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

What is a product photographer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Susan McSpadden

A product photographer takes pictures of people and products for promotional use. They benefit from creativity to get compelling and original shots. Generally, they work in their studio or travel to a location to take specific types of photos, such as school portraits or wedding photos.

Product photographers specifically focus on producing photographs used for advertisements. Their work can be seen on billboards, in magazines, and in newspapers.

You must have a good eye in this position and understand how light and different colors can affect an image. It will be best to combine your understanding of photography with an awareness of the impression the advertisement intends to create and set up a shot to convey that impression effectively. Product photographers may be self-employed or work for an advertising firm.

The individuals who gravitate towards this field end up laying claim to annual earnings at $34,000. However, this figure can vary significantly depending upon your experience, skills, and academic qualification.

What general advice would you give to a product 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.

ScoreProduct PhotographerUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $37,701

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 7.00%

Black or African American 6.30%

Hispanic or Latino 15.08%

Unknown 5.69%

White 65.71%

Gender

female 47.05%

male 52.95%

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 product photographer

Explore product photographer education requirements

Most common product photographer degrees

Bachelor's

71.0 %

Associate

19.7 %

High School Diploma

3.5 %

Start to develop specific product photographer skills

Skills	Percentages
Adobe Photoshop	19.70%
Photograph Products	10.98%
Product Images	6.05%
Quality Images	5.59%
Color Correction	4.31%

Complete relevant product photographer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New product 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 product photographer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real product photographer resumes.

Research product photographer duties and responsibilities

Manage post and add editorial photos to the company Facebook page.
Manage assistants and stylist teams to ensure timely completion of brand-appropriate studio photography.
Photograph products for catalog using studio lighting, DSLR and background.
Table top, fashion models, jewelry, furniture, etc.

Prepare your product photographer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your product 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 product 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 product photographer resume templates

Build a professional product 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 product photographer resume.