Commercial photographer job description

This post includes 3 parts: duties list, job qualification and job description writing tips for Commercial photographer in details. A complete job description concludes Commercial photographer key duties/responsibilities, Commercial photographer job qualifications (knowledge, education, skills, abilities, experience…KSA model) and other ones such as daily tasks, key activities, key/core competencies, job functions/purpose…

I. List of Commercial photographer duties:

1. Performs high-level digital photography of models to capture realistic and asperational lifestyle images, both in studio and on location
2. Partners with creative team to ideate and recommend creative photographic solutions, location suggestions, set design and props
3. Recommend new technology and photography trends to studio manager and other photographers
4. Stays current of all assigned projects and deadlines, and attend creative ideation meetings
5. Captures images as complete and accurate as possible on set to allow creative approval and to minimize post production retouching
6. Stay up-to-date with technology, photographic equipment and software
7. Analyzes image requests and performs research on current fashion styles and industry trends and provides creative recommendations to creative teams and stakeholders
8. Performs image retouching on all captured lifestyle, product and feature images using Photoshop in the Macintosh environment
9. Prepares product lighting and performs product photography to match company image angles, styles and standards
10. Follows studio best practices for capturing imagery, archiving and record management
11. Provides direction to support staff of preparation and assembly of products as needed
12. Supports fellow photographers with technical assistance and guidance
13. Attends training seminars on photography and holds peer-to-peer training to teammates
    Duties may change and associates may be required to perform other duties as assigned.

II. List of Commercial photographer qualifications

1. Working knowledge of Lightroom, Capture One or other digital capture software applications in the Mac environment required.
2. Experience processing RAW digital images to standard output file formats (tif, psd, jpeg, etc.) required
3. Experience use of digital photography equipment required. Experience using Nikon or Hasselblad digital equipment preferred
4. Familiarity with standard digital photography and lens selection concepts, practices, and procedures with working understanding of how natural lighting, artificial lighting, lens selection, camera positioning and digital image retouching contribute to the success of an image.
5. Portfolio that shows commercial lifestyle imagery that displays Photographer's creativity and ability to implement standard rules of design (i.e. compositional balance, rule of thirds, etc.)
6. Experience participating in creative conceptualization with art directors, creative management and stakeholders
7. Proven ability to capture high-quality commercial lifestyle images with natural and artificial lighting (in-studio and location power packs and speed lights) required
8. Experienced capturing real and staged action imagery
9. Able to work in a fast-paced, deadline driven environment
10. Knowledge of hunting, team sports, fishing, and other outdoor sporting activities preferred
11. Availability to travel locally and on multi-day trips required
12. Availability to attend early morning, late day or weekend photo sessions to capture desired lighting required
13. Ability to maintain confidentiality of information required

III. Tips to write job description

1. Too-long job description:

Looking at a too-long job description can frighten the candidates off and drive the away. A job description, no matter how important the job is, should not be included in more than 3 pages. If one focuses on too many things at a time, he shall definitely lose focus on the main items and get overwhelmed by the remaining; So, keep it concisely.

2. Too-short job description:

While too-long can be a problem, too-short is more a problem. It will ruin the meaning of the job description. A too-short one means it lacks necessary details and therefore, the candidate will not be able to understand while reading it.

3. Listing unnecessary functions or job duties:

Just classifying these into the “others” category will save you a lot of effort and space. On the other hand, the job description will become more dilute and easy to be neglected.

4. Key functions

Not listing key functions as required for the job can be a fatal mistake to a job description.

5. Grammar and spelling

Poor grammar and having spelling errors can ruin the job description, too. Never think that as you are the employer, you may have the right to make grammar or spelling errors while requires other not to. A job description with such errors is easily to be mistaken as a fake or ghost ads; as a result, the candidate will turn away from it.

6. Not specific enough:

Be specific and concise; if you don’t address the specific, then what the job description is for. It is for the candidate to understand just exactly what he needs to do or needs to have. Lacking details can confuse the candidates very well.

7. Not having the job description reviewed by others:

This is also a common mistake. One may be subject to bias, but more than one, especially with the help of those external advisor, the job description can be more perfect.

8. Using buzzwords or abbreviations:

In fact, it is not necessary at all to use such in a job description.

9. Using slang or legal words:

Just use common wording to communicate with others and don’t do anything extraordinarily.

10. Not updating the job description:

The same job may require different duties and responsibilities in different times, so, you cannot use the same job description for 2 different times.

� r q �( �( erent duties and responsibilities in different times, so, you cannot use the same job description for 2 different times.