our HR stats report.
That’s a few frames.
Don’t be like most.
Write a resume objective or resume summary. Those are examples of photographer biographies that grab attention as the golden mean.
A resume summary shows experience when you have more than Ansel Adams .
A resume objective shows passion when you’re in the Peter Parker zone.
Look at these two examples of photographer resumes:
That’s not exactly the Hindenburg disaster, but it’s not it will saturate you with interviews.
To make the phone ring, mimic our next real estate photography resume example:
Photographer Resume Resume Example
Fit. You’re with Jay Maisel now. Measurable achievements fill the frame.
Not so experienced? Juxtapose the two entry-level photography resumes below.
In the days of pinhole cameras, lenses were all about passion. That’s what this sample photographers resume goal does:
Wow, she’s got Moxie. But you won’t get their jobs.
Even an inexperienced photographer’s resume needs, err, experience.
Look at the Freelance Photographer Resume Samples below.
Entry-Level Photographer Resume Goal
Well done Jimmy Olsen! That will make the hiring manager drop his copy of The Photographer’s Eye.
But he waits. How did an inexperienced photographer get that kind of experience on her resume?
She got it by working freelance, joining a professional association, and entering a few contests. But won’t that take a long time? No way, Man Ray.
Even a beginner’s photography resume can have that kind of depth and framing.
Pro Tip: A photo bio is like the trailer for your job search movie. Write it last so you have a ton of great videos to choose from.
When making a resume in our builder, drag and drop bullet points, skills, and autocomplete the boring stuff. Spelling checker? Check. Start creating a professional resume template here for free.
When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will rate your resume and tell you exactly how to do it best.
Need more tips on making a great freelance or senior photographer resume? Check out our guides:
How to Write a Resume Summary: 21 Best Examples You’ll See
+20 Examples of Resume Objectives – Use Them on Your Resume (Tips)
Know the wealthy client. Her name is Katherine.
She has Pelican Cases full of work and pays like a sultan.
What does she care?
Experience.
But it’s all in the presentation.
If you have more than Richard Avedon, list your most recent job first.
Add 3-5 resume bullet points with measurable accomplishments. The following professional photographer resume example isolates the topic.
Compare these two sample photography resume experience sections:
Photographer Job Description Sample Resume
Client would have to have a cutout in the brain to ignore that. Your powerful resume for photography jobs just proved you’ve got the chops.
But strip those accomplishments and:
Ouch. Who left the lens cap on?
But what if you’re writing a photography resume with no experience?
These Beginning Photographer Resume Examples can help.
How to Write a Photography Resume With No Experience
Time to panic.
You have no experience. You will never get a job. You’ll end up eating squares of ham sandwiches.
Relax. You’ll be fine.
Dig deep for achievement, even if you haven’t had a job as a camera jockey.
Look for resume items at:
- Freelance photography work
- Second Shooter gigs
- Your own unpaid projects
- Assistant photographer jobs
- Weddings (even free!)
- High school photos
- Volunteer work
- Part-time photography jobs
- Competitions you have won or placed in
Adding them to a beginner photographer’s resume will shock them like a Bill Murray photobomb.
But how do you include freelance work on a resume?
Let the following two entry-level photography resume samples put you in the picture.
Photography Experience on a Resume
Hmm. That applicant probably cut more limbs than Dexter. Maybe if you apply and pray that to 1,000 photography assistant jobs, you’ll get one.
So, add details like in this freelance photographer resume example:
Freelance Photography Resume
Pop! That stands out as Steve McCurry’s Afghan Girl.
Don’t even have that much? Host a wedding for a friend or work for a local business for free. Even a small contest or work from your own portfolio looks good on a photographer’s resume.
Pro Tip: if you’re new, networking and cold calling studios can quickly build experience. Eventually you will find a business that needs you like air. Try rubbing shoulders with assistant photographers, too.
Sending out photography resumes and listening to crickets? Maybe your boring verbs are making hiring managers sleepy. Check out our guide: 240 Action Words and Power Words to Make Your Resume Shine
Does Your Section Really Matter of Education? on a photographer’s resume?
Here’s the logic:
Every resume should have an education section.
If you don’t use it to sell, it’s like having a 1DX Mark II and only use it for selfies.
Start with:
- Name and location of school.
- Years in school.
- Don’t claim you have all the skills shown in full digital photography.
- Don’t just list your skills.
- Professional association memberships
- Conferences
- Congratulations, Praise
- Publications
- Classes Taken or Taught
- Awards
- Volunteer Activity
- And anything else that shows your dedication to the craft.
- Full name
- Up-to-date phone number
- Business email address
- Start with a photography resume summary that puts your best achievements in focus.
- Fits the job description. That means finding out what skills they need. Then reveal measurable achievements that match.
- Add other sections that demonstrate your photography skills. Include professional associations, contests, publications, and certifications.
- You need a cover letter just like you need a camera body. Customize yours by showing how it will meet the specific needs of the hiring manager.
p>
These two professional photography CV examples show how to:
Photographer CV Examples [Education]
These two photography resume samples aim for a job that requires portrait and landscape skills. p>
That’s not a candidate who owns a camera that goes all bokeh. It’s Sally Mann or Robert Capa raw.
Now look what happens when we flatten it:
Aargh, maybe you can fix In the post?
Pro Tip: Is a GPA included on a photography resume? If it is very high or recent. Otherwise, bring a different impressive achievement to the fore.
