How To Become A Portrait Photographer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a portrait photographer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Susan McSpadden

Being an expert Portrait Photographer may seem like the ideal gig. It's an imaginative source for individuals who are craftsmanship slanted, and Portrait Photographer has incredible advantages, for example, an adaptable timetable and travel. While it may be an ideal job for you, that doesn't mean it's consistently fun and glitzy. Did you realize that they make a normal of $28.94 per hour? That is $60,190 per year.

With regards to the main abilities needed to be a Portrait Photographer, we found that 24.6% of resumes included photography, while 18.4% of resumes included client assistance, and 13.3% of resumes included Photoshop. Hard abilities like these are useful to have with regards to performing fundamental occupation duties.

In case you're keen on turning into a Portrait Photographer, one of the interesting primary points is how much schooling you need. We've established that 54.2% of representation Portrait Photographers have a four-year certification. Regarding advanced education levels, we found that 5.8% of Portrait Photographers have graduate degrees. Although most Portrait Photographers have advanced education, it's conceivable to get one with just a secondary school degree or GED.

What general advice would you give to a portrait photographer?

Susan McSpadden

Marketing Photographer, Johnson County Community College

I think the job market for photographers is tough right now, in the same way it is for many other professions. Companies are either holding steady with their current workforce or making cuts to stay afloat until the pandemic is under control and the economy starts to consistently improve. We've had quite a few members of our organization, the University Photographers' of America Association, lose their jobs, take a pay cut, or be furloughed for an extended period. It's challenging for seasoned photographers with a solid resume to find work. For recent graduates in the field, who don't have experience on their side, it has to be exponentially more difficult. The good news is that companies, organizations and publications have an easier time hiring a freelancer than a full time employee, so if you're self-motivated, with your own gear, there are good freelance opportunities out there.

ScorePortrait PhotographerUS Average

Salary

2.2

Avg. Salary $27,728

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.5

Growth rate 9%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%

Asian 7.01%

Black or African American 6.31%

Hispanic or Latino 15.14%

Unknown 5.70%

White 65.61%

Gender

female 61.26%

male 38.74%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress level

4.5

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

1.9

Work life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a portrait photographer

Explore portrait photographer education requirements

Most common portrait photographer degrees

Bachelor's

58.7 %

Associate

22.7 %

High School Diploma

8.8 %

Start to develop specific portrait photographer skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	17.50%
Adobe Photoshop	13.33%
Kids	13.14%
Portrait Photography	12.30%
Camera Equipment	9.44%

Complete relevant portrait photographer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New portrait photographers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a portrait photographer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real portrait photographer resumes.

Research portrait photographer duties and responsibilities

Manage different operating processes and goals for photography team, creating success for office and limiting inaccurate paperwork and improve product.
Photograph portraits under deadline, market on Facebook
Generate engaging lifestyle, editorial, celebrity, and model images in fast-pace, fully-digital production studio.
Provide organize paperwork and communication within Lifetouch's multiple sites nation wide and co-workers.

Prepare your portrait photographer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your portrait photographer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a portrait photographer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable portrait photographer resume templates

Build a professional portrait photographer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your portrait photographer resume.