Make the education section of your freelance photographer resume sing like a phase one IQ. Check out our guide: How to Put Your Education on a Resume [Tips & Examples]
Let me be frank:
If you have the skills, you’re hired.
Well, almost.
Without tests, not even Yousuf Karsh could walk into a Walmart Photo Center.
So how do you list photography skills in a resume?
Read the job or job description. Find out what the hiring manager or client needs.
Then fit your bullets to that as a frame within a frame.
These Professional Photographer Resume Examples should change your point of view.
Photographer Resume Examples [Skills]
Suppose the hiring manager says you need these skills:
Photographer skills: (1) Management, (2) ) Fieldwork, (3) Portrait Photography
Don’t say you have them.
Add them to your cartoons like this:
See that?
A photography job opening You need a resume with field photography accomplishments.
Do that and you’ll feel like Jeff Widener’s Tank Man in front of a barrage of interviews.
Start with the photography skills resume list below.
List Skills to Put on a Photographer Resume
I need some photography skills for you. Your resume?
Use this list. (They’re also great keywords for resumes.)
Photography Skills on a Resume
Interpersonal Skills
Technical Skills
Software
Perception
Digital imaging
Adobe Photoshop
Creative Skills
Lawmaker Photography
Adobe Lightroom
Communication
Portrait
Capture One Pro 9
Collaboration
Real Estate Photography
Topaz
Detail Oriented
Nature Photography
Perfectly Clear
Interpersonal Skills
Sports Photography
Corel Paintshop
Self-motivated
Editorial Photography
PicMonkey
Adaptability
Fashion Photography
Canva
Physically Fit
Editing software</p
PhotoScape
Judgment
Hardware skills
Gimp
Don’t stop there! Ask yourself: what are the responsibilities of a photographer? Also check the job description and other jobs online.
If there is no job description, ask the hiring manager about your needs. A call or email to a manager or employee can reveal a lot.
Pro Tip: Can a Photographer’s Resume Demonstrate Your Skills? No. But with the right accomplishments, you’ll convince them enough to get the interview.
Are you making chimpanzees the skills section of your photography resume? Sit back and use our guide: 30+ Best Examples of What Skills to Put on a Resume (Proven Tips)
Will you be hired with a CPP certification?
Put it this way:
You don’t You don’t need a certificate, but on an entry-level photographer’s resume, it works as a mainline.
So, don’t hide it in the background.
Add it to your name in the header. Then put it in your summary. Lastly, create a special section for him.
Do that and it won’t matter where the hiring manager focuses. She’ll know you know the rule of thirds for diagonals and triangles.
Pro Tip: Don’t have a CPP certification? Do not panic. Just have a great online portfolio. A few beautiful shots can get you hired. Add a link to your professional photography resume.
Want more tips for a photographer resume certification section with simplicity and minimalism? Consult our guide: What to put on a resume to make it perfect [Tips and examples]
Remember well, Client? heels, Katherine?
You’ve seen dozens of photographer resumes with great experience and education sections.
But you’re only hiring one.
Add “other” resume sections to foreground you as the subject in a Yousuf Karsh portrait.
You may add:
Check out that job in two sample photo resume sections.
Photographer CV Examples [Other Sections]
This is an example of how not to add more information to a CV for photographers :
Slow down, Austin Powers. You have to show that you fit the job.
Compare that with this amazing photo resume example:
You did it. Now you have the most textured freelance photographer resume of the pile.
Pro Tip: Should You Add a Resume Photo to a Resume for Photographers? ? ? Not in the US Save selfies and headshots for your online portfolio.
Need the right extras to add color to your photography resume? Check out our guide: 20+ Best Examples of Hobbies and Interests to Put on a Resume (5 Tips)
Who Say you need to submit a cover letter with your photographer resume?
Well, 40% of hiring managers, that’s who.
But don’t make it generic. It’s like sending them a photo of a sunset.
Use the manager’s or customer’s name if you can find it.
Then show that you understand their needs and show that you’ll get the job done.
This short cover letter example from a photographer gets it right.
Always end a cover letter with an offer. Try: “I would like the opportunity to discuss how to increase your customer satisfaction scores by 25% this year.”
Pro Tip: Should You Make a Creative Photographer Resume, Like Printing It in a Self-Portrait? No. Save the art for your portfolio and keep your photography resume professional.
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an edge over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter generator here. Here’s what it might look like:
See more cover letter templates and get started to write .
Do you want your photographic cover letter to surprise them like Earthrise by William Anders? Consult our guide: How to write a cover letter in 8 easy steps (+12 examples)
Do you want to avoid a rookie mistake?
Add the correct contact information to your photographer resume.
Start with:
Like this:
An email address “professional” means not AwesomeKayakerDude2349874@ yahoo.com.
But don’t clip a link to your portfolio. Examples of your work will impress clients and hiring managers more.
Also add a LinkedIn address. These days, 87% of recruiters hire on LinkedIn.
Pro Tip: Your LinkedIn profile is just as important as the rule of probabilities. Make sure it’s great before the link appears on your photographer resume. Use our guide to creating the perfect LinkedIn profile.
Want more tips for writing an impressive resume for photographer jobs? See the photography resume template at the top. Also, check out our guide: How to Make a Resume: A Step-by-Step Guide (+30 Examples)
Here Here’s a summary of how to write a photographer resume that balances the right elements:
Have questions about writing a great CV for a photographer? Not sure how to describe your skills or accomplishments? Give us a shout in the comments! We will be happy to answer.
